I was lucky.to be joining friends who are keen and knowledgeable bird watchers, and who had researched all the best things to do on Shetland. This was one of the very best.
At dusk we sailed out to the island of Mousa, reknowned for its ancient broch and the storm petrels which nest in it. We sat inside this amazing structure, awe inspiring in itself, as hundreds, if not thousands, of birds flew in and out feeding their chicks. The broch is double-walled -there are staircases between the walls - so you don't see much of the birds inside, but to sit and listen to stories of the island and hear about the life of the storm petrels was very special.
At dusk we sailed out to the island of Mousa, reknowned for its ancient broch and the storm petrels which nest in it. We sat inside this amazing structure, awe inspiring in itself, as hundreds, if not thousands, of birds flew in and out feeding their chicks. The broch is double-walled -there are staircases between the walls - so you don't see much of the birds inside, but to sit and listen to stories of the island and hear about the life of the storm petrels was very special.
It is about a 20 minute walk to the broch.
Outside, as it got darker we could see the birds, as fast as swallows, swoop in and out of the outer walls, and sometimes hear their strange small warbling cries.
It was well after midnight and we needed torches to get back to the waiting boat for the 30 minute croossing to the Mainland (as the biggest island is called). You can just see the lights in the final phtograph.
Magical.
Kathleen Jamie in Findings writes a lovely essay about storm petrels.
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