4th June – farewell to Shetland
I woke up to a bright day of weak sunshine (and a crowing
Cockerel which I do not think I can include on my trip list!) but that was not to last and the rest of my last day on Shetland was very rainy
.
However, my last day did produce one of the highlights of my trip as soon as I awoke and wiped down the condensation from the campervan windows.
What was that on the rocks about 50 feet in front of the campervan? Oh YES, rewards come to those who are patient and persevere …. an
Otter eating a large crab
. Mind you, very unsociable starting its breakfast before I was awake
.
It took until the last day to see an
Otter but what a good view for at least 15 minutes
. Unfortunately the light steadily deteriorated and the rain started so the photos were not as good as I had hoped.
Otter ....
Before I left Billister, the following were also seen: 2 pairs of
Red-breasted Merganser, 2
Curlew, 2
Oystercatcher, 3
Turnstone, a fly over male
Goldeneye, 2 male
Wheatear, and several
Hooded Crow,
Arctic Tern and
Black-headed, Herring, Lesser Black-backed and Great Black-backed Gulls.
Curlew ....
The heavy rain prevented any wildlife watching in my last hours on Shetland but I did enjoy an extremely interesting visit at the Shetland Museum and Archives in Lerwick. Highly recommended if anyone visits Shetland and has a rainy day.
Shetland Museum and Archives
My journey south from Shetland commenced with the early evening Northlink ferry from Lerwick to Kirkwall on Orkney. This was not a pleasant experience due to the wind, rain and then sea fog. Sea sickness and the very limited opportunities for seeing birds and cetaceans from the boat made it a very long 5 hours
.
However, a strange gap in the sea fog allowed the legendary Fair Isle to emerge bathed in evening sunshine and during the last hour of the ferry journey there was a wonderful sunset over Orkney
.
Richard