Extremadura 19 - 26 April 2008

Seven days in Extremadura rewarded us with a haul of great birds. The varied habitats of steppe, wetland and sub-alpine habitats hosted an array of species and we were treated to some great weather. On the raptor front we recorded a staggering 20 species with the highlights being Honey Buzzard, Black-shouldered Kite, Black Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Montagu's Harriers, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Booted Eagle, Bonelli's Eagle and Lesser Kestrels. The steppes yielded displaying Great and Little Bustards, ultra-colourful Rollers and Bee-eaters, Black-bellied and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Short-toed, Calandra, Crested and Thekla Larks, Great Spotted Cuckoos, Spanish Sparrows and Black-eared Wheatear. Monfrague National Park and the surrounding environs offered us great views of an adult Eagle Owl with her chicks, breeding Black Storks, superb views of Black Wheatear, 'gangs' of Alpine Swifts and a large roost of Rock Sparrows. A dusk visit also provided us with good views of singing Red-necked Nightjars. The 'dehesa' and cistus heathland were where we connected with the huge Western Orphean Warbler and we also had great views of its smaller cousins - Subalpine, Dartford and Spectacled Warbler. In the wet spots we found lots of Collared Pratincoles, Purple Gallinules, Little Bitterns, Purple Herons, Gull-billed Terns, Little Ringed Plovers, Savi's and Great Reed Warblers, Common Waxbills and Red Avadavats. Other highlights included incredible views of singing Nightingales, Melodious Warblers, dapper male Golden Orioles, a pair of very cooperative Scop's Owls, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in full view just a few metres away, Crested Tits, singing Ortolan Bunting, Blue Rock Thrushes, Rock Buntings, Woodchat and Southern Grey Shrikes and plenty of Crag Martins and Red-rumped Swallows. As is the case with all our trips, 2008 was a complete sell out. We already have a few folk booked for 2009 so, as always, e mail us to provisionally book or ask for further details.

 

 

 

 

Shetland Life launches photography competition

Shetland Life magazine has launched its first Shetland Wildlife Photography Competition, and is inviting entries from photographers of all ages. The competition is open to pictures depicting any aspect of Shetland wildlife - birds, animals, plants or wild landscapes - and will be judged by Hugh Harrop, Shetland's most widely-published wildlife photographer. Many of his pictures can be viewed online at www.hughharrop.com, and a gallery of his photographs from the Arctic are featured in the latest edition of the magazine..There will be three prizewinners and five runners-up in the competition, and all eight winning photographs will be published in the June edition of Shetland Life. The first prize is a £60 voucher from The Camera Shop, Lerwick, and the winner will also receive a framed copy of their photograph. Entries for the competition should be posted as prints or on CD to: Shetland Life Photography Competition, The Shetland Times Ltd, Gremista, Lerwick. They can also be sent by email to the magazine's editor Malachy Tallack at m.tallack@shetland-times.co.uk (please do not send very large files by email). Digital pictures must be at least 300dpi, and major digital alterations and enhancements should be avoided. Photographers can enter up to four photographs each. The closing date for entries is 10th May. More information on the competition and prizes can be found in the most recent edition of Shetland Life.

Finland & Norway - March 2008 Winter Photo Holiday

Our annual week-long photography trip guided by Hugh Harrop and Harri Taavetti to Lapland and Arctic Norway was another huge success. Our feeding station in Lapland provided us with outstanding opportunities with the normally secretive Pine Grosbeak - at least fifteen birds were coming to the station along with Siberian Jays, Siberian Tits, Willow Tits, Mealy and Arctic Redpolls plus Red Squirrels. Continuing into northern Norway and basing ourselves in the Varanger region we concentrated primarily on seabirds and sea duck, with an emphasis on capturing the 'rarer' Eiders. Gloriously calm and sunny days allowed us to take full advantage of the weather and we managed no less than three boat trips to get in amongst the birds. Opportunities from land were also outstanding and the group pretty much all secured stunning shots of King, Steller's and Common Eiders, Long-tailed Ducks, Black, Common and Brunnich's Guillemots, Shags, Cormorant, Kittiwakes, Purple Sandpipers and both Iceland and Glaucous Gull. Lady luck was certainly on our side as we also found two Hawk Owls in the Varanger region and on our last evening, we were treated to a great display of the Aurora Borealis in Lapland. What an experience! In 2009 we will run this holiday from 14 -21 March and we are also looking at offering a pre or post tour trip to photograph Golden Eagles in Eastern Finland. As is the case with all our trips, 2008 was a complete sell out. We already have a couple of folk booked for 2009 so, as always, e mail us to provisionally book or ask for further details. A photo-holiday wouldn't be complete without some photographs so a few of Hugh's are presented below and you can also view an online slide show of our highlights by clicking here.

 

 

 

 

Winter Pho-tours in Shetland

New and exclusive to Shetland Wildlife! We are delighted to bring you the option of a tailor-made winter break to complement our successful and busy summer photographic holidays. Led by award-winning photographer and Shetland Wildlife boss Hugh Harrop (who is also the most widely published wildlife photographer in Shetland by a mile!), we use a unique combination of local knowledge and Hugh's camera skills to help you get the very best winter images from this northern land. To gauge an idea of what is possible, please have a look at the images Hugh has taken thus far this winter with our clients. Click here for the slide show (note you'll need Java to view them).

There is no set itinerary as such, and we'll create the trip around your specific requirements and chosen subjects. We would recommend a four or five day trip anytime from mid November - early April and over the course of these days we would expect to photograph a wide variety of subjects including:

• excellent opportunities for Otter (involves two nights stay on Fetlar)
• family parties of Whooper Swans
• flocks of Long-tailed Ducks and Common Eiders
• Great Northern Diver in winter plumage
• Black Guillemots in winter plumage
• Glaucous and Iceland Gulls
• Purple Sandpipers and Turnstones
• hauled out and swimming Grey & Common Seals
• Twite and Snow Buntings at our baited sites
• dramatic winter sunsets
• chance of the Aurora Borealis
• chance to photograph Up Helly Aa (in late January 2009)

Interested? Please provide us with an idea of what subjects you'd like to tackle and we'll provide a guideline itinerary and a price. You can e mail this to us or give Hugh a call direct on 01950 422483. So photograph the best wildlife with the best photographic guide - all organised for you by Shetland's number one wildlife photography company!

Southern France in Winter - yet another great trip!

Our now legendary annual winter visit to southern France provided a spectacular haul of birds, some superb sunny weather and of course, outstanding food and wine! The Camargue region, as always, certainly lived up to its reputation - we recorded France's second-ever Green Heron (the returning bird from last year), lots of Penduline and Bearded Tits, an adult Spotted Eagle, an immature Bonelli's Eagle, Booted Eagle, Purple Gallinule, White Stork, Mediterranean Gulls, Spoonbills, Avocets, a couple of Bluethroats, and a magnificent gathering of over 100 Cranes. As always there were a few surprises - a flock of 10 Glossy Ibis and 4 Bewick's Swans were certainly of note and we also discovered a new roosting site for the very localised Night Heron. Nearby the stony desert of La Crau produced a flock of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Little Bustards, Southern Grey Shrike and a solitary Richard's Pipit. However, for most, the highlight here with the assemblage of 20 Calandra Larks which were singing and establishing territories at exactly the same site we saw them last year! Calandra Larks are incredibly localised in France so we'll certainly be keeping this location quiet! The limestone massif of Les Alpilles yielded us with superb views of Wallcreepers, hunting Bonelli's Eagles, Alpine Accentors, Blue Rock Thrush, Rock Bunting, Cirl Bunting, Crag Martins, Firecrest and a large flock of Woodlarks. We were also treated to great views of a very vocal male Eagle Owl at one of our stake outs. Our day trip to the towering Mount Ventoux (on Rob's birthday!) was, like the Calandra Larks - a déjà vu - we had superb views of a male Black Woodpecker at virtually the same place as in 2007 as it drummed to announce its territory and gave everybody a spectacular fly by. Citril Finches were thinner on the ground than usual but a small party of six birds made their way in to the log. Crested Tits were recorded in good numbers along with Marsh Tit, Common Crossbill, Short-toed Treecreeper and Firecrest. In 2009 we will once again be running a winter holiday to the region and have set the dates for 14 - 20 February. As always, we advise early reservations so please email us to book or for further details. We are also in the process of creating a stunning itinerary for a spring visit in May 2009 - details to be announced soon. As always, we managed to take a few nice memoirs of the trip, so click here for an online slide show of our highlights.

