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Wrong place, right time

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A recent work trip to Shetland (my first since lockdown began) coincided with a period of wet and windy weather, ideal conditions for a 'fall', when hundreds, perhaps thousands, of migrating birds are grounded by the conditions. Unfortunately for me, the winds in Shetland weren't from the same direction as the ones in Orkney, so I could only stare incredulously at the updates pinging to my phone from birders in the archipelago I had just left. Who knew that 100 miles could mean such differing fortunes?

Work done for the day, I did make an attempt to find something, anything, exotic but I was in the northern half of the Shetland mainland, rather than the southern tip (where it later transpired that there had been some interesting warblers).

Despite the wind and rain, a visit to the plantations at Kergord in Weisdale seemed a hopeful choice. These small woods contain the most northerly rookeries in the UK, so although no migrating birds were seen, the air was filled with the chatty vocalisations of Rooks. And it is Autumn after all, and I don't get to see that many trees in Orkney either.


Next stop was Meal Beach in West Burra. This is a small bay with white sands gently sloping into shallow turquoise waters (although that effect is much more pronounced on a sunny day!). The place was deserted, at least by humans, but a flock of Twite, a Snipe and a Wheatear were foraging in the fields on the way down to the shore. In the sea, there were many Shags on the water, plus a few Razorbills and Guillemots, and further out were Gannets plunge-diving for fish.



Technically, this Wheatear was likely the only migrating bird seen all day, so here's a photo from Meal Beach on a sunnier day in Winter a few years ago.


Comments

  1. If someone spends there whole life on Shetland/ Orkkney and never goes anywhere else, they may never see a tree in their whole life!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Maybe a few trees, but definitely no rivers.

    ReplyDelete

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