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Adrian Kettle

@akettle

Birder on Yell in Shetland.

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26.08.2024
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Latest posts by Adrian Kettle @akettle

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Great weather and a few miles covered in North Yell. 2 Pinkfeet, 1 looking more Likely to get back to the breeding grounds than the other!
Lots of Skylarks back in the last couple of days.
Best though was 4 Humpbacks heading west past Breckon, no photos 😒
#birdingshetland

06.03.2026 21:10 πŸ‘ 16 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Well after 4 days of trying I finally managed to see the Bonaparte’s Gull at Uyeasound, Unst.
Flew in late afternoon for about 5 minutes. Also present was the 2nd winter Glaucous Gull and nearby 2 Tundra Bean geese. #birdingshetland

28.02.2026 18:18 πŸ‘ 28 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Spent the day on Unst. Didn’t see the Bonaparte’s Gull but did see some good birds on a driech day.
2 Tundra Bean geese, 2 Whitefronts, 2w Glaucous Gull, Kumlien’s/Thayers gull, White billed Diver plus 100’s of Long tailed Ducks. #birdingshetland

24.02.2026 20:13 πŸ‘ 32 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

You can’t beat a Shovelor! πŸ˜‚

23.02.2026 19:06 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Also around North Yell this morning were a few Whoopers a nice adult Russian Whitefront and I got a slightly better photo of the Coot! #birdingshetland

23.02.2026 18:52 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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The amazing variation of the 2 Mute Swans I saw today at Kirk Loch on Yell.
A very dark 1st winter bird and a Polish type adult. #birdingshetland

23.02.2026 18:47 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

They are very smart looking birds. Very common here but I still like to watch them especially in the sun!

15.02.2026 09:45 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Nice cold and calm day here on Yell. The sea had frozen and the tide gone out to leave some nice patterns.
Bullfinch was new for the year along our road and with Ravens gathering nest material last week and Hoodies defending their empty nests, spring must be close, joke! πŸ˜‚
#birdingshetland

14.02.2026 20:23 πŸ‘ 42 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Yesterday shopping run to Lerwick. Managed a 6 goose species day ( Taiga, Tundra Beans, Greylag, Whitefronts, Barnacle & Pinkfoot). Waxwing, 3 Greefinch and a superb Bittern reducing the Stickleback population at Spiggie.
#birdingshetland

13.02.2026 14:47 πŸ‘ 29 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1
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A very attentive mother with her cub in Mid Yell yesterday.
The weather may have improved but the Yell Coot photos haven’t! #shetland

12.02.2026 18:27 πŸ‘ 16 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Weather back to normal today, although wind was calmer than the last 3 weeks!
A 3rd w/4th cy Glaucous Gull and a flock of 9 wintering Jackdaws in Burravoe, Yell.
Tried to get a photo of the Coot but it had done a bunk!
2 of the 34 TD’s showed some signs of Ring necked Duck.
#birdingshetland

07.02.2026 18:55 πŸ‘ 21 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Beautiful day in Shetland yesterday. 6 Tundra Beans, same as Unst the other day, at Cullivoe. 2 Whitefronts at Sellafirth. But best of all was a Coot on Kirk Loch, no photo!, first on Yell since I’ve lived here.
Always something to see when waiting for ferries as well!
#birdingshetland

07.02.2026 16:42 πŸ‘ 21 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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More pics of the Kumlien’s/Thayer’s gull on Unst yesterday. Hopefully get some better ones when the snow blizzard’s stop.
#birdingshetland

04.02.2026 18:07 πŸ‘ 27 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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A couple of posts on the Kumlien’s/Thayer’s gull currently on Unst.
Here’s some photos of it from March 24 as a 1st w (2nd cy) March 25 as a 2nd w (3rd cy) and February 26 as a 3rd w (4th cy)
#birdingshetland

04.02.2026 18:06 πŸ‘ 26 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Don’t think I’ve ever seen so much white in the wing of a Tundra Bean goose before. Very broad and seemingly unworn.
#birdingshetland

04.02.2026 16:34 πŸ‘ 23 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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come to the conclusion it is just not worth bothering; protected areas by the Humber, right managed by Lincs Trust; track to a sailing pit, apparently hedge prevents wind and stops sailing; also harbours insects that used to feed 1000 Swifts and hirundines in spring - disconnect with natural world

04.02.2026 08:47 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Also on Unst today at Uyeasound. The Kumlien’s/Thayer’s gull, 1st winter male Common Scoter and Woodcock along with c500 Long tailed Ducks, in the snow. The sound made the spectacle even better.
#birdingshetland

03.02.2026 20:01 πŸ‘ 44 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Today on Unst managed 5 sp of geese, Tundra Bean, Whitefront, Pinkfoot, Barnacle and the ever present Greylag. To be continued..
#birdingshetland

03.02.2026 19:36 πŸ‘ 29 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Has anybody submitted anything!πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

03.02.2026 18:27 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

Good to see you experts actually know what Greater black back looks like! 🀬

19.01.2026 18:42 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

15.01.2026 21:30 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

We e got that one as well!

15.01.2026 20:43 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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These 2 Common Seals had the good idea to haul out today as 6 of the 27’s pod of Orcas were around! Great day for seeing them as well dead calm after 2 days of gales, not that you would have heard of that because it wasn’t in souther England! πŸ˜‚
GWE mid winter in Shetland! #birdingshetland

13.01.2026 17:46 πŸ‘ 15 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

You think that was hard work, I couldn’t even stand up outside today! πŸ˜‚πŸ’¨πŸŒ§

12.01.2026 10:08 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Why can’t they give referees a points system and when a limit is reached they get suspended. Like a driving licence.

07.01.2026 20:06 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Thick snow today, as in well over the top of my wellies!
It does mean looking for Jack and Common Snipe easier.
Over 120 Snipe in 1 flock was impressive. Whilst 8 Jacks with 4 Snipe in a roadside ditch was nice. 2 Jacks in the second photo. #shetlandbirding

06.01.2026 18:58 πŸ‘ 27 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

05.01.2026 17:25 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

408 miles from my house as the Azure Tit flies!

05.01.2026 16:48 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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#shetlandbirding

26.12.2025 17:10 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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The scenery showed much better than the WBD’s!
Out Skerries in the distance seen from Birrier, Yell. #shetlandbirding

26.12.2025 17:07 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0