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Hugh Harrop

@hughharrop.bsky.social

Director & guide for Shetland Wildlife @shetlandwildlife.bsky.social | Cameraman | Orcaholic | Co-author of Princeton Nature @princetonupress.bsky.social Europe's Sea Mammals, Europe's Birds, Britain's Birds & British Birds. linktr.ee/hughharrop

2,569 Followers  |  874 Following  |  262 Posts  |  Joined: 13.11.2024
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Posts by Hugh Harrop (@hughharrop.bsky.social)

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Enjoyed a big combined dose of Vitamin 'Sea' and D here in Shetland today. Here’s 30 seconds of it.

27.02.2026 16:56 — 👍 35    🔁 4    💬 0    📌 0
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Continuing the goose theme, some of the flock of 50+ Barnacle Geese that flew over us at Spiggie here in Shetland on sunny Monday. Their 'barking' and 'yapping' calls filled the still morning air. Beautiful!

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #UKWildlife #Birds

25.02.2026 18:28 — 👍 45    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 0
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Three of the twelve Eurasian White-fronted Geese that flew over our house at Hillwell yesterday morning. Around 75 individuals have made landfall here in Shetland in the last couple of weeks.

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #UKWildlife #Birds

24.02.2026 19:30 — 👍 51    🔁 5    💬 1    📌 0
Orcas by Hugh Harrop / Shetland Wildlife

Orcas by Hugh Harrop / Shetland Wildlife

Otter by tour participant Karen Jehan

Otter by tour participant Karen Jehan

Oysterplant by Hugh Harrop / Shetland Wildlife - found at only a handful of coastal sites in Shetland.

Oysterplant by Hugh Harrop / Shetland Wildlife - found at only a handful of coastal sites in Shetland.

Red-necked Phalarope by Hugh Harrop / Shetland Wildlife

Red-necked Phalarope by Hugh Harrop / Shetland Wildlife

One place has become available on our flagship Ultimate Shetland week running from 23 - 30 May 2026. Details are at www.shetlandwildlife.co.uk/holidays/wil... and a few highlights from previous trips are below ⬇️

#UKbirding #UKWildlife #Birds #MarineLife #MarineMammals #Wildflowers #bloomscrolling

19.02.2026 16:46 — 👍 19    🔁 4    💬 0    📌 1
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A Waxwing enjoying the early morning sunshine in a very snowy garden at Voe, Shetland this morning. What a gorgeous bird.

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #UKWildlife #Birds

18.02.2026 16:16 — 👍 116    🔁 7    💬 1    📌 0
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A short video of the Eurasian Bittern that graced Spiggie for a couple of days last week. With less than 30 records it remains a very rare bird here in Shetland.

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #UKWildlife #Birds

17.02.2026 18:16 — 👍 65    🔁 6    💬 0    📌 1
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Continuing the migrant goose theme, fabulous views of these Barnacle Geese - part of a flock of 30 birds - near Spiggie, Shetland this afternoon.

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #UKWildlife #Birds

16.02.2026 18:53 — 👍 53    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 0
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A cold start to yesterday morning and amazing to see a hoar frost on the back of this Tundra Bean Goose at Swinister, Shetland.

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #UKWildlife #Birds

15.02.2026 19:41 — 👍 64    🔁 5    💬 0    📌 0
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Two of thirteen beautiful Snow Buntings in a light dusting of snow and crisp winter sunshine in the hills above Lerwick, Shetland this morning.

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #UKWildlife #Birds

13.02.2026 17:36 — 👍 90    🔁 10    💬 0    📌 0
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The Bittern obeying the RSPB rules and regs at Loch of Spiggie, Shetland...

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #UKWildlife #Birds

12.02.2026 17:32 — 👍 117    🔁 13    💬 2    📌 1
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A stop-the-car-now moment: fabulous views of this Eurasian Bittern feeding in a roadside burn at the northern end of Loch of Spiggie today. A rare bird here in Shetland with less than 30 records of this cryptic heron!

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #UKWildlife #Birds

11.02.2026 19:05 — 👍 121    🔁 6    💬 2    📌 1
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Fabulous views of three Orcas as we stood on the cliffs at Sumburgh Head, Shetland this afternoon. Here's bull '72' - a member of the '27s' pod - and together with '73' and her calf '153', the threesome regularly 'split' from the main pod. 🖤🤍

#MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

10.02.2026 16:33 — 👍 126    🔁 7    💬 1    📌 0
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A short video of the female King Eider that has frequented Quendale Bay here in Shetland since finding it in early December.

Also a very welcome addition to the house list...🏡✅

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #UKWildlife #Birds

09.02.2026 17:44 — 👍 64    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 0
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Strike a pose: lovely to find this adult Little Gull at Leebitton, Shetland today which was joined by another individual shortly after. These pint-sized gulls are scarce winter visitors to Shetland and are the first records for 2026.