ONE VACANCY on Finland & Arctic Norway: 24 May - 6 June 2008

Due to a cancellation on our Finland & Arctic Norway: 24 May - 6 June 2008, one space has recently become available. You can read full details here. Please contact our office on 01950 422483 if you would like to book, or book online by clicking here. As a taster, here's a summary from our 2007 trip...

"Our first week saw us seeking out the 'big five' owls and we were treated to superb views of Great Grey, Ural, Hawk, Pygmy and Tengmalm's Owls. We were fortunate to find a male Great Grey away from the nest as well as watching two different families of Hawk Owls with young! Other highlights included stunning views of an adult male Red-flanked Bluetail, equally stunning views of Broad-billed Sandpiper, awesome encounters with Hazel Hens, a rogue male Capercaillie, displaying Terek and Marsh (exceptionally rare) Sandpipers, a summer plumaged Grey Phalarope, Three-toed and Black Woodpeckers, Siberian Jay, Siberian Tit, an out of range singing River Warbler, plus Rustic, Little and Ortolan Buntings. Our second week saw us birding the fringes of the boreal forests to the edge of the tundra and the Barents Sea. Highlights were plentiful - Dotterels, Pine Grosbeaks, four Gyrfalcons including a pair with 3 chicks at the nest, Bluethroats, several White-billed Divers, a vagrant Pectoral Sandpiper, awesome encounters with Long-tailed Skuas, Rough-legged Buzzards, lekking Ruffs and Temminck's Stints everywhere, Brunnich's Guillemots, stunning male King Eider, White-tailed Eagles, Red-throated Pipits, Lapland and Snow Buntings, Shore Larks, Arctic Redpolls and masses of summer plumaged waders. The list is endless! We also accrued a great mammal list with highlights including a very tame and friendly Norwegian Lemming, Elk, Stoat and Arctic Hare. As always, we managed to take a few nice memoirs of the trip, so click here for an online slide show of our highlights."

Shetland Wildlife & birdguide.pl join forces to help Tengmalm's Owls!

Shetland Wildlife Field Director and birdguide.pl owner Waldemar Krasowski are delighted to announce that they have co-sponsored the building of ten nest boxes to attract breeding Tengmalm's Owls in Bialowieza Forest, Poland. The nest boxes were erected in mid February by Waldy in regions where the species has been heard calling in the last few years. Hopefully we'll be able to meet the new occupants during our two trips to the region in May 2008!

Poland 2008 - only TWO spaces left on ADDITIONAL 3 - 10 MAY 2008 departure!

Our 10 - 17 May 2008 Poland In Spring holiday sold out in just two days after release so we have added an additional departure to run from 3 - 10 May 2008. We currently have just TWO spaces left as of 27 February 2008. So if you a fancy a superb week with Hugh Harrop and Waldemar Krasowski, exploring some of Europe's premier habitats with Great Snipes at the lek, rare Aquatic Warblers, Spotted and Lesser Spotted Eagles, 10 species of Woodpecker, Pygmy and Tengmalm's Owls, masses of migrant waders and marsh terns, rasping Corncrakes and a chance to see the endangered and elusive European Bison, then Poland is for you. To book your place click here.

NEW FOR 2008: Foula Autumn Migration 20 - 27 September 2008

We are delighted to announce this new, exclusive and truly pioneering holiday for keen birders! Limited to just four lucky travellers and co-guided by Hugh Harrop & Foula-regular Brydon Thomason. this trip offers you the enviable chance to enjoy some of the best birding in the country - and if any location in Britain could be said to epitomise the occurrence of rare birds during autumn migration, - it would almost certainly have to be Foula. For many years now, the island has continually hosted some of the most sought after birds like Pechora Pipit and Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler, along with an impressive cast of other vagrants from east and west: Siberian Thrush, Siberian Rubythroat, Greater Yellowlegs, Grey-cheeked Thrush, Bobolink and Common Yellowthroat to name a few. Click Here for more details.

Hugh Harrop ensures Olive-tree Warbler is added to the British List!

It's every birdwatchers dream to find a new bird for Britain! The British list is now one bigger thanks to Hugh Harrop's photos of a hippolais warbler at Boddam, Shetland in August 2006. The bird was originally thought by to be an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (which is itself a gross rarity), but Hugh's follow up work on the sighting cast nagging doubts in his mind and with the help of colleagues here in Shetland, Israel, Ireland and Sweden, the bird was re-identified as Britain's first-ever Olive-tree Warbler. For this, Hugh has been be announced as the winner of the 2007 Carl Zeiss Award and received a brand new spanking pair of the superb 7 x 42 'Victory' series binoculars - not that he needs another pair!! Read the official press release in British Birds here and read the full account of the observation as published in the February 2008 edition of British Birds here.

Up Helly Aa 2008 - a huge success. We are now open for 2009 bookings!

Once again, our groups recorded a superb array of wildlife. Ornithological highlights included an adult drake King Eider, our semi-resident White-billed Diver with stacks of Great Northern and Red-throated Divers, a drake American Wigeon, Little Auk, Slavonian Grebes, Smew, Velvet & Common Scoters, pale-bellied Brent Goose, Red Grouse, good numbers of Iceland and Glaucous Gulls, lots of Long-tailed Ducks, Purple Sandpipers and Shetland's largest ever flock of Jackdaws! Mammal buffs were rewarded with awesome views of an Otter as it fished for nearly an hour at one of our stake-outs. Also lots of brilliant-white Arctic Hares, a couple of pods of Harbour Porpoise and lots of Grey and Common Seals. The weather was brilliant for the Up Helly Aa festival itself and we all had a grandstand view of the procession. In 2009, Up Helly Aa and Shetland's Winter Wildlife will run from Saturday 24th - Wednesday 28th January. As this holiday is extremely popular - and we already have bookings from folk who could not join us for our sell-out 2008 departure - we advise advance reservations to be made as soon as possible. To guarantee your place book here.

 

 

 

Focus on Shetland - both trips sold out 10 months ahead of departure. Now booking for 2009!

Well that's probably not what you wanted to read if you are hoping to book! To meet demand, we have now finalised 2009 dates and will once again run two departures: 6 - 13 June & 13 - 20 June 2009. We would therefore advise reservations to be made as soon as possible. If you cannot make these dates or still wish to travel to Shetland in 2008, remember that we also offer bespoke photographic solutions for the amateur and pro-photographer. Many photographers often have 'gaps' in their collection so why not take advantage of our expert local knowledge and let us assist you in getting the images YOU want! Some of the best photographic opportunities are right here on our own doorstep, in the south Mainland and we can also arrange packages to the north isles of Fetlar, Yell and Unst. So photograph the best birds with the best photographic guides - all organised for you by Shetland's number one wildlife holiday company. For more information on our bespoke photographic trips please click here.

Finland & Norway Winter Photo Holiday 2009

A similar story to our Shetland photo holidays - it sold out months before departure! We are just putting the finishing touches to our 2009 departure and will have dates finalised in late March 2008 though they are likely to be mid / late March once again. We have three folks already provisionally booked and as this trip is limited to just six, early reservations are once again recommended. You can express your interest and request notification of finalised dates by e mailing us.

Autumn Rare & Scarce Bird Photography: Fair Isle & Shetland

Ace, award-winning photographer and Shetland Wildlife boss Hugh Harrop is currently in the process of devising and operating dedicated rare and scarce bird photographic holidays in autumn. Although still at the planning stage, the trip would entail time spent on Fair Isle and Shetland (mainland and outlying islands). Many of you will be familiar with the plethora of stunning images Hugh creates every autumn for top journals like Birding World, British Birds, Dutch Birding and Bird Watching, so if you fancy a week or two learning the tricks of the trade and fancy bumping up your stock with a good selection of scarce migrants, please e mail us with your expression of interest and we'll send you details when they are finalised. As a taster, please refer to Hugh's 2007 rare and scarce gallery by clicking here.

