Remember storm Amy? well it caused myself, Andy and Dave an awful lot of grief for our trip to Shetland this year. We were originally to go on the Friday the 4th but we decided to go a day early which turned out to be the right decision as the ferries were cancelled on the Friday and Satuarday sailings. Normally I would say an uneventful trip up to Aberdeen but not this time! We left Leicester at 7.30am for our 8hr journey to the ferry which was leaving at 5.30pm Little did we know the M6 at Carlisle and at Greta would be closed; it was absolute carnage around Carlisle and I've got to say the most stressful road jorney I have ever made. We made the ferry with just 6 minutes to spare. We boarded the MV Hrossey for our journey to Lerwick via Kirkwall, unevenful but rather bumpy.
Arriving in Lerwick, the tradition is for breakfast at the Fjara Cafe, always a great way to start day.
After brekki our first port of call was to the Loch of Asta for a Siberian Thrush, a lifer for me, that had been frequenting a little copse at the side of the road feeding in the elderberry bushes. We were only there an hour or so when I saw it in the top of one of the said bushes, eventually we all saw it, a great start to the trip. We did go back to this bird a couple of times and had great views of this eastern rarity. Must thank the owners of the Scalloway Caravan park for their tolarence whilst the bird was frequenting their garden.
Siberian Thrush
Once again, I will not bore you with a day to day account of all the birds we saw, but just the interesting ones we encounterd on this trip. After leaving the Thrush, just up the road at the Loch of Tingwall Dave found the Ringed-neck Duck. We decided to then meander our way to our one night stay at Da Haa bed and breakfast near Walls, can certainly recommend it.
The following morning we were at Melby beach- always a great place to see many waders and sometime the odd Diver. Just as we were heading away from Melby, Andy called out some Red Grouse at the side of the road - not seen them around here before. It was then a really slow drive back to Bigton, birding on the way of course to Sheepfold which would be our home for the next 10 days.
Red Grouse
Once we unpacked, there was a bogey bird of mine not a 5minute drive away at Ireland [no not the country]in the shape of a Ortolan Bunting, weather was windy and raining but managed to get good scope views from a fellow birder. Thanks, who ever you were.
Bar-tailed Godwit
A couple of days later we went in search of a Western Sublapine Warbler at Levenwick. It does not happen very often, but within 15 minutes of arriving at the bird's favoured garden, there it was, feeding in the field bordering the garden. This was my 3rd tick.
Purple Sandpiper
Barnacle Goose
Always worth checking the flocks of Greylag as other species of goose sometimes join them
Curlew
Redshank
Whooper Swan Loch of Spiggie, the numbers certainly increased this year whilst we were on Shetland
Drake Teal
Wheatear
Skylark
Raven
Starling, always think these birds are underated
Always love watching these little waders running in and out of the surf like they have been wound up with a key.
With storm Amy out of the way, all the birders were wating with anticipation for the fall of American migrants. Iceland and Ireland [yes the country] had a few, then on the 8th, a Blackpoll Warbler was found at Haroldswick on Unst, so the following day it was a day out to Unst. Again we srolled up, and there it was just feeding on the beach, pleasing a lot of birders. Whilst on Unst we also caught up with Bluethroat at Norwick and Glossy Ibis.
Gloosy Ibis
Hooded Crow
The 10th was a special day - news had come through that 3 Orcas and been seen travelling North by Sumburgh Head; we did try from the head, but Dave said we would do better at Levenwick, and sure enough he was bang on, decent views had of this iconic animal! Sadly too far away for any images. much to my wife's disgust!
Blackpoll Warbler
Bkackpoll Warbler
On the 11th, we caught up with a Rustic Bunting at Hoswick but the bird was really mobile. At the Loch of Asta, a confiding Yellow-browed Warbler showed well but not so well were the 3 Scaup on the Loch of Tingwell which were very distant.
Barred Warbler. I do not know why but the birds on Shetland always seem to show really well.
We had been trying to catch up with a Blue-winged Teal on the Loch of Spiggie and also frequenting the Loch of Hillwell, but the weather was never in our favour - either too windy, raining or foggy. but on the 13th it gave itself up, good views though distant.
The 13th was our penultimate day so its always nice to do a trip to the pool of Virkie, again always good for waders. It's the most Bar-tailed Godwits I've seen on there; this year 30/40 individuals. There were also Wheatear, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, RB Merganser, Curlew and Redshank - also quite a few Sanderling.
Blackbird
Andy and Dave had not seen Otter this year, I had seen a Dog Otter on Levenwick beach. so we decided to go and have look at some of the haunts we had seen them in previous years. We ended up at Bridge End [it's between East and West Burra.] Dave pulled up at the marina so we could scan for otter, bringing up my bins the first thing I seen was a G.W.Egret - quite a rarity on the Shetland Isles. After taking some record images for the Shetland recorder as it is a description species, 5 minutes later, Dave had found our quarry, an Otter happily feeding in the voe.
Yellow-browed Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Our last day; after packing and leaving Sheepfold as we found it, we mooched around Lerwick, but we did have great views of one of the two Barred Warblers that had taken up residence at Clickimin Loch.
Aother great trip with two good mates, had a few laughs as always and saw some great birds.
I finished on 99 species 4 new british ticks 3 being lifers and we travelled in excess of 2000km door to door.
As always thanks for stopping by, hope you've enjoyed reading about our 2025 Shetland trip
