tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67202639651242835692024-03-12T23:15:48.701+00:00Fair Isle Bird Observatory: the Warden's diaryDavid Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.comBlogger497125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-8201117851703908722015-07-12T11:03:00.003+01:002015-07-12T11:03:36.401+01:00Colour-rings in Spring 2015<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With over 378,000 birds ringed by FIBO, there have been some remarkable movements logged, with ringed birds recovered as far away as Brazil, Canada, Russia and South Africa amongst others. In recent years, an increase in colour-ringing projects has enabled us to find out details of movements of individual birds without having to catch them, improving our knowledge of which birds are passing through Fair Isle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This spring has
seen a remarkable run of colour-ring sightings on Fair Isle, with birds arriving
on the island from far and wide. Below is a summary of these sightings:</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Snow Bunting</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eGds7JO1TtgnYctlk7RTotEvnAEQ0PgIrvDwoe__qU3sN9tHmZSLa6RKc2Z9JDIyImJZhfkRBJqs_73Cnx5F-5zkJoIohImECqBpxrr7872sXht8qLqi_ll7JX6VJR1JM3Mrs3TkAEQ/s1600/Colour-ringed+Snow+Bunting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eGds7JO1TtgnYctlk7RTotEvnAEQ0PgIrvDwoe__qU3sN9tHmZSLa6RKc2Z9JDIyImJZhfkRBJqs_73Cnx5F-5zkJoIohImECqBpxrr7872sXht8qLqi_ll7JX6VJR1JM3Mrs3TkAEQ/s320/Colour-ringed+Snow+Bunting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On 19<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> April a
Snow Bunting was seen with colour rings up at South Naarversgill. The bird was
flighty and took a little tracking down but the ring combination was eventually
clinched. It was first ringed as a young female at Glenshee Ski Centre, Braemar
on 2<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> January 2013. The bird was seen in subsequent winters back at
the site, last sighted there on 29<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> March 2015. It was last seen on
Fair Isle on 21<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> April. The bird was assigned to the nominate race <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nivalis </i>and it is likely it was on its
way to more northerly breeding grounds in Scandinavia or Greenland. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7V6j-8b3ZpvRlVlbE90MNcmmyKm1FyLWWsQnPDl5IhIEsx5rvltFQSyRjgch4tEPtOpOwoFHS3-x1u6CFfAXioMqIc8YKKt-7Lz-ekZFEr5-BikkvzFNlGCfvo2XrNxnH_LHhwzW-iPI/s1600/Snow+Bunting+crop.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7V6j-8b3ZpvRlVlbE90MNcmmyKm1FyLWWsQnPDl5IhIEsx5rvltFQSyRjgch4tEPtOpOwoFHS3-x1u6CFfAXioMqIc8YKKt-7Lz-ekZFEr5-BikkvzFNlGCfvo2XrNxnH_LHhwzW-iPI/s320/Snow+Bunting+crop.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pied Wagtail</b><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HMpPHKoj1dZh6D66xQ1AMrtwDPha4Gl0ZQpUiGt1KYeh54ZksQKLTkV8Y-m002LQwhVLpDPL3UXZO8tcqCQU3cYtWhNLxeAa7BQIAOuGTwoEPhJIkjs5L89k4YJivM9OBJbw0o9dJHE/s1600/Colour-ringed+Pied+Wagtail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HMpPHKoj1dZh6D66xQ1AMrtwDPha4Gl0ZQpUiGt1KYeh54ZksQKLTkV8Y-m002LQwhVLpDPL3UXZO8tcqCQU3cYtWhNLxeAa7BQIAOuGTwoEPhJIkjs5L89k4YJivM9OBJbw0o9dJHE/s320/Colour-ringed+Pied+Wagtail.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A Pied
Wagtail first sighted at the Obs on the morning of 22<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> April and was
very flighty and elusive, eventually relocating to South Light (2 miles down the
island!) where the combination was clinched. The bird was ringed at Radipole
Lake, Dorset on 31<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> October 2014 and was the second Pied Wagtail to have been colour-ringed in Dorset seen on spring passage through Fair Isle (the first was in 2011).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglItvQZbh-jJGloFr_STjk8r7ueWu1WKBpQmUS3BKD1rElt-Ol0KeU7R00njOWWyLTmfPeNOZIpa-BE7S-fEmp12g1Ghgx7OtT_crZFbW0v9gWKkEa581oc6HUaJGOm0dfKHZLK5Om2uc/s1600/Pied+wag+crop.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglItvQZbh-jJGloFr_STjk8r7ueWu1WKBpQmUS3BKD1rElt-Ol0KeU7R00njOWWyLTmfPeNOZIpa-BE7S-fEmp12g1Ghgx7OtT_crZFbW0v9gWKkEa581oc6HUaJGOm0dfKHZLK5Om2uc/s320/Pied+wag+crop.png" width="248" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></b> </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Black-headed Gull</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3DtsBO5hiiu1E_LdOYYCtnzpyHM9qCf6ZP62J79zmUe-m1cyWZtJOQFrrr70Fz50vxMtQEc2cLpOo7gQ1kt9YIl_kuQmb_F0BsAUQHty2Jjfuaa84r3dJYH_8R5lhouTLHMelchEDoc/s1600/Black-headed+Gull+%2528darvic%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3DtsBO5hiiu1E_LdOYYCtnzpyHM9qCf6ZP62J79zmUe-m1cyWZtJOQFrrr70Fz50vxMtQEc2cLpOo7gQ1kt9YIl_kuQmb_F0BsAUQHty2Jjfuaa84r3dJYH_8R5lhouTLHMelchEDoc/s320/Black-headed+Gull+%2528darvic%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sighted
several times before the ring was fully read, this bird was around the Shop
