Adrian Kettle
@akettle.bsky.social
📤 655
📥 275
📝 247
Birder on Yell in Shetland.
Mainland Shetland today in mainly sunshine! King (Queen) Eider at Scalloway showed rather well, I had it all to myself, so had no crowd trouble! 😉 Sibe CC also in Scalloway. 4 Humpbacked Whales around Mousa. Red Necked & Little Grebe at Hillwell. Yank Wigeon at Spiggie.
#shetlandbirding
7 days ago
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Having not been seen since 18th Nov the Great White Egret was back in Mid Yell Voe this afternoon. After having gone back to Unst on at least one date.
#shetlandbirding
8 days ago
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It’s been an amazing year on Yell for Greenfinchs, considering they have not even been annual since I’ve lived here. Today I saw another 2, taking our total to 11 birds, with another seen by Dougie Preston that takes this years total to 12 birds!
#shetlandbirding
18 days ago
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Had to go over to Unst today to pick up my car that’s been there all autumn. Took the opportunity to go to look at 2 Long eared Owls, managed to find a third bird there as well! Best I could do in dull light, the other 2 were even more obscured.#Shetlandbirding
19 days ago
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We have still got 3 Blue Tits knocking around Mid Yell. But even more of a surprise on freezing northerlies, hail and snow was a Great White Egret on Mid Yell voe.
#shetlandbirding
21 days ago
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Another shopping trip to Lerwick, Tesco was closed due to a power cut! Gave me a chance to look for the long staying Kingfisher. Which I saw briefly after a phone call to get directions for where its exact location might be. Also 3 Siberian CC, 2 Bullfinch, Chaffinch & Water Rail
#shetlandbirding
25 days ago
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The last couple of weeks has seen good numbers of Siberian CC with a few Common CC mixed in. This Sibe was photographed in Mid Yell yesterday.
#shetlandbirding
27 days ago
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Had a couple of hours birding late PM on Yell today. Managed 3 Blue Tits, 2 fem Northern Bullfinch, 5 Siberian & 1 CC, Redpoll, Sparrowhawk and a fem Common Scoter. Then at last knockings found a Pallas’s Warbler, strangely scarce on Shetland, whilst checking a flock of 50+ Twite
#shetlandbirding
29 days ago
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reposted by
Adrian Kettle
Helsinki Birder
30 days ago
Exactly the kind of post that could make
#BirdID
a magnificent feed everyone could benefit from. Just need the birders to structure their posts like this if they can think that way.
add a skeleton here at some point
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2/2 After seeing the geese a quick trip down to Sandwick to see a Dusky Warbler, worked out well.
#shetlandbirding
about 1 month ago
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Another trip to Lerwick for supplies and at last managed to get some photos of the Taiga Bean goose on a sports field! with a Pinkfoot. 1/2
#shetlandbirding
about 1 month ago
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Good day around central Yell yesterday. Best was Yells 2nd Firecrest in Mid Yell,2 Northern Bullfinch, 2 Blue Tit, 2 Jackdaw, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, 4 Siberian CC, 1 CC and 2 Water Rails.
#shetlandbirding
about 1 month ago
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To say the weather has been a bit challenging today is rather an understatement! But the 3 Northern LTT still on Yell. Will they stay until we get a day with some daylight? Love the yellow eyeshadow!
#shetlandbirding
about 1 month ago
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Managed slightly better photos of the 3 Northern Long tailed Tits at Sound Yell today. Also saw another bird, without a tail, found by Dougie Preston at Camb.
#shetlandbirding
about 1 month ago
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Other birds on Yell today included a surprise Great White Egret an expected Jack Snipe and a very pale Redpoll, doesn’t look like an Arctic to me. Another Moorhen today along with large numbers of thrushes kept the interest up.
#shetlandbirding
about 2 months ago
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Right, before you judge my photos, it was a last ditch attempt in near dark! Taken at 16000 iso, to be fair they are better than I was expecting! Found by a local resident outside his house on the road verge! Northern Long tailed Tits are still a rare bird in UK.
#shetlandbirding
about 2 months ago
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Yesterday there was an arrival of birds on Yell. Jackdaws, Moorhen (only 2nd I’ve seen on here) Bramblings, Blackcaps and Redwings were the main arrivals. But 2 Greenfinch (rare on here) YBW & juv Peregrine. Then a quick trip to Brig o Fitch Black faced Bunting!
#shetlandbirding
about 2 months ago
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Today started with 5 NW Redpolls at Windhouse and ended with a Rosefinch (found by Tracy) in our garden. With basically nothing in between despite trying, honest!
#shetlandbirding
about 2 months ago
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100’s of these By the wind Sailors on West Sandwick beach Yell today.
#shetlandbirding
about 2 months ago
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Of course there was also the Siberian Thrush that has taken up residence at Asta on mainland Shetland.
#shetlandbirding
about 2 months ago
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Back on Unst Blackpoll Warbler and Glossy Ibis. A very vocal Red breasted Fly on Yell and a distant Western Sub-alpine Warbler on mainland Shetland. Just a few of many highlights so far this autumn.
about 2 months ago
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A couple of posts of birds photographed on Shetland this October so far. 7 Glossy Ibis , Hornemann’s Redpoll, Bluethroat and a roadside bunting that really should have been something rarer! All on Unst.
#shetlandbirding
about 2 months ago
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Day on Unst yesterday. Citrine Wagtail, 2 Rosefinch with Brambling & Chaffinch arriving. Also a ridiculously elusive Radde’s Warbler. Mealy & Hornemann’s Redpoll. Then the Glossy ibis, 1 flew from Haroldswick beach whilst relocating it another 6 flew in to make a flock of 7!
#shetlandbirding
2 months ago
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The Short toed Lark at Otterswick, Yell showed better today in the sun as well!
#birdingshetland
2 months ago
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Back on Unst today this time for an Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler at Houlland. It showed very well but I unfortunately didn’t hear it call. Back on Yell a Short toed Lark, found by
@rogerriddington.bsky.social
was very flighty at Otterswick.
#birdingshetland
2 months ago
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Bit of a strange day, started with a Ring necked Duck at Tingwall then a Med Gull at Gremista. Just heading home across Yell when a message of a PG Tips on Unst came through, would be rude not to! A skulking bird as per type but showed ok with patience. High iso shots.
#birdingshetland
3 months ago
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A few migrants arrived overnight with Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler (only the 2nd I’ve seen on Yell) and Pintail were year ticks. Other arrivals were 3 flighty White Wagtails and 17 Whoopers.
#birdingshetland
3 months ago
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For the second time in 24hours I’ve had to evacuate the car rapidly with camera settings all wrong to grab some shots of a bird of prey. This juvenile Honey Buzzard at Windhouse, Yell this morning. Last seen mobbed by a Merlin!
#birdingshetland
3 months ago
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Managed to get onto this juvenile Red Kite at Graven north mainland as I was on the way home from a shopping tip! Info came out at just the right time despite directions being wrong! Originally found by Logan Johnson yesterday a few miles away.
#birdingshetland
3 months ago
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A couple of random things from Yell. A sheep x gazelle hybrid! A four butterfly day, with Red Admiral, Large White, Painted Lady and a Shetland tick for me a Peacock!
#birdingshetland
3 months ago
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It was the Yellow show yesterday with good weather and more people than I’ve seen on Yell before, including a couple from North Carolina! Tracy won a first prize 🏆 for her home grown limes!
#shetland
3 months ago
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A few pics from the last couple of days. Bottlenose Dolphin 1 of 2 in Yell yesterday, still a rare sight on Shetland, this being only the 3rd record. Rosefinch on Yell and a very showy CurlewSand on Unst today.
#birdingshetland
3 months ago
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A few good local birds turned up on Yell in the last few days. A very juvenile Stonechat, 2 Greenshank and today I found this 2cy Little Gull well into its moult to 2nd winter plumage.
#birdingshetland
4 months ago
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Quick dash across to Unst this evening to see a Stone Curlew found by
@penningtonunst.bsky.social
Great photos were not achieved! 😂 The Black tailed Godwit showed slightly better.
4 months ago
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This is a genuine question, I’m not dissing anybody’s sightings. But are Yelkouan Shearwaters actually identifiable in a British context? Considering the Menorcan situation.
@scillypelagics.bsky.social
4 months ago
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reposted by
Adrian Kettle
Swallow Birding & Wildlife
4 months ago
Join us on Wednesday 20th August 2025 at 7pm for a talk about the Birds & Wildlife of Costa Rica for the fabulous Wilderness Foundation UK. If you can't make it, please share & help support this great charity! Tickets are just £5 per person and booked here:
www.trybooking.com/uk/events/la...
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A beach walk a couple of days ago resulted in having a few pecks to the head from the Arctic Terns and a rather hungry Bonxie. The amount of effort pulling the dead Common Seal put it on its bum a few times when the meat gave way!
#birdingshetland
5 months ago
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My all terrain lawn mower at work yesterday. When it runs out of energy it returns automatically to recharge!
5 months ago
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A surprise trip to Unst late last night, despite being very driech, the Greater Sandplover showed well at Haroldswick, it was also heard singing! Large flock of Arctic terns feeding at Belmont being harassed by 3 Arctic Skuas whilst waiting for the last ferry home.
#birdingshetland
5 months ago
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Another 2 decent scarce birds from yesterday here in Shetland but to put it in context I also saw only my 3rd Blackcap of the year! European Red necked Grebe only seen the American version up here before and my 2nd WT Sparrow since I’ve lived here.
#shetlandbirding
5 months ago
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Highlight of todays Survey square. A single Lesser Twayblade, less than an inch in height! Supporting cast of dive bombing Bonxies and Arctic Skuas with some nice cute Golden Plover chicks.
#shetlandbirding
6 months ago
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Is anybody else having trouble with the digital version of
@britishbirds.bsky.social
I can’t view any issues only the articles. I have emailed them but had no response!
#ukbirding
6 months ago
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A bit of a surprise find today at Basta, Yell. 4 Canada Geese. Presumably part of the flock of 6 that were at Spiggie recently?
#birdingshetland
6 months ago
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When living in Essex I always had trouble finding Heath Bumblebee most years. Since moving to Shetland they come to me! This one in the garden this afternoon. Photo taken with iPhone.
#shetland
6 months ago
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Just found this shot of the female Grey Phalarope from the other day. The wing looks familiar but the body was something I had never seen before!
#birdingshetland
6 months ago
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Nice surprise on the way home from Lerwick when Tracy and I found this 1st summer Hobby at Voe plantation.
#birdingshetland
6 months ago
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Eyebrowed thrush still.
6 months ago
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A 2 Phalarope sp day on mainland Shetland. The stunning female Grey Phalarope was as good as a tick, in this plumage. Backed up by a showy pair of Red Necked Phalaropes.
#birdingshetland
6 months ago
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reposted by
Adrian Kettle
Sean Davies
6 months ago
A week’s birding on Papa Stour has been quiet until I found this Great Snipe this afternoon. It was in the boggy valley between Gorda Water and West Voe.
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This morning I was watching this Eyebrowed Thrush feeding on the lawn in the sunshine, all by myself. You could say it showed well!
#birdingshetland
6 months ago
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