Adrian Kettle

They are very smart looking birds. Very common here but I still like to watch them especially in the sun!

Nice cold and calm day here on Yell. The sea had frozen and the tide gone out to leave some nice patterns.
Bullfinch was new for the year along our road and with Ravens gathering nest material last week and Hoodies defending their empty nests, spring must be close, joke! 😂
#birdingshetland

Yesterday shopping run to Lerwick. Managed a 6 goose species day ( Taiga, Tundra Beans, Greylag, Whitefronts, Barnacle & Pinkfoot). Waxwing, 3 Greefinch and a superb Bittern reducing the Stickleback population at Spiggie.
#birdingshetland

A very attentive mother with her cub in Mid Yell yesterday.
The weather may have improved but the Yell Coot photos haven’t! #shetland

Weather back to normal today, although wind was calmer than the last 3 weeks!
A 3rd w/4th cy Glaucous Gull and a flock of 9 wintering Jackdaws in Burravoe, Yell.
Tried to get a photo of the Coot but it had done a bunk!
2 of the 34 TD’s showed some signs of Ring necked Duck.
#birdingshetland

Beautiful day in Shetland yesterday. 6 Tundra Beans, same as Unst the other day, at Cullivoe. 2 Whitefronts at Sellafirth. But best of all was a Coot on Kirk Loch, no photo!, first on Yell since I’ve lived here.
Always something to see when waiting for ferries as well!
#birdingshetland

More pics of the Kumlien’s/Thayer’s gull on Unst yesterday. Hopefully get some better ones when the snow blizzard’s stop.
#birdingshetland

A couple of posts on the Kumlien’s/Thayer’s gull currently on Unst.
Here’s some photos of it from March 24 as a 1st w (2nd cy) March 25 as a 2nd w (3rd cy) and February 26 as a 3rd w (4th cy)
#birdingshetland

Don’t think I’ve ever seen so much white in the wing of a Tundra Bean goose before. Very broad and seemingly unworn.
#birdingshetland

come to the conclusion it is just not worth bothering; protected areas by the Humber, right managed by Lincs Trust; track to a sailing pit, apparently hedge prevents wind and stops sailing; also harbours insects that used to feed 1000 Swifts and hirundines in spring - disconnect with natural world

Also on Unst today at Uyeasound. The Kumlien’s/Thayer’s gull, 1st winter male Common Scoter and Woodcock along with c500 Long tailed Ducks, in the snow. The sound made the spectacle even better.
#birdingshetland

Today on Unst managed 5 sp of geese, Tundra Bean, Whitefront, Pinkfoot, Barnacle and the ever present Greylag. To be continued..
#birdingshetland

Has anybody submitted anything!😂😂

Good to see you experts actually know what Greater black back looks like! 🤬

😂😂

We e got that one as well!

These 2 Common Seals had the good idea to haul out today as 6 of the 27’s pod of Orcas were around! Great day for seeing them as well dead calm after 2 days of gales, not that you would have heard of that because it wasn’t in souther England! 😂
GWE mid winter in Shetland! #birdingshetland

You think that was hard work, I couldn’t even stand up outside today! 😂💨🌧

Why can’t they give referees a points system and when a limit is reached they get suspended. Like a driving licence.

Thick snow today, as in well over the top of my wellies!
It does mean looking for Jack and Common Snipe easier.
Over 120 Snipe in 1 flock was impressive. Whilst 8 Jacks with 4 Snipe in a roadside ditch was nice. 2 Jacks in the second photo. #shetlandbirding

😂😂😂

408 miles from my house as the Azure Tit flies!

#shetlandbirding

The scenery showed much better than the WBD’s!
Out Skerries in the distance seen from Birrier, Yell. #shetlandbirding

Terrible video warning‼️
2 Adult White Billed Divers in Colgrave Sound, Yell today. In one of the 2 regular wintering areas around Yell.

Peeling sprouts with my helper. I put 1 in he takes it out bites it and throws it away! 🦜 😂😂

A great present from Tracy,
and so true! 😂😂😂

Lerwick yesterday was dull to say the least.
Iceland Gull and 1 of at least 46 Purple Sands.
The sky from the garden this evening was rather colourful! #shetlandbirding

Amazing! When you see all those Turnstones walking around your feet by the pier feeding on donuts etc you would never think of their other life!

#birdiD
Here a bad photo of a Holboelli from Shetland on 7/2/24.
Very similar to me.
This one died and was confirmed from measurements.