Winter again !

  Last Friday (4th May) we had some quite heavy sleet/snow showers again. However, due to the ground being already wet, it didn't stay for long. Keeping an eye on the forecast, I decided that if there was any snow over night, then I'd head for Hermaness early next morning.

  Setting the alarm for five o'clock, I looked out and saw a dusting of snow over towards the hills above Woodwick (roughly north west). By 5.15am I was heading along the road out of Baltasound and to the Hermaness car park. Getting my gear sorted, I then remembered I'd cleared the car out of some of my warmer winter gloves etc! Hey ho. The first thing I saw was this very confiding rabbit sitting in the morning sunshine................

  Getting up to the main area where the Bonxies  are near to the boardwalk, there was a covering of snow - around 1/2 an inch or there abouts - and quite a few birds sitting around displaying at any bird that flew over in to their 'air space'......................

  As much as Bonxies can be very photogenic, the main reason for going out in what was a very cold May morning, was the hope of seeing a Puffin in the snow. Reaching the cliff top at the end of the boardwalk, the very cold northerly wind hit me. I don't know what the temperature was (I must carry my wind watch more often) but it was certainly well below freezing as in no time at all my fingers and nose were going numb. With the wind strength, if there were any Puffins around, they certainly wouldn't be sitting out on the cliff top. A quick walk along the cliff revealed no Puffins so, looking out to sea, I could see a large snow storm approaching so I headed back to the Bonxies...........................

It is May isn't it ?

 Getting back to the spot I stopped at on the way up, I decided to wait for the snow storm to pass by and see if there was anything worth photographing. There were a couple of pairs of Bonxies close-by so I sat down on the boardwalk and waited. Twenty minutes later the snow storm arrived and for  five minutes or more was really heavy...................

Even the Bonxies didn't seem to like it !

  Once the shower had past, I headed back to the cliffs again. Going along to one grassy area that I know has Puffin burrows, I decided to wait for a while and see if any returned. It was now around 7.45am and believe it or not, I could feel a little warmth in the sun. Facing the cliffs (so I could watch for any arriving Puffins) my face felt numb with the cold, however, my back was towards the sun and I could feel its warmth through my coat - a very strange feeling. Around 8.30, I saw two Puffins repeatedly flying along the cliff edge, going out and around in a big semi circle to do each flypast; the problem would be, being in the right place if they were to land. Also, as the sun was starting to melt the snow, I wouldn't have a second chance. One of the birds came in and landed some way away from me and went straight down in to its burrow. Shortly after, the 2nd bird landed some distance away to my left - to the south. Quickly moving nearer, I grabbed a few shots and then went around to the other side of the bird and got 4 frames before it went down below ground. The pictures are only 'record shots' but worth it for seeing something that is certainly not an everyday event here in the UK....................

 The following morning (6th) was clear and sunny and also the wind had dropped off quite a lot. I decided to go out for a couple of hours and then come back home to do some jobs and strim and cut the grass.

  My last 'port of call' so to speak was Northdale. Going up past the marshy area, I noticed a 'Whooper' Swan out in the marsh and I thought that there was something different about it. Taking a couple of pictures, I carried on up the road and was then stopped by Willie (the crofter there). He told me he'd seen a large bird of prey a couple of hours ago being mobbed by hoodies as it sat on a fence post by the marsh. From his description it was obvious he'd seen the Sea Eagle and I'd driven up the road to Skaw not far away at about that time ! Despite looking (by both Mike P and I ) we couldn't find the bird :(

  Loading the swan pictures on the pc later in the evening, I looked at the bird and thought 'that's not a Whooper, it's a Bewick'. Mentioning to Mike that I'd got a  'Whooper with a bill pattern like a Bewick', he thankfully went out to double check...................

Bewick Swan

  - only the fourth record since the early 70s, so not a common bird.

  The following morning was another fine morning and with little or no wind. I had to go to Haroldswick and as I drove past the pools and Rosa bushes, I couldn't believe my eyes. There, right on the end of the bushes next to the road was a LEO, out in the open and in full sunshine. Driving on past, I turned around at the next turning and went back rolling to a halt not too far from the bird. I was sure the bird would fly, but no, it just say there and stared at me. I was even allowed to move the car to get a slightly less distracting background, was this bird stuffed or what?.................

LEO (almost full frame)

 After what seemed like ages, it sprung up silently in to the air and flew to the other end of the bushes and sat on a fence post.

  The rest of the day, I spent at home fixing some guttering and also repairing my now ancient mower - which will eventually go to the place all broken mowers go to here - the community skip ! It's really annoying that often with mechanical things, the frames/bodywork etc wear out long before the engines. I have a cracking little 2 stroke strimmer that I can no longer get spares for, but the engine still runs like new and the mower will go the same :( 

One thing that did come out of being outside around the house, I got two more garden ticks for the list - 3 Tree Sparrows on the feeder and a fly-past of a Shelduck.

  Just after 7pm, I decided to go for a short drive to see if there was to be any sunset pics to be taken over at Lamba Ness. I didn't feel particularly inspired, so after a quick walk around the end, I drove back towards home. On reaching Haroldswick Pools, I felt I had to rub my eyes; there across the other side to the south, were two Common Cranes standing close to the waters edge. Surely I didn't miss them when I drove past just over half an hour ago ? - not that you could really miss a bird that stands over three and a half feet tall I suppose. Mike had also been past not long before me and they weren't there then either....................

  As we sat there watching them, the Long-eared Owl, was flying silently around hunting and at one point landed on the road sign around nine feet in front of me (I know that as it was too close for the camera to focus) If I could have reached my mobile I could have used the camera phone..............

Full frame, now that's really close !

 After half an hour I left. Slightly later someone came to look for the LEO and unforunately got out of their car at which point the cranes headed off west. I went out at 7 this morning and re-found them at Burrafirth at 7.30, unfortunately they had moved off again by 10am so I'm told.