Burravoe Birding

Tuesday, 29 May 2012

In the 'Bag'

Well actually 'in the chicken shed' would be more appropriate! This superb Black-headed Bunting was found inside a local crofters chicken house today!

Also a photo of a male Red-backed Shrike taken a few days ago! A bit more wary than the Bunting!...

Tuesday, 10 April 2012

The local Black Guillemot's (or 'Tystie's) were performing very well this morning! Constantly calling and chasing each other among the rocks of South Yell... Also seen this morning was a migrating imm Glaucous Gull heading North, and a few Wheatears including a singing male!

Saturday, 7 April 2012

Owl's part 2

The 'Shetland Catch' could only produce 10 Iceland Gulls this morning, with no hint of a Kumlien's never mind a Thayer's!!!, but the 2 Long-eared Owls once again made up for it by posing well! A Merlin flying low over my garden was a welcome sight on my return home too!

Thursday, 5 April 2012

Poser!

Cleans up rather well!.... This Glaucous Gull is the same bird as in the previous post (honest....), but looking a bit nicer today!

Also seen today; 2nd Winter Iceland Gull at Burravoe, and a calling GN Diver on the East coast of Yell. The only sign of Spring in Burravoe today has been the first local LBB Gull of the year!

2nd Winter Glaucous Gull

Sunday, 1 April 2012

"There's been a murder"

Well I'm presuming the 'ex-Herring Gull' didn't die of natural causes! Either way this Glaucous Gull on Yell seemed to appreciate the meal...

Friday, 30 March 2012

3rd Winter's.....

Another dose of gull watching at 'The Catch' again found the usual collection of Iceland Gulls, but also included these three 3rd Winter's, two of which had faint markings in the primaries... I reckon these birds demonstrate only well marked Iceland's though, as neither showed any other features of Kumlien's.... anyone care to comment either way?

bird 1

bird 2

and a good clean Iceland;

Monday, 19 March 2012

Gulls, Gulls, and more Gulls.....

On a wet and windy Shetland day, I could think of nothing better than a trip to 'Shetland Catch' to see what was hanging about! I wasn't to be disappointed either, with 2 Kumlien's types, 29+ Iceland Gulls, 1 Glaucous Gull. As a bonus, the 4 Long-eared Owls were still hanging about in Lerwick too...