Autumn Birding in Shetland 2008

Our Autumn Gold and Fair Isle Autumn Migration holidays are filling rapidly but if our dates don't fit in with your plans or if you prefer a more independent approach to your birding and rare bird photography prospects, we are also offering tailor-made packages for birders and photographers wishing to sample the delights of autumn birding here in Shetland. As an ATOL bonded business we can book your inter-island flights to Foula, Fair Isle and Out Skerries and also book your accommodations and hire car. Should you wish us to provide a guide - no problem! Whether it's for a few hours in between flights, for a day before you head off to or return from Fair Isle, or for a week, our crack team of expert staff birders - Hugh Harrop, Micky Maher and Rob Fray - will all be on hand in September and October to guide you to all the migrant hotspots and the latest rarities. So see the best birds with the best birders - all organised for you by Shetland's number one wildlife holiday company.

UPDATED Shetland Bird Checklist

Hugh Harrop and Rob Fray have created the most up to date checklist of Shetland birds which is available for download by clicking here. Their prediction that there would be an addition to the Shetland list in Autumn 2007 came true - a stunning male Siberian Thrush on Foula seen by just a handful of people (including Hugh and Rob!) was the 'plus one'.

Autumn Gold 29 September - 6 October 2007

Like our previous week on Fair Isle, we probably also had the best period of the autumn here in Shetland. How do we do it?! Highlights from a haul of first-class rarities included Killdeer, two Spotted Sandpiper, Sardinian Warbler, Citrine Wagtail, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll, Swainson's Thrush, Blyth's Reed Warbler, King Eider, Grey Phalarope, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Melodious Warbler and a Ring-necked Duck! A supporting cast of scarcities included lots of Yellow-browed Warblers, Barred Warblers, Common Rosefinches, Lapland and Snow Buntings and plenty of common migrants. Several of the group extended their stay with us beyond the 6th and we were also delighted to guide a group from the Scottish Ornithologists Club. Needless to say, we hauled-in another bag full of incredible birds. Topping the bill were White's Thrush, Pechora Pipit, Red-flanked Bluetail, Paddyfield Warbler, Dusky Warbler, Rustic Bunting, Pallas's Warbler, another Melodious Warbler, Olive-backed Pipit, Short-toed Lark and White-rumped Sandpiper. Phew! Shetland really is THE place to witness autumn migration - so join us in 2008. Autumn Gold will run from 27th September to 4th October but why not enjoy a week on Fair Isle before this trip from 20th - 27th September and take advantage of a combined 5% discount off both trips! Click here for further information. Having so many first-class birders and rarity finders working for us means that we are also able to offer a suite of exclusive tailor made packages for independent birders or groups. So see the best birds with the best birders - all organised for you by Shetland's number one wildlife holiday company.

 

 

 

Fair Isle Autumn Migration 22 - 29 September 2007

To say that we picked the best week of the autumn would be understatement of the year! A cool north westerly airflow at the start of our trip produced Shetland's second-ever Buff-bellied Pipit and a nice smattering of scarce migrants such as Barred Warblers, Common Rosefinches, and Lapland Buntings. The wind then drifted in from the east mid week and produced spectacular results! Two Lanceolated Warblers (one of which vied for attention with a passing pod of 5 Killer Whales!) and two Citrine Wagtails were discovered within hours of each other and a nice supporting cast of Yellow-browed Warblers, no less than 5 Barred Warblers and Bluethroat set the scene. The saying 'save the best until last' could not have been more appropriate - our last full day on the island produced and Icterine Warbler on the morning trap-round and a showy Thrush Nightingale was found in the south, just next to a Lanceolated Warbler! In true Fair Isle fashion, a stunning Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler was found late in the afternoon - which, for most, was bird of the trip! Shetland really is THE place to witness autumn migration - so join us in 2008. Fair Isle Autumn Migration will run from 20th - 27th September and our follow-on Autumn Gold week will run from 27th September to 4th October - click here for further information.

Focus on Shetland - trips almost sold out 10 months ahead of departure!

We are now completely full on our Focus on Shetland photography holiday from 7 - 14 June 2008 and have JUST ONE space left for the 14 - 21 June 2008 departure. We would therefore advise reservations to be made as soon as possible! If you cannot make these dates, remember that we also offer bespoke photographic solutions for the amateur and pro-photographer. Many photographers often have 'gaps' in their collection so why not take advantage of our expert local knowledge and let us assist you in getting the images YOU want! Some of the best photographic opportunities are right here on our own doorstep, in the south Mainland and we can also arrange packages to the north isles of Fetlar, Yell and Unst. For more information on our photographic departures please click here

Carbon Offsetting

The Shetland Wildlife team have been looking into various 'carbon offsetting' schemes with a view to recommending one or more to our travellers. In view of the increasing negative publicity that many of these schemes are receiving, we are wondering if there are any schemes out there which are really TRULY effective - in a recent national newspaper article, carbon offsetting was described as the modern equivalent of "purveying 'Snake Oil' to gullible customers". So if there are any schemes that our travellers truly belive are worthy of contribution, we'd be delighted to hear about them.

Autumn Gets Off to a Great Start!

Autumn has kicked off with some superb wildlife - heading the bill was a pod of 5 Killer Whales which the Shetland Wildlife team photographed just south of Lerwick. This is a 'new' pod to Shetland waters and we have already 'matched' the pod from photographs taken of the bull of Orkney in July. They gave us superb views as they hunted just a few metres from the shoreline and at one stage, three of the pod started attacking a flock of moulting Common Eiders - we estimated that nearly 30 birds were taken. This is only the second time this feeding behaviour has been witnessed in Shetland. A trickle of rarities in the latter part of August was headed by a stunning juvenile Pallid Harrier and we also recorded Greenish Warbler, Ortolan Bunting, Rose-coloured Starling, Pectoral Sandpiper and White-rumped Sandpiper - found by Shetland Wildlife guides Rob and Paul. Fair Isle has also yielded a few goodies including Citrine Wagtail and both Greenish and Icterine Warblers. September yielded a haul of American waders and by the middle of the month 2 Baird's Sandpipers, 6 Buff-breasted Sandpipers and at least 3 more Pectoral Sandpipers were found! The juvenile Pallid Harrier put in a couple of appearances in the Spiggie area, an adult Rose-coloured Starling was on Unst along with a Melodious Warbler and a Citrine Wagtail was discovered on Foula. Strong winds meant good seawatching conditions but we daren't mention the 5 Great Shearwaters off Unst to Hugh as he still needs it for his massive 358 Shetland list! The few calm nights have yielded some nice moths in the traps highlights have included Shetland's second-ever The Snout, third-ever Straw Dot plus a Bedstraw Hawk Moth in the garden!

 

 

 

 

Autumn Birding in Shetland 2007

Our Autumn Gold and Fair Isle Autumn Migration holidays are now fully booked, so to cope with such high demand, we are now able to offer a suite of exclusive tailor made packages for independent birders wishing to sample the delights of autumn birding here in Shetland. As an ATOL bonded business we can book your inter-island flights to Foula, Fair Isle and Out Skerries and also book your accommodations and hire car. We are also investigating establishing an SMS service to keep visiting birders up to date with all the latest sightings as they happen. Should you wish us to provide a guide - no problem! Whether its for a few hours in between flights, for a day before you head off to or return from Fair Isle, or for a week, our crack team of expert staff birders - Hugh Harrop, Micky Maher and Rob Fray - will all be on hand in September and October to guide you to all the migrant hotspots and the latest rarities. So see the best birds with the best birders - all organised for you by Shetland's number one wildlife holiday company.