area on 21<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> and 22<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> May. The bird was ringed on Vassoy,
Rogaland, Norway on 18<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> June 2014 and seen on the Ugie Estuary in
the Grampian Region on 29<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> July 2014. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMoETWzf0GObatjIyTwB2kXSK2OJ-Yizf-b7aRoE0Zq7WCYHoqtZ1c429LbjB0_mtz7D_d4p2t5kKCtAViAz-NVKUmK_VzWieLXv66olM1-UyFtIvDYBaQAYL-s8sjwRtknNVWJjk2mnI/s1600/bh+gull+crop.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMoETWzf0GObatjIyTwB2kXSK2OJ-Yizf-b7aRoE0Zq7WCYHoqtZ1c429LbjB0_mtz7D_d4p2t5kKCtAViAz-NVKUmK_VzWieLXv66olM1-UyFtIvDYBaQAYL-s8sjwRtknNVWJjk2mnI/s320/bh+gull+crop.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Turnstone</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFD4Mss39Iojb-Zip02KVWOExYa6ugQFOl7S_HBPMRgQeurvzseXY2UO1KBDWMx1c9ukBc7I-gLBNJHVaSuulzDx66hNJHyZHU-FuEE9EkraVsQPUe6dfGR5tpDvEYwFsaguBwIJS_a0s/s1600/Colour-ringed+Turnstone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFD4Mss39Iojb-Zip02KVWOExYa6ugQFOl7S_HBPMRgQeurvzseXY2UO1KBDWMx1c9ukBc7I-gLBNJHVaSuulzDx66hNJHyZHU-FuEE9EkraVsQPUe6dfGR5tpDvEYwFsaguBwIJS_a0s/s320/Colour-ringed+Turnstone.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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Acolour-ringed Turnstone was seen briefly near Mid-Geo on 17<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> May
but the details weren’t obtained until the following day, when it was feeding
around South Light in a small group of Turnstone. The bird was ringed on 17<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
August 2013 at Leihoek, Petten in The Netherlands. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3bXcgoOZnJshkdnmFhxS1156CToDN0jHrP5mQDp3xV4ZK7Hb1IL9O9hkYaLVqgPQIUAEF1XQ1sQhHgU7JfMLTO-aSAiTsx1jCoD8mHuHnjxgUFauMdwHUkTrYsmMiUNJayO08G14xnM/s1600/turnstone+crop.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3bXcgoOZnJshkdnmFhxS1156CToDN0jHrP5mQDp3xV4ZK7Hb1IL9O9hkYaLVqgPQIUAEF1XQ1sQhHgU7JfMLTO-aSAiTsx1jCoD8mHuHnjxgUFauMdwHUkTrYsmMiUNJayO08G14xnM/s320/turnstone+crop.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Purple Sandpiper<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLImMv_KdTNNXg3bhWgZdAlLGpTd_Kr77KzC6agkA1rsYBpXTG5VGvZgsyWijm8Z8ggnrkzRrDa3CH9sduVMsGMLO2_uXYEVclBzzhfibENaOOcKqEcmbbegicbFIXR5WguogD3EM_if4/s1600/Colour-ringed+Purp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLImMv_KdTNNXg3bhWgZdAlLGpTd_Kr77KzC6agkA1rsYBpXTG5VGvZgsyWijm8Z8ggnrkzRrDa3CH9sduVMsGMLO2_uXYEVclBzzhfibENaOOcKqEcmbbegicbFIXR5WguogD3EM_if4/s320/Colour-ringed+Purp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first
colour ringed Purple Sandpiper to be sighted on Fair Isle, this bird was ringed
on the Swedish island of Nidingen on 16<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> November 2013. It was seen
feeding around the seaweed in Mid Geo near the Puffinn on 19th May and was also seen in
South Harbour. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiScQJ8RkrsOCTMfR0IG732GDeSnm8lPEcOEeLQCkRKK5B_sHI5AgOgh6VK6Xtjjm1s6QqcIWgavlsmu3p9Ag7FVAsOlqEs8x2GGlqSBMaJOkQ3ZizNWnc-2WcdrcEzWFYOWVECz2vzFck/s1600/purple+sand+crop.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiScQJ8RkrsOCTMfR0IG732GDeSnm8lPEcOEeLQCkRKK5B_sHI5AgOgh6VK6Xtjjm1s6QqcIWgavlsmu3p9Ag7FVAsOlqEs8x2GGlqSBMaJOkQ3ZizNWnc-2WcdrcEzWFYOWVECz2vzFck/s320/purple+sand+crop.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-51343321285267323482015-07-04T15:59:00.000+01:002015-07-04T15:59:05.680+01:00Spring summary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
You may well have spotted that I haven't been that good at keeping the blog up to date (and that's perhaps a bit of an understatement), but hopefully you have all been keeping an eye on Fair Isle news via our <a href="http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html" target="_blank">latest sightings page </a>(updated daily), our facebook page or our Twitter account.</div>
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Below is a bit of a random collection of images from the spring since my last update. We'll also publish an update soon on some of the more interesting piece of ringing news from the spring and then there should be seabird news to report. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLBXSqEhtrrk8eXR5PXoxejW_4MA39S6dgUisbgvpGJQ-cq4_dM-AUljdiWK93f5b6hwxHzd-1eHrdy8gdC94Y0rOjTOhVyFdYXhSLXYlk07lA2OIuR2iEm13WfWDFHIfm-1tGBLYRcGs/s1600/Moltoni%2527s+Warbler+Lower+Leogh+18.5.2015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLBXSqEhtrrk8eXR5PXoxejW_4MA39S6dgUisbgvpGJQ-cq4_dM-AUljdiWK93f5b6hwxHzd-1eHrdy8gdC94Y0rOjTOhVyFdYXhSLXYlk07lA2OIuR2iEm13WfWDFHIfm-1tGBLYRcGs/s320/Moltoni%2527s+Warbler+Lower+Leogh+18.5.2015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving almost exactly a year after the first Fair Isle record, this male Moltoni's Warbler was the rarest bird in national terms recorded during the spring. The distinctive underpart coloration was surprisingly variable in the field, but the rattling call and DNA analysis confirmed the identification beyond any