Towards the end of our time on Shetland we got 2 days of sun. Great to have pitched up at a bay where there was an arctic tern colony.  They were sitting on young chicks and eggs both down on the beach and in the boulder field above.
One of the great things from the trip was having the air full of seabird sound… here the electric sore throat fizzings of the terns (Shetland name apparently ‘Tirrick’, which does a much better job of conjuring the bird than its English name). The thoughtful ‘poo-weet’ of ringed plover (don’t know what the Shetlanders do for that one).  I think the plover were all with well grown young.
Manic ‘kleeping’ of oystercatchers chasing each other around in parties and nearly tripping over their bills in head down piping contests. We saw a bonxie strike one down from one of the groups as they flew round the bay. Clobbering it to the ground, didn’t see how and then bludgeoning it with its bill with the other oystercatchers mobbing it for another 20 minutes or so whilst it plucked and ate a good portion of the bird.

5686 – arctic terns – shetland – ink pen – A5 sketchbook

5685 – arctic terns – shetland – ink pen – A5 sketchbook

5684 – arctic tern & ringed plover – shetland – ink pen – A5 sketchbook

5683 – arctic tern, ringed plover & oystercatchers – shetland – ink pen – A5 sketchbook

5682 – arctic terns – shetland – ink pen – A5 sketchbook

5680 – arctic terns – shetland – ink pen – A5 sketchbook

5679 – arctic terns – shetland – ink pen – A4 sketchbook