After a relaxing start to the day, we headed to the Bressay Ferry terminal for the 12:00PM crossing. At the jetty I noticed and orange “football” floating around the foot of the jetty. Then it flexed, and suckered legs appeared propelling along the ironworks. It was our first ever encounter with an octopus, and it was extremely exciting. The camera being stowed in my rucksack – we were unable to get a photograph before it swam further away and into dark water.
As we crossed to Bressay, I did a search of Octopus species to be found in UK waters, and both Curled Octopus (Elodine cirrhosa) and Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris) seemed potential candidates based on our briefest of views. This evening, I referred to the hive mind on the Shetland Birds and Wildlife FB group, and Curled Octopus was put forward as the most likely, as it has the most northerly distribution.
Walking past Bressay Marina Harbour we noted 3 Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus) and two Common Seal (Phoca vitulina) hauled out on the rocks, whilst a fourth Grey Seal corked in deeper water.
Grey Seal, Bressay Marina
Common Seal, Bressay Marina
Following Uphouse Road, up and over, we turned downhill to the Loch of Brough. From the open moorland came the calls of Red Grouse (Lagopus scotia), and as we turned our attention towards the source, a covey flushed away from us. Turning to follow the track along the side of the Loch, we disturbed a couple more small groups of grouse.
Red Grouse
Our destination was the souterrain [Fogou] at Wadbister; the former an underground passage dating to Bronze Age; the latter an abandoned mediaeval settlement. Having found the entrance to the underground chamber, I climbed through the short narrow remains of the passageway and sat inside for a while. Using the phone torch to explore the very cramped interior, I noted the repurposed quern stone in the dry-stone walls.
Wadbister settlement
entrance to the souterrain
inside - note the repurposed quern on the left of the picture
looking out / looking in
looking in / looking out
Exploring the remaining structures of the mediaeval settlement we saw our first Shetland Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes zetlandicus) of the trip. Returning to the Bressay Ferry terminal we noted the non-native Monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus) flowering in the wet ditch alongside the Uphouse Road.
Seep Monkeyflower, Uphouse Road
Back on mainland the short walk back to The Watchmakers, was punctuated with respite at both The Noost and The Lounge.
We took two trips to the Isle of Mousa both on the same day - the first an afternoon visit to explore the island, its wildlife and the impressive remains of the Broch of Mousa, Scotland's most complete Iron Age Broch.
The second visit was taken in the evening to capture the spectacle and soundscape of the Isles famous inhabitants .. the storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus). These sea birds use the field walls, the fortified brickwork of the Broch, and gaps within the large pebble / boulder beach rocks for nesting sites.
The petrels arrive en-masse in the twilight hours - and around the Broch itself they seem to swarm as do bats before entering the crevasses between the stones. Their purring call complete with shrill yappy croaks emanate from both these man-made and natural structures adding a haunting sound track to the light changes and the fade into Simmer Dim.
storm petrel in the Simmer Dim
Broch and A in the Simmer Dim
I spent a little time recording the calling of the storm petrels from within the Broch walls, along with the overhead drumming of a displaying snipe (Gallinago gallinago). The recordings can be heard hear:
