SHETLAND BIRD NEWS, PHOTOS, BIRDING, LIFE AND MORE! MY 14th YEAR ANNIVERSARY 2024!


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Monday 18 March 2024

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News 

Waxwings x 2 at North Lochside, Lerwick. Waxwing at South Nesting. Little Gull at Gremista, Lerwick. Waxwings x 2 at Mid Yell

Sunday 17 March 2024

Puffin Art!

This was painted with Gouache on plywood by my very talented sister Vivien (we both went to the same art college). This is seriously impressive and it would sell in seconds if it were sale in one of the shops in Shetland, especially to one of the many thousands of cruise ship tourists, looking to spend some dosh!
 
© Vivien Clarke

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News 
None.

Saturday 16 March 2024

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

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Iceland Gull at Heogan, Isle of Bressay. Glaucous Gull, Iceland Gull at Gremista, Lerwick. Bittern at Eel Burn, Iceland Gull at Loch of Hillwell. Russian White-fronted Geese x 3 at Brow Marsh, Loch of Brow. Russian White-fronted Geese x 4 at Burravoe, Yell.

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Friday 15th March

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Snow Bunting at Gutcher, Yell.

Thursday 14 March 2024

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Wednesday 13th March
 
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Russian White-fronted Goose at Burravoe, Yell. Kumlien's Gull, Iceland Gull at Uyeasound, Unst.

Tuesday 12 March 2024

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News 
None.

 
My new shower arrived today..... outside delivery box intact, inside product box, smashed, torn and shower glass marked inside, so obviously a 'return' – they picked the wrong person posting that to me! Phoned company up and replacement being sent out this week.

Beginning of the mouldy floor works commencing on 29th March along with an extractor fan being put in bathroom, new towel rail and installing my new shower. With two plus tradesmen here, it will be a very busy day!

Lovely signs of Spring here, with Snowdrops out and some Daffodils about to emerge by one of my trees. Lots of buds on the trees, so looking forward to seeing the Sycamores in all their glory and Spring migration.

RBA Weekly Round-Up 5th to 11th March!

By Jon Dunn

Sunday 10 March 2024

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

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Russian White-fronted Geese x 7 below Scoolton at Fair Isle. King Eider 1w drk at Bluemull Sound. Iceland Gulls x 2, Glaucous Gull at Cullivoe, Yell.

 
Masses of birds in my garden today, nothing different from yesterday though. Very busy doing jobs around the house and sheds.

Saturday 9 March 2024

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News 
Little Gull at Marina, Lerwick.

 
A stunning day in Shetland with wall to wall sunshine, ending in the aurora showing (views on the webcams). I couldn't see the aurora from my house, but the black skies and twinkling stars looking incredible above my patio area. Bird feeders topped up and again, lots of of Starlings, Blackbirds, Robin, House Sparrows, Collared Doves, instantly appeared.

Since I arrived, I have not touched anything that was dumped in my left hand stone shed, so spend several hours arranging tables and all my gardening stuff and tools. Laid down the beige carpet that was in the second bedroom and it looks almost good enough to sleep in now! This shed been insulated with chip board and has electric sockets, overhead light and is a really good space – it could easily be converted into anything really, even a mini bedsit! Emergency room for cheque book twitchers in the Autumn, when the big one turns up?! 😉

Friday 8 March 2024

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

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Glaucous Gulls x 2, Iceland Gulls x 2 at Shetland Catch, Gremista. Green-winged Teal at Loch of Trondavoe.

 
Hairdressers this morning, bought new super light suitcase (with handle and wheels) for my forthcoming trip to Norfolk – on the cheapest flight I booked, the main luggage weight is only 15kg. Looked at new cars in the garages – nothing excited me, there were no rallye green cars – its all about the colour, nothing to do with performance or engine size 😉 😊 💚

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Thursday 7th March

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Glaucous Gulls x 2 at Gremista. Common Crane in dunes east of Loch of Hillwell. Iceland Gull at Uyeasound.

Wednesday 6 March 2024

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

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Common Crane still in dunes at Quendale. Iceland Gull at Loch of Hillwell. Green-winged Teal at Loch of Trondavoe. Glaucous Gulls x 2, Little Gull at Shetland Catch, Gremista. Russian White-fronted Geese x 10 at Isle of Foula.

Ordered a new shower from Plumbworld this evening, exactly the same one again as its a really smart shower. Very stressed with far too many things going on at the same time.

RBA Weekly Round-Up 27th February to 4th March!

By Jon Dunn

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

Tuesday 5th March
 
Rare  Bird  Alert  News 
Common Crane still at Quendale. Hen Harrier at Loch of Spiggie. Iceland Gulls x 2 at Loch of Hillwell. Glaucous Gulls x 2 at Shetland Catch, Gremista.

Monday 4 March 2024

Sunday 3 March 2024

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News 
Common Crane in dunes at Quendale. Iceland Gull west of Stackhoull, Fair Isle. Iceland Gulls x 3 at Loch of Hillwell. Hen Harrier ringtail at Bakkasetter. Glaucous Gulls x 2 at Shetland Catch, Gremista. Tundra Bean Goose at Exnaboe.

Topped the bird feeders up and cleaned the bird ponds out. Huge number of birds in my garden today including the female Woodpecker again, several Collared Doves, masses of Starlings, at least 20+ House Sparrows, several Blackbirds and one Robin. 2 Hooded Crows in the trees opposite. Pruned the shrubs outside, had a tidy up and moved most of my potted plants around. Very windy and chilly today and no sun out, but I was more than warm enough with all the jobs I was doing. Gwen passed my garden and we had a nice little chat before she carried on to her house two doors away.

Jill and Rob came round at tea time and I bought them a chinese from the take away in Scalloway, to thank Jill for all her masses of hard work helping me move. Lovely evening of reminiscing birders of old days, birds we've seen, not seen and life in general! So nice lovely to have a multi-fuel fire, eats the wood up like crazy though.

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Saturday 2nd March

Rare  Bird  Alert  News 
Glaucous Gulls x 2 at Heogan, Isle of Bressay. Iceland Gull, Little Gull at Shetland Catch, Gremista.

"Alex" came out this morning and will give me a quote for the floor in a few days time – after removing the mouldy chipboard flooring, he suggested washing the black mouldy concrete with a bleach solution and then putting my dehumidifer in the room for a good while, then a sealant such as Blackjack, then lay down Kingspan, then new anti mould flooring – this will also involve removing the newly painted skirting board. Its going to take far longer to finish my office than I thought it was going to take.

Just before Alex turned up, my shower decided to stop working in the middle of washing my hair. I had to rinse the conditioner out in stone cold water in the kitchen sink. My kitchen tap is a mixer tap and the hot water trickles out, so no good for washing or rinsing thick hair, hence why I used cold water. I found out the shower has been in place for approximately 16 years, so I suppose its had a good run, its a Mira Azora shower. Why did it wait until I moved in?! Managed to get an electrician out (who has done work on this house before) who thought it might be a "Mira 1.872.28.3.0 Microswitch Assembly
3 Pins 872.28", but firstly after much searching on line its discontinued anyway and also he wasn't sure if it was that or not and suggested to contact the electrician who gave me a quote for my new heaters etc, as he "does showers", so I sent him a text and another 'did he get my text?' text and heard nothing back. Feeling very, very deflated right now. 😩 😒 😢