Wild Discovery

"The Shetland beach is empty, only the Arctic Terns are doing graceful acrobatics. Someone hands Dan a scruffy and unremarkable black feather. “Shag,” he says, without hesitation. ( And I’m among the bird cognoscenti here, so the word has only one meaning….…) “Secondary wing feather.” He stoops to draw an outline picture of the bird in the sand. And then places the feather exactly where it should be. And shows us which side would be outward to the rain and wind.  I am in awe of this Holmes like deduction.

Seven days of  ‘Wild Discovery’  holiday on the Shetland Isles with Dan and Rachel, naturalists, ecologists, conservationists. Their knowledge is encyclopaedic, covering not only birds, but mammals, plants, and the minutiae beloved of beach combers.  The first evening, I am overwhelmed by the sheer number of birds and species inhabiting the cliff face at Sumburgh Head: Kittiwakes, Fulmars, Puffins, Guillemots, Razorbills, Shags……after a twelve hour ferry journey to these far northern islands I am suddenly in the middle of these calling, crying, feeding, nesting birds. Another world. And I have the thrill of learning to identify its inhabitants.

Small freshwater pools dot the Shetland landscape, host to Ringed and Golden Plovers, Dunlins, Redshanks, Curlews, Oyster Catchers. The minibus with its nine inhabitants, makes frequent stops on the narrow road and we pile out. One surprise is the tameness of these birds. There are few people about and seemingly no dog walkers…..Dan and Rachel set up ‘scopes’. Seen through these, the plumage of the Ringed Plover is bejewelled.  Further afield, we can see the russet splash on the Red Necked Phalarope, otherwise only a speck in my binoculars.

Excitement shifts up a gear when there is a reported sighting of Orcas. A ‘pod’ of five. We rush to join a queue of vehicles. The black dorsal fins  can be clearly seen cutting through the dark waters.  Heading north. We jump back in the van for a further few miles.

Already a small group is gathered on the rocky pier.  A seal head pops up. Pops down again. Will we see murder?  “ You don’t need binoculars, they’re heading straight for us,”  someone says. And twenty metres from the end of the pier, the pod, with the leading Orca clearly visible, steams past. Happily, the seal survives. If you want to impress your kids, send them an Orca video.

This was one of many thrills. And that day it was followed by our best ever sighting of Otters.

Unforgettable also was the trip to the uninhabited Island of Mousa, which hosts the largest colony of Storm Petrels in the UK. We walk the coastal path at dusk to the Iron Age Broch, where these tiny birds nest among the loose stones. Mid June, the Shetland night is very short. But the birds need the cover of darkness to avoid the predation of the Great Skua. We sat and watched  as  the Storm Petrels, in a darting flight reminiscent of bats,  returned from feeding, and a full orange moon rose above the sea.

‘Wild Discovery’ seems an apt title. Not least was the discovery of the extraordinary beauty of the Shetland Isles. These bare and serene islands, rising from their deep blue waters, were hard to leave." S Fitzharris, England, June 2024

“Dan and Rachael are both wildlife experts as you would expect from BBC’s Wild Isles consultants. What makes them brilliant is their infectious enthusiasm. They captivated our group of 8, ranging in age from 11 to 60. What a fabulous day we had, spotting white tailed eagles, an osprey nest, peregrine falcon, buzzards, carnivorous plants, mountain hares, ptarmigans and an incredible array of moths…and so much more. Some of us have been visiting the Cairngorms for over 30 years and we saw and learnt more in one day with them than we could believe. They opened our senses and have made our own subsequent trips so much more interesting and enjoyable. We intend to book more trips in future - honestly, it’s not a trip more an essential life lesson!” Hourston Family, UK

“My day with Dan and Rachael was nothing short of revelatory - truly the best wildlife experiences I've ever had, one after the other! I don't know if we were lucky but the list of things we were able to watch was staggering: Ospreys, Goshawks, Beavers, Ring Ouzel, Adders, Black Grouse lekking - and many more. A special day I'll remember forever. These guys are the real deal and they were lovely too!” G.Townshend, London