doubt. (photo: Lee Gregory)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3uU0pE5wG3SwrBNMSi8FfjknBT1k5_iiIWvlAq8KzS1eJuSpMYtfqvMOtATyCDCW4k_IqHhdN5FJtkoIawoCiQFfRqkuAw2getMJTFHZ6BkXN8K_YtpzG30mJVh70iwrUb0DEHNtKKkw/s1600/Tawny+Pipit+%2528Lee+Gregory%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3uU0pE5wG3SwrBNMSi8FfjknBT1k5_iiIWvlAq8KzS1eJuSpMYtfqvMOtATyCDCW4k_IqHhdN5FJtkoIawoCiQFfRqkuAw2getMJTFHZ6BkXN8K_YtpzG30mJVh70iwrUb0DEHNtKKkw/s320/Tawny+Pipit+%2528Lee+Gregory%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having been newly 'promoted' to BBRC status, Tawny Pipit chose to make its first arrival on Fair Isle for 10 years. (photo: Lee Gregory)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5bVqMQjQG1PkEwdFpyUyLiJ4O9BpJEuOaMmno3F_-GUYJlMgKVhBFyJLMhfeg2FRJgozuH4MY03U4Y8O-tDhGuXIjR40C9XnH4js37F7bWIAMq4gOE8nsSUtYc3r2TqsBHKPy1_C07o/s1600/Rustic+Bunting+Utra+19.5.2015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5bVqMQjQG1PkEwdFpyUyLiJ4O9BpJEuOaMmno3F_-GUYJlMgKVhBFyJLMhfeg2FRJgozuH4MY03U4Y8O-tDhGuXIjR40C9XnH4js37F7bWIAMq4gOE8nsSUtYc3r2TqsBHKPy1_C07o/s320/Rustic+Bunting+Utra+19.5.2015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another species that has just gone back on the BBRC list is Rustic Bunting; this bird at Utra was our first since 2013. There have been no autumn records since 2009. (photo: Lee Gregory)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_pfn24MaDZIBkbfNBXAWN-KA5ZbtNpFkB01WEhJJm2bFwHk8FVgqd8rDXg2VJrjdtHVKGHJdNFubtTEtrHHu9F6sE0ekmdQ3eFlhX7ahDfn4jb-TapsgtT4sOEb3GmwKY5vTtnr23VoQ/s1600/Great+White+Egret3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_pfn24MaDZIBkbfNBXAWN-KA5ZbtNpFkB01WEhJJm2bFwHk8FVgqd8rDXg2VJrjdtHVKGHJdNFubtTEtrHHu9F6sE0ekmdQ3eFlhX7ahDfn4jb-TapsgtT4sOEb3GmwKY5vTtnr23VoQ/s320/Great+White+Egret3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We all knew we'd had to get an Egret eventually, the main debate was whether it would be Great White or Little that would find us first; in the end it was the larger of the two that became Fair Isle's 385th species.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOonjh5w-Hl36i7Ku4yZgPKPqKTSRmXCDhwaZxXvWXB8iCkGp4YvTHNpzTN1-UJu1Fw439-2cTMyBougGP3O7vDmBFZtT1KPfJRwdR6-1bAaBr4F13nkZxzxeU2VJOpsayKJ8ltmHxxs/s1600/FAIR+ISLE.Blyth%2527sReedWarbler.08.06.2015.Lee+Gregory.i.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOonjh5w-Hl36i7Ku4yZgPKPqKTSRmXCDhwaZxXvWXB8iCkGp4YvTHNpzTN1-UJu1Fw439-2cTMyBougGP3O7vDmBFZtT1KPfJRwdR6-1bAaBr4F13nkZxzxeU2VJOpsayKJ8ltmHxxs/s320/FAIR+ISLE.Blyth%2527sReedWarbler.08.06.2015.Lee+Gregory.i.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first non-BBRC Blyth's Reed Warbler for Fair Isle. The species has been annual on Fair Isle since 2009, during which time there have been 15 records, equalling the number seen during the rest of FIBO's history. (photo: Lee Gregory)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgND933tmSPFtwJofUWWn02W7DoB9FJSzO1hbSvEcqD89vALFibA88KMSo-BskwA9RDDocG5qnQ3-mmOYCf21VU6nWhkz4uXK6BNY6zWd37ZucNBRHsiy-7Baljr9ivLdis3ILrPLwS79A/s1600/FAIR+ISLE.%25231Greenish+Warbler.03.06.2015.Lee+Gregory.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgND933tmSPFtwJofUWWn02W7DoB9FJSzO1hbSvEcqD89vALFibA88KMSo-BskwA9RDDocG5qnQ3-mmOYCf21VU6nWhkz4uXK6BNY6zWd37ZucNBRHsiy-7Baljr9ivLdis3ILrPLwS79A/s320/FAIR+ISLE.%25231Greenish+Warbler.03.06.2015.Lee+Gregory.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Greenish Warblers arrived on the same day in spring, both were typically mobile. (photo: Lee Gregory)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCqP4h0dblOVcSpSu2TniwA5MM4x_Q3HbYupu7GA19WaXWscPAza79-YvYSMcQNZ3D-_sSOhp_KGqynjZiw8noHPib8T2hAdMkRtBln1AzwuyCXumQegKsGKWlUz2ch5xZN5OSlP-Fzk/s1600/Greenish+and+Fulmar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCqP4h0dblOVcSpSu2TniwA5MM4x_Q3HbYupu7GA19WaXWscPAza79-YvYSMcQNZ3D-_sSOhp_KGqynjZiw8noHPib8T2hAdMkRtBln1AzwuyCXumQegKsGKWlUz2ch5xZN5OSlP-Fzk/s320/Greenish+and+Fulmar2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greenish Warbler meets Fulmar.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdq4KGQ88pmQjDAKV_RPrJGOqv0r1GsVeJjSoNwypC5175SIM9DtOoE01L2tkbWEMJToKMCiNsP1nG5FzDLkfZ4W6yoyi_qPSQCyC3xAud0Gajh09Is3W7Y5WINsi59PJAvq4C6dW-gaU/s1600/Rose-coloured+Starling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdq4KGQ88pmQjDAKV_RPrJGOqv0r1GsVeJjSoNwypC5175SIM9DtOoE01L2tkbWEMJToKMCiNsP1nG5FzDLkfZ4W6yoyi_qPSQCyC3xAud0Gajh09Is3W7Y5WINsi59PJAvq4C6dW-gaU/s320/Rose-coloured+Starling.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first 'pink' Rose-coloured Starling on Fair Isle since 2007. This is a lovely retro 'record shot', although the initial views were much better as the bird landed on a net pole in the garden as the team were ringing a Crossbill. (photo: Chris Dodd)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCqP4h0dblOVcSpSu2TniwA5MM4x_Q3HbYupu7GA19WaXWscPAza79-YvYSMcQNZ3D-_sSOhp_KGqynjZiw8noHPib8T2hAdMkRtBln1AzwuyCXumQegKsGKWlUz2ch5xZN5OSlP-Fzk/s1600/Greenish+and+Fulmar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwk91bjk4wX9t1o3BfcW8zdaTKxTw0MFyISUPjUA9OlyJn5h28T-Ppwv_VaQ1BqoD5Ttl7PRSw4gsyGgPi2Qg_Pa8dDt4DWEQ4gZ3y0feR7ott5ef51MBbHQ-QSrgubd-57DbWLOQ2A2c/s1600/FAIR+ISLE.Nightingale.30.06.2015.Lee+Gregory.i.