Delighted to find this Pale Pinion on sugar in our garden last night. Only the second-ever Shetland record with the first also found on sugar at Eswick just over 25 years ago on 15 September 2000. #Leptember #teammoth #UKWildlife

ORCAS!!! A few clips of the '65s' Northern Isles community Orcas - including 'Busta' the huge adult bull - hunting close inshore here in Shetland this summer. Enjoying life as nature intended - in the ocean and not in a swimming pool. #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

Spectacular views of this Red Kite at various locations in the south Mainland of Shetland today. A rare species this far north with <50 records. Pic as it drifted north over the home patch of Loch of Hillwell this afternoon. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #Birds #UKWildlife

Out 'sugaring' for moths in our Shetland garden last night underneath this beautiful #Aurora. Nature's very own firework show. #auroraborealis #northernlights #Stormhour @stormhour.com

Lovely views of this juvenile Little Stint among the kelp at Scatness, Shetland yesterday. Not only are Little Stints very little (about the same length as a House Sparrow), they're also very light - about the same weight as three 50p coins... #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #Birds #UKWildlife

One of two Hummingbird Hawkmoths I've been lucky enough to see in the south Mainland of Shetland this week. A scarce migrant to our northern shores, these tiny 'flying bullets' boast a wingbeat speed of up to 80 beats a second! #Leptember #teammoth #UKWildlife

A welcome arrival of continental migrants to our Shetland shores over the last couple of days. Several Wrynecks made landfall including this one in the Sumburgh Hotel garden. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #Birds #UKWildlife

August was a Minke Whale-filled month for us here in Shetland with several individuals off the coast of the south Mainland. Check out the gleaming-white diagnostic short pectoral fins of this individual, filmed in Mousa Sound. #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

Delighted to find this beautiful migrant Convolvulus Hawk-moth in our garden MV trap here in Shetland this morning. A scarce but annual visitor to our northern shores and a huge one at that - this one had a wingspan of around 10cm. #UKWildlife #teammoth

Orca swimming through crystal clear waters off the south Mainland of Shetland last month. #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

A short video of White-beaked Dolphins off the coast of the south Mainland of Shetland this week. Amazing to watch! #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

Three of the 50+ White-beaked Dolphins that graced the waters between Bressay and Quarff, Shetland this afternoon. Our 6th species of cetacean seen from land in just seven days! #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

The beautiful sight of a nursery pod of Long-finned Pilot Whales in Mousa Sound, Shetland yesterday morning. Check out those tiny calves - some just a few days old. #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

A nursery pod of Pilot Whales! Just a few of the 25+ Long-finned Pilot Whales in Mousa Sound, Shetland this morning. Some of the calves were tiny and looked just a few weeks - if not days - old. An absolute privilege to watch. #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

ORCAS!!! Yesterday evening we enjoyed an amazing encounter with the '64s' pod as they headed south from Bressay Sound to Mousa Sound. Here's bull Orca '196' - more affectionately known to us as 'Sanday' - currently the only adult bull in this pod. #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

One of our many birding highlights of Spring 2025 was this absolutely stunning female Grey Phalarope in summer plumage at Loch of Spiggie, Shetland in early June. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #Birds #UKWildlife

What was your first birding 'scope? Mine was a Mirador 25x60 which transformed everything as a teenage birder. I can remember using it to watch the 1984 Dungeness Least Sandpiper with my late Uncle Richard and @markgolley.bsky.social 😎 #BirdingGear #ThrowbackThursday #UKbirding #Birds #UKWildlife

The 'crex-crex-crex-crex' of this singing male Corncrake was the late evening soundtrack from our house for most of the summer. The first one we've heard on the patch since 2014. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #Birds #UKWildlife

RISSO'S DOLPHIN CALVES!! We had a beautiful encounter with a nursery pod of Risso's Dolphins off Levenwick and Clumlie here in Shetland last week. Check out some of those tiny calves - some are only a few days old at most! #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

Slo-mo #Orcas: a short video from a magical day spent following the '65s' - including adult bull 'Busta' - as they headed south along the coast from Gulberwick to Sumburgh Head, Shetland this week. #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

Lovely views today of Risso's Dolphins with calves - some only a few days old - off Levenwick, Shetland. Note the extensive scarring on the mothers - generally conspecific and, like saddle markings on Orcas, can form the foundations for photo ID. #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

It's not just the weather Gods shining on us at the moment - the Orca Gods are too! An amazing morning for our @shetlandwildlife.bsky.social 'Walk Shetland' group as we watched the '65s' pod close inshore off Gulberwick and Easter Quarff 🖤🤍 #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

Amazing views of the long-staying Black-winged Pratincole last week as it hawked for insects at Brow Marsh and over the home patch of Hillwell here in Shetland. A lovely bird to get on the house list 🙂🏠✅ #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #Birds

ORCAS!!! Last week we witnessed this amazing scene as we watched the '65s' Orcas hunting right beneath us as we stood on the cliffs at Kirkabister in the east Mainland, Shetland. Incredible! 🖤🤍 #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

