Weekend Egyptian Nightjar in Shetlands is first sighting for Scotland and third for Britain

                                                    

The Egyptian Nighjar is a fairly common native of  North Africa and Arabia 

IMAGINE the pleasure for a birder of looking out of one of the windows of your house and seeing  . . an Egyptian Nightjar!

So it was for former British Birds editor Roger Riddington, a long-time resident at Pool of Virkie in Shetland.

It was the first sighting in Scotland of this strange-looking bird and only the third British record - the others being on June 23, 1883, at Rainworth in Nottinghamshire and at Portland Bill on June 10,1984.

Many birders have made the trip by ferry from Aberdeen to the Shetlands  capital, Lerwick, but, as of  early morning today, the bird has not reappeared.

 * Photo: Morhaf Kamal Alianee/ Wikimedia Commons