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31

Other / Re: Northern Lights..Slight Aurora last night.

« on: February 20, 2012, 05:28:42 pm »

Last night [late sunday night] there was a slight Aurora, three in one week it can't get better [or could it]

There was no gale o wind, so tripods were good, but it was freezing cold, i wore my snow trousers and gloves, so i was quite happy..

The pictures, what a difference from my other pictures..

The next two pictures are the Mossbank Haa [house] pity it was south, it would have been good to set oot the Aurora..

george..

32

The Tavern / Sei-whale September 2011.

« on: February 18, 2012, 09:28:36 am »

I've been asked to write a blog about the Sei-whale
seen in September 2011..

In the morning of the sighting I got a phone call from
one of my sons, he said there was a Basking Shark in
Firth Voe..

I made my way to Firth Voe, and I seen it right away, at
first I thought it was a Minke Whale, I took a few pictures of it,
then went back to my house to report it on twitter and on
Hugh Harrops facebook page..

Unfortunatly Hugh Harrop was over in Canada on holiday..

I then made my way back to Firth Voe and seen it close in to the
shore..

So I attached my camera to my tripod and made my way down to the shore,
taking pictures of it on the way down..

The Sei-Whale was feeding in a clockward direction, often lunging on its side.

Then it was feeding upright.

It was very fast in the water but it never breached or showed its tail fluke.

I was joined by Austin Taylor another photographer. He got lots of pictures also..

Later on I edited my pictures and copied them onto a memory-stick, I took them
to Neil Anderson and gave him the memory-stick, later on I got a phone call from
Neil he was certain the whale was not a Minke but a Sei-Whale he also told me that the Whale
had a harpoon stuck in its head [which I missed]

Harpoon..

The last reported sighting in Shetland waters was I believe 1993, and as far as I know its
only the third sighting seen..

To go back to the start of this blog. There was a Basking Shark in the Voe at the same time
as the Sei-Whale..

Other pictures of the Whale..

The person who asked me to write this blog was Mark Chapman the recorder for the RSPB..

george..

33

Other / Re: The sky at night. Feb. 2012.

« on: February 14, 2012, 08:15:57 am »

A few pics from around my village at night..

george..

34

Animals / Re: Otter. 13/2/2012

« on: February 14, 2012, 08:09:09 am »

Like most of my pictures, this one has a story behind it as most do .. I was sitting at Toft pier when I noticed an Otter feeding in the choppy water, after a while it came closer, then it dived just off the ramp going into the sea.. I had a feeling it would go under the pier, but what I did'nt realise that a different Otter would come and look at me in my car, after I got some pictures of it, it came out and walked down to the sea..

george..

35

Birds / Re: Recent birds. 5-2-2012

« on: February 05, 2012, 08:55:13 pm »

I went to the R.L.B. site today [no surprize there] I noticed two Ravens sitting on the ruin o the cinema, then I seen it.... It was sitting on top of a gravestone [not my wifes] one of the auld ones.. It then flew, followed by the Ravens up the Laxobigging Burn, and gave stunning views for an awful long time.. it was hunting alongside the hill, I was joined by another birder later..

george..

36

Birds / Re: Recent birds.24th january 2012

« on: January 25, 2012, 08:17:41 am »

Yesterday I was searching for the long staying R.L.Buzzard..

I found it eating a Rabbit in a field [with my binoculars]

It was so far away.. But I noticed that there was dead ground between me and the Buzzard.. So I crept the car forward along the private track. then the R.L.B. seen me and soared up into a power pole.. unfortunatly the photos are a bit dark owing to me being on the wrong side of it.... but ....

george..

37

Other / Re: Northern Lights..

« on: January 25, 2012, 07:44:56 am »

As most of you know.. We had a truly wonderful sight of the Aurora.. so I went out last night, hoping to get more pictures..

Unfortunatly there was a lot of cloud cover.. so I contended myself to take pictures in general..

When I was editing them, I noticed one had a gap in the clouds and a small part of the Aurora was showing..

The others..

Thats all folks..

george..

38

Other / Northern Lights..

« on: January 23, 2012, 05:59:54 pm »

As most of you know, we had a fantastic showing of the Northern Lights last night. So I shot off in my car to a dark spot to see it.. I did'nt have my tripod wae me but sat my camera on the window ledge, used the remote on bulb for 30 secs. and took my first pictures of the Aurora Borealis..

george..

39

Birds / Re: Recent birds

« on: January 22, 2012, 08:12:47 pm »

Rough Legged Buzzard..

I was off oot birdwatching at first light [well 0900] It was amazing to watch it hovering.. It made a few sweeps down to the heather.. [see the coloured picture] the sun was making things a bit difficult for me, but some of my pics although backlit, they are still ok in my opinion..

george..

40

Birds / Re: Recent birds..R.L.Buzzards & R.B.Mergansers..

« on: January 18, 2012, 08:24:25 am »

The R.L.Buzzard took me by surprize yesterday.. I was parked on the high ground overlooking the old WW2 cinema [now a ruin] at the cemetery.. Suddenly it appeared. It was flying past the old cemetery heading up the burn, but it was flying leisurely above the heather, crossed the steep fence, still going up, then down, then landed near the top.. I took a few pictures of it.. If I find a decent one then i'll show you.. unfortunatly I was waiting for it to take flight, but the rain started, it was blowing in my car window so I called a halt to my birdwatching..

R.B.Merganser..

Flight shot with ripples of Sullom Voe..

R.L.Buzzard..

And this is where it landed just as the rain started..

george..

41

The Tavern / Re: Hello..

« on: January 15, 2012, 11:38:12 am »

Hi.Mike.. Nice to see you on here, although its about Shetland, I've left other threads for outside Shetland. mainly [others] enjoy the forum..

george..

42

Birds / Re: Recent birds.. A few from yesterday ..

« on: January 14, 2012, 09:30:09 am »

I checked out the R.L.Buzzard at Laxobigging [ its still with us ]

Then I made a trip to Lerwick.. I heard that lots of Iceland gulls were at the [catch] with a few Kumlien's and an Glaucous Gull..

But first I made a stop at Strand loch to see the Goosanders..

Then it was onward to Lerwick.. Where I saw these birds..

Iceland gull..

Kittiwake..

Iceland gull..

Eider..

Iceland gull..

Kittiwake..

And last was another Iceland gull..

george..

43

Birds / Re: Recent birds [Today]

« on: January 10, 2012, 04:33:05 pm »

This R.L.Buzzard can be seen most days, if you have patience. But sometimes you spot it when you arrive [like today] I watched several times this morning..

george..

44

Birds / Re: Recent birds

« on: January 03, 2012, 05:49:32 pm »

I seen the R.L.Buzzard again today, it was in a valley quite far from the road.. The wind had changed from s/westerlys to easter'lys thats probably why its in this valley taking advantage of a more sheltered position... These pictures were all taken before the new-year..