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwk91bjk4wX9t1o3BfcW8zdaTKxTw0MFyISUPjUA9OlyJn5h28T-Ppwv_VaQ1BqoD5Ttl7PRSw4gsyGgPi2Qg_Pa8dDt4DWEQ4gZ3y0feR7ott5ef51MBbHQ-QSrgubd-57DbWLOQ2A2c/s320/FAIR+ISLE.Nightingale.30.06.2015.Lee+Gregory.i.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first Nightingale since 2012 was trapped at the end of June. Susannah missed the last one as she was in Lerwick having just given birth to Freyja and was in Lerwick for this one as well, although just for a meeting this time rather than a baby. (photo: Ciaran Hatsell)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1WQ9uEIUraekLrrS81AyRIQDjHuJmR2N3Gd4vqC43_5CJhbH8fus04XZt12DOUS_jdAyPjDNnAB20IdapAJOJWansELz5zG0XWZF0i7tmHcRM1ZBtfbiyDFXY00fjum2GliOcx2Ccn4/s1600/FAIR+ISLE.Hobby.+21.06.2015.+LeeGregory.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1WQ9uEIUraekLrrS81AyRIQDjHuJmR2N3Gd4vqC43_5CJhbH8fus04XZt12DOUS_jdAyPjDNnAB20IdapAJOJWansELz5zG0XWZF0i7tmHcRM1ZBtfbiyDFXY00fjum2GliOcx2Ccn4/s320/FAIR+ISLE.Hobby.+21.06.2015.+LeeGregory.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three Hobby sightings were all far enough part in dates to suggest they involved different birds, all sadly proved untwitchable. (photo: Lee Gregory)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSy8953gpi7WzrZUvyHU7U-5KEl0Mp1XhqGAulBOms2qvY2kaDRbZyZvhVjBN_R9sYfa89Fk8-ycfAAHQhdv2Xwobg2jt11Lf92LVsDAM1OlD-Io-G-s9Wh3rVEcaE42fgID8xamsrhr8/s1600/Common+Cranes+Malcolms+Head+14.5.2015%25231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSy8953gpi7WzrZUvyHU7U-5KEl0Mp1XhqGAulBOms2qvY2kaDRbZyZvhVjBN_R9sYfa89Fk8-ycfAAHQhdv2Xwobg2jt11Lf92LVsDAM1OlD-Io-G-s9Wh3rVEcaE42fgID8xamsrhr8/s320/Common+Cranes+Malcolms+Head+14.5.2015%25231.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Cranes put on a great show as they flew down the island, fed on Malcolm's Head for a while, circled out to sea a couple of times then ended up near Hoini. (photo: Lee Gregory)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4NpsltGarEzOvPHusM7n0g3uQQFW2CuVl14SMz2h-RskVlsiVh1VZqbarJBcET8HTNA-s7cj66v-bqM8L6AgZ3K7bc85bPBFaEYyqAZQAj2lynZa90_i58OwPpwTq7AtGZkFhtisLz4/s1600/Dotterel+Vaasetter+18.5.2015%25233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4NpsltGarEzOvPHusM7n0g3uQQFW2CuVl14SMz2h-RskVlsiVh1VZqbarJBcET8HTNA-s7cj66v-bqM8L6AgZ3K7bc85bPBFaEYyqAZQAj2lynZa90_i58OwPpwTq7AtGZkFhtisLz4/s320/Dotterel+Vaasetter+18.5.2015%25233.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The regular site of Bull's Park again attracted Dotterel, with a trip of four present for a couple of days. (photo: Lee Gregory)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrQa14ePORZy04tguW0uC7Xn6CjtG4ePs52yNfbNL7e-MDT-VZRtCnwNo_EGGZbDq060Qyb04zVOFmclPV2D2MmykNH4UvLWggo7kaR02tigdVBjurGSNUNe02A_BjCgW0TG6S8kGqYc/s1600/Long-tailed+Shuas+South+Lighthouse+13.5.2015%25232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrQa14ePORZy04tguW0uC7Xn6CjtG4ePs52yNfbNL7e-MDT-VZRtCnwNo_EGGZbDq060Qyb04zVOFmclPV2D2MmykNH4UvLWggo7kaR02tigdVBjurGSNUNe02A_BjCgW0TG6S8kGqYc/s320/Long-tailed+Shuas+South+Lighthouse+13.5.2015%25232.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the most memorable days of the year was Fair Isle's best ever seawatch on 13th May, when 40 Long-tailed (including the group in the photo above) and 13 Pomarine Skuas passed South Light, eclipsing all previous records for both species. (photo: Lee Gregory)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsglLyr7y8lnSoG4J_naJ0NK_Ch0sWIsRrg1pokld277OjpY0KaSb5BuocrPnNBbN0ui_cGq3TMW32PC9aRpbfuaBT3qpLu7xDwS7gRxWPPsE3j7LuE0PXTUCmJCfXyBuKsTCSl_FZ3IM/s1600/Long-tailed+Skua2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsglLyr7y8lnSoG4J_naJ0NK_Ch0sWIsRrg1pokld277OjpY0KaSb5BuocrPnNBbN0ui_cGq3TMW32PC9aRpbfuaBT3qpLu7xDwS7gRxWPPsE3j7LuE0PXTUCmJCfXyBuKsTCSl_FZ3IM/s320/Long-tailed+Skua2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very confiding adult Long-tailed Skua spent most of the day around Gilsetter and the Parks a few days later. Nice.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9c0wkLkOBbVjZJXyUvitOWTKCvp51x0u-UdsNAanssa7QW191rPIfXbhteExuCA0-3rV4k8dYSCPgoYHSRhrWwo8IW-5upP23yStp53TqjJX4dJdXRecK_XqqmYTA7FBvP2hbFBGiw0/s1600/Blue+Fulmar+South+Lighthouse+13.5.2015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9c0wkLkOBbVjZJXyUvitOWTKCvp51x0u-UdsNAanssa7QW191rPIfXbhteExuCA0-3rV4k8dYSCPgoYHSRhrWwo8IW-5upP23yStp53TqjJX4dJdXRecK_XqqmYTA7FBvP2hbFBGiw0/s320/Blue+Fulmar+South+Lighthouse+13.5.2015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 'epic' seawatch had started quiet quietly, with a blue Fulmar (above), an Arctic Tern and a Black-headed Gull the only 'notable' birds from the first 45 minutes! (photo: Lee Gregory)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftxefpJaxmZGbSj91fcH9bwXk2BtI_qzuw8o6R1rVdU769ft3cCg9XEAzWW2EaTRhCC3sIUDPF9nfboCBopD5z6j0gIh0av19UECMri3M8jxDnNbmFFCzJ_3SrZrOsFw74JktUS6gupA/s1600/Red-backed+Shrike+CRH+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftxefpJaxmZGbSj91fcH9bwXk2BtI_qzuw8o6R1rVdU769ft3cCg9XEAzWW2EaTRhCC3sIUDPF9nfboCBopD5z6j0gIh0av19UECMri3M8jxDnNbmFFCzJ_3SrZrOsFw74JktUS6gupA/s320/Red-backed+Shrike+CRH+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although