Adrian Kettle
@akettle.bsky.social
š¤ 672
š„ 276
š 276
Birder on Yell in Shetland.
Nice cold and calm day here on Yell. The sea had frozen and the tide gone out to leave some nice patterns. Bullfinch was new for the year along our road and with Ravens gathering nest material last week and Hoodies defending their empty nests, spring must be close, joke! š
#birdingshetland
5 days ago
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Yesterday shopping run to Lerwick. Managed a 6 goose species day ( Taiga, Tundra Beans, Greylag, Whitefronts, Barnacle & Pinkfoot). Waxwing, 3 Greefinch and a superb Bittern reducing the Stickleback population at Spiggie.
#birdingshetland
6 days ago
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A very attentive mother with her cub in Mid Yell yesterday. The weather may have improved but the Yell Coot photos havenāt!
#shetland
7 days ago
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Weather back to normal today, although wind was calmer than the last 3 weeks! A 3rd w/4th cy Glaucous Gull and a flock of 9 wintering Jackdaws in Burravoe, Yell. Tried to get a photo of the Coot but it had done a bunk! 2 of the 34 TDās showed some signs of Ring necked Duck.
#birdingshetland
12 days ago
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Beautiful day in Shetland yesterday. 6 Tundra Beans, same as Unst the other day, at Cullivoe. 2 Whitefronts at Sellafirth. But best of all was a Coot on Kirk Loch, no photo!, first on Yell since Iāve lived here. Always something to see when waiting for ferries as well!
#birdingshetland
12 days ago
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More pics of the Kumlienās/Thayerās gull on Unst yesterday. Hopefully get some better ones when the snow blizzardās stop.
#birdingshetland
15 days ago
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A couple of posts on the Kumlienās/Thayerās gull currently on Unst. Hereās some photos of it from March 24 as a 1st w (2nd cy) March 25 as a 2nd w (3rd cy) and February 26 as a 3rd w (4th cy)
#birdingshetland
15 days ago
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Donāt think Iāve ever seen so much white in the wing of a Tundra Bean goose before. Very broad and seemingly unworn.
#birdingshetland
15 days ago
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reposted by
Adrian Kettle
15 days ago
come to the conclusion it is just not worth bothering; protected areas by the Humber, right managed by Lincs Trust; track to a sailing pit, apparently hedge prevents wind and stops sailing; also harbours insects that used to feed 1000 Swifts and hirundines in spring - disconnect with natural world
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Also on Unst today at Uyeasound. The Kumlienās/Thayerās gull, 1st winter male Common Scoter and Woodcock along with c500 Long tailed Ducks, in the snow. The sound made the spectacle even better.
#birdingshetland
16 days ago
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Today on Unst managed 5 sp of geese, Tundra Bean, Whitefront, Pinkfoot, Barnacle and the ever present Greylag. To be continued..
#birdingshetland
16 days ago
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Has anybody submitted anything!šš
add a skeleton here at some point
16 days ago
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These 2 Common Seals had the good idea to haul out today as 6 of the 27ās pod of Orcas were around! Great day for seeing them as well dead calm after 2 days of gales, not that you would have heard of that because it wasnāt in souther England! š GWE mid winter in Shetland!
#birdingshetland
about 1 month ago
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Thick snow today, as in well over the top of my wellies! It does mean looking for Jack and Common Snipe easier. Over 120 Snipe in 1 flock was impressive. Whilst 8 Jacks with 4 Snipe in a roadside ditch was nice. 2 Jacks in the second photo.
#shetlandbirding
about 1 month ago
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408 miles from my house as the Azure Tit flies!
add a skeleton here at some point
about 1 month ago
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The scenery showed much better than the WBDās! Out Skerries in the distance seen from Birrier, Yell.
#shetlandbirding
about 2 months ago
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Terrible video warningā¼ļø 2 Adult White Billed Divers in Colgrave Sound, Yell today. In one of the 2 regular wintering areas around Yell.
loading . . .
about 2 months ago
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Peeling sprouts with my helper. I put 1 in he takes it out bites it and throws it away! š¦ šš
about 2 months ago
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A great present from Tracy, and so true! ššš
about 2 months ago
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Lerwick yesterday was dull to say the least. Iceland Gull and 1 of at least 46 Purple Sands. The sky from the garden this evening was rather colourful!
#shetlandbirding
2 months ago
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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! š Sibe CC also in Scalloway. 4 Humpbacked Whales around Mousa. Red Necked & Little Grebe at Hillwell. Yank Wigeon at Spiggie.
#shetlandbirding
3 months 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
3 months ago
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Itās been an amazing year on Yell for Greenfinchs, considering they have not even been annual since Iāve 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
3 months ago
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Had to go over to Unst today to pick up my car thatās 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
3 months 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
3 months 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
3 months 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
3 months 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 Pallasās Warbler, strangely scarce on Shetland, whilst checking a flock of 50+ Twite
#shetlandbirding
3 months ago
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reposted by
Adrian Kettle
Helsinki Birder
3 months 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
4 months 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
4 months 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
4 months 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
4 months 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
4 months 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, doesnāt look like an Arctic to me. Another Moorhen today along with large numbers of thrushes kept the interest up.
#shetlandbirding
4 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
4 months ago
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Yesterday there was an arrival of birds on Yell. Jackdaws, Moorhen (only 2nd Iāve 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
4 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
4 months ago
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100ās of these By the wind Sailors on West Sandwick beach Yell today.
#shetlandbirding
4 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
4 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.
4 months ago
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A couple of posts of birds photographed on Shetland this October so far. 7 Glossy Ibis , Hornemannās Redpoll, Bluethroat and a roadside bunting that really should have been something rarer! All on Unst.
#shetlandbirding
4 months ago
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Day on Unst yesterday. Citrine Wagtail, 2 Rosefinch with Brambling & Chaffinch arriving. Also a ridiculously elusive Raddeās Warbler. Mealy & Hornemannās Redpoll. Then the Glossy ibis, 1 flew from Haroldswick beach whilst relocating it another 6 flew in to make a flock of 7!
#shetlandbirding
5 months ago
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The Short toed Lark at Otterswick, Yell showed better today in the sun as well!
#birdingshetland
5 months ago
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Back on Unst today this time for an Eastern Bonelliās Warbler at Houlland. It showed very well but I unfortunately didnāt hear it call. Back on Yell a Short toed Lark, found by
@rogerriddington.bsky.social
was very flighty at Otterswick.
#birdingshetland
5 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
5 months ago
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A few migrants arrived overnight with Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler (only the 2nd Iāve seen on Yell) and Pintail were year ticks. Other arrivals were 3 flighty White Wagtails and 17 Whoopers.
#birdingshetland
5 months ago
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For the second time in 24hours Iāve 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
5 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
5 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
5 months ago
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