Robbie's Northern Exposures: Big rollers

It's still not making up its mind - the weather that is. It's been another week of '4 seasons in one day' - or even an hour. Most of the time however, it's been quite cool with a north easterly blowing. With this in mind, I took a look up at Lamba Ness during the week. There were some pretty big rollers coming in, the height of which I can only guess at being well over 20-25ft............

Considering a Gannets wingspan can reach up to 5ft wide, that's some big splash!

I started feeding the birds in the garden over 12 months ago and am very pleased with the bird numbers I get daily (but not number of species). Most days now I get 20 or more House Sparrows feeding and generally just sitting about. They bred in the roof of the cottage last year and several have now started going under the tiles of the main house - although I'll have to put up nest boxes once the roof has been re-tiled. The sound of them sitting about chirping takes me back to my childhood when back south, we had dozens in the small coppice at the bottom of the garden, feeding in a chicken run. When I go out to top up the feeder and to put some seed on the ground for the Rock Doves, they often just fly a few feet in to the small (6ft) Sycamore bush and wait for me to return to the house. Almost daily now, I see them bathing in any small pool of water on the drive, having a good chatter as they do so..............

Bath Time

Another common sight (unfortunately) is seeing Hedgehogs that have been run over by cars. Judging by the numbers, I can only assume Hedgehogs are extremely numerous here on Unst. Only the other day I found one at Skaw out foraging in broad daylight which I took to be one that had recently come out of hibernation - due to how vigorously it was foraging and feeding...........

Mid-week, I noticed on Spacew.com that there was an increase in auroral activity. Checking the first night, it produced a faint glow to the north through the clouds, but it was very windy from the north east. The following evening it was better but due to the wind direction, it made taking any pictures very difficult so I had to use one of the sheds as a wind break, not ideal.............

Last one of the season ?

Just before midnight I headed up north to get away from the bright lights of town, it was still windy, but I thought I'd take a look anyway. By the time I reached Lamba Ness it had all but gone, time for my bed I think.

One species I have been trying to get some half decent pictures of is Redbreasted Merganser. I was down in Uyeasound the other day and was fortunate to watch a pair at close range for a while by the old pier. As seems to be the norm' at the moment, the sky was grey and 'flat', not the best light for a bird on the water. Still a nice bird to see though..............

Male Red-breasted Merganser

Yesterday (15thApril) we had a snow shower fairly early in the morning, so on looking out at 7.30am, I thought 'right, Hermaness it is then'. So leaving home at 8am, I set off and was up to the cliffs by 9am. The wind was now coming from the north and by heck was it cold. I went around the south side of the southern Gannetry (if that makes sense) and watched them for quite a while. There are now two nest sites fairly close to the top which gives a better angle, so hopefully when I'm there in better light I will get some nice head shots......................

Shortly after these were taken, the sky darkened even more and it started to snow. Not very heavily at first but before long it was virtually a white-out. By this time, I'd gone back to start heading home which I now regret as in no time at all (less than 3/4hr) there was 2" of lying snow which would have made for some interesting shots. Halfway along the clifftop, I stopped to try and photograph a pair of Fulmars sitting on a ledge. In less than a couple of minutes, both me, my camera bag and tripod were covered in a thick layer of snow - and I don't think the birds knew what to make of it..................

On Sunday morning (15th April), I had to head down to Lerwick to meet Catriona and the girls from the Northlink ferry. It meant getting the 7.05 ferry from Unst which would enable me to arrive in Lerwick by around 9.30am. There was a little snow around but nothing to speak of on the road - until I got to Yell that is. From Gutcher in the north to Ulsta in the south of the island, there was snow on the road (which had been salted but before the snow had fallen). I was now wishing I'd taken the 4x4 as it wasn't particularly nice driving and a max speed limit of 40mph (any faster and I'd have been off the road) meant I was concerned I'd miss the next ferry (which thankfully I didn't). Picking the family up at 9.30, it was then off to Sumburgh so Catriona could catch a plane to Geneva for 3 days. We did go up to the head (hoping to see the early Puffins) but unfortunately the birds had gone back to sea again - no doubt the snowfall had something to do with that.

Saying our goodbyes to Catriona; Sula, Rona and I headed back north only stopping off briefly at Mossbank to take a look at the 'Solitaire' - a rather large pipe laying ship, in fact it's the largest of its kind in the world. It's laying pipe to connect up to pipe from a North Sea gas pipeline which will come ashore near Mossbank and then travel a relatively short distance to the new Total gas terminal at Sullom Voe. Rather than type out all of the facts here, if you are interested you can look here ...................

'The Solitaire'

The girls decided to go swimming with a friend this afternoon (16th) as it was the last day before school starts. I took advantage of this and headed up to Lamba Ness to look for the 'Blue' phase Fulmar which has returned for the 4th season (assuming it is the same one - it is on the same ledge) For the 2nd year running, it seems to have a mate, maybe this year they'll breed ?.........