Shetland Wildlife featured in September 07 BBC Wildlife

Shetland Wildlife takes lead presence in a superb feature on the islands in the September 2007 edition of BBC Wildlife. The article is accompanied by some truly stunning photographs of Killer Whales, taken by our very own Hugh Harrop, which were commissioned by the magazine especially for this feature - and taken whilst Hugh was working for a BBC film crew for the new Alan Titchmarsh 'Nature of Britain' series to be screened in Autumn 2007! Pick up a copy of this must-read edition at your newsagents or subscribe online at www.bbcwildlifemagazine.com

Autumn 2009

Yes, 2009! We are already looking at autumn '09 and we'd like to hear from you! Fair Isle Lodge & Bird Observatory will be closed for complete refurbishment in 2009 so we are seeking new and original ideas from our travellers on how we can move the magic of birding on Fair Isle to somewhere else! How about Falsterbo? Utsira? Ottenby? Or somewhere REALLY far afield? There are endless opportunities, so drop us an e mail and let us know where you want us to migrate to in September 2009 and we'll give it some serious thought!

'British Birds' Bird Photographer of the Year 2007

We were delighted to learn that Shetland Wildlife field director Hugh Harrop has been awarded 5th place in the 'BB' Bird Photographer of the Year 2007 competition. His entry of a Siberian Jay in flight obviously grabbed the judges' attention in this increasingly tough competition! This is the third short-listed finish in consecutive years for Hugh, who came third in the 2006 competition with his incredible photograph of a Firecrest singing. In 2005 his shot of a Pygmy Owl with a vole also made the final listings. Well done Hugh!

Killer Whale Photo ID Project

We've seen more Killer Whales in Shetland waters than any other operator - FACT! So it's little surprise that we have been requested to assist in a photo identification project to analyse movement and residency patterns of individual Killer Whales in the north east Atlantic region. In 2006 and 2007 alone we have managed to capture nearly six hundred high quality images of Killer Whales around the Shetland coastline!

Last Few Spaces on Our Biscay Pelagics

Our sister business, The Company of Whales has had another record year with over 700 travellers booked on our series of 25 whale, dolphin and birdwatching holidays across the Bay of Biscay. We have just a few remaining spaces on our Wednesday 15th August - Saturday 18th August, Sunday 2nd September - Wednesday 5th September and Wednesday 5th September - Saturday 8th September departures. For further information click here and to catch up with our latest sightings click here.

Shetland Spring & Summer 2007 - the story thus far...

What a superb Spring and Summer we are having. As we enter the August, the months of May, June and July proved to be outstanding once again. Topping the bill were three awesome encounters with Killer Whales off Fair Isle and off the north and south Mainland coasts. One pod is almost certainly 'new' and previously unrecorded in our waters. We've also managed regular sightings of Minke Whales, Risso's Dolphins, White-beaked Dolphins, White-sided Dolphins (including a huge pod of 100 animals) and Harbour Porpoise. Our Otter stake-outs are providing us with great views of these highly prized animals - one two separate occasions we saw no less than nine Otters in a week and maintained a 100% success rate for every group! All of our breeding seabirds are putting on a fine show - Puffins, Black Guillemots, Bonxies, Arctic Skuas, Arctic and Common Terns, Shags and Gannets to name a few and the Mousa Broch Storm Petrels continue to delight. We also enjoying Red-throated Divers in their breeding dress and we've also found several summer-plumaged Great Northern Divers. Red-necked Phalaropes are performing well on Fetlar along with other breeding waders such as Whimbrel, Dunlin, Snipe, Redshanks and Curlew. We also discovered a new Merlin breeding site on our Walk Shetland holiday and had fantastic views of four recently fledged chicks taking to the air. As always, we connected with all the major rarities and scarcities. A North American Killdeer and a superb male Little Crake take the honours for the rarest birds and our groups have also seen Pectoral Sandpiper, Surf Scoter (a first for Fair Isle), a couple of White-billed Divers, Lesser Grey Shrike, Common Cranes, Bluethroat, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Marsh Warblers, Icterine Warblers, Red-backed Shrikes, Ortolan Bunting and Common Rosefinches. Phew! So more species of birds, mammals and wild flowers than any other operator. And with 14 years of experience, its little wonder that we remain the NUMBER ONE CHOICE!

 

 

 

Finland & Arctic Norway: 26th May - 8th June 2007

A truly fantastic two weeks with some outstanding birding! Our first week saw us seeking out the ‘big five’ owls and we were treated to superb views of Great Grey, Ural, Hawk, Pygmy and Tengmalm’s Owls. We were fortunate to find a male Great Grey away from the nest as well as watching two different families of Hawk Owls with young! Other highlights included stunning views of an adult male Red-flanked Bluetail, equally stunning views of Broad-billed Sandpiper, awesome encounters with Hazel Hens, a rogue male Capercaillie, displaying Terek and Marsh (exceptionally rare) Sandpipers, a summer plumaged Grey Phalarope, Three-toed and Black Woodpeckers, Siberian Jay, Siberian Tit, an out of range singing River Warbler, plus Rustic, Little and Ortolan Buntings. Our second week saw us birding the fringes of the boreal forests to the edge of the tundra and the Barents Sea. Highlights were plentiful – Dotterels, Pine Grosbeaks, four Gyrfalcons including a pair with 3 chicks at the nest, Bluethroats, several White-billed Divers, a vagrant Pectoral Sandpiper, awesome encounters with Long-tailed Skuas, Rough-legged Buzzards, lekking Ruffs and Temminck’s Stints everywhere, Brunnich’s Guillemots, stunning male King Eider, White-tailed Eagles, Red-throated Pipits, Lapland and Snow Buntings, Shore Larks, Arctic Redpolls and masses of summer plumaged waders. The list is endless! We also accrued a great mammal list with highlights including a very tame and friendly Norwegian Lemming, Elk, Stoat and Arctic Hare. We will run this trip in 2008 from 24 May – 6 June 2008. As always we advise early reservations to be made so please e mail us for further information. As always, we managed to take a few nice memoirs of the trip, so click here for an online slide show of our highlights.

Poland in Spring

Two groups and two individual weeks of superb birding in eastern Poland. Highlights were plentiful - Great Snipes at the lek, incredible views of Aquatic Warblers, a male Pallid Harrier, scores of Corncrakes, eight species of woodpecker, hundreds - if not thousands - of White-winged Black Terns, handsome Citrine Wagtails, Black Storks, Lesser Spotted and Greater Spotted Eagles, Honey Buzzards, impressive numbers of Cranes, Collared Flycatchers, Icterine, Great Reed and Barred Warblers, Hawfinches, Bluethroats, Pygmy and Tengmalm's Owl plus Little and Spotted Crakes. Thousands of migrant waders were on the move and on one day alone we recorded over 2000 Ruff and 300 Wood Sandpipers! Also Pine Marten, European Beaver, Bison, Elk and several species of amphibian. In 2008, we will be running this holiday from 10 - 17 May. As always, we advise early reservations so please e mail us to provisionally book or ask for further details. We are also planning a long 'woodpecker-weekend' to Bialowieza in late March 2008 - e mail us for further information. As always, we managed to take a few nice memoirs of the trip, so click here for an online slide show of our highlights.

Finland & Norway - Winter Photo Holiday

Our 8-day photography trip to central Finland, Lapland and Arctic Norway was another huge success. Led by Hugh Harrop and David Tipling, our prize during the early stages of the trip was a very photogenic Hawk Owl that had taken up residence at Vaala since mid January. Here we were able to gain some truly stunning images of this beautiful bird, which for many, was THE highlight of the trip. Our feeding station in Lapland provided us with outstanding opportunities for that secretive forest denizen, Pine Grosbeak. At least 20 birds were coming to the feeding station along with Siberian Jay, Siberian Tit, Arctic Redpoll, Great spotted Woodpecker and Red Squirrels. Continuing in to northern Norway and basing ourselves in the Varangar region we concentrated primarily on seabirds and seaduck. A boat trip to Hornoya provided us with great pictures of in-flight Puffins, Guillemots, Razorbills, Brunnich’s Guillemots and Shags. But the main quarries here were handsome Long-tailed Ducks and the ‘rare’ eiders. On a beautiful cloudless days with calm seas we edged our boat amongst an enormous flock of 1500 King Eiders and many hundreds of Steller’s Eiders. What an experience! In 2008, we will run this holiday from 15 – 22 March. As always, we advise early reservations so please e mail us to provisionally book or ask for further details. A photo-holiday wouldn't be complete without some photographs so click here for an online slide show of our highlights. Remember YOU could be taking images like this with us in 2008! NOTE that you will need Java installed on your computer to view these images.

