Sunday 12 May 2013

Weekend Birding trip 11th & 12th of May

The 11th

A dull day in Lerwick proved to bring out some very good birds including a lifer tick for me.

Common Terns or Tirricks on their return to the Clickimin Loch, this is one of five birds I saw today.
Also on the Loch today 1 Sand Martin, 1 House Martin and 20 Swallows (even in a flock of that many they were impossible to photograph!)

A male Pied Flycatcher
 This is the first of any Flycatcher species I have seen and quite a lovely sight (even though I had to take my picture through a bunch of branches!)

One of two Woodpigeon at Helendale, I've been told they are very good to eat (Pigeon on a plate might taste nice)

A Willow Warbler
 One of three birds around Helendale, also in Helendale one Siskin.

House Sparrow singing

The 12th

A brighter day in Lerwick brought out a few more birds.

Willow Warbler
for such a tiny bird it has a loud
and beautiful call that can be heard from about
100 metres away

 Willow Warbler

 Sleepy Tirrick
A basking Common Seal

The Loch of Voe was teeming with lots of  bird song (and midges!)

A singing Chiffchaff

 A nice song to hear when walking round a plantation
Also round the loch there was a Robin

Primroses

A Midge or Mayfly of some sort

Also today while crossing on the ferry from Toft to Ulsta a large flock of
about 150 Knot flew South-east over the Sea towards the mainland.
This is the biggest flock of any wader I have seen and its amazing how they
they can all fly together in a large flock without crashing into each other.

On my way back to Mid Yell me and my Grandad stopped along the
Westsandwick Beach to look for a Pilot Whale which had been washed up there
last week.


The whale is about 4.875 metres long
and was washed high up on one of the smaller
beaches south on the main beach
It was quite sad to see such a huge and
majestic animal washed up dead.



4 comments:

  1. Isn't your Selkie a Common? The Whale looks like Pilot Whale, or Caa'ing Whale as they were known in Orkney

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    Replies
    1. Not sure how to Identify them myself but I spoke tae someine else and they agree that its a Common I'll change, thanks for the Orkedian name for the Pilot whale

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  2. Some really nice pictures of some beautiful wildlife you've got there. Espicially like the lazy seal chilling in the sun. Makes me happy to see some more youth interested in nature, as most seem to destroy it, which is really unfortunate. Keep it up!

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