Migrants include taiga bean geese
THERE have been recent records of a Hume’s warbler from Unst and Whalsay and, on the 11th, there was one in Bressay. Hume’s leaf warbler…
READ FULL STORYStories tagged with Tag: Wildernews
Rare influx of waxwings catches us by surprise
THE BBC Autumnwatch programme featured the waxwings which have been arriving along the east coast of Britain this week. Several also reached Shetland, with 15…
READ FULL STORYA time for battening down the hatches and enjoying fruits of summer labour
GALES, storms, tempests, call them what you will, Shetland was battered, belted, thrashed and flayed by the winds, rain and hail just last week and…
READ FULL STORYSiberian visitors arrive
WE returned from holiday to the recent storms – a stark contrast to the gentle, warm colours of the Perthshire autumn which we had been…
READ FULL STORYTales of the great garden yukkiness that is actually quite nice to look at, honestly
HAS someone been very sick on your lawn lately? Well there was something messy and splatty yellowish and generally vomitious spread all over a lawn…
READ FULL STORYBuntings and geese join in the great winter migration
A QUIETER week for species diversity up north last week, but still a lot of birds around and always the potential to find something really…
READ FULL STORYA week of redwings
THERE were a lot of birds around the North Isles last week. Let’s start with the more unusual buntings – a little bunting put in…
READ FULL STORYBad seabird season
DURING the breeding season, it became clear that many of Shetland’s seabirds were having poor breeding success. In the recent edition of the Shetland Bird…
READ FULL STORYHow can you tell when a crab is awake and when it is asleep? It’s not so easy
AT ORKNEY Marine Aquarium in South Ronaldsay Alan Jackson is a man with a passion. Don’t let the jungle of huts, sheds and vehicles which…
READ FULL STORYA slew of northern visitors
GIVEN the sudden wintry weather at the beginning of October, it is not surprising that several bird visitors from northerly regions were recorded this week….
READ FULL STORYArctic redpolls arrive from Greenland to savour a milder winter away from snow
THERE was definitely a northern feel to the North Isles last week. An Arctic redpoll took up residence in Norwick, Unst, for a few days…
READ FULL STORYPlenty of birds, but what’s under water?
SHETLAND Field Studies Group’s penultimate outing this year, the “migration” trip, saw the minibus attacked by savage squalls and violent blinding waterfalls of rain, but…
READ FULL STORYMulling over the fine texture of basalt
BASALT sand is wonderful stuff. Black, fine, rounded grains as even as over-toasted coarse oatmeal. In the isle of Mull there are whole beaches of…
READ FULL STORYLittle egret gets all active
THERE were some exciting birds in the North Isles last week. A medium-sized white bird with black legs, spotted last Sunday near Haroldswick by Brian…
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