Southern France in Winter

Our two trips to the beautiful region of Provence in southern France in February were hugely successful. Highlights in the Camargue marshes and wetlands included impressive numbers of herons, egrets, waterfowl and the obligatory Greater Flamingos. The vast expanse of reedbeds yielded Penduline and Bearded Tits, white-spotted Bluethroat, Moustached and Cetti's Warblers and Purple Gallinule and their fringes attracted Black and White Storks, a huge flock of Common Cranes, lots of Water Pipits, a superb mixed flock of 1000 Black-tailed Godwits and Ruff, a few hundred Avocets, a vagrant Lesser Flamingo plus a stunning vagrant Long-legged Buzzard and the second-ever Green heron for France! The brackish 'Etangs' hosted scores of Black-necked Grebes and a solitary Red-necked Grebe and gulls included an impressive flock of 125 'Meds'. The huge ancient river delta that is La Crau was brimming with birds - excellent encounters with Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Little Bustards, wintering Richard's Pipits, Booted Eagles, Red Kites, Southern Grey Shrikes and perhaps best of all, a local density of around 20 singing Calandra Larks. The limestone massif of Les Alpilles provided us with incredible views of at least 3 wintering Wallcreepers, plus Alpine Accentors sharing our lunch, Crag Martins, Blue Rock Thrush, Firecrest, Cirl Bunting, Dartford Warblers, Woodlarks and at least three pairs of mighty Eagle Owls. A day trip to the 5000 ft high Mount Ventoux brought us incredible views of a male Black Woodpecker, Citril Finches nest-building, Crossbills cone-crunching, Short-toed Treecreepers in song and lots of Crested Tits. And lets certainly not forget incredible local cuisine, fine local wines and our truly beautiful hotel situated in the heart of the region! In 2008 we will once again be running two holidays to the region: 16 - 22 February and 22 - 28 February. As always, we advise early reservations so please e mail us to book or for further details. As always, we managed to take a few nice memoirs of the trip, so click here for an online slide show of our highlights.

Autumn 2006

We have had another superb autumn! Our Fair Isle Autumn Migration holiday from 9 - 16 September proved to be the best week of the whole period and we actually found the best birds! A superb Lanceolated Warbler was one of two discovered on our last full day and a few hours later we discovered a Yellow-breasted Bunting! Other great birds during the week included a superb Pechora Pipit, Woodchat and Red-backed Shrikes, Citrine Wagtail, Wryneck, Icterine, Barred, Yellow-browed and & Marsh Warblers, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Ortolan Bunting and Common Rosefinch. Our follow-on Autumn Gold trip saw us birding the length and breadth of Shetland in glorious weather bagging goodies like Arctic Warbler, Black-headed Bunting, Siberian Stonechat, Red-rumped Swallow, Red-breasted Flycatcher, lots of Barred and Yellow-browed Warblers and lots of common migrants. Many of our guests decided to extend their stay further and we welcomed several independent birders who took advantage of our local knowledge and expertise - paramount when birding in Shetland! Again we covered the length and breadth of Shetland clocking up a stunning array of rarities: Blyth's Pipit, Upland Sandpiper, American Golden Plover, Rustic, Little and Ortolan Buntings, two Red-flanked Bluetails, Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler, Arctic, Radde's and Pallas's Warblers, another Pechora Pipit, Arctic Redpoll and a couple of Short-toed Larks. Click here for some mouthwatering images taken by the boss!

Shetland really is THE place to witness autumn migration - so join us in 2007. Fair Isle Autumn Migration will run from 22nd - 29th September and our follow-on Autumn Gold week will run from 29th September to 6th October - click here for further information. Should you wish to spend time birding with our expert guides at any time during the autumn or have a 'DIY' holiday, please e mail us with your requirements and dates. Remember we can source accommodation for all budgets, book your flights to and from Shetland and we'll also pass on rarity news as it reaches us - long before any birdline or pager!

Spring & Summer 2006

What a superb Spring and Summer we've had! As July comes to an end and we enter our famous autumn migration period we think THE highlights thus far have to be the awesome encounters we had with Killer Whales. One lucky group managed no less than three encounters on one of our Ultimate Shetland holidays! And the encounters have been truly amazing - several pods watched from land as close as a couple of metres as they hunted for seals and views from our boat down to a few inches as a pod of six animals swam underneath us! Awesome! We've also managed regular sightings of Minke Whales, White-beaked Dolphins, White-sided Dolphins and we had a superb afternoon with a pod of Risso's Dolphins. To add to the marine highlights, one of our guides found a superb Basking Shark which is still a rare visitor to these parts. All of our seabirds put on a fine show - Puffins, Black Guillemots, Bonxies, Arctic Skuas, Arctic and Common Terns, Shags and Gannets to name a few and we had some great displays of Storm Petrels on our famous night-trips to Mousa Broch. We also enjoyed cracking views of a family of Merlins, beautiful Red-throated Divers and one or two summer-plumaged Great Northern Divers. Red-necked Phalaropes, as ever, gave us incredible views at one of their feeding sites and handsome brick-red Black-tailed Godwits also grabbed our attention. As always, we connected with all the rarities and scarcities. We'll blow our own trumpet a bit here as our guides found a North American White-throated Sparrow, two White-rumped Sandpipers, Red-footed Falcon, two Bee-eaters and a Laughing Gull! We also had our groups watching other goodies such as Scop's Owl, Ortolan Bunting, Bluethroats, Red-backed Shrikes and Wrynecks.

 

 

 

Finland May 2006

Migrating seaduck and raptors, a host of displaying waders, some superb woodland species, or the 'big five' owls - it is difficult to choose a highlight from our recent tour to Finland. Little wonder then that the group comprised some 'old hands' returning for their second or even third visit as well as a few newcomers to Finland. The feast of owls commenced with superb views of a male Great Grey Owl bringing food to its incubating female and it was not long before Tengmalm's, Hawk, Pygmy and Ural were also keeping the photographers happy. Both Black and Three-toed Woodpeckers performed at length while Siberian Tits and Siberian Jays seemed almost as interested in us as we were in them. Each of our coastal stops produced hoards of migrating wildfowl with 1,600 scoter flying north in one half-hour period! A flock of 220 Cranes, 13 species of raptor, Red and Black-throated Divers and a superb Long-tailed Skua were also on the move. Waders featured prominently with Terek and Broad-billed Sandpipers causing the biggest stir. And gamebirds too provided some awesome spectacles - babbling Black Grouse at their lek, feather by feather detail of several Hazelhens frozen within feet of the vehicle, Capercaillie blundering through the forest and the stunning snow white and brown Willow Grouse. The action continued to the last with an Eagle Owl hunting - a perfect end to a simply stunning trip. We are running an awesome 14-day trip to Finland and Arctic Norway from 26 May - 8 June 2007. For those who cannot make the whole trip we're offering a flexible option by splitting it in to two parts: Oulu and Kuusamo from 26 May - 1 June and northern Finland Arctic Norway (inc. Varanger) from 1 June - 8 June 2007. Please e mail us for a holiday dossier and prices - but don't delay - we're likely to sell out very quickly once again!

Up Helly Aa 2006

We recorded a superb array of birds and highlights included an adult White-billed Diver with stacks of Great Northern Divers, a dapper drake Green-winged Teal, Smew and Glaucous Gull,. Mammal buffs were rewarded with superb views of an Otter as it fed in the bay at one of our stake-outs. Also glorious white Arctic Hares, Harbour Porpoise and lots of Grey and Common Seals. The weather was superb for Up Helly Aa itself and we had a grandstand view of the procession. Up Helly Aa participant Valerie writes "this is just to thank you for such a super trip & wonderful Up Helly Aa experience - Pauline & I enjoyed ourselves immensely, it just all went too quickly!". Fellow traveller Sarah writes "Just thought we’d drop you a quick note to say a big, big thank you! for looking after us so well while we were up in Shetland. We both had a great time and I think mum’s already been flicking through the brochure to see what other trips you do, so maybe see you again soon".

In 2007, Up Helly Aa and Shetland's Winter Wildlife will run from 27th - 31st January. As this holiday is extremely popular, we advise advance reservations to be made as soon as possible.

 

Autumn 2005

What an autumn is turning out to be! Once again, we proved that THE place to be in September is Shetland. Our Fair Isle Autumn Migration group had the best week of the autumn thus far because we like to think we know what will turn up - and when! Highlights included Western Bonelli's Warbler, American Golden Plover, Dotterel, Barred Warblers, Common Rosefinches, Red-breasted Flycatcher and a trio of Ortolan, Lapland and Snow Buntings! Our follow on Autumn Gold week saw us scouring the length and breadth of Shetland for migrants. Although strong westerlies prevailed for the week we were determined to find some quality birds and we managed two drake King Eiders, Bee-eater, Barred and Marsh Warbler and Lapland Buntings. Those who extended their stay with us for a few days were delighted with the arrival of American Coot, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Pechora Pipit, Greenish Warbler, Little Bunting, lots of Yellow-browed Warblers, Red-breasted Flycatchers and Common Rosefinches. October is also proving to be a superb month thus far with the best bird found by the boss - a superb female Black-throated Thrush just down the road from the office! Tempted for 2006? Book soon as spaces are filling quickly!

Summer 2005

We're proud to report another fantastic summer season. All of our seabirds put on a fine show - Puffins, Black Guillemots, Bonxies, Arctic Skuas, Arctic and Common Terns, Shags and Gannets to name a few and we had some brilliant displays of Storm Petrels on our famous night-trips to Mousa Broch. We also enjoyed views of beautiful Red-throated Divers, the odd summer-plumaged Great Northern Diver and Britain's only Whooper Swans with their cygnets. Breeding waders are a feature of our summers - Red-necked Phalaropes gave us incredible views down to just a few feet, Black-tailed Godwits looked as good as ever and we had plenty of sites for all out other breeding waders. As always, we managed to see a few rarities and scarcities. The highlight had to be the Paddyfield Warbler grovelling around the spearmint at Skaw, Unst. We've also saw a superb drake King Eider, a summering Common Crane and a one-day Great White Egret. Other scarce migrants that we had great looks at include several Red-backed Shrikes, a couple of Golden Orioles, summering Iceland and Glaucous Gull, Quail, Bluethroats and Marsh Warblers. On the mammal front, we have been treated to some awesome views of Otters at our well-researched sites. Killer Whales put on amazing shows for several of our groups. We've also recorded small groups of White-sided and White-beaked Dolphins, several Minke Whales and every Ultimate Shetland group caught up with the diminutive Harbour Porpoise as well as both Harbour and Grey Seals and Arctic Hare.

Extremadura & Sierra de Gredos 2 - 9 April 2005

Seven great days in Extremadura and the Sierra de Gredos rewarded us with a haul of great birds. The varied habitats of steppe, wetland and sub-alpine habitats rewarded us with nearly 150 species including Spanish Imperial Eagles, Black-shouldered Kites, Montagu's Harriers, Black Vultures, Eagle Owls, Black Storks, displaying Great & Little Bustards, Bonelli's Eagles, Rock Thrush, Black Wheatear, Hawfinches, Black-bellied and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Bee-eaters, Roller, Calandra Larks, Spanish Sparrows. We also managed to connect with Spain's third-ever Bald Ibis at Trujillo! We plan to repeat the trip once again in April 2006 so e-mail us for further information. For a trip report from one of guests click here and a trip checklist, click here.

 

 

Where to Watch Birds in Shetland

The fully revised second edition of Where to Watch Birds in Shetland details over 70 birding locations, covering the famous and not-so-famous migrant and rarity sites, the best seabird colonies, the best haunts for breeding waders and the best sites for watching Otters, cetaceans and wild flowers. The book also includes a checklist of the birds of Shetland along with advice on travel, accommodation and transportation. Quite simply, the essential guide to birdwatching in Shetland. And who better to write Where to Watch Birds in Shetland than Hugh Harrop? An avid birder for 28 years and a professional naturalist guide, Hugh probably spends more time in the field than anyone else we know. He is also one of the dedicated few that have managed to see over 340 species in Shetland!

Copies cost £7 inc. postage and packing (£8 for overseas). Order direct from shop@shetlandwildlife.co.uk We accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Delta and Switch cards and you can also pay by personal cheque drawn from a UK bank account.

 

The Whales & Dolphins of the Bay of Biscay with The Company of Whales

With over 200 crossings of the Bay of Biscay undertaken since 1996, our sister-company knows the Bay better than any other operator. Every August and September, we can encounter huge numbers of seabirds including Great, Cory's and Sooty Shearwaters, Sabine's Gulls, Storm and Leach's Petrels, Grey Phalaropes and four species of skua. We see Little Shearwater on most departures and it was our company who discovered Europe's third-ever Masked Booby. As well as seabirds, our route is superb for whales and dolphins. In fact, we average around 500 animals of seven different species on every trip. Highlights have included Orcas, Blue, Fin, Minke & Sperm Whale, the elusive Cuvier's beaked Whale and four species of dolphin. In 2001 and 2003 we recorded True's-beaked Whales - only the first and second-ever confirmed sightings in the World! Travelling onboard the Pride of Bilbao, our company has privileged and exclusive access to the 'monkey island' platform, that gives us superb panoramic view of the ocean - and bow-riding dolphins! We also hold exclusive onboard lectures on seabirds and marine mammals and we're proud to offer the widest choice of departure dates - we don't go out there just three or four times a year! So if you're tired of watching distant 'dots' from windswept headlands and want to experience a pelagic trip in comfort and with the very best naturalist guides, look no further than The Company of Whales. Click here to visit their website.

Up Helly Aa 2005

As in previous years, we were once again blessed with some good weather for our annual Up Helly Aa and Shetland Winter wildlife trip. Our groups were rewarded with some truly stunning views of our wildlife. We recorded 78 species of birds and highlights included a superb adult Ross's Gull, an American Coot (the fifth for Britain), a Kumlien's Gull, no less than 30 Iceland Gulls, several Glaucous Gulls, Snow Buntings, Hen Harriers, Merlins and Peregrines. Mammal buffs were rewarded with no less than seven Otters, Arctic Hares and lots of Grey and Common Seals. The weather was superb for Up Helly Aa itself and we had a grandstand view of the procession. In 2006 Up Helly Aa and Shetland's Winter Wildlife will run from 28th January - 1st February 2006. As this holiday is extremely popular, we advise advance reservations to be made as soon as possible.

 

Autumn 2004

Phew, what an autumn! Once again, we proved that THE place to be in September and October is Shetland. This autumn our guides were blessed with an incredible diversity of rare and scarce birds and we witnessed some truly magical 'falls' of commoner migrants. Cream of the crop rarities included two firsts for Britain - Rufous-tailed Robin and Chestnut-eared Bunting on Fair Isle. Two Common Yellowthroats, two Pied Wheatears, an Isabelline Wheatear, Brown Shrike, Isabelline Shrike, Pallid Harrier, Citrine Wagtails, Pallas's Grasshopper Warblers, Lanceolated Warblers, Blyth's Reed Warblers, Booted Warbler, Pallas's Warblers and no less than four White's Thrushes were just some of the other highlights. And lets not forget wonderful 'back-up birds' like Bluethroats, Wrynecks, Yellow-browed Warblers, Common Rosefinches, Richard's Pipits and Red-breasted Flycatchers plus an 'invasion' of Waxwings and Northern Bullfinches. Wow! With Shetland in autumn now on every birdwatcher's agenda, our series of birding holidays includes the choice of spending a week with us based on the Shetland mainland and the island of Unst or you can join our long-running annual autumnal trip to Fair Isle. Or do both - and receive a 5% discount!

 

The Spring and Summer so far...

