25th July 2025 Unst SW4 Hazy

Norwick: juvenile Cuckoo.

24th July 2025 Unst NW3 Overcast

Norwick: juvenile Cuckoo.

22nd July 2025 NW of Fethaland SE3 Clear

After completing a SOTEAG boat-based survey aboard Shetland Seabird Tours 'Ayda Ruby II' we headed offshore where the highlights were an adult Pomarine Skua and a Wilson's Petrel. As always, very many thanks to the hard work by all those involved to make this an exciting day.

Off Fethaland: 6 Arctic Skua, adult Pomarine Skua, c.20 Great Skua, Puffin, adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, 10 Arctic Tern, 'Wilson's Petrel', c.60 Storm Petrel, c.250 Fulmar, Manx Shearwater & c.50 Gannet.

'Wilson's Petrel' off Fethaland

An interesting Oceanites that was first called by Will Miles. The image above details the presence of what appear to be some white belly feathers. In the recent reappraisal of the Oceanites taxonomy advocating seven species being involved, it reveals that only one of the complex - Antarctic Storm-Petrel (exasperatus) - has [so far] been genetically confirmed in the North Atlantic (off east coast of the USA) albeit the sample size is small. Harrison, P., Perrow, M. R., & Larsson, H. (2021). Seabirds: The new identification guide. Lynx Edicions describes juvenile ‘Wilson’s SP’ as showing ‘white-tipped belly feathers that soon wear’. Several taxa within the complex show white fringes in the ventral area, albeit there is still much to learn regarding the field characters and both the breeding and non-breeding distribution of the various taxa concerned – see comments to this article.

21st July 2025 Unst ESE3 Overcast

I arrived home from work to a message from Brydon to say he'd found an adult Baird's Sandpiper on the houb. We joined him there and were soon watching it.

Fulmar chick at Skaw

14th July 2025 Yell S1 Overcast

An adult Short-eared Owl was the highlight of the day whilst working on Yell.

Adult Short-eared Owl on Yell

9th July 2025 Haroldswick SW4 Rain

On my way to work, I saw a Short-eared Owl in Norwick presumably drying itself off after rain. Tom Rosas found Shetland's first Greater Sand Plover on the beaches at Haroldswick that we were pleased to see and hear very late in the evening. It brought back some nice memories of finding one on the Ythan estuary whilst we were enroute to Shetland in September 2008.

Short-eared Owl at Norwick

Greater Sand Plover and Dunlin at Haroldswick

A brief snatch of it vocalising here

5th July 2025 Yell W3 Overcast

Whilst working north of Hamnavoe a Quail was seen on roadside grass before walking into thicker vegetation.

1st July 2025 Unst WSW4 Hazy

Skaw: partially melanistic Greylag Goose.

Norwick: Sandwich Tern.

partially melanistic Greylag Goose at Skaw

unfortunately I missed my opportunity to photograph it on the ground!