Shetland Wool Week .. pt 4 .. Bressay .. a handful of seals and a souterrain

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.

Shetland Wool Week .. pt 3 .. a croft visit and St Ninian's Isle ..

We have enjoyed a really engaging visit to West Lynne Croft, run by Cecil and Sue Tait – Cecil is a sixth generation Shetlander living in Ireland, whose family originally arrived on Mainland because of the highland clearances. Along with the sheep and the wool making – the working croft is also the location of Paparwark Furniture and we were shown around the workshop by the young apprentice to the craft.

Both of us were completely captivated by the pair of working sheepdogs - Ness and Bell, who rounded up the flock with only the briefest of commands from Cecil. A joy to watch.

After the Croft, we took lunch overlooking the tombola linking St Ninian’s Isle to mainland. As we ate, we were entertained by three Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) fly-catching from a large rock below us. White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) passage migrants no doubt heading back from Iceland were also on the wing.

On the tombola itself distant waders flushed as walkers or their dogs intruded on their strandline forage.

Walking across the thin stretch of white sand the waders’ identities were clarified, Dunlin (Calidris alpina), Sanderling (Calidris alba), Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula), a Redshank (Tringa totanus), Turnstone (Arenaria interpres), and a single Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) following the tide line pickings.

At St Ninian’s Kirk we congratulated a couple who announced that they had just got engaged – he proposing as they explored the sacred site. It was a touching moment.

Approaching the “well” we got distracted by the marginal and aquatic plants in the seeps and drains. Encountering a new plant to both of us: Montia arvensis ... colloquially known as Blinks.

Blinks

Water Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis scorpioides)

Marsh Willowherb (Epilobium paluster)

Bulbous Rush (Juncus bulbosus)

Lesser Spearwort (Ranunculus flammula)

Broad-leaved Pondweed
(Potamogeton natans)

Marsh Bedstraw (Galium palustre)

Crossing back to mainland on the tombola our eyes were drawn to the wreck of jellyfish (Aequora vitrina) and a couple of dead Gannet (Morus bassanus) of the latter we worried that they might be an indication of Avian Bird-flu?

Northern Gannet - deceased

Aequora vitrina

Returning to Lerwick we grabbed a couple of pints at The Noost Bar followed by a swift a pint of 60O North at The Lounge Bar. Although welcoming, the latter watering hole was somewhat tired and the few local customers all very much the worse for wear, despite the time of day.

Back at the cottage, we’ve broken the seal on the Shetland Reel and I’m sampling the Tushkar Oatmeal Stout brewed by The Lerwick Brewery so perhaps I should not be too judgemental?

Shetland Wool Week .. pt 2 .. Stanydale Temple, Culswick Broch, and our first Croft visit ..

After a relaxing start to the day, we headed out west mainland so that I could introduce A to the Neolithic "temple" at Stanydale. On our previous visit to Shetland, I had a ventured out alone to this megalithic site – and was keen to share this special place with A. for the first time. I have discussed this site below at:

Stanydale Temple

Parking at the pull we walked out across the marshy moorland past the Neolithic farmhouses, and the ghosts of field systems. Overhead the passing of birds splitting the sky: Curlew (Numenius arquata), Raven (Corvus corax), Greylag Goose (Anser anser); Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) flighting ahead of us.

The soft distant “plew plew” of a Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria), and the whizz of a Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) as it flushed at our approach. A covey of six Red Grouse (Lagopus lagopus) calling long enough for us to spot them amongst the low-lying Heather (Calluna vulgaris).

Neolithic farmhouse with windbreak at doorway

Stanydale Temple from entrance

within the Temple 

standing stones adjacent to Temple

Neolithic field system?

Heath Waxcap (Hygrocybe laeta) 

After exploring Stanydale, we drove a short distance south and took a walk out to the remains of Culswick Broch, our route passing the Wesleyan Methodist Church built in 1893.

Wesleyan Methodist Church

In wet path side flushes a handful of Round-leaved Sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) were noted; Waxcaps (Hygrocybe sp.) were plentiful in places (see Addendum).

Round-leaved Sundew

Vermillion Waxcap (<i>Hygrocybe Cf minitia</i>)

A scattering of Devil’s-bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis) nodding their delicate blue flowerheads in the breeze.

Devil's-bit Scabious

The Broch is constructed of both red and white Granite – and the triangular block acting as the lintel for the south-east facing entrance passage – stands out impressively as you approach the site.

Culswick Broch

Before heading back to Lerwick, we took a small detour via Bridge of Walls, joining the A971 and visiting: The Silly Sheep Fibre Company

Spending the best part of an hour with the Proprietor, we learnt about the production of wool, which is grown on site, by the Shetland sheep; then harvested, before being sent to Yorkshire for spinning and dyeing. The finished product is then returned to the Croft. The wool for the Shetland Tweed which we purchased having taken an additional journey to Skye for weaving into tweed.

A flock of Ca. 40 Rock Dove (Columba livia) was a great drive-by find – the birds roosting in a quarry near Tingwall, on the way back to Lerwick.

Reading

Fojut, N. (1993) A Guide to Prehistoric and Viking Shetland The Shetland Times Ltd, Lerwick, Shetland

Stewart, J. (2008) An Outline of Shetland Archaeology Shetland Amenity Trust

Turner, V. (1998) Ancient Shetland Shetland Amenity Trust / B.T. Batsford Ltd, London

Addendum

Whilst the phone App (Obsidentify) identified the waxcaps confidently as Vermillion Waxcap the submission of the record has yet to be verified on iRecord.

The Flatåsen cave dwellings, Brønnøysund

We had a reasonable amount of time ashore at Brønnøysund and so decided to take a short walk to visit one of the only archaeological sites of our trip – the cave dwellings at Flatåsen. Set in a wooded area it also gave us the opportunity to do some natural history exploration as well, and we managed a small but quality bird list, and some wildflowers under our belt.

Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris)

Geranium sp.

Epilobium sp.

Bush Vetch (Vicia Cf sepium)

Herb Paris (Paris quadrifolia)

Colt's-foot (Tussilago farfara)

Finding any literature on this archaeological site, has been difficult to be honest. There is a free and downloadable research paper available at Research Gate that discusses the finds / artefacts and context of both cave dwellings and rock shelters in Norway’s Roman and Migration period, but unless I am mistaken the Flatåsen cave dwellings are not mentioned in the text?

It makes for interesting reading but is beyond my current level of concentration to make any meaningful distilment of the text, such is its complexity.

Excuses aside, the information here is gleaned directly from the interpretation board at the site and this is only available due to the wonders of Google Translation. Having photographed and then copied and pasted the original Norwegian text into the online translation.

A summary of the Google Translation is as follows: the three cave dwellings at Flatåsen are dated to 500 BC - 500 AD and they record the first signs of human activity in Brønnøysund. Excavations between 1925 - 1926 produced many artefacts from hearths to a wide range of food remains including fish, fowl, animals (both wild and domesticated), shellfish and snails. Bone tools were also found to be typical of the period.

The small woodlands which also included a frisbee golf course provided the following:

Bird List:

Magpie (Pica pica)
Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
Great Tit (Parus major)
Coal Tit (Periparus ater)
Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Willow Tit (Poecile montanus)
Blackbird (Turdus merula)
Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)
Redwing (Turdus iliacus)
Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)
Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca)
Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea)
Song Thrush (Turdus philmelos)
Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)
Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)

Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula)