Articles - Fetlar

Why?

In summer, this is the best place in Britain to get close views of Red-necked Phalarope. Other breeding waders put on a good show too, as do skuas and a range of other seabirds.

Overview

One of the most northerly of the Shetland Islands, Fetlar covers an area of approximately 38 sq km and has a human population of about 60. Its grazing and crofting areas gave it its name (‘fat land’ in Old Norse), but it also has a range of habitats that include serpentine mire, heather moorland, sea cliffs and beaches. There is an RSPB reserve in the south-east, and the island as a whole is designated an Environmentally Sensitive Area, with large sections also classified as Special Protected Areas and Special Areas of Conservation.

Birds

Chance of King Eider, Red-throated Diver, Fulmar, Manx Shearwater, Shag, Merlin, Whimbrel, Curlew, Red-necked Phalarope, Great Skua, Arctic Skua, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Puffin, Rock Dove. Also a chance of late spring migrants, including rarities.

Where to go

If you want to make the Red-necked Phalaropes at the RSPB reserve your first port of call, follow the B9088 from the ferry terminal at Hamars Ness six miles eastward to the other end of the island and park at the small car park on the right just before Loch of Funzie. The phalaropes usually feed around the edge of the loch next to the road and are easily viewable, often just a few feet away. You can also get excellent views of them at a hide overlooking the mires of Funzie. From the cattle grid at the far end of the loch, walk eastward for about 100 m and follow signs to the hide (HU 655900), which lies about 300 m from the road. The phalaropes arrive in late May-early June and stay for two months, departing mostly by late July-early August.

The reserve has no visitor centre, but a full-time warden and seasonal assistants are usually available to give you advice and directions. On the way to the reserve you may see Great and Arctic Skuas, which breed on the moorland and serpentine mire, along with Red-throated Diver and waders such as Curlew, Whimbrel, Dunlin and Redshank. About 1,000 pairs of Puffins nest on the island’s higher cliffs and are present from mid-April until August, in the company of several thousand Fulmars and small numbers of Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Shag and Rock Dove. Manx Shearwaters can be seen at dusk during June and July around Lamb Hoga in the Wick of Tresta.

Late spring migrants may still be found early in the month. Although they could be encountered anywhere on the island (including the cliffs), favoured areas are around crofts and gardens, and in any crop fields in the south. Check ditches and burns, dry-stone walls and any area that provides cover, especially at Houbie (HU 6290), around Tresta and Papil Water (HU 6190), and at Aith (HU 6390) and Funzie (HU 6690). Look out for Merlin while driving across Yell on the way to Fetlar, and on the latter island itself. The inter-island ferries that ply between Yell, Unst and Fetlar present opportunities to see seabirds such as King Eider, as well as cetaceans. Orcas in particular have been regularly seen around Shetland in recent years.

Getting there

To Shetland, there are daily Loganair flights from Scottish airports (flight duration about one hour). NorthLink Ferries has a daily overnight service (12 hours) from Aberdeen to Shetland. To get from Mainland Shetland to Fetlar involves two ro-ro inter-island ferry crossings: from Toft (Mainland) to Ulsta (Yell) and from Gutcher (a 25-minute drive north from Ulsta) to Hamars Ness (Fetlar). The total travel time from Mainland is 1-2 hours.

Bird news and website

For the latest Scottish bird news, call Birdline Scotland on 09068 700234. To report sightings, call 01292 611994 or email birdlinescot@btconnect.com. The Nature in Shetland website (www.natureshetland.co.uk) gives a daily news update.

Map

OS maps: Landranger 1 and Explorer 470 (www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk).

Contacts

• County recorder: Paul Harvey, Headlands, Virkie, Sumburgh, Shetland ZE3 9JE (email: sbrc@zetnet.co.uk).
• Nature in Shetland webmaster and Shetland Bird Report editor: Mike Pennington, 9 Daisy Park, Baltasound, Unst, Shetland ZE2 9EA (email: administrator@nature-shetland.co.uk).
• RSPB Shetland office: East House, Sumburgh Head Lighthouse, Virkie, Shetland ZE3 9JN.
• Fetlar RSPB warden: Malcie Smith (tel: 01957 733246).

Accommodation

For information about accommodation and food, as well as flights and ferries to and from Shetland and inter-island ferry and flight timetables, see www.visitshetland.com or call 08701 999440.

First Published in Birdwatch June 2007