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Andrew Whitelee

It's wild out there, let's keep it that way

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Andrew Whitelee

It's wild out there, let's keep it that way

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Tag: shetland

Rosy starling on a bird table
September 1, 2023January 31, 2024birds, ecology

Rosy Starling – Shetland

There have been a few rosy starlings around Shetland in the last eighteen months but somehow I have managed to miss all […]

Shetland Bumblebee
August 21, 2023January 31, 2024ecology, invertebrates

Shetland Bumblebee

The Shetland bumblebee is one of my favourite invertebrate species I have encountered in Shetland and I have written about them previously. […]

Turnstone with colour ring
August 14, 2023January 31, 2024birds, ecology

A Tale of Two Rings

I’m a big fan of colour-ringing as it makes identification of individual birds easier in the field and can lead to more […]

Group of puffins
June 9, 2023January 31, 2024birds, ecology

Hermaness Puffins – Shetland

Puffins! Aside from being quite photogenic and capable of making even a bang-average photographer look half decent, there’s more to know about […]

Edmundsons Chickweed in situ
June 5, 2023January 31, 2024botany, ecology

Botany at Keen of Hamar – Shetland

I’m not a botanist and don’t pretend to be one on the internet but I can appreciate some rare and interesting plants […]

Curlew parent and chicks at the nest
June 2, 2023February 1, 2024birds, ecology

Curlew NestCam – Hatching Chicks

The curlew nest I have been monitoring has hatched. Still wading (no pun intended) through a lot of camera footage, but here’s […]

Curlew nest with four eggs
May 24, 2023January 31, 2024birds, ecology

Wader Wednesday – Upland Wader Nests

I am fortunate enough to be staying in a house in Shetland that backs onto rough grassland, marsh and upland areas. The […]

May 18, 2023January 31, 2024botany, ecology

No Mow May – Shetland Cemetery

I’ve long thought that we under estimate the wildlife value and potential of graveyards and cemeteries. I am not sure if this […]

Night heron Loch of Strom Shetland
May 10, 2023January 31, 2024birds, ecology

Night Heron – Shetland

The last few days have seen south-easterly winds and low cloud and fog over Shetland. This has resulted in a good number […]

Two bonxies
May 9, 2023January 31, 2024birds, ecology

Great Skuas (Bonxies) – Shetland

The great skua (Stercorarius skua), known locally in Shetland as bonxies are aggressive but somehow lovable predators. Their favourite tactic is to […]

Red-throated diver Shetland
April 24, 2023January 31, 2024birds, ecology

BTO Upland Rover Surveys

One of the best things about living in Shetland is the sheer volume of amazing scenery and wildlife on my doorstep. I […]

Environmental Watching Brief
April 20, 2023January 31, 2024birds, ecology, landscapes, mammals

Shetland Environmental Watching Brief

Early start today for an environmental watching brief on the shoreline. Incredible weather at both ends of the day, lends itself to […]

Mountain Hare Shetland
April 17, 2023January 31, 2024ecology, landscapes, mammals

Mountain Hares in Shetland

Although Shetland isn’t really know for its mountain hares, there are a few places where you can find them. In the past […]

April 12, 2023January 31, 2024ecology, mammals

Orcas in Shetland

It has taken over a year of being up in Shetland, but finally caught up with some of the local orcas at […]

Shetland Northern Lights
March 24, 2023January 31, 2024landscapes

Shetland Northern Lights

Last night was one of the best aurora borealis displays for a long time. The auroras, also known as the Northern Lights, […]

European otter sunbathing in the snow
December 17, 2022January 31, 2024ecology, mammals

Otter in the Snow

Otters are equally happy in the snow as they are in the water it would appear, if these videos are anything to […]

October 7, 2022January 31, 2024landscapes

Shetland Sunset

I think that autumn probably offers some of the best sunsets. Maybe its something to do with the angle of the sun […]

September 24, 2022January 31, 2024landscapes

Shetland Sunrise

Early start today to get the ferry to Yell. The reward for getting out of bed an hour before sunrise was that […]

August 28, 2022January 31, 2024birds, ecology

Wheatear – Shetland

Shetland is famous for its passage migrants and rarities. At the moment there are good numbers of wheatear around (some will be […]

August 27, 2022January 31, 2024ecology, invertebrates

Shetland Bumblebee

The ‘Shetland’ bumblebee (Bombus muscorum) are found between May and October in a variety of habitats but most commonly around roadside verges […]

August 25, 2022January 31, 2024ecology, mammals

Otters

Otters just seem to have a great time. I have recently been camera trapping and filming them under licence in Shetland and […]

August 8, 2022January 31, 2024birds

Black Guillemots

One of the joys of working up in the north of Scotland and the islands has to be the number of black […]

Puffin portrait
July 29, 2022January 31, 2024birds

Puffins – Sumburgh Head

It’s a wildlife photography cliche but sometimes you just have to go with it. Puffins have bags of character and are very […]

Magpie on a chimney
July 20, 2022January 31, 2024birds

Magpie – A Shetland Rarity

Finally caught up with the Shetland magpie today. This particular individual has been spending time around Sandness, Shetland for a few weeks […]

Ringed Plover
July 18, 2022February 13, 2024birds

Weekend Waders – Sandness, Shetland

Some photos of the waders encountered at Sandness beach, Shetland including dunlin, turnstone, ringed plover, sanderling and a bonus red-necked phalarope feeding […]

July 9, 2022January 31, 2024landscapes, mountains, walks

Ronas Hill, Shetland

Ronas Hill is the highest summit in the Shetland Isles, a bare dome of sub-arctic tundra. There is a chambered cairn by […]

June 2, 2022February 1, 2024birds

Gannets – Noss, Shetland

Noss National Nature Reserve is one of the most important seabird colonies in Shetland. The 180m high sea cliffs are home to […]

May 30, 2022February 1, 2024birds, ecology

Great Northern Diver – Shetland

A post-work evening walk down at Minn beach last night produced a surprise of two summer plumage Great Northern Divers (Gavia immer) […]

Black kite in flight from above
May 21, 2022January 31, 2024birds

Black Kite – Kergord, Shetland

There are some days when work is a little more exciting than others. Today was a perfect example of that. I was […]

March 25, 2022February 1, 2024mammals

Sperm Whale – Whiteness Voe, Shetland

There were reports of a young sperm whale in Whiteness Voe, Shetland this week. It seems its a young male who might […]

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