Skimming through this year's memory cards has reminded me (finally) to address a couple of trips I didn't get chance to post about at the time, first up being a wonderful couple of weeks on a road trip north of the border in late August - most of which was spent on Shetland.
Thanks to our dear friends Eike, Andrew and Artus, we (Amity and I) had a place to stay in Lerwick and an extended team to enjoy the islands with, and it was a memorably great trip in every respect. Not primarily a birding trip of course - and all the better for it, believe me - but I had plenty of opportunity to nip out for pre-breakfast sessions and naturally also enjoy what we came across while wandering far and wide.
It was a little early for the main migration period, but I still stumbled on a few decent birds on morning circuits, including Hobby, Barred and Icterine Warblers, but the highlights from a migratory perspective were often commoners, and it was all about the context; for example, warblers and flycatchers materialising in the quarries on Sumburgh Head, or a very early Fieldfare dropping out a heavy rainstorm there, were more than enough.
And to be honest, whether it was hikes, landscapes, journeys, Otters, time with friends, exploring islands, Orcas, local culture or whatever, the myriad highlights were (whisper it) mostly non-avian; it was a really great trip and we were very lucky to have the opportunity to do it when we did.
Pied Flys, ditto
Fieldfare fresh-in at Sumburgh, 23rd August
A Basking Shark and a cairn at the north-east tip on Unst - none more Shetland
One of a scattering of freshly-arrived Pied Flycatchers in iconic Shetland habitat
A male Common Redstart, which dropped in by the car during a shower on Fetlar
A Garden Warbler in Sumburgh quarry
Pied Flys, ditto
Fieldfare fresh-in at Sumburgh, 23rd August
A Basking Shark and a cairn at the north-east tip on Unst - none more Shetland
