Red Grouse - Stromfirth, Mainland Shetland
I then decided to head back to Lerwick and to board the ferry for the short crossing to Bressay. I had 45 minutes to spare before the 10:45 ferry and so headed out onto the pier at Lerwick where there were many Black Guillemot. This is a common bird in Shetland but being a southerner I don't see many and so the novelty of seeing good numbers so close persists. I spent some time watching them and taking, once again, far too many pictures in the poor light. Also here were around 30 Eider and many Kittiwake and Gannet offshore.
Black Guillemot - Lerwick, Mainland Shetland
Black Guillemot - Lerwick, Mainland Shetland
Arriving on Brassay at just before 11:00 my main goal was to find an adult American Golden Plover that had been present since 2nd October. I first drove north from the ferry terminal and saw a flock of around 30 Golden Plover in flight heading south but they didn't stop plus 15 Knot and two Bar-tailed Godwit. I reached the end of the road at Heogan and headed south once more, I drove the road east from Maryfield and then south towards the school and village shop but nothing but for a couple of Snipe. I then headed east from the store to Midgarth where I quickly come across a flock of around 75 Golden Plover, scanning through the flock I quickly came across a greyer bird with dark underparts and a distinctive flared white supercilium, this was the American Golden Plover. So I parked up, snuck along various walls, through ditches, got hammered by the rain and wind and was eventually moderately close to the bird. After taking a few snaps I watched the bird for ten minutes or so before the rain got the better of me and I retreated to the car, my camera and I were soaked.
Greylag Goose - Heogan, Brassay, Shetland
American Golden Plover - Midgarth, Brassay, Shetland
American Golden Plover - Midgarth, Brassay, Shetland
I spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon bimbling around Bressay but staying in the car with the heater on. I headed to the car park for the island of Noss and scanning across the straits and watching the hundreds of Gannet plunging into a raging sea and watching a brave Northern Wheatear battling in the elements. I explored virtually all the islands roads to their termination, there was little to be seen, two Razorbill near the light house, a few bedraggled Twite, a further 125 Golden Plover, around 150 Greylag Goose but not a lot else. I even headed back to the Citrine Wagtail but I could see around ten birders in the grounds of Gardie House who were clearly not watching the bird and in the weather conditions I thought better of it having see the bird a couple of days ago. I got the 14:00 ferry off the island and headed north on mainland for the next element of the plan for the day.
Gannet - Noss Sound, Bressay
View across to the island of Noss from Bressay
Adult Common Gull - Bressay, Shetland
First-winter Common Gull - Bressay, Shetland
Knot - Bressay, Shetland
Golden Plover - Bressay, Shetland
I drove north along the A970, the car buffeted by the wind and turned west along the B9076 to Sullom Voe. What contrast to Bressay, a landscape dominated by the oil terminal and its associated infrastruture, the skyline dominated by flaring stacks, this is not a particularly attractive part of Shetland. I scanned the sweeping bay to the south of the oil terminal, stopping at various laybys and gaining shelter from the car. To the south of the terminal the road follows the bay around the head of Garths Voe and here is a wide grassy lay-by which affords a good view of the seaweed covered shoreline I parked up and began scanning. After five minutes or so I saw a movement in the water not far from the car, and there was my target a dog Otter. He had clearly seen me and was keeping a close eye on me but he fed unconcerned in the shallows catching a multitude of small fish, mainly Butterfish and the occasional crab and goby. It was great to watch this animal at close quarters. It was 16:30 and the wind was increasing, the rain getting heavier and so I decided to head back to the hotel. On Scatsta Airfield there were 75 Greylag Goose, 25 Golden Plover and 75 Lapwing but further stops as I followed the coastline to Brae produced little. After a brief stop at Tesco to stock up on supplies for tomorrow I was back at the hotel by 17:45.
Otter - Sullom Voe, Mainland Shetland
Otter - Sullom Voe, Mainland Shetland
Otter - Sullom Voe, Mainland Shetland
