An intimate portrait of the wildlife of Shetland – the remote, rugged and most northerly outpost of Britain
Photos byBRYDON THOMASON
Back from the sea
Puffins usually start to arrive back on Shetland’s clifftops during the first week of April, having spent more than seven months weathering the wildest storms in the open ocean. Once safely back on land, the birds rekindle their pair-bonds and reclaim their breeding burrows.
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER
Brydon Thomason is a naturalist, photographer and tour leader, and was born and bred on Shetland. These images are from his new book: Wild Shetland Through the Seasons (The Shetland Times Ltd, £36.99).
Storm warning
January and February bring gale-force winds to Shetland. Waves, powered by the North Atlantic, reach more than 12m in height and mercilessly pound the coast.
Pretty in purple
Confined to Northmavine, the wild and rugged north-west corner of Mainland Shetland, purple saxifrage is an early spring speciality and a welcome splash of colour. “It reminds us of the botanical beauty in store,” says Brydon.
Hungry mouths
Having spent the winter in milder climes, skylarks start to arrive during February. Here, four hungry hatchlings beg for food, their patterned tongues and vivid gapes ensuring their parents know exactly where to place the food.
Flight fantastic
Prolific and successful seabirds, gannets have been breeding on Shetland since 1914, famously on the stacks of Hermaness. They are masters of the air, soaring in synchrony over their colonies.
Flock together
Shetland has its own subspecies of common starling, which sports a slightly longer bill. Here, these sociable birds flock over a field of dazzling buttercups.
Seeking sandiloo
Shetland hosts a healthy breeding population of ringed plovers, handsome birds that occur in a variety of habitats from shingle beaches to the highest hills. “The ringed plover has one of our nicest-sounding dialect names – ‘sandiloo’,” says Brydon.
Miniature magic
A wood mouse, known locally as the ‘hi
