Sunday, 19 October 2025

Shetland Finale -Risso's Dolphins- 14th October 2025


Our final day on Shetland. 

Tonight at 7pm we leave Lerwick to sail overnight on Northlink's Hjatland for Aberdeen.

We decided to spend the morning at least at Sumburgh Head, the southernmost point of Shetland.

Looking north from Sumburgh Head

The morning was grey with light cloud, some blue sky and very still. Banished were the high winds and rain of the past week. As a consequence the sea was calm, almost flat and you could see for miles

We drove upwards to what is called the lower car park at Sumburgh Head and came to rest there, the sea stretching away to an infinity beyond the low retaining wall in front of us 

In the last few days an incredibly rare White throated Needletail, a swift from Asia had created a huge sensation amongst us birders by spending time at various points on the Yorkshire coast of England.This iconic bird is one that everyone wants to see as it occurs so infrequently here and is so charismatic. Many birders had terminated their stay on Shetland early to go and see it. Some were successful, others not.The swift appeared to be moving steadily northwards and yesterday had been reported in the morning from Helmsdale in Sutherland and not that far away as a swift flies, from Shetland

Could it happen? Maybe, so here we were just in case the swift arrived. Stranger things have occurred but it was a very long shot indeed.

Leaving the car I scanned the sea in the hope of finding a skua or shearwater perhaps even in my wildest dreams a swift but saw nothing more than Gannets and Fulmars cruising around far below me.

Mark decided to walk further uphill to the lighthouse and I was left on my own.

I scanned the sea once more. 

Suddenly and thrillingly a tall, erect dorsal fin and curved like a scimitar (falcate) arose from the sea attached to a torpedo shaped, mottled, pale grey and much scarred body.The size and shape of the dorsal fin and the pale scarred body meant that the creature was unmistakeable and could be nothing else but a Risso's Dolphin. Minutes later another two surfaced in its wake and all appeared to be in no hurry.



Risso's Dolphins are a large dolphin, growing to a maximum four metres in length, with a bulbous, blunt, unbeaked head and prominent dorsal fin. As they age their bodies become increasingly pale, often white and uniquely scarred and scratched.The scarring is thought to be the result of the creatures fighting and biting each other, or maybe from sharks.They are sociable and go around in pods that can number from five upwards and feed on squid and octopus mainly at night.Virtually nothing is known about their reproduction.

The dolphins disappeared below the sea and then surfaced once more. moving slowly north. With this second sighting of them I was sure of my identification so put the news out on the Shetland Cetacean Whatsapp Group administered by Hugh Harrop of Shetland Wildlife.

Hugh  monitors all cetacean movements and sightings in Shetland and is the recognised authority on Shetland's cetaceans.

A minute later my phone rang. It was Hugh asking me questions

What way are they headed Ewan?

How many are there?

Are they close in?

.......................................................

I think they are going north Hugh, there are three and they are fairly close  I answered

I will be there in five minutes and he hung up

Sure enough his grey 4x4 came hurtling up the narrow single track road and drew to a stop in the car park.

He joined me by the wall and for a while we saw nothing but then the dolphins surfaced and Hugh started photographing them.

By photographing the dolphins and other cetaceans Hugh  is building up a record of each individual for future reference. 

Each Risso's Dolphin possesses unique scarrings which enable Hugh to build up a library of images of each individual so they can be identified each time they appear and their lives, movements and behaviour can be monitored. He is perhaps best known for his monitoring of Orcas and much has been learnt about them by the use of drones and taking photos. Interestingly Hugh told me the drones do not work with Risso's Dolphins which dive to avoid them.

The dolphins looked to be moving north again

I am going to Compass Point just north of here  Hugh told me

He drove off but the dolphins returned and it looked like they were just moving back and fore offshore of the car park where I stood.

I called Hugh.

They are back Hugh - right in front of me.

I'm on my way.

Hugh returned at great speed and we stood and photographed them as they surfaced at various distances from us but always reasonably close. 

I was thoroughly enjoying myself, especially with an expert alongside me giving me all sorts of information about these dolphins.


Hugh was familiar with some of them but one came up that had a distinctive dorsal fin that was markedly different from the others we had observed

That's a new one!  Hugh exclaimed 

We need to get a photo of it!

It also has a lot of white on its upperbody so must be fairly old!

It was heading south but dived before either of us could photograph it

Quick jump in the car mate and we can go up to the lighthouse and intercept it before it disappears round the Head

In seconds I dived onto the back seat, the only available space in Hugh's vehicle, scrambling over boots and other birding paraphernalia to lie across the seat as Hugh took off at great speed up the narrow winding road that led to the very top of Sumburgh Head. I had just time to wave to an astonished returning Mark as we hurtled past him. I could explain later.

