andrew
There have been a few rosy starlings around Shetland in the last eighteen months but somehow I have managed to miss all of them. So it was with quite a lot of relief that I finally saw the long(ish) staying one at Minn beach the other day. After all the missed birds, this one was incredibly easy –...
andrew
The Shetland bumblebee is one of my favourite invertebrate species I have encountered in Shetland and I have written about them previously.The Shetland bumblebee (Bombus muscorum agricolae) is a subspecies of the Moss Carder Bumblebee. They are very distinctive with an orange thorax and yellow...
andrew
I’m a big fan of colour-ringing as it makes identification of individual birds easier in the field and can lead to more sightings and useful data on migration and movements. I found this colour-ringed Turnstone in Shetland in May and submitted the sighting. When the project owner got back to me it...
andrew
Puffins! Aside from being quite photogenic and capable of making even a bang-average photographer look half decent, there’s more to know about these colourful members of the auk family.Puffins (Fratercula arctica) are sometimes called “sea parrots” or “clowns of the sea” because of their...
andrew
I’m not a botanist and don’t pretend to be one on the internet but I can appreciate some rare and interesting plants when I come across them. Keen of Hamar is an unusual geological reserve and home to special interest plants that have adapted to survive on the rare serpentine rock found on Unst,...
andrew
The curlew nest I have been monitoring has hatched. Still wading (no pun intended) through a lot of camera footage, but here’s a short video of the new family in the morning sunshine. It’s been a roller coaster ride with near misses by wandering sheep and geese almost trampling the nest, but...
andrew
I am fortunate enough to be staying in a house in Shetland that backs onto rough grassland, marsh and upland areas. The area is so wet in places that even the sheep don’t venture across it. However, this unremarkable area has good botantical interest and has several waders species breeding on it....
andrew
I’ve long thought that we under estimate the wildlife value and potential of graveyards and cemeteries. I am not sure if this Shetland cemetery has been left unmown by accident or by design for #nomowmay , but it’s created a fantastic wildflower area. Personally, I think it looks a lot better than...
andrew
The last few days have seen south-easterly winds and low cloud and fog over Shetland. This has resulted in a good number of passage migrants finding themselves grounded until the weather improves. My garden sits on the side of a loch that runs North to South so I’ve been treated to a few...
andrew
The great skua (Stercorarius skua), known locally in Shetland as bonxies are aggressive but somehow lovable predators. Their favourite tactic is to hassle other birds such as gannets until they drop their catch. They are not adverse to giving the same treatment to any human who strays too close to...
andrew
One of the best things about living in Shetland is the sheer volume of amazing scenery and wildlife on my doorstep. I really enjoying getting out and exploring new parts of the islands when I am not at work. As an ecologist by trade, its hard to not spend my days off doing the same thing (surely a...
andrew
Early start today for an environmental watching brief on the shoreline. Incredible weather at both ends of the day, lends itself to some nice photos. ﾿...
andrew
Although Shetland isn’t really know for its mountain hares, there are a few places where you can find them. In the past I have seen them on Ronas Hill and in the Lunna region. However, it was nice to find them closer to work this week. In total I saw four individuals (three still in their winter...
andrew
It has taken over a year of being up in Shetland, but finally caught up with some of the local orcas at the weekend. A bull, mother and calf were in Brae Voe on Sunday afternoon. Fortunate to see them as they were moving at speed!...
andrew
Last night was one of the best aurora borealis displays for a long time. The auroras, also known as the Northern Lights, are a natural light display, most common in the northern and southern extremities of the globe. The display is caused by disturbances to the Earth’s magnetosphere caused by...
andrew
Otters are equally happy in the snow as they are in the water it would appear, if these videos are anything to go by. ﾿ ﾿...
andrew
I think that autumn probably offers some of the best sunsets. Maybe its something to do with the angle of the sun at this time of year, or maybe those calm, cloudy afternoons. Either way, you get sunsets like this one – what a way to end the working week....
andrew
Early start today to get the ferry to Yell. The reward for getting out of bed an hour before sunrise was that by the time the sun did make its way above the horizon, it looked like this. ﾿...
andrew
Shetland is famous for its passage migrants and rarities. At the moment there are good numbers of wheatear around (some will be breeders, some will be passing through from elsewhere). Even though they aren’t in breeding plumage now they still look really smart....
andrew
The ‘Shetland’ bumblebee (Bombus muscorum) are found between May and October in a variety of habitats but most commonly around roadside verges and in meadows. A very distinctive species, with its orange thorax and contrasting yellow abdomen. The orange can usually be seen when they are in flight...
andrew
Otters just seem to have a great time. I have recently been camera trapping and filming them under licence in Shetland and they are a joy to watch. ﾿...
andrew
One of the joys of working up in the north of Scotland and the islands has to be the number of black guillemots I encounter. Known locally as tysties, these auks are just brilliant to observe, especially in their smart summer plumage....
andrew
It’s a wildlife photography cliche but sometimes you just have to go with it. Puffins have bags of character and are very photogenic so even an amateur like me can get a half decent shot. These photos were taken at Sumburgh Head, Shetland where puffins are known as Tammie Norries....
andrew
Finally caught up with the Shetland magpie today. This particular individual has been spending time around Sandness, Shetland for a few weeks now. Magpie in Sandness, Shetland The post Magpie – A Shetland Rarity appeared first on Andrew Whitelee.
andrew
Some photos of the waders encountered at Sandness beach, Shetland including dunlin, turnstone, ringed plover, sanderling and a bonus red-necked phalarope feeding on the shoreline. red-necked phalarope ringed plover and turnstones summer plumage sanderling ringed plover juvenile...
andrew
Ronas Hill is the highest summit in the Shetland Isles, a bare dome of sub-arctic tundra. There is a chambered cairn by the summit. On this occasion the views were obscured by low cloud. ﾿...
andrew
Noss National Nature Reserve is one of the most important seabird colonies in Shetland. The 180m high sea cliffs are home to guillemots, razorbills, fulmars, puffins and gannets. The boat trips out there feed the gannets as part of the trip which gives amazing views of these magnificent birds....
andrew
A post-work evening walk down at Minn beach last night produced a surprise of two summer plumage Great Northern Divers (Gavia immer) and another in a sort of in-between moult. One of the birds was exhibiting some interesting behaviour as he kept stretching out his legs and waving them, almost as...
andrew
There are some days when work is a little more exciting than others. Today was a perfect example of that. I was out doing my usual daily ecology and environmental checks around site when I noticed several waders going crazy and alarm calling. Alarm calling waders isn’t untypical, especially when...
andrew
There were reports of a young sperm whale in Whiteness Voe, Shetland this week. It seems its a young male who might have got himself lost and ended up in the Voe. I could see him in there as I drove past on my way to work and after a few days everyone was becoming increasingly worried. Despite the...