31st January 2025 Unst N2 Clear

Highlights of a look around Uyeasound were the adult Glaucous Gull at Easter Loch and an Iceland Gull around the distant offshore Iceland Gull.

Glaucous Gull at Easter Loch

Iceland Gull off Uyeasound

28th January 2025 Unst & mainland NE6 Showers

What is presumably a returning drake Goosander was present on Wester Loch and an adult Glaucous Gull was present on Glaucous Gull. After taking another look at the Ross's Goose at Scatsa we thoroughly enjoyed the Lerwick Up Helly Aa from the 'best seat in the house' courtesy of Shetland Nature.

Drake Goosander and a pair of Goldeneye at Wester Loch

Ross's Goose at Scatsa

Lerwick Up Helly Aa

25th January 2025 Unst WSW8 Heavy showers

A wet and windy morning but it saw the second-cycle Kumlien's Gull make a welcome re-appearance at Dam Loch whereupon it was nice to obtain some prolonged views, albeit the weather conditions, poor light and distance again made photography challenging!

Second-cycle Kumlien's Gull at Dam Loch

19th January 2025 Scatsa

After finishing work, I just had time to squeeze in a visit to see the adult Ross's Goose at Scatsa found by Rob Fray a few days ago. 

Ross's Goose at Scatsa

17th January 2025 Unst SW6 Overcast clearing

We spent a couple of hours looking through the Gulls at Westing seeing two first cycle Iceland Gulls. We then tried Uyeasound where we again saw what I thought was a second-winter Kumlien's Gull on the 14th. Today, alongside other Gulls it looked uncomfortably large, leaving me wondering whether it is an Iceland-type Gull at all?

First cycle Iceland Gull at Westing

argentatus Herring Gull at Westing

This third cycle Gull looked quite interesting (to me!) by virtue of its dark iris, bubblegum pink legs/feet, pale head contrasting with a dark hindneck/shawl, broad white trailing edge to its secondaries extending onto its inner primaries, an albeit tiny amount of black on p5, white tongue tips to p7 & p6 (and effectively p5), mirrors on p9 & p10, blackish primary coverts and a few ink spots on its tail albeit the pinkish bloom to the basal two-thirds of its bill felt very typical of the ssp. Very many thanks to all those who have commented on its identity and freely shared their insights into the variation shown by argentatus. 

Second cycle Herring Gull at Westing

A dark individual presumably an argenteus originating from the Faeroes or Iceland.

Common Gulls at Westing

Second cycle Kumlien's Gull at Uyeasound

A few more pics of it here