We raced to the top, passed through the visitor centre buildings at speed and came to a stop by the lighthouse's huge red foghorn where we could go no further.Tumbling out of the car we scrambled up some stone steps to a viewpoint, looking over a wall and down to the sea many metres below us.

We were now at the highest point of Sumburgh Head (100 metres) but there was no sign of any dolphin.We waited, two, three, four, five minutes and there it was and Hugh got his photos of the dolphin as did I.

This Risso's is an old animal told by its extensively white body

It was accompanied by another and we were so high above them we could see the submerged body of one, looking ghostly white swimming just below the surface of the sea. Something I have never noticed before and would not have this time but for Hugh pointing it out. 

We spent the next ten minutes shouting out to each other as we found various dolphins surfacing. Well Hugh did most of the sighting and shouting while I took as many shots as possible .One dolphin commenced logging where they float aimlessly with the top half of their body above the water and looking very much like a floating log,




It was exhilerating, frantic and exhausting all at the same time as we did our best to record as much as possible.

I confess to a feeling of much pleasure to have contributed in some small way to furthering the knowledge of Risso's Dolphins in Shetland

Then it was all over. The arching over of the dolphin's rear body and tail flukes signify it has gone into a deep dive although the dives do not last for long, maybe two or three minutes.

The scarring and scratches are particularly prominent on this individual's body as it goes into a deep dives.These markings are unique to each dolphin and enable individuals to be specifically identified

Back in the car and we descended to the lower car park at a slightly more sedate speed than going up. I tumbled out of Hugh's car, shaking, whether from the high speed chase up to the lighthouse or the sheer adrenalin from my Risso's Dolphin encounter, I do not know. Who cares  anyway, it had been brilliant and all thoughts of rare swifts were long forgotten.

By now word had spread about the dolphins and Hugh went up to the cliff edge to join around a dozen people who had come to see for themselves and assist in seeing the dolphins which seemed to have decided that they would remain around this particular area of sea.

In the end Hugh estimated there were two pods of Risso's Dolphins of five animals each off the cliffs.

Risso's Dolphin and attendant Fulmar

It was gone noon, the sun came out and I decided that this experience should be the final parting gift from Shetland which never fails to surprise and delight.



Trip list of birds seen during two days in Yorkshire,then one day in Fife and twenty days on Shetland

Not nearly as good as the previous two years

Red throated Diver; Great Northern Diver; Slavonian Grebe; Northern Fulmar; Sooty Shearwater; Northern Gannet, Great Cormorant; European Shag; Little Egret; Grey Heron; Glossy Ibis x 3; Mute Swan; Whooper Swan; Canada Goose; Greylag Goose; Barnacle Goose; Pale bellied Brent Goose; Common Shelduck; Eurasian Wigeon; Gadwall; Eurasian Teal; Mallard; Northern Pintail; Blue winged Teal; Northern Shoveler; Common Pochard; Ring necked Duck;Tufted Duck; Greater Scaup; Common Eider; Long tailed Duck; Common Goldeneye; Red breasted Merganser; Goosander; Red Kite; Marsh Harrier; Common Kestrel; Red Grouse; Common Moorhen; Common Coot; Eurasian Oystercatcher; Ringed Plover; European Golden Plover; Northern Lapwing; Red Knot; Sanderling; Pectoral Sandpiper; Curlew Sandpiper; Purple Sandpiper; Dunlin; Ruff; Common Snipe; Black tailed Godwit; Bar tailed Godwit; Eurasian Curlew; Spotted Redshank; Common Redshank; Marsh Sandpiper; Common Greenshank; Turnstone; Little Gull; Black headed Gull; Common Gull; Lesser Black backed Gull; Herring Gull; Great Black backed Gull; Black legged Kittiwake; Sandwich Tern; Black Tern; Common Guillemot; Razorbill; Black Guillemot; Rock Dove; Wood Pigeon; Eurasian Collared Dove;Tawny Owl; Greater Short toed Lark; Sky Lark; Pechora Pipit; Meadow Pipit; Rock Pipit; Grey Wagtail; Pied/White Wagtail; Wren; European Robin; Bluethroat; Northern Wheatear; Siberian Thrush x 2; Blackbird; Song Thrush; Redwing; Western Subalpine Warbler; Barred Warbler x 4; Lesser Whitethroat; Common Whitethroat; Blackcap; Yellow browed Warbler x 4; Common Chiffchaff; both nominate and tristis; Willow Warbler; Goldcrest; Red breasted Flycatcher x 2; Pied Flycatcher; Brown Shrike; Magpie; Jackdaw; Rook; Hooded/Carrion Crow; Common Raven; Starling; House Sparrow; Tree Sparrow; Chaffinch; Brambling; Goldfinch; Linnet; Eurasian Siskin; Twite; Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll; Common Redpoll; Common Rosefinch x 4; Common Bullfinch; Blackpoll Warbler; Rustic Bunting.


