Broch of Mousa, Shetland - archaeology and birdwatching in perfect harmony

We took two trips to the Isle of Mousa both on the same day - the first an afternoon visit to explore the island, its wildlife and the impressive remains of the Broch of Mousa, Scotland's most complete Iron Age Broch.

En route to Mousa

Historic Environment Scotland: Mousa Broch

Shetland wren (Troglodytes troglodytes zetlandicus)

The second visit was taken in the evening to capture the spectacle and soundscape of the Isles famous inhabitants .. the storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus). These sea birds use the field walls, the fortified brickwork of the Broch, and gaps within the large pebble / boulder beach rocks for nesting sites.

The petrels arrive en-masse in the twilight hours - and around the Broch itself they seem to swarm as do bats before entering the crevasses between the stones. Their purring call complete with shrill yappy croaks emanate from both these man-made and natural structures adding a haunting sound track to the light changes and the fade into Simmer Dim.

storm petrel in the Simmer Dim

Broch and A in the Simmer Dim

I spent a little time recording the calling of the storm petrels from within the Broch walls, along with the overhead drumming of a displaying snipe (Gallinago gallinago).

"selfie" in the Simmer Dim 00:23 27th May 2018

Keen of Hamar, Unst

Our two visits to Keen of Hamar were both a little under-resourced, given that we had forgotten to bring a flora ID away with us. On the first visit we relied upon the on site interpretation and an intermittent phone / internet signal. By the second visit we had purchased a very useful book, from the Tourist Information Centre in Lerwick entitled: "A Photographic Guide to Shetland's Wild Flowers" by David Malcolm.

Resource limitations aside, we were able to find and identify a handful of the plants present on this "serpentine debris" (nature-shetland.co.uk, 1999) including one of it's star prizes: Edmondston's Chickweed AKA Shetland mouse-ear (Cerastium nigrescens nigrascens) which is known only from this site in its particular form (Laughton Johnson, J. 1999).

Serpentine debris Keen of Hamar

amongst the Serpentine debris, Keen of Hamar

common scurvy grass (Cochlearia officinalis)

thrift (Armeria maritime)

moss campion (Silene acaulis)

kidney vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria)

mountain everlasting (Antennaria dioica)

finding the Edmonston's chickweed

Edmonston's chickweed AKA Shetland mouse-ear

early purple orchid (Orchis mascula)

For a concise description of both the unique geology and the floristic value of the Keen of Hamar as a Nature Reserve visit:

nature-shetland.co.uk, 1999, Keen of Hamar Nature Reserve, read: http://www.nature-shetland.co.uk/snh/hamar.htm

Bibliography

Laughton Johnston, J. 1999, A Naturalist's Shetland, T & AD Poyser Ltd, London

Malcolm, D. 2012, A Photographic Guide to Shetland's Wild Flowers, The Shetland Times Ltd, Lerwick