A few pics from our 5 - 12 July 2025 'Ultimate Shetland' tour with Orcas as one of the highlights. www.shetlandwildlife.co.uk/holidays/wil... #birdingscotland #ukbirding #wildflowers #ukwildlife #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #Shetland

A short video of Shetland's first-ever Greater Sand Plover at Haroldswick, Unst last week. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #Birds

Slo-mo ORCAS filmed off the east Mainland of Shetland this week. Enjoying life as nature intended - in the ocean and not in a swimming pool. 🖤🤍 #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKWildlife

A beautiful Bedstraw Hawk-moth in the MV trap here at Hillwell, Shetland this week. With south easterly winds heading our way, hopefully a few more migrants over the next few evenings. #teammoth #mothsmatter

Fabulous views of Shetland's first-ever Greater Sand Plover at Haroldswick, Unst early this morning. Just over 20 UK records of this species which breeds from Turkey east to Mongolia. I last saw one in the UK back in 1988 at Dawlish, Devon! 😮 #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #Birds

An exceptional encounter with the '65s' Orcas hunting close inshore off the east Mainland of Shetland for most of yesterday. At times they were just a few metres away from us as we stood on the low cliffs in total awe.🖤🤍 #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK #UKwildlife

Happy smiling faces for David's 'Ultimate Shetland' group yesterday with fabulous views of the '65s' Orcas close inshore off the east Mainland of Shetland. Here's bull 'Busta' passing us at Kirkabister. 🖤🤍 📷 @hughharrop.bsky.social #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK

A few pics from our 21 - 28 June 2025 'Ultimate Shetland' tour. www.shetlandwildlife.co.uk/holidays/wil... #birdingscotland #ukbirding #wildflowers #ukwildlife

One of four Magpie moths in the MV trap this morning here at Hillwell, Shetland. A scarce migrant to our shores but a noticeable arrival over the last week or so. #teammoth #mothsmatter

A handsome male Ruff in summer plumage at Bakkasetter, Shetland last week. #birdingscotland #ukbirding #birds #ukwildlife

Our 'Ultimate Shetland' group enjoyed a fabulous encounter with Orcas yesterday in the east Mainland of Shetland. The grouping comprised the '65s' (including the huge bull 'Busta') and three of the 27s pod. Enjoy these excellent pics by Hannah Loughnane. 🖤🤍 #MarineLife #MarineMammals #CetaceansUK

A few pics from our 14 - 21 June 2025 'Ultimate Shetland' tour. www.shetlandwildlife.co.uk/holidays/wil... #birdingscotland #ukbirding #wildflowers #ukmammals #ukwildlife

All the way from North America: White-throated Sparrow at Sumburgh Head, Shetland today. A stunner. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #Birds

A stunning summer plumaged Red-necked Grebe in Wadbister Voe, Shetland early this morning. Far from annual here with most records during the winter months and only one previous June record. Having seen it yesterday in torrential rain, happy I went back for seconds. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #Birds

Have enjoyed super views of Shetland's third-ever Black-winged Pratincole at Loch of Spiggie and Brow Marsh over the last ten days or so. Amazing to watch it zapping around at speed hawking insects on the wing. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #Birds

A few pics from our 7 - 14 June 2025 'Ultimate Shetland' tour. www.shetlandwildlife.co.uk/holidays/wil... #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #Birds #MarineMammals

Lovely displays of Edmonston's Chickweed (aka Shetland Mouse-ear) on the serpentine fellfield at Keen of Hamar last week for our @shetlandwildlife.bsky.social Ultimate Shetland group.This Cerastium is endemic to the island of Unst and found nowhere else in the World. A must-see! #wildflowers

This stunning Black-winged Pratincole has graced Setter, Spiggie, Shetland for the last couple of days. Only the third record for Shetland following singles in 1927 and 2021. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #Birds

David and our Ultimate Shetland group found this migrant Honey Buzzard at Eshaness on Thursday. At one stage it was mobbed by an Arctic Skua! The species is a rare visitor to our shores with only a handful of records every year. Pics by tour participant Jeff Smith. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #Birds

A few pics from our 31 May - 7 June 2025 'Ultimate Shetland' tour. www.shetlandwildlife.co.uk/holidays/wil...

The wonderful sound of a migrant Icterine Warbler singing in our garden at Hillwell, Shetland yesterday morning. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #Birds

Amazing views of this migrant Hobby on the home patch of Loch of Hillwell, Shetland over the weekend. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #Birds

⚠️Warning - Cuteness Advisory⚠️ Great to see the first Eider broods appearing in sheltered bays around the coast. Known here in Shetland as 'Dunters', the ducklings are just wonderful to watch and those huge feet never cease to amaze! #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #Birds

An absolutely stunning female Grey Phalarope in summer plumage at Loch of Spiggie, Shetland today. Unlike their Red-necked cousins which breed here in small numbers, Greys are extremely rare in spring and thus rarely enjoyed in this incredible plumage. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #Birds

Black-throated Divers are scarce birds here in Shetland so it was lovely to find this absolutely gorgeous summer plumaged individual at Scousburgh on Saturday evening. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #Birds

All the way from Siberia... Shetland's eighth-ever Eye-browed Thrush at Gutcher, Yell this afternoon. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #Birds