Wildlife in May

It's been a busy time in the garden for the local wildlife and every now and then it coincides with me having either my phone or camera to hand. Here are a few of this months visitors.

Shetland - Day 8

It's our last day on Shetland and just to prove that it isn't always warm and dry, it's wet and cold this morning! Alison had planned a walk, but instead we have a drive. Part way up the highest hill on Shetland

As per the forecast the sun gets out at lunchtime, so we head for one last walk, to give Breeze some exercise as we have a long ferry journey tonight. We visit Hillswick. This is where the wildlife sanctuary that Richard and Alison volunterr for is based (and also where the wildlife sanctuary filming is done for the TV series 'Shetland' - they are currently filming another series

This is somewhere else that I have visited before. Back in 1971 we came here with another family from the village we lived in. This photo was taken on Hillswick beach, showing (from left to right) Me, Alison (my sister) and Richard (the son of the other couple who were on holiday with us)

So just to remind everyone who used to work with Richard and I what idiots we can be (and to prove that Alison and Richard are very well matched) here is the 2017 version with (from left to right) Me, Alison (who spookily has the same maiden name as my sister and I) and Richard!

After all that excitement we walk just a bit further along the coast. Richard is ahead and spots an otter but it see's him and swims away. We sit for a while in the hope that it will reappear but sadly it is not to be this time!

So that's it, the end of a perfect holiday. Just the short drive down to Lerwick and one last little walk for Breeze before we board the overnight ferry back to Aberdeen. Thank you so much Richard and Alison, we have had an amazing time. We know exactly why you moved to Shetland.

Shetland - Day 7

We are really enjoying our time on Shetland. It is a stunning place with an abundance of wildlife and it is great to be spending time with Richard and Alison. We are also very lucky that they have similar interests to us and they know the Islands well and know where to take us to have a chance of seeing something interesting. One thing that has eluded us so far is Sea Otters. It's not for the want of trying either. Today we go for a walk around Lunna Ness. There is a hope we may find and otter along this bit of coastline and there is another reason to visit this area as well. All will be revealed! I make no apologies for the number of photos on this entry :-)

 The Shetland Sphinx apparently. I can vaguely make out the face, but a Lion's body?

Yes, she is with us as usual!

As we reach the coast we spot a seal watching us

It is becoming clear that the whole of Shetland is beautiful. We are on the East side of Mainland now, so we have pretty much covered every corner and more

As we stop for some lunch we watch some Terns fishing

It's been a week of sensory overload for one little dog. She is getting tired. Hmm, look forward to drinking out of that bottle later!

Another seal appears, very conveniently in the bluest part of the ocean

There is something very appealing about seals and they are so curious

Gradually more seals come into view

A large rock just out to sea seems to have a few on it - it is difficult to count them from where we are but there appears to be a large Dog seal at the front

With a group of at least three, possibly females behind

Conveniently there is a bit of a voe which means we are walking around this rock with a good view of the seals and they seem quite happy to let us watch them. More terns are fishing on the shoreline as we walk round

A group of Eider ducks swim past the seals rock - I think there are at least six seals on there when viewed from this direction and a few more in the water

There is little doubt Richard and Alison enjoy their Island life.We are nearing the end of our coastal walk for today. We pause before walking on and in the silence Alison hears a tiny high pitched squeek - she's obviously well tuned cause neither of us heard anything. It alerts her to the fact that there must be an otter nearby. Then movement in the water. We all sit down quietly (Breeze was such a good girl!) and watch a pair of otters as they come onto land. We sat and watched (and took photos!) for about 15 minutes while they fished and ate. Richard and Alison thought these were possibly a pair of last years young.

If you are still reading after all those photos - well done! After our walk, we stopped off on our way back to the house to visit Lunna House. This place has an amazing history - Following the invasion of Norway in 1940, it also became the original headquarters of what came to be known as “The Shetland Bus” Norwegian Resistance Movement.  From here Leif Andreas “Shetlands” Larsen and his colleagues lived and worked in between raids and clandestine visits to the west coast of German-occupied Norway.  At that time around 30-40 agents stayed in the house and the outbuildings were used for the storage of ammunition, radios etc, which were smuggled from here by converted fishing boat into Western Norway.  Lunna House was also the first safe landing place for refugees who were aided in their escape from the Nazis by the Norwegian Resistance.  Legend also has it that King Haakon of Norway stayed in the house for a few days at some point during the Second World War.- more of it can be read by folllowing this link  Lunna House 

But there is another part of it's history which is particularly relevant today. I have been to Shetland before. It was in 1971 and I was 3 years old. For part of our visit we stayed here, it was then a B&B

We also pay a visit to the Kirk

Before heading back to have a delicious meal of locally sourced Mussels and Scallops at Frankies!