Mammals

Otter
Polecat
Hedgehog
Rabbit

Risso's Dolphin
















Saturday, 18 October 2025

Retrospective on Shetland - Long tailed Duck - 12th October 2025


An adult male Long  tailed Duck has been present for a couple of days around the Mousa Boat Landing Stage at Sandwick and with care could be viewed close in to the shore.

We  left it until mid afternoon to pay a visit when the sea was calm and by standing with our backs to a small building the duck could not discern our profile and would come close. Unfortunately others not understanding this simple procedure would stand on the edge of the small cliff their profile obvious on the skyline which would cause the duck to swim further out into the bay.


It's not for me to tell people what to do. I have long ago learnt that it is pointless and can often lead to conflict and upset so I keep my counsel although sometimes it is difficult not to speak out.Instead I bit my lip and waited until the few other people present left and it was only the two of us that remained.We sat low down at the back of the beach with the rocks and bank of the shallow cliff concealing our profile and the duck came ever closer on a rising tide.It worked like a charm.


A Purple Sandpiper fed with Turnstones on the rocks nearby but our focus was on the duck which was certainly a stunner in its winter plumage of white, grey and chocolate brown, the rose pink band on its bill prominent.


We watched, admired and photographed it to our heart's content and for quite some time, enjoying the peace and the murmur of gentle waves breaking on the shore whilst Rock Pipits skittered after flies on the piles of kelp that had washed up on the tideline after the recent storms.


The duck was diving constantly in its search for food throughout our observation with a couple of Herring Gulls, as ever showing mild interest in its activities and hoping to snatch a meal.


Long tailed Ducks breed in the tundra and taiga regions of the Arctic Circle and a proportion of the world population move southwards to mainly winter around Scotland.

They are not a rare bird in Shetland and as with many birds in Shetland have acquired their own colloquial name of Calloo (in this case onomatopoeic) based on the drake's yodelling call which has also more fancifully been likened to the sound of hounds baying in the distance and even to the sound of bagpipes - quite appropriate for a bird whose main wintering areas are around Shetland, Orkney and the north east coast of Scotland. 

This opportunity to see such a beautiful creature in such pleasing and peaceful surroundings felt an ideal end to our penultimate day on Shetland




Retrospective on Shetland - Barred Warbler- 10th October 2025

It would be hard to not see a Barred Warbler on any extended birding stay on Shetland in autumn.This year I saw at least four or five. They can and do appear virtually anywhere usually when you least expect to see them. For example whilst waiting for a sight of a Siberian Thrush at Scatsta one suddenly appeared hopping along a hedge below some conifers. I have also seen them in almost the centre of Lerwick and then in the middle of nowhere on Yell. You just never know.

They are one of the largest warblers almost sparrow sized. and their movements are very unwarbler like being slow and ponderous and at times they can look clumsy as they balance haphazardly on twigs that seem too fragile to bear their weight.


Although they can appear randomly, there are certain places on Shetland where you can almost be guaranteed to encounter one or more in autumn. Such a place is the popular public footpath that runs along the east side of Clickimin Loch from Sound to Lerwick High School.

Lined by trees and bushes on either side, almost without fail one will find a Barred Warbler feeding here.Often their stay is protracted and even favouring one particluar bush or tree above all others. For a large bird they can be frustratingly elusive, often feeding low down or in deep cover and requiring a long wait before they reveal their presence but some can be very confiding and will gravitate out into the open. A favourite move is to ascend to the top of a tree or bush to look around and then fly to another area that takes their fancy.

All appear to be first year birds in a virtually featureless grey plumage, slightly paler below with a contrasting whitish throat. There are pale fringes to the tertials and wing coverts and white on the outermost tail feather. To look for any bars on their plumage is futile apart from the undertail coverts which can show strong barring. The base of the lower mandible is noticeably pink.


Barred Warblers are a regular scarce visitor to the Northern Isles in autumn especially following an easterly airflow.They breed across eastern Europe as far as central and southern Siberia and winter in East Africa.

