It is quite special to wake up in a location such as this… to stand overlooking the bay with a cup of tea, hoping for a glimpse of an otter and watching arctic terns diving.
Andy and Lyndsey Howard were flying over to join us later today, so we headed out with Paula first thing to explore the west of the Island before they arrived. We had not been to this part of the island before, which is slightly more sheltered than other parts of the island. Driving along the moorland, we spotted a number of Mountain hare. One individual in particular had really pale eyes and looked stunning …
Stopping at a pretty bay, there were a number of waders scuttling along the shoreline. Shooting from the car, we managed a few shots of the Dunlin, Sanderling and Ringed Plover.
The Redshank are common along the moorland on the side of the roads and an adult alarming as we slowed down alerted us to the fact it may well have young. We sat still for a while and then were treated to views of two tiny chicks!
Many of the Oystercatchers have young and we spotted some distant Red Grouse chicks as well.
Returning back to the house to meet up with Andy and Lyndsey, they had a wander around the area to get the lay of the land, whilst Magnus and I headed up the headland on his Quad bike to an area where otters are pretty active.
Strewn with crab remnants and HUGE piles of otter sprint, it was a perfect place to put the Bushnells. I am hoping to capture some footage in daylight!
I am going to leave these trail cams here for a few days before I go up to check them. It was this location that I captured my first ever otter clip!
Coming back over the moorland on the Quad bike, there were loads of Common gulls which rose up as we past. Suddenly I spotted something paler on the ground…. and then another…. there were a number of chicks frozen on the ground, instinct kicking in.
A nest with two stunning eggs was nearby. Carefully we moved away to watch the parents return to these nesting areas…
Returning back to Cheyne House, Paula showed me the garden she has been working hard on this year. Gardening in a location such as this is not easy. As you can imagine, conditions can be pretty dire and the winds can be fierce. It was certainly a contrast to my sheltered garden with mature trees! There are not many trees in Shetland.
We finished the evening with a lovely BBQ ….. with the best ever views! :o)