Today was a tystie monitoring day on Mousa. We assisted Aberdeen University/SOTEAG on their second visit of the year.
04:30 - alarm clock goes off, moon low over Sumburgh Head. Beautiful day!
04:50 - start car - feeling buzzy (maybe the strong leaf tea?)
05:20 - board Mousa Ferry with Newton, and Martin & Mick (from Aberdeen University/SOTEAG)
05:30 - see a spectacular sunrise behind Helliness
05:50 - set off counting black guillemots around Mousa
05:51-07:45 - v happy on a beautiful RSPB reserve, doing something worthwhile and loving black guillemots, shags, rock pipits, skylarks, eiders, seals, and even watching the Northlink ferry pass Lerwick bound
07:48 - study a diver, in case it is a white-billed like previous years. It isn't
09:15 - stock up on cooked breakfast goodies at the Toab shop
10:00 - as well as seeing red-throated divers and handsome eiders, we see a shoal of chunky sandeels - an injection of hope for the coming breeding season
A good morning indeed!
If you are in Shetland, why not get outdoors at 5am and walk a bit of coast or head through the hills. Or indeed, if you are at the Shetland Folk Festival and are just thinking about going to bed at 5am, take a relaxing wander and listen to our local avian musicians sing, whistle, rattle and holler. You'll remember it forever.