They're back!
Today is the first day of 2012 that I have seen guillemots at Sumburgh Head. What a joy to see them, but also to hear their "ha hah haaaring" rising upwards.
Believe it or not, this photograph contains hundreds of guillemots covering the stack and the cliffs (dotted here and there are fulmars). From the Seabird 2000 counts, it is estimated that Shetland has around 16.5% of the British breeding population (that equates to 175,000 individuals from Fair Isle to Unst), Sumburgh Head being one of the best known big colonies (along with Fair Isle, Foula, Noss, Eshaness and Hermaness).
If you cannot make it to Sumburgh Head in person, why not take a look at the webcam, which our friends at Promote Shetland have positioned at the lighthouse. If you do come along, please take extra care if you are walking on the grass. This exceptionally wet winter we've had has led to rather slippy conditions underfoot.
Stopping to watch the the guillemots for the first time of the year always brings a mixture of emotions to me. First, it is appreciation - they are such superb birds and herald that seasons will change (thank goodness - it's been such a long winter already and it's only January!!). Second, it is hope - hope that this breeding season will be better than the last. Third it's hopelessness - that's because there hasn't been any signs of things improving for the bird, either from the downward trending graphs which SOTEAG/Aberdeen University produce each year or successive governments and leaders not taking strong enough action to address climate change. Then finally, I go back to appreciation again - we've got to appreciate what we have whilst we can.
I was asked on a recent radio interview about seabirds whether we ought to be concerned about the patterns which we see in nature (such as the influx of Iceland gulls). I answered yes we should be concerned about how we are treating this planet. However, after the interview I thought to myself that I should have said that we are beyond a time for concern, it is a time for action. All of us can do something to help save nature (take a look through www.rspb.org.uk for ideas), be it big or small steps. So - please do Step Up For Nature, then when I see guillemots for the first time in 2013, I won't get that third feeling of hopelessness.
What certainly gives me hope is our wonderful Shetland RSPB Wildlife Explorer Group! Yesterday was our first meeting of 2012, and we went birdwatching from Dunrossness Primary School, and then investigated what turnstones were eating. It's always a pleasure to share nature with children. They've a different take on the world, so it is good to see life from their perspective. Thanks to the parents too for encouraging their children to explore outdoors.
Finally - eyes to the skies everyone! The Merry Dancers (Northern Lights) put on a fine display for us last night. Starting as a glow, turning into a beautiful arc of light, we were treated to an awesome display of shimmering "curtains" of light with bold beams reaching high in the sky. Bizarrely, over Mousa a couple of beams of light formed into a vision of Jedward. There's loads of photos on the internet (flickr & facebook for example), but none captured the Jedward shape. Maybe it was just me...
Best wishes from 60North