...finally we are blogging. Here's an update:

On Boxing Day a baby otter arrived from Yell. She was no more than two months old and very poorly. The people that found her on Yell named her Peerie Mary. Since then she has gone from strength to strength and is now in an outside pen eating five haddock a night. She stays in hiding all day and only comes out after dark, so all we see of her is the remains of her dinner. We are hoping to release her in the not too distant future. She's such an elusive creature even in captivity that we don't have any pictures of her in her outdoor pen, but there are pictures from when we picked her up on the website www.shetlandwildlifesanctuary.com

Then last weekend we got quite a surprise when we received a very, very premature common seal. He was the smallest and earliest seal we have ever received. Commons seals moult in the womb. After a week with us there is still no sign of him moulting! He must be at least three weeks early, because the commons are usually born at the beginning of June. So it's intensive care day and night, but what a little character!

He was very lucky to be found by two young boys who have named him Nemo Johnson. They took him straight to the vet at Bixter who contacted us.

We're feeding NJ a special milk formula for marine mammals from America and at the moment he is thriving, but we're not out of the woods yet. These creatures are delicate at the best of times, but more so when they're premature.

The wildlife sanctuary is going to be open most afternoons from June to September. Please give us a ring before you come. Da Bod will also be open to come and sit before the peat fire and just be - relax, read a book and soak up the atmosphere. Tea, coffee and biscuits are available - no charge (donations gratefully received).