the westerly winds restricted migration somewhat, most of the expected scarcities put in appearances (only Wood Warbler and Corncrake were missing from the usual annually occurring species. Totals included: 3 Short-toed Larks, 6 Red-backed Shrikes, 3 Bluethroats, 3 Common Rosefinch, 5 Icterine Warblers, 2 Wrynecks, 7 Marsh Warblers, 5 Hawfinch and an Osprey. This male Red-backed Shrike was at Taft, where it posed atmospherically! (photo: Ciaran Hatsell)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidseBfy7EE1_Mf9KbZgvbYyggq1Hc0R-yttYXni4338rIw5ASfyYZ0Sa1bcbsgiZUx1E6p3j6qPXPTigTRypDmb0wu4hbyGuffD13UN6q4lsS620XRcVnJNXnWV1H10mHNPZ6U_Z0qno0/s1600/Hawfinch+FIBO+11.5.2015%25232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidseBfy7EE1_Mf9KbZgvbYyggq1Hc0R-yttYXni4338rIw5ASfyYZ0Sa1bcbsgiZUx1E6p3j6qPXPTigTRypDmb0wu4hbyGuffD13UN6q4lsS620XRcVnJNXnWV1H10mHNPZ6U_Z0qno0/s320/Hawfinch+FIBO+11.5.2015%25232.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the 5 Hawfinch from the spring. (photo: Lee Gregory)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozUvDh3bmwMxWPyGapTWeqOzsgN4YPKBbYPxBWkgcd4hCnHctYmM_VSDYLOjQIjVvoaYw02035miMFCTD5J-FwVgXdhdWshLp2N9xqCGnLH4FV2GPaeyu9k7n6oJ1jN54p7wMnxsGo4M/s1600/Lapland+Bunting+Fair+Isle+Bird+Obs+26.4.2015%25231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozUvDh3bmwMxWPyGapTWeqOzsgN4YPKBbYPxBWkgcd4hCnHctYmM_VSDYLOjQIjVvoaYw02035miMFCTD5J-FwVgXdhdWshLp2N9xqCGnLH4FV2GPaeyu9k7n6oJ1jN54p7wMnxsGo4M/s320/Lapland+Bunting+Fair+Isle+Bird+Obs+26.4.2015%25231.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Despite the westerly winds, there were very few Lapland Buntings, although this very smart male graced the Obs feeders for a couple of days .(photo: Lee Gregory)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9RwnsiMg1_JiVmouKXcA174hXRxK9qmvvW9Hg0hPGf_KY03ZS32Cq9P4AAOCm9ZtDm76ioKKxIAhR7CcBp7oKXNe2AtqCuLJ49ULn2Nik6YN6P6xIOC5926Reb6BZHgp9HuxTXZiRSE/s1600/LEO+Fair+Isle+Bird+Obs+5.5.2015%25234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9RwnsiMg1_JiVmouKXcA174hXRxK9qmvvW9Hg0hPGf_KY03ZS32Cq9P4AAOCm9ZtDm76ioKKxIAhR7CcBp7oKXNe2AtqCuLJ49ULn2Nik6YN6P6xIOC5926Reb6BZHgp9HuxTXZiRSE/s320/LEO+Fair+Isle+Bird+Obs+5.5.2015%25234.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common migrants were generally only present in small numbers, so the traps have been quieter this year than 2014, although a few surprises still appeared including this Long-eared Owl. (photo: Lee Gregory)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkzGa9U1oqktvFAvhyphenhyphen244euMCwW9QiCJPUiKGwOHCZ8HvtG9y0P7I60RdYzNR4alvFmR79mTjtpqpC1B-CO92mUxZSM-Kwxd1YAhsxqvtZuFGmrHUs0hzrTA0ju6VUbISRXZhHUte1gg/s1600/Littoralis+Rock+Pipit+Hoini+18.5.2015%25231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkzGa9U1oqktvFAvhyphenhyphen244euMCwW9QiCJPUiKGwOHCZ8HvtG9y0P7I60RdYzNR4alvFmR79mTjtpqpC1B-CO92mUxZSM-Kwxd1YAhsxqvtZuFGmrHUs0hzrTA0ju6VUbISRXZhHUte1gg/s320/Littoralis+Rock+Pipit+Hoini+18.5.2015%25231.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>littoralis </em>Rock Pipits passed through in small numbers in the spring and also included three birds in late June, at least one of which was breeding on the island (photo: Lee Gregory)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ZTuSe3y09FqMjlx90Bhm-PVEpjn88v604R0CcXaBUdBrFmBsmj_FDnEB1mD1ifsxkLYS6an-eywi-G6Or02tZ-FfCx0ASndGjXRWYQeZFW09ASVteh9M_l6hUEVb76x1GJJM2G6UrRk/s1600/Common+Redpoll+Stackhoull+18.6.15%25236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ZTuSe3y09FqMjlx90Bhm-PVEpjn88v604R0CcXaBUdBrFmBsmj_FDnEB1mD1ifsxkLYS6an-eywi-G6Or02tZ-FfCx0ASndGjXRWYQeZFW09ASVteh9M_l6hUEVb76x1GJJM2G6UrRk/s320/Common+Redpoll+Stackhoull+18.6.15%25236.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With more time on our hands due to spells where migrants were thin on the ground, we were able to concentrate on other things. The Obs garden has been significantly extended, sightings of birds with colour-rings and darvics increased and even Redpolls got a lot more attention! This interesting bird was present in mid-June and in the field looked rather large and pale, although measurements when it was trapped suggested 'Mealy Redpoll' was the most likely identification - most Mealys at this time of year aren't as pale as this one though. (photo: Lee Gregory)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3uU0pE5wG3SwrBNMSi8FfjknBT1k5_iiIWvlAq8KzS1eJuSpMYtfqvMOtATyCDCW4k_IqHhdN5FJtkoIawoCiQFfRqkuAw2getMJTFHZ6BkXN8K_YtpzG30mJVh70iwrUb0DEHNtKKkw/s1600/Tawny+Pipit+%2528Lee+Gregory%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzXkw9MJr9IBWbFbthiGrCuMueTWJ4w2b4jwSRHDk9hMjAbwm3J9zBlKTgsqdBb0yFiiwRScdK4mWfykKDRBqGlnXLkzVxf65e5LFUswxkmOikDBkOSxCOCskg9JFx22myf2_ol0iQCE/s1600/Greenland+Redpoll+Bird+Obs+18.5.2015%25231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzXkw9MJr9IBWbFbthiGrCuMueTWJ4w2b4jwSRHDk9hMjAbwm3J9zBlKTgsqdBb0yFiiwRScdK4mWfykKDRBqGlnXLkzVxf65e5LFUswxkmOikDBkOSxCOCskg9JFx22myf2_ol0iQCE/s320/Greenland+Redpoll+Bird+Obs+18.5.2015%25231.