On our travels around Shetland, one of the best wildlife sights was of a Bonxie bathing spot not far from Hermaness National Nature Reserve.

Great Skuas, or Bonxies as they are known locally, are a bird highlight of the islands. These large, heavy-weight birds are known for their aggression and they frequently mob passers-by if they get too close. I was on the receiving end of their dive-bombing out on a walk in Orkney a few years ago but fortunately in Shetland we didn’t have that experience, despite some quite close encounters. Skuas are also known as ‘pirates of the sky’ as they spend much of their time robbing other birds of their food.

The bathing spot is in a large freshwater lake in a valley behind Hermaness. The first time we drove past we counted around 70 individuals in the water or standing on the nearby lakeside. The second time, we stopped and used the car as a birdwatching hide and managed to get a few photos as they argumentatively cleaned themselves.

The real close-up pictures in the set below are actually from a small pond on Hermaness itself. As we hiked up the boardwalk we came across a very obliging Bonxie that didn’t at all seem bothered by our presence.