The bird at Clickimin remained for at least seven days and always appeared in the same small area of trees and bushes although requiring some patience when not immediately viewable.Another long staying individual was several hundred metres further along the path near to the school but again could be frustratingly elusive



Retrospective on Shetland -Glossy Ibis- 7th October 2025

Glossy Ibis are rare in Shetland August this year has seen a major influx of the species into Britain possibly due to the ongoing drought in southern Europe which has extended as far as Britain.

Today was windy and it was hard to imagine a drought after the wind and rain that had swept across Shetland in the last few days.

I had twice unsuccessfully tried to see a Glossy Ibis that had been found at Eshaness on the northeast coast of Mainland, feeding in marshy pools beside the road and even at times by the lonely lighthouse  there, so in the knowledge that there were currently two to be found feeding at Norwick in the north of Unst and right by the tiny car park at the forever atmospheric, beautiful and lonely beach at Norwick. it was to prove all too much to resist.


Besides there was the additional incentive of a Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll very close by at Valyie feeding with Bramblings, Tree Sparrows and other redpolls in fields especially sown with seeding crops to attract finches.

The day promised to be fine although inevitably very windy as we made our way via two ferries to disembark at Belmont and then drive across Unst to Norwick. There is such a different feel here to Mainland, a sense of isolation and abandonment as we traversed an empty featureless landscape devoid of even sheep. We passed the small settlement of Haroldswick with its full size replica Viking longboat by the road. 

One look at this vessel and you shuddered to think what it must have been like to crew this boat, open to the elements with no shelter as it crossed the wild North Sea to terrorise these islands that would eventually become Shetland.

We drew up in the car park at Norwick

I looked across the fence in front of the car and down to the adjacent, half flooded field beyond and below

There they are Mark

What are?

The ibis!

It was as simple as that

There before us and very close were two Glossy Ibis feeding for all they were worth, energetically probing the wet soggy ground with their long curved bills, walking and feeding side by side.They showed little concern about our presence  and after a brief pause to check we offered no threat carried on feeding.

Superficially dark brown, the gloss on their plumage was revealed in the strong sunlight. How incongruous they looked, totally out of place and how unexpected that this essentially southern European species should find its way so far north.

There had been a flock of up to seven reported from Unst earlier but as to the whereabouts of the others that is anyone's guess.

After papping away wth our cameras we went down a small road beside the ibis field to Valyie and checked the weedy fields for the arctic redpoll. It took a little while to find it but eventually it partially showed itself, looking very white in the strong sunlight but always remained hunkered down amongst the seeding plants it was feeding on due to the strong wind.

Arctic Redpolls until very recently were classed as a separate species but now all redpolls are lumped together as one species - Redpoll. I am sorry but I fail to see how this much larger, almost snow white bird bears any resemblance to our smaller, dull and browner native Lesser Redpoll. Sometimes we seem to have forgotten to rely on the evidence before our eyes and become slaves to mtDNA to the exclusion of all else. This bird in my opinion is so very different in appearance to other redpolls it cannot be the same and as such I will persist in calling it an Arctic Redpoll and count it as a separate species

It was keeping company with a similarly large but greyer 'northwestern' redpoll formerly called Common Redpoll and a male Siskin, along with a large flock of House Sparrows and lesser numbers of Tree Sparrows and Bramblings.

We walked further uphill to view another flock of finches  which feeding invisibly in the weeds would rise every so often to reveal themselves.Although these fields are private the owners maintain it as a nature reserve and you are allowed to wander around within reason so long as you respect their privacy around the house 

I met Robbie B, originally from the Cotswolds but for some years a resident of Unst and we renewed our acquaintance and ran through our mutual contacts and reminiscences from both our times in that very different part of Britain.

We stood at the back of the house by a barn almost exclusively covered in flowering ivy and consequently attracting a myriad of insects and birds coming to feed on the insects

A Yellow browed Warbler flitted amongst the ivy flowers and a female Blackcap also joined the feast

A brown sparrow sized bird flew up from the ground below and perched on a branch

What's that?

Another Common Rosefinch

We had seen everything, the sun shone warm out of the wind and life felt very pleasant at this moment.We wandered back down the road for more communing with the ibis, still busily feeding  in their wet field and then spent some time on Norwick's scenic beach watching wheatears chasing insects over the storm blown kelp and Sanderlings and Turnstones feeding on along the shoreline.


Our visit to Unst provided a very pleasant break from the comparative bustle of Mainland and you felt that here you really could be at the end of the world.

Friday, 17 October 2025

Retrospective on Shetland - Common Rosefinch - 30th September 2025

The garden at Grutness was also proving attractive to a Common Rosefinch which would join the resident House Sparrows feeding on seed put out for them in some bare sycamores by the owners.

