Simon says....

......."Hello again!" Yes, Simon Davies is back for his fourth season as AW. Its good to see him and it took him almost an hour to find his first addition to the yearlist - a Dunnock skulking in the Chalet garden!
I went out to Lerwick for a bar licence course on Wednesday and was supposed to be back in on Friday morning but the first gale we've had for weeks decided that was the day it was coming, so I (with Simon) had a civilised night on the toon and and came back to Fair Isle on Saturday afternoon.
In my absence what sounds like a female Siskin arrived at Kenaby and there was a male today at Auld Haa (which has apparently been there since Thursday). There seems to be little else new around although a Wood Pigeon was also a year tick, a handful of extra Robins were noted and a Dunnock at Schoolton. Simon was pleased to get the Bean Goose for his Fair Isle list.
Today has been the warmest day of the year so far - hardly a breath of wind and plenty of sunshine! After census, I (with Hollie's help) took the opportunity of the calm conditions to thoroughly clean out the hen house, remove the roofing felt and liberally dust with mite powder. I caught the hens one by one and dusted them too. Hopefully, that'll keep the mites down to an insignificant level!! Whilst carrying out this delightful task, I received a call from Simon reporting two Orcas past Buness - nice! and easy to spot with such a calm sea today. He also saw a Puffin fly past. Later in the afternoon a few things dropped in from the north - a few Meadow Pipits and a Pied Wagtail. Hopefully things will start to kick off now!