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No doubting this beast, it's a 'Greenland Redpoll' - dark, stripy and dwarfing the Twite. During its stay it reached a weight of 24.6g, more than double the smallest Lesser Redpoll caught this spring (11.1g). If the Redpolls end up being lumped, they'll surely be one of the most variable passerines we see in Britain (photo: Lee Gregory)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKlqExk7MCWWh5YZaJ6QRaSLdbzhQIKLphPod-WpctJVzTfrb612bN_k7uNHYUmsyrzKQUSAjBoC1GySB7QwzmP-58WBu6SLuMDgjijELUhSjULvZzJ1XGVfvaQJWJRv0GzZPkoJfyNQ/s1600/Big+Pale+Redpoll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKlqExk7MCWWh5YZaJ6QRaSLdbzhQIKLphPod-WpctJVzTfrb612bN_k7uNHYUmsyrzKQUSAjBoC1GySB7QwzmP-58WBu6SLuMDgjijELUhSjULvZzJ1XGVfvaQJWJRv0GzZPkoJfyNQ/s320/Big+Pale+Redpoll.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one was another intruiging beast, large (much bigger than the Mealy on the left) and pale. It was already ringed but, annoyingly, it resisted all attempts to catch it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEVpEDQmTlQyhrDhl_wTIcqEaNBsP0-stgxXyuor5l7w5tFUlyOEAcuWmmI-BGpsx7qQEAKELH7jAxn2tQbAEXIN2R04DHGPoOOrAYV3wvFCjnrCPS7AddnzO1FmzxGOdnufQwmOORbLA/s1600/Pink+Redpoll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEVpEDQmTlQyhrDhl_wTIcqEaNBsP0-stgxXyuor5l7w5tFUlyOEAcuWmmI-BGpsx7qQEAKELH7jAxn2tQbAEXIN2R04DHGPoOOrAYV3wvFCjnrCPS7AddnzO1FmzxGOdnufQwmOORbLA/s320/Pink+Redpoll.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whatever they all are (this one was dark enough to suggest Lesser, but measurements were closer to Mealy), they can be really bonny birds and they certainly provide plenty of opportunities for conversation!</td></tr>
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David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-40048080569684015372015-04-26T11:45:00.002+01:002015-04-26T11:45:34.000+01:00Gone West.<strong>14th-25th April</strong><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6Dq0qUtCQpFmkhKvnKZjFlGWk_mkSo_-M3rM4noLuf3YXu3Sf0KVVMHe-1GXqanGrU42nO755z3WyHGVeJMlPM6BfAWNlO8szjZMmHG1rvOKzKGxCnkdcKgINcFxcO9h56ATMDvJsZY/s1600/Shag+on+nest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6Dq0qUtCQpFmkhKvnKZjFlGWk_mkSo_-M3rM4noLuf3YXu3Sf0KVVMHe-1GXqanGrU42nO755z3WyHGVeJMlPM6BfAWNlO8szjZMmHG1rvOKzKGxCnkdcKgINcFxcO9h56ATMDvJsZY/s1600/Shag+on+nest.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shag on nest, we're all hoping for a breeding season as good as the last one...</td></tr>
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A long time since an update, but not a huge amount to report. I'm currently looking after Freyja who's down with a cold and I'm starting getting some feeling back into my face and fingers after censusing Buness and the Havens and doing the Beached Bird Survey this morning in a rather cold NW wind. Once Susannah's back from Kirk, I'll be heading out round the rest of North, which I'm not expecting to be an entirely enjoyable experience!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvEVeJBrGYD31cwj4MwFJ5yPfh8hLofu0cEwCxQcDf-bPyjxkYwAbEZ8AGl6b4WC6Y8fom9O6FoJiBeWDFyC1U5K5bAOdOB4nWplXsqtuJT82yQ8_mxvEYl7mP0u91kcC9w7SgJZKOVjU/s1600/Shetlantartica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvEVeJBrGYD31cwj4MwFJ5yPfh8hLofu0cEwCxQcDf-bPyjxkYwAbEZ8AGl6b4WC6Y8fom9O6FoJiBeWDFyC1U5K5bAOdOB4nWplXsqtuJT82yQ8_mxvEYl7mP0u91kcC9w7SgJZKOVjU/s1600/Shetlantartica.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shetlantarctica. The scene on Saturday as winter returned to the Northern Isles, although we got away with just a few wintry showers on Fair Isle.</td></tr>
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The recent period has seen largely westerly winds, with a calmer period over 17th-20th that brought a few more signs of spring, but with north-west winds dominating the forecast for the foreseeable future, it looks like the early part of this spring is going to be a real contrast with the amazing spell of late-April migration last year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcWbIsb4whZlvYBWE1m3owPxzB5NmZnQwZrdBhRJ2ny4O80jxjb8crDnR-UwBxIyHaQD5oEaoBvH418vqyaU_4ZDM7kHWceKjbhsEI_F9LM5tNKwRuYtZws6V6uebpaTZ0dazp-dwz_4/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcWbIsb4whZlvYBWE1m3owPxzB5NmZnQwZrdBhRJ2ny4O80jxjb8crDnR-UwBxIyHaQD5oEaoBvH418vqyaU_4ZDM7kHWceKjbhsEI_F9LM5tNKwRuYtZws6V6uebpaTZ0dazp-dwz_4/s1600/015.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calm weather was enough to encourage the family down south for a picnic, and was even nice enough for coats to be shed (although not the wooly hats!).</td></tr>