The rosefinch had been seen here several times but then would mysteriously disappear and no one was quite sure where it went.

The mystery was solved when it was found feeding with a flock of around fifteen House Sparrows at the back of the nearby beach at Grutness Voe.The distance as a rosefinch flies being no more than a few hundred metres

For the most part the bird spent its time feeding on weeds on a patch of waste ground between the back of the beach and the road but occasionally would fly back to the garden to feed there.

However the House Sparows did not appreciate its company and would bully it, causing it to perch a little apart from them in the garden and it would not be long before it returned to the back of the beach to feed in the tangle of dead sorrel and various other plants where it was left alone.




This is the archetypal 'birders bird'. Invariably any Common Rosefinches on Shetland are first winter birds in what can only be described as an underwhelming dowdy plumage of unremarkable brown feathers, only slightly alleviated by pale buff tips to its median and greater coverts forming two distinctive wing bars on each wing and broad buff fringes to its tertials.Its underparts are paler buff and heavily streaked and its rather plain face accentuates its prominent dark beady  eyes. Apart from that it resembles a female House Sparrow in its plain-ness and one has to look carefully to make it out, hidden amongst the sparrows and tangles of dead seaweed and sorrel.Even when perched higher it was hardly distinctive.

Common Rosefinches breed over most of northern Asia and parts of eastern and central Europe and breed as close to Shetland as Sweden. They are scarce autumn visitors to the Northern Isles with birds regularly spending a few weeks on Shetland. I have never not seen one or more on my annual autumn trips to Shetland. This year I have seen three.

The rose coloured plumage only comes with adulthood which can often take two years to achieve.

I spent a happy two hours photographing the rosefinch both on the beach and in the garden as other birders came and went, the majority unimpressed by its dowdiness and giving it the soubriquet 'Grotfinch' but nonetheless glad to add it to their trip list on what was a quiet day for birds on Shetland. Few birders lingered long in its presence before moving on.


Retrospective on Shetland - Goldcrests - 30th September 2025


Wherever one goes on Shetland and wherever there are bushes and trees, one will see Goldcrests.They arrive on Shetland in their thousands if not millions, routinely crossing the North Sea and making landfall literally anywhere. 



Stop and stare at a bush or tree in the hope of finding a bird and more often than not the first tiny movement you discern will betray the presence of a Goldcrest, all flicking wings and agitation as proceeds in its non stop quest for sustenance to keep it alive


On a mild but very windy day at Grutness on Mainland I stopped by the sunken garden whose walls  shelter it from the worst of the wind and provide a suitable place for two large hebe bushes to thrive. After a few minutes scrutiny they would reveal a Goldcrest or two emerging from their interior to minutely examine  every purple flower and waxy leaf for the microscopic prey they feed on.

They have to feed constantly to remain alive and therefore are forever active, examining every nook and recess of the bush until satisfied there is nothing more to find and move on.


They possess the cute factor in abundance and no one can fail to be enchanted by their energetic beauty. Our smallest british bird, only a hummingbird is smaller and lighter, they are mighty midgets, punching way above their weight (roughly that of a 5p piece) and fearlessly battle the elements to cross the North Sea from conifer forest homes in Scandinavia and Russia in order to reach our comparatively milder climate.How many must perish on the way if the weather turns against them is incalculable. 
Often on foggy or misty nights  they can become disoriented and seek temporary sanctuary and succour in the middle of the night on brightly illuminated oil rigs and other structures far out to sea.  This activity has given rise in Malta to the romantic name of Moon Warbler. 


They are often completely fearless of human company, conducting their lives as if ignorant of any human presence or threat. Migrant Goldcrests have been known to land on people who happen to be standing still as the birds arrive off the sea.Instead of flying off in fear they commence to pick at the person's clothing as if picking amongst more natural leaves. Others are so tired after a difficult sea crossing they instantly go to sleep wherever they settle, be it on the exposed sand of a beach or seaweed covered rocks.

I can recall one magical time, mid morning at Hermaness on Unst when the grass on the cliff edge was literally crawling with Goldcrests arriving in huge numbers off the sea.They remained for a few minutes as if to catch their breath before rapidly moving inland.


Today there was no Goldcrest settling on my clothes even though I stood but feet away from these hyperactive sprites but nor did they shun my presence and it was a joy to see them so very close and boldly going about their frantic existence.


As  if to emphasise the mildness of the weather another winged migrant was also feasting on the hebe flowers.Not a bird though but a Painted Lady butterfly.