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #UKWildlife #Birds

05.02.2026 17:15 — 👍 76    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 0
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Tuesday night at Lerwick, Shetland 2026 Up Helly Aa 🔥 as enjoyed by our two groups. Thanks to everyone who makes this event so spectacular each and every year!

#Shetland #uphellyaa

01.02.2026 15:53 — 👍 21    🔁 5    💬 0    📌 0
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Lovely views of the long-staying drake American Wigeon in the Ringasta / Brow area of the south Mainland of Shetland this week.

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #UKWildlife #Birds

31.01.2026 18:55 — 👍 43    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 0
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One of many highlights for our two @shetlandwildlife.bsky.social groups today - a beautiful Waxwing feeding on apples in a garden in Voe up in the north Mainland of Shetland. Thanks Julia!

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #UKWildlife #Birds

26.01.2026 16:45 — 👍 100    🔁 9    💬 0    📌 0
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Taiga Bean Geese (right hand three birds) with a couple of Greylags in beautiful winter light at Exnaboe, Shetland this morning.

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #UKWildlife #Birds

19.01.2026 18:43 — 👍 79    🔁 5    💬 5    📌 1
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Orca calves!!! A short clip of aerial footage from our encounter with the 27s Orcas in Yell Sound, Shetland earlier this week. Great to see the two calves born in 2022 and 2024 alongside their mothers.🖤🤍

#MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

15.01.2026 11:02 — 👍 96    🔁 19    💬 2    📌 1
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ORCAS! Today we spent a couple of hours following the 27s pod from land as they headed east from Ollaberry. We enjoyed superb views of six individuals as they passed us off Mossbank. Great to see both of the young calves born in 2022 & 2024.

#MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

13.01.2026 18:29 — 👍 45    🔁 3    💬 1    📌 0
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Two of the three Taiga Bean Geese in the snow at Toab, Shetland this afternoon.

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #UKWildlife #Birds

05.01.2026 18:27 — 👍 81    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 0
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No. 1 in our Top 10 highlights of wildlife seen by guests on our 2025 tours: Orcas. We enjoyed several incredible encounters this year including this July day when we followed the '65s' pod from land enjoying views down to just a few metres!

#MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

31.12.2025 08:57 — 👍 45    🔁 9    💬 1    📌 0
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No. 2 in our Top 10 highlights of wildlife seen in 2025: an incredible nursery pod of at least 120 Bottlenose Dolphins in Vidlin Voe in early November. Only the fourth-ever documented record for Shetland inshore waters. A magical day!

#MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

30.12.2025 09:52 — 👍 52    🔁 10    💬 2    📌 0
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No. 3 in our Top 10 highlights of wildlife seen on our 2025 tours was this male Siberian Thrush which, with patience, afforded absolutely brilliant views for both of our Autumn birding groups in early October. Stunning!

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #UKWildlife #Birds

29.12.2025 09:04 — 👍 34    🔁 4    💬 1    📌 1
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Lovely views of these three Taiga Bean Geese at Spiggie, Shetland this morning.

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #UKWildlife #Birds

28.12.2025 16:24 — 👍 80    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0
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No. 4 in our Top 10 highlights of wildlife seen on our 2025 tours was this stunning Grey Phalarope in summer plumage at Loch of Spiggie in early June. No wonder why the rest of the world calls them Red Phalaropes!

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #UKWildlife

28.12.2025 14:54 — 👍 45    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 0
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No. 5 in our Top 10 highlights of wildlife seen on our 2025 tours - this nursery pod of Pilot Whales in Mousa Sound. Some of the calves were tiny and looked just a few weeks - if not days - old. Footage by @hughharrop.bsky.social

#MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

27.12.2025 08:47 — 👍 38    🔁 9    💬 1    📌 0
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No. 6 in our Top 10 highlights of wildlife seen in 2025 were several encounters with Humpbacks including a MATCH to an individual first documented off the Azores in 2016, off Svalbard in 2017 and then by us here in Shetland in March 2025. Amazing!

#MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

26.12.2025 09:37 — 👍 26    🔁 6    💬 1    📌 0
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No. 7 in our Top 10 highlights of wildlife seen on our 2025 tours were several sightings of 'Northern' Long-tailed Tits in Autumn. Watching these flying lollipops was a privilege and we are not sure there is a word that can justify their beauty!

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #UKWildlife

25.12.2025 09:36 — 👍 81    🔁 15    💬 1    📌 0
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No. 8 in our Top 10 highlights of wildlife seen on our 2025 tours was the superpod of White-beaked Dolphins off the coast of Shetland - the 6th species of cetacean we saw that week!

Aerial footage by @hughharrop.bsky.social

#MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

24.12.2025 09:22 — 👍 30    🔁 4    💬 0    📌 0