A Fool in Fall

NATURE A Fool in Fall

If there is one season I look forward to the most, it is autumn. I love hearing from other birders, about birds piling in on a north-easterly blow. I love the sound of the ‘twseep’ of a Redwing as it arrives in darkness from Scandinavia and flies over my garden. I love the first honk from the first Whooper Swan coming into land on the local pits. But above all I love escaping to the remote islands of the Shetland Isles, in the far north-east of the British Isles for two weeks. It has become a tradition: the highlight of my birding year and makes the whole autumn for me.

Bittern

Over the years, during these two weeks, I have seen rare tiny passerines from North America, hanging upside-down in sycamores after a non-stop transatlantic flight; I have seen Humpbacks and Orcas, Minkes and hundreds of Dolphins; Thrushes that belong on the forest floors of Asia; Warblers from central Europe; dozens of Otters and the smallest European species of birds land on the cliffs and flit among our shoelaces, having just crossed the North Sea, weighing no more than a 20 pence piece! What a place!

It’s true to say that for the last six years I have thought of Shetland as the mecca for witnessing autumn migrations of birds. And indeed, it’s been a great place for me to find and see new birds that I have never seen in Britain and sometimes even on planet Earth! For the most part, whilst on Shetland, I haven’t even cared about what’s being found at the opposite end of the country on the Isles of Scilly or even closer to home, the Norfolk coast. And for the most part, it’s because Shetland has been the best place to be.

This year, however dear reader, has been a little different. I bravely took my wife, my darling Amy, just months into our marriage, on ‘Honeymoon Part II’, on a tour of Scotland in August. This took in ten days on my beloved Shetland. If you have seen the TV series based on the novels by Ann Cleeves, then you may have noticed it’s a pretty place but with lots of murder and crime! I’m happy to report the crime rate is among the lowest in the country (no need to lock your car or house door!) and the scenery is even more stunning that the goggle box can ever show.

So why brave? Well,10 days on a remote island, which takes 14 hours by boat to get to, where life truly slows down and the weather changes like… well, the weather, could be seen as a tall ask for some! But I’m happy to report, our marriage survived this test, even at this tender age and Amy absolutely loves Shetland! We enjoyed heaps of Minke Whales (Amy’s first whales), the Northern Lights from our balcony, my first Basking Shark, beautiful white beaches and turquoise seas and the stunning simplicity of life 60 degrees north. With the summer road trip, my wings have been truly clipped this autumn (before you ask, nothing to do with being married…. OK, maybe mostly to do with being married). And it hasn’t been without pain. I feel I can confess to you dear reader, I have missed my trip to my favourite place this autumn.

Sure, to begin with, the two weeks I would have been there, there were a couple of birds I have never seen before but nothing too rare and I’m sure I will see Ortolan Bunting and Sibe Stonechat eventually. I immersed myself at Deeping Lakes, enjoying nearly daily Otter sightings (take that Shetland – didn’t see one in August!). I was happy enough seeing the first Redwing fly over, having just come in from Scandinavia.

But then a Pechora Pipit was found on Shetland; a true Shetland speciality. Most British records are from Shetland and this bird has come all the way from the Pechora River in north-west Russia and a bird I haven’t seen yet.

But back at Deeping Lakes, I was enjoying Bittern sightings, a bird I haven’t seen many times on the pits and best of all I watched it fish, a behaviour I had never seen before. Their unusual way of fishing, where they lay their bill flat to the water and look down their bill with their beady eyes for prey, is something special to watch.

Next Shetland hit back with not one, but two Yellowrumped Warblers, all the way from America. Before you ask, of course I haven’t seen one! This particular one really had a sting in the tail but I returned to Deeping Lakes regardless and as the days rolled on, I learnt more and more about the Otters. Had some incredibly special encounters, where they investigated me, sniffing and snorting, down to a few metres. What joy! I soon forgot these ‘Butter Bums’, as the Yanks call them… and besides the weather looked like it was too rough up there.

But wait, Shetland went for the jugular. On the cusp of when our stay in Shetland would usually end, a first for Britain appeared! Orca

Words and Pictures by William Bowell

A Least Bittern, again all the way from North America, had been found, probably on the afternoon before we would have left. This diminutive New World heron was found late in the day and was soon taken into care, weighing just 50 grams (average is nearly 90 grams) and died in the night, so I would have had to be nearby to see it (and Shetland is surprisingly big!). Would I have seen it?

We will never know. But what I do know, is I went to Deeping Lakes the next morning and enjoyed walking by the river, having tiny passerines move among the bushes and treetops, waiting for something rare to pop up. The expectation was high. And nothing rare appeared. But you know what reader; I rather enjoyed watching the flocks of common birds, some having flown across the North Sea, just a few miles from my house. So perhaps Shetland isn’t the only mecca for witnessing great autumn wildlife and perhaps the expectation should have more to do with personal geography? Sure, I missed out on five new birds this autumn in Shetland but perhaps I’d rather be in Deeping?

Northern Lights Will works at Grasmere Farm in Deeping St James (with a butcher’s and deli in Market Gate, Market Deeping) but in his spare time enjoys wildlife watching locally and across the country. He is also a keen photographer. Many of his images can be found at http:// justwildimages.blogspot.co.uk/ and photo cards can be found for sale at Market Gate Deli in Market Deeping.