As we head into July we've had a fantastic season thus far. All of our seabirds are on show - Puffins, Black Guillemots, Bonxies, Arctic Skuas, Arctic and Common Terns, Shags and Gannets to name a few and we've had some brilliant displays of Storm Petrels on our famous night-trips to Mousa Broch. We're also enjoying views of beautiful Red-throated Divers, Britain's only Whooper Swans with their cygnets and we've even watched Spotted Crakes singing! Breeding waders are also a feature of our summers - Red-necked Phalaropes are giving us incredible views down to just a few feet, Black-tailed Godwits look as resplendent as ever and we've got plenty of sites for Whimbrel, Dunlin, Redshank, Snipe and Common Sandpipers. As ever, we've managed to bag a few rarities and scarcities. The highlight has to be the absolutely gorgeous adult male Collared Flycatcher, which we saw at Muness, Unst. A close contender would be the striking White-winged Black Tern in the south Mainland. Other scarce migrants that we've had great looks at include several Red-backed Shrikes, a couple of Golden Orioles, Rose-coloured Starling, Temminck's Stint, Iceland Gull, Quail, Bluethroat, Wryneck, Icterine Warbler, Marsh Warblers and Subalpine Warbler.

On the mammal front, we have been treated to some wonderful views of Otters. Unlike the companies that visit Shetland for just one-week-a year, our guides put in an awful lot of research and legwork, every spring, to find sites occupied by mothers and cubs - we currently have two sites that are giving us wonderful encounters with these very special critters. Killer Whales have been relatively thin on the ground this year but seven sightings were made in May and June of at least three individual pods. We have also clocked up small groups of White-sided and White-beaked Dolphins and every Ultimate Shetland group has caught up with the diminutive Harbour Porpoise. Both Harbour and Grey Seals are as ubiquitous as ever and on the hills we're seeing small numbers of Arctic Hares.

Wild flowers are out in profusion. Our endemic Mouse-ear Chickweed is easy to find on the Keen of Hamar along with the two other specialities - Northern Rock Cress and Arctic Sandwort. We're also clocking up interesting species like Frog and Northern Marsh Orchid, Moonwort, Mountain Everlasting, Marsh Cinquefoil, Common and Marsh Lousewort, Butterwort, Eyebright and the now very rare - in Shetland terms - Oysterplant.

Ultimate Orkney May 2004

We like to think we know Orkney as well as we know Shetland, so when we were asked by so many travellers to create a holiday akin to our 'Ultimate Shetland' holiday, we jumped at the chance! Based at the wonderful lodges in Finstown (with the most AMAZING sea views in Orkney!) Hugh Harrop and ten of our regulars spent a week exploring the very best wildlife and archaeological sites in Orkney. The moorland provided us with excellent views of Merlin, Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl, Peregrine, Red-throated Divers, Great and Arctic Skuas whilst the coast provided us with an array of seabirds and waders - including Black Guillemots, Puffins, summer plumaged Purple Sandpipers, Knot and Dunlin. An array of ducks on freshwater lakes included Pintail, Gadwall and Wigeon and Scaup whilst sheltered bays rewarded us with Velvet Scoter, Common Scoter, Long-tailed Ducks and scores of handsome summer-plumaged Great Northern Divers. Brick-red islandica race Black-tailed Godwits were recorded displaying at one of known sites along with lots of other 'fresh' waders like Redshank, Common Sandpiper and Snipe. Most unexpected were three star birds that we found ourselves - a Common Crane that drifted north over us at Cottascarth, a first-summer Ring-billed Gull among Common Gulls on Shapinsay and a vagrant Long-tailed Tit in the woods at Balfour Castle! Wild flowers were in full bloom and we had little difficulty finding an absolutely superb display of Scottish Primrose - Primula scotica - found here, in Caithness and in Sutherland - but nowhere else in the World! Mammal buffs were entertained by lots of Common and Grey Seals, Arctic Hare, Brown Hares, Harbour Porpoise, a solitary Otter and Orkney Voles. We will run Ultimate Orkney from the 7th - 14th May 2005 and would advise early reservations to be made. It is, after all, the best itinerary on offer and likely to fill very quickly! Click here for further information.

Up Helly Aa & Shetland's Winter Wildlife January 2004

With a polar low not too far away from us it was fingers crossed that the snow didn't hamper the highlight of our winter. And we are pleased to say it didn't! A wonderful three days with beautiful - but bitterly cold - weather had us out exploring our favourite winter sites. Superb views of several Otters - including a mother and two cubs - plus Arctic Hares, Grey and Common Seals and small numbers of Harbour Porpoises were the mammal highlights. Ornithological highlights included a long-staying American Coot, American Wigeon, Little Egret (in the snow!), Little Auk, Iceland Gull and lots of Snow Buntings. In 2005 we will be running the trip from Saturday 22nd - Wednesday 26th January. As the trip is always extremely popular, we advise early reservations to be made. Click here for our 2005 itinerary.

The run up to Up Helly Aa...

It seems as though autumn is never going to end! We've recorded some excellent birds since our Fair Isle trips including a Hume's Warbler (second for Shetland), a party of 19 Bewick's Swans (first record since 1997), scores of truly handsome Waxwings, a couple of Firecrests (very rare in these parts) and a super juvenile Spoonbill. Otters are frequenting our favourite sites and small numbers of Harbour Porpoise are appearing at traditional sites close inshore. Plenty of Great Northern Divers and Long-tailed Ducks are in sheltered voes and we have an abundance of freshwater waterfowl. Even more exciting is the amount of auroral activity we are witnessing over Shetland at present - we're keeping our fingers crossed for all our travellers joining us for Up Helly Aa 2004! You can see more pictures of the aurora and the birds mentioned above by visiting Hugh Harrop's photographic web site.

 

Autumn 2003

Our trip to Fair Isle in September and October to witness autumn bird migration was simply superb. We were blessed with some classic drift migration weather early on and it produced an array of star birds including Lanceolated Warblers, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Citrine Wagtail, Pechora Pipit, Arctic Redpoll, Little Bunting and Savi's Warbler - only the 9th Scottish record. We also recorded many Yellow-browed Warblers, at least three Barred Warblers, a couple of Common Rosefinches, Wryneck, Bean Goose, lots of Jack Snipe, Iceland Gull, Slavonian Grebe and good numbers of both Lapland and Snow Buntings. With stronger winds from the north we spent time seawatching and were rewarded with an early Little Auk. On the cetacean front we spent a couple of hours watching at least 8 Risso's Dolphins feeding with an acrobatic pod of 15 White-beaked Dolphins. A fantastic sight! Once again we'd all like to say "thanks" to Deryk, Hollie and all the 'obs' staff for making our stay so enjoyable!

Summer 2003

Our Ultimate Shetland trips throughout June and July continued to produce all of our resident breeding bird species. Phalaropes entertained all and Storm Petrels put on tremendous shows at Mousa Broch. Mammal buffs were entertained with good sightings of Otters, Minke Whales and Harbour Porpoise and one lucky group encountered a magnificent pod of Killer Whales. Wild flowers were in full bloom and we encountered all the local specialities. Highlight for some - including our guides - was a superb Hummingbird Hawk Moth which came aboard Dunter III as we sailed around the Noss seabird colonies at the latter end of June. Both of our Focus on Shetland weeks with David Tipling proved a huge success, with our photographers capturing a wide variety of 'classic' Shetland subjects on film. David and Betty Donald set the scene: "We would both like to thank you and your team for a fantastic week of bird photography, never did we expect to see, far less photograph, Red Necked Phalarope and so near. The organisation was superb and David Tipling is a treasure, so helpful and yet so gentle and laid back and so generous".

Apart from one day we were blessed with some pretty glorious weather for our second Ultimate Shetland trip! All of the breeding specialities were seen and trip highlights included no less than 10 Arctic Hares in the South Mainland, 5 Otters around the north isles, excellent views of Harbour Porpoise, a Common Crane, summer-plumaged Black-tailed Godwits, Whooper Swans with cygnets and a migrant Hobby - a rare passage migrant for us here in the north. The day around Muckle Flugga and Hermaness was hailed as one of the best ever and the Fetlar Red-necked Phalaropes once again performed exceptionally well!