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We've not been without a few highlights though, chief of which was the brief appearance of a pale-bellied Brent Goose in South Haven on the morning of 25th, the first Brent on the island since spring 2010. A general theme of the highlights not being passerine-based was continued with the arrival of first one, then three, then five Gadwall from 20th-22nd, sadly the increase didn't continue and we were left with just the second-largest ever Fair Isle flock. I've mentioned before the 'island-network' of news, and it's interesting that Noss and the Isle of May have both recorded Gadwall in the last week, islands where they are even greater rarities than Fair Isle. It's the sort of species that doesn't feature on Birdguides, so perhaps a larger than normal movement of them wouldn't get picked up so easily - anyone else out there recorded Gadwall on their patch when they didn't expect it? Other wildfowl have been generally thin on the ground, although the first Whooper Swan of the year appeared from 21st and a couple of Pink-footed Geese have also passed through.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHsLa99ZNAFThBbTqaDJQ-aloUuy24-ReHbxBddmP1iF-7gwTmEHPOVK6-EWhg_P7R3phQYOLMGmkv7QauiEWWRN2HdfEVsBbZtVszXqaPz3SBFalOlQXpTMKSnUEleahy2F0JWdL7lo/s1600/Gadwalls+and+Mute+Swan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHsLa99ZNAFThBbTqaDJQ-aloUuy24-ReHbxBddmP1iF-7gwTmEHPOVK6-EWhg_P7R3phQYOLMGmkv7QauiEWWRN2HdfEVsBbZtVszXqaPz3SBFalOlQXpTMKSnUEleahy2F0JWdL7lo/s1600/Gadwalls+and+Mute+Swan.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two of the Gadwall being photobombed by the still present Mute Swan. I wonder if the swan hangs on until the autumn and gives a few of our regulars a Fair Isle tick? It seems to have made friends with the Whooper Swan recently, which could be interesting...</td></tr>
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Other avian highlights have included a smart breeding-plumaged Slavonian Grebe (19th-23rd), only the 5th spring record in the last 18 years of this species which is a more regular autumn visitor.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwN5-4qHh3gzaYu4d8nyDxJz3zccqehX7IgjaGlemQvX24bjYHOmzlNduj-IZtdyvu8vbmVvL7r-jby8WXVK6lhyFWAaijTZyBJ61wIi4jkQ4NfyawdewxOum7Ed0fest8l69uDf5j98I/s1600/Slavonian+Grebe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwN5-4qHh3gzaYu4d8nyDxJz3zccqehX7IgjaGlemQvX24bjYHOmzlNduj-IZtdyvu8vbmVvL7r-jby8WXVK6lhyFWAaijTZyBJ61wIi4jkQ4NfyawdewxOum7Ed0fest8l69uDf5j98I/s1600/Slavonian+Grebe.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rather smart Slavonian Grebe, it could be watched chasing fish underwater in the clear waters of the North Haven, where it moved with impressive speed.</td></tr>
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Wader passage has brought the first Whimbrel (16th), Knot (17th), Greenshank (18th), Black-tailed Godwit and Common Sandpiper (both 19th) of the year, with the first Arctic Skua of the year returning on 25th. Other migrants have largley turned up despite the weather rather than because of it and numbers haven't been great as we've been relying on the brave (or foolish) individuals that have pressed on regardless. First arrivals have been represented by Willow Warbler (14th, with just a few after that), Blackcap (18th, with no more than two since), Tree Sparrow (a flock of 3 that arrived on 20th at the Obs and increased to 5 two days later), House Martin (21st), Sand Martin (22nd), Grasshopper Warbler, Tree Pipit and 2 Kestrel (all of which turned up in unpromising westerly winds on 25th). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuauGzRNkuU07H63esjm_FMU6A23RzDJ-skixw6m6Jv3PyqTKedtkai8JqXfLo5XGiwh5ZzPKYRNXLCSmnvD6J9dlHFkbCNVCgElka9rNrAJX-F3dG_O4k-B7EGb4mCM1g1OtiamOD9rE/s1600/White+Wagtail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuauGzRNkuU07H63esjm_FMU6A23RzDJ-skixw6m6Jv3PyqTKedtkai8JqXfLo5XGiwh5ZzPKYRNXLCSmnvD6J9dlHFkbCNVCgElka9rNrAJX-F3dG_O4k-B7EGb4mCM1g1OtiamOD9rE/s1600/White+Wagtail.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few White Wagtails have been passing through, as well as a few 'Greenland' Wheatears, both typical migrants in westerly winds.</td></tr>
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One thing that isn't weather dependent is the arrival of cetaceans and after three unidentified dolphins were seen on 19th, we got the one that most people were after - Killer Whales. Initially seen by Jane as she was searching for colour-ringed Starlings in South Harbour, the three animals (including two adult bulls), moved up the east coast, with the rest of the Obs team (well, all of the team except me, as the sighting occurred at exactly the time I was called up to the airstrip for fire duty for the incoming plane) able to get out onto Buness or Roskillie to get good views as they went past.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-jNqPmMhLJUomxqtlZK1YAR3_YuRgKCdZWVextsmxPPkEeUTVh89LjFbDBNbLnrkrgQaFDNV5JRybLw5tj4FDpNv6mtDV4UhYVkEyw2CigMfNX1YNmBfEX20f3Dtp0vkWusP7WEHxw8/s1600/Killer+Whale+(Joe%2BButler).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-jNqPmMhLJUomxqtlZK1YAR3_YuRgKCdZWVextsmxPPkEeUTVh89LjFbDBNbLnrkrgQaFDNV5JRybLw5tj4FDpNv6mtDV4UhYVkEyw2CigMfNX1YNmBfEX20f3Dtp0vkWusP7WEHxw8/s1600/Killer+Whale+(Joe%2BButler).png" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Killer Whale photographed by island resident Joe Butler with his phone as it swam under the cliffs at Buness.</td></tr>
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Interestingly, one of the bulls had a fin that was totally collapsed to the right hand side, exactly the same as one that spent several hours off Fair Isle in a group of 15 animals in June 2013, there has to be the chance that the same animal is involved in both sightings (although unfortunately, it wasn't photographed on this occasion).<br />
