Fetlar 2025

I first came to Fetlar in 2019 after Fair Isle Bird Obs burnt down. Actually my first trip was in the 70's when I came to see Snowy Owl and Red-necked Phalaropes as a teen birder. With the Obs no longer available we decided to try somewhere a bit more under watched than Shetland Mainland. Since then I've been coming up almost annually - missing only the Covid year of 2020 and 2023 when I knackered my knee climbing a stile on Fair Isle resulting in an ACL injury and a torn patella tendon. 

We always stay at Houbie where the Feal Burn is literally on our doorstep. This year I was joined by Mark who's been here a couple of times with me before. Leaving home at 1 am we made good time to Edinburgh where we caught the first flight to Sumburgh and picked up our hire car. A Mini Cooper S no less! Much different to the original 1275 Cooper I had in the 80's! 

First stop was Asta as Mark hadn't seen the Siberian Thrush. Unfortunately it was a no show and had gone by the time we'd arrived back on Shetland. We did get a bonus Long-eared Owl though. Next stop was a weeks shop at Tesco's in Lerwick before heading north to Toft and the ferry to Yell. All went smoothly until we arrived at Gutcher to get the ferry across to Hamars Ness. We got called forward to board the ferry and then got stopped and told to reverse back as the bow thrusters had failed. The ferry limped to nearby Cullivoe to get fixed. We then waited another hour before finally boarding a different ferry that had been sent to pick us up! From leaving home until arriving at Houbie took us 15.5 hours so we were pretty knackered. However we'd arranged to meet local birder Paul Macklam and friends from Staffs Paul & Linda Sutton, who were here in their camper van, at the weekly social gathering at the community hall. A great social event and we met up with Graham, owner of the Glebe, who once again kindly gave us permission to enter his well vegetated gardens.

Full of enthusiasm after a good nights sleep we set out early  next morning to check our 'local' patch - Feal Burn and the two plantations at the head of the burn. A few Goldcrests and a Robin later we were somewhat bemused by the lack of birds. With winds predominately from the west it was hardly surprising but we still expected to see a few more commoner migrants.

Leogarth House

Working the plantations along Feal Burn

This set the tone for the rest of the week. Very few common migrants and for the first tie since I've been visiting Fetlar, no Yellow-browed Warblers. Even the expected winter visitors such as Redwing and Fieldfare were very scarce - in fact we didn't see a Fieldfare all week! 

We did manage to find a couple of bits and pieces though when Mark picked up a juvenile Glaucous Gull flying into Funzi Loch where it stayed for about 10 minutes, much to the consternation of the juvenile Slavonian Grebe that had taken up residence for several weeks, before flying off.

Slavonian Grebe

We also found a Siberian Chiffchaff in the garden of one of the Crofts but this was probably the same birds that had been seen previously moving around the various gardens. 

With news that the Blackpoll Warbler found at Haroldswick, Unst,before we arrived, was still showing made us decide to have a change of scenery and go to Unst for the day where we eventually caught up with this North American Warbler in the garden of Allan Conlins house! It gave us the run around in strong winds and we didn't manage any photos. This was my 1st Blackpoll since 2007. It was great to catch up with Steve Holmes and Marion Barlow who were staying at Allans place. They live fairly close to me in Cheshire.

A trip to Unst isn't complete without visiting the 'birders garden' at Valyie, Norwick where a couple of Yellow -browed Warblers had been seen that morning. With patience they showed well flitting low down in the undergrowth and occasionally disappearing into the ivy covering a shed to feed long with a myriad of Blackcaps and an eastern looking Lesser Whitethroat.

Meeting up with Mark and Linda Sutton again as they'd moved to Unst in their camper van that morning we had a brew with them and Mark showed us the photos he'd taken of acredula type Willow Warbler at Uyeasound. As this was on our way back to the ferry we decided to call in and see if we could find it. No joy but a scan of Easter Loch provided a few trip ticks in the shape of Coot, Mute Swan and my 1st Goldeneyes of the year. The loch was full of birds and the air with the sound of Whooper sounds calling to each other as they flew in.

With darkness falling we made our way to the ferry terminal for the journey back to Fetlar.

A casual conversation with Paul Macklam about Oysterplants revealed there were some on Aith beach. Oysterplant, so called as its leaves supposedly taste of oysters ( I tried and they do actually taste a bit like oysters). This is a range restricted and found on beaches where its tap root goes deep down through the sand to find nutrients and freshwater. Although there are a few scattered colonies around the mainland coast its stronghold is the Shetlands. Sure enough we found 12 plants some of which were still in flower.

We managed 62 species of bird on Fetlar for the week with the last species being an unexpected Whimbrel found at Funzi whilst I was checking the crop field planted to attract Twite. 

As well as the (few) birds we also caught up wiith some of the resident mammals. Tewo Common Seals frequented the slipway at Houbie and we could often see them from our front window.  I regularly see Atlantic Grey Seals on Hilbre with the occasional Common Seal but to see them so close here was a treat.

Common Seal

Shetlnd must be one of the best places in the BBritish Isles to see Otter and we weren't disappointed as we caught up with this large dog Otter near the ferry terminal whilst a female and her cub hunted around the small harbour at Hamars Ness.

Dog Otter hunting along the tide wrack

CHiffchaff

Shetland Wren

Common Redpoll

Golden Plover

Long shadows at Houbie

Despite the lack of birds we kept going. Searching suitable habitat on a daily basis, sometimes 2-3 times each day, in the hope that something interesting would turn up. Sadly this wasn't the case and before long it was time for us to leave and set off across Fetlar for the ferry to Yell  and then on to Shetland mainland and down to Sumburgh where we stayed in the Sumburgh Hotel. Not before one final challenge though when our hire car suddenly stopped without notice on Fetlar about 2 hrs before our ferry was due to leave. A phone call to the hire company was not immediately a complete waste of time as they said they couldn't help us in such a remote location. The electrics were completely dead and I suspected a flat battery but couldn't understand why. Bump starting the car didn't work but we got through to Paul who came down with his jump leads and gave us a jump start. Luckily the car behaved itself and we got to the ferry without further issue. Speaking to a guy from Scottish Water he kindly checked the charging using a multi-meter ut all seemed fine. The only thing we could think of was a loose earth lead somewhere underneath the car which was causing an intermittent fault. Travelling to remote Shetland islands is always exciting! 

Although not the most bird filled trips I've had to Fair Isle or Fetlar but the two weeks provided a 'lifer' in Siberian Thrush, two further BBRC rarities in Olive-backed Pipit and Blackpoll Warbler and scarcities such as Richrds Pipit, Yellow-browed Warbler and Common Rosefinch.