 

Our first Ultimate Shetland trip of the year will be a hard act to follow - bird wise at least! All of the regular breeding species were encountered and highlights in the south Mainland included scores of Storm Petrels on Mousa, a summer plumaged Great Northern Diver, a Wood Sandpiper and a male Ortolan. Fetlar provided us with absolutely amazing views of Red-necked Phalarope, a migrant Nightjar (only the 21st record since 1970), a handsome male Bluethroat in song and a female Red-backed Shrike. We found a handsome sub adult male Marsh Harrier on Unst and for the botanists, the Keen of Hamar of Hamar was 'alive'! We recorded all the Shetland specialities plus Arctic Bearberry, Moonwort and Mountain Everlasting. Add Otters, incredible encounters with Seals and some typical Shetland summer weather - a week to remember!

Our Fair Isle Spring Migration holiday once again coincided with a spell of the fabled south-east wind. The previous day, Hugh had flown in for Shetland's fourth and Europe's fifth-ever Thick-billed Warbler which stayed for two days. Our group enjoyed superb views of a male Rustic Bunting, a female Subalpine Warbler, a Common Rosefinch, a Quail, a couple of Bluethroats, several Red-backed Shrikes, a Wryneck and lots of common migrants including Lesser and Common Whitethroats, Sedge Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler, Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers. Seabirds were also a big part of our week and we enjoyed close views of all resident species. Thanks to Deryk, Hollie, Alan, Becca, Torcuil and the rest of the "obs" staff for making our stay - as always - so enjoyable!

Our follow-on Shetland Experience holiday was just as memorable! We were rewarded with Shetland's tenth-ever Scops Owl on Unst, Red-necked Phalaropes swimming around our feet on Fetlar, stunning views of Otters near Noss, Arctic Hares on Dalsetter, a female Bluethroat at Sumburgh Head, summer plumaged Red-throated AND Great Northern Divers.Wow! Also lots of wildflowers in bloom and superb weather!

Up Helly Aa 2003

As in 2001 and 2002 we were once again blessed with some relatively good weather for our now annual Up Helly Aa and Shetland Winter wildlife trip. Our two groups of 7 travellers, who made the journey north were rewarded with great views of Otter, Arctic Hare and both Common and Grey Seals. A mass of ornithological highlights included three drake American Wigeons, Little Auks, Long-eared Owls, Eurasian White-fronted Goose, Merlins, Goosanders, Long-tailed Ducks, Slavonian Grebe, Whooper Swans, Purple Sandpipers, Great Northern and Red-throated Divers, Mealy Redpolls and Snow Buntings. It goes without saying that we witnessed a truly stunning Up Helly Aa festival!

The Winter So Far...

We've managed to escape the office over the weekends and recce our favourite spots for the forthcoming Up Helly Aa and Winter Wildlife trip in late January 2003. Five handsome Long-eared Owls have taken up residence at a small plantation in the central mainland and 2 Short-eared Owls appear to be wintering in Brow Marsh. Nearby, two drake American Wigeons, a drake Green-winged Teal and 6 Tundra Bean Geese are at Lochs of Hillwell and Spiggie along with an excellent assortment of other wildfowl. Seawatching off Sumburgh Head has produced huge numbers of Little Auks with Hugh and Paul recording 63 on 25 December and a record total of 732 birds heading south on 26 December. Sheltered voes are holding excellent numbers of Slavonian Grebes and Long-tailed Ducks, Otters are frequenting our favourite sites and small numbers of Harbour Porpoise are appearing at traditional sites close inshore.

 

Fair Isle Autumn Migration

Our week on Fair Isle coincided with a spell of fine weather and those fabled south easterly winds - ensuring there were always plenty of birds to see! Highlights included a superb White's Thrush, a stunning Alpine Swift, two Pechora Pipits (one of which we found!), a Rose-coloured Starling and a very confiding Lanceolated Warbler. Hundreds of migrants filtered through the isle and among them we recorded Taiga Bean Goose, large flocks of Pink-footed Geese, Barnacle Geese, good numbers of Jack Snipe, Corncrake, Short-eared Owl, Red-backed Shrike, Yellow-browed Warbler, several Barred Warblers, Lapland Buntings and a Hawfinch. Once again we'd all like to say "thanks" to Deryk, Hollie and all the 'obs' staff for making our stay so enjoyable! Our 2003 trip will run from 27th September - 4th October.

 

Summer 2002

Our Fair Isle Spring Migration holiday coincided with a spell of the fabled south-east wind. Heading the cast was the third-ever Montagu's Harrier for Shetland, a Spotted Crake, a singing male Corncrake, several stunning male Bluethroats, Red-backed Shrikes, Grey-headed Wagtails, a superb selection of commoner passage migrants and 250,000 seabirds (well nearly!). On return from Fair Isle, we successfully "twitched" a handsome Ross's Gull and a drake Black Duck. Thanks to Deryk, Hollie and all the "obs" staff for making our stay so enjoyable!

Our follow-on Shetland Experience holiday was just as memorable! A superb adult Great White Egret, a singing Icterine Warbler and super looks at Arctic Skuas and Whimbrels made an enjoyable day in the south Mainland. On Sunday we headed north to Yell where two Otters and a summer plumaged Great Northern Diver preceded two handsome Red-necked Phalaropes on Fetlar. The latter island also offered stunning views of two Black-tailed Godwits, an assortment of breeding waders and two more summer plumaged Great Northern Divers! Our full day on Unst on Monday saw us on Hermaness where Puffins posed for ultra-close photographs, Dunlins ran at out feet and the Gannetry amazed all! The afternoon visit to Keen of Hamar was "alive" with flowers in bloom - our endemic Mouse-ear Chickweed was abundant and we also logged Arctic Sandwort, Moss Campion, Northern Rock Cress and Early Purple Orchid.

Our first Shetland Experience trip of June got the month off to a wonderful start. Strong easterly winds didn't stop us heading to the Noss seabird colonies and we were rewarded with stunning close up views of all our seabirds. Grey and Common Seals swam around the boat and we also glimpsed a Harbour Porpoise. At Sumburgh Head we enjoyed close views of a male Subalpine Warbler (Hugh went and found another a few days later!) and on Fetlar we once again enjoyed incredible views of Red-necked Phalaropes and found a small flock of Common Scoter. The Unst weather was kind and we had arms-length views of Puffins at Hermaness, a Marsh Warbler at Haroldswick and an array of wild flowers once again on Keen of Hamar before celebrating Jubilee Monday with Earl Grey tea and cucumber sandwiches at the Unst Bus Shelter!

The first Ultimate Shetland trip of the year could well be hard to beat! Ornithological highlights included a stunning summer plumaged White-billed Diver, two singing male Spotted Crakes, a couple of migrant Crossbills, a summering Glaucous Gull and superb looks at both Storm Petrels and Red-necked Phalaropes. Mammal highlights included no less than six Otters on our Top of Britain cruise and a couple of confiding Arctic Hares on Dalsetter. One thing that doesn't happen very often is to see our guides being whisked away in a helicopter! In this instance, the coast guard performed an at-sea winching exercise off Bressay, with Hugh as the guinea pig - he dangled proudly from a huge Sikorsky over the North Sea for five minutes before we agreed to have him back on board our boat!

We couldn't have asked for better weather on our Focus on Shetland holiday. We were blessed with sunny skies - and ultimately awesome sunsets - for most of the week! Our mustard-keen group were treated with photographic opportunities of Storm Petrels, displaying Black Guillemots, Red-necked Phalaropes, foraging Bonxies and both Common and Arctic Terns. Wild flowers also featured on the agenda as did Grey Seals, Common Seals, Hedgehog and Shetland Ponies! We also found a couple of Killer Whales off Sumburgh Head and had good sightings of both White-sided and White-beaked Dolphins! Quite a week!

Our second Ultimate Shetland week was timed to enjoy some of the best seabird colonies in Europe! With tens of thousands of Guillemots, Razorbills, Kittiwakes, Gannets and Puffins crammed into the immense seabird cities of Noss, Hermaness and Sumburgh, we were