I write, tonight, in Shetland… one of my favourite places! This is the third time I have visited these wonderful islands and this year, I am back to run an Ultimate Shetland tour with Hugh Harrop and Shetland Wildlife.
The tour starts on Saturday, but I have come up a few days early to spend some time with friends, Paula and Magnus, who live here and to see if I can set a few Bushnells around and do a spot of photography. Here are some of the shots I took last year… it really is a haven for wildlife and there are SO many opportunities for photography!
I flew up to Shetland this morning and Paula and I went straight out to visit a few garden sites where birds often stop over. In a little oasis that can be created in these gardens, species often pop up that are not seen anywhere else. The island can be pretty barren, with few trees and high winds. By creating barriers of shrubs and small trees, shelter can be created where plants that would not usually survive here, can thrive.
One garden we visited had a single male stonechat had been hanging around for a few days. We managed to get some great views …
A walk up on the hills behind Paula’s house gave us some lovely views and some tiny Common Butterwort… much smaller than the ones I saw in Ireland just a few weeks ago. There were loads on insects trapped on the sticky leaves…
Some lovely tiny Spring Squill as well..
It is great to be back here and I hope to share some images over the next week or so, of the special wildlife that makes Shetland its home.