So, it just goes to show that it's always worth being out there, whatever the weather - and if we keep telling ourselves that in the next 10 days of westerlies, we might start to believe it!David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-5350754155985786142015-04-13T23:22:00.000+01:002015-04-13T23:22:06.284+01:00Gentilis Relish<strong>11th-13th April</strong><br />
A couple of blustery days brought a few bits of note, with the 11th seeing a few <strong><span style="color: blue;">Pink-feet</span> </strong>on the move and a small fall that included 10 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Fieldfare</span></strong>, 2 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Brambling</span> </strong>and a <strong><span style="color: blue;">Sparrowhawk</span></strong>, with <strong><span style="color: blue;">Wheatear</span> </strong>rising to 28, then <strong><span style="color: blue;">Shoveler</span> </strong>and 82 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Golden Plover</span> </strong>on 12th. Full details, as ever, can be found on our <a href="http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html" target="_blank">latest sightings page</a>, which is updated more regularly than this blog if you want to keep up to date with daily sightings from Fair Isle.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_zOppkUB6d35j3mxl3TkEfNfVNgCB37443Zhl4XpZ3x5na9p767wm7e91Nn2q9tlwXkmncy0CPLGy4QFBBON_vp_sgOFsuYyzI_mXYILRNSyr53C5Ug10sRulpupzvyLRW0Sz-IZ1Kc/s1600/Wheatear+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_zOppkUB6d35j3mxl3TkEfNfVNgCB37443Zhl4XpZ3x5na9p767wm7e91Nn2q9tlwXkmncy0CPLGy4QFBBON_vp_sgOFsuYyzI_mXYILRNSyr53C5Ug10sRulpupzvyLRW0Sz-IZ1Kc/s1600/Wheatear+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wheatears are finally arriving in slightly more reasonable numbers (photo: Ciaran Hatsell).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPENDhXx0sUn6DaJX09Kurh9Igc3fpIEHA4fpTwZz-6DcTpSQ-rpocD_OaVCVEISVHgnBagI6jBl3DbSSfXn-vLMsbkVtgfSaTBt6LAf9lj7uYnZ01rTAPp3FOARvHvWtF5xMYEgKF8Y/s1600/Collared+Dove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPENDhXx0sUn6DaJX09Kurh9Igc3fpIEHA4fpTwZz-6DcTpSQ-rpocD_OaVCVEISVHgnBagI6jBl3DbSSfXn-vLMsbkVtgfSaTBt6LAf9lj7uYnZ01rTAPp3FOARvHvWtF5xMYEgKF8Y/s1600/Collared+Dove.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few other common migrants have been on the move, including a couple of Collared Doves.</td></tr>
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The 13th seemed even more promising when a very calm morning saw a few <strong><span style="color: blue;">Redwing </span></strong>and <strong><span style="color: blue;">Twite </span></strong>caught in the Obs mistnets, before Ciaran phoned with the startling news that he'd flushed a <span style="color: red;"><strong>GOSHAWK </strong></span>from the wall next to Ditfield ('It was huge!'). Some frantic searching by the team failed to relocate the bird and so, after returning to the Obs for breakfast, we started to head out to census with the hope that we'd pick it up somewhere around the island. We hadn't even made it to the cattle grid (I hadn't even got my boots on in fact), when Ciaran heard the 'cronk' of a <strong><span style="color: blue;">Raven </span></strong>overhead and looked up to see the Goshawk directly overhead. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0p3GCY-3iyOXfD_vmJDvRPPguOXx-OYeA-OxIJCLyN6EypvbAra5maAJlfT0ForqxkS-sLhVLLBySzq1nxEuNqBRMSiCaRukylTzy4qiq5TcPYafpOf9jPn2wtB5Ntd1RDihMnhzcWE/s1600/Goshawk2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0p3GCY-3iyOXfD_vmJDvRPPguOXx-OYeA-OxIJCLyN6EypvbAra5maAJlfT0ForqxkS-sLhVLLBySzq1nxEuNqBRMSiCaRukylTzy4qiq5TcPYafpOf9jPn2wtB5Ntd1RDihMnhzcWE/s1600/Goshawk2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An absolute whopper. As was pointed out on Twitter, a good ID feature is when you realise the 'crow' mobbing it is, in fact, a massive Raven! It was noticeable that the Raven tended to mostly keep a sensible distance from a predator that could almost certainly cause it some problems should it have wished. <br />
You can follow FIBO on Twitter on <a class="pretty-link js-nav" data-send-impression-cookie="true" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/FI_Obs" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #3b88c3; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/18px Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="screen-name" style="color: #66757f; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400;"><s style="color: #66757f; text-decoration: none;">@</s>FI_Obs</span></a> if you would like up to date bird news from Fair Isle.</td></tr>
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It circled for a short while, then headed south with its, rather respectful, chaperone. It was later seen from Wirvie as it circled high and drifted north, presumably heading to Shetland as there were no further sightings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW62vR-IZ4xVJ_msR3t3yy2C7BBZmJ5DQZE41CC59rliyonFgGGrAEsskGZCqsjn-QY_qrScF99gmm4IEPqvRJVUozLzSJapd2JgSD1ViSV6TQzTj9XeXYEblRuKE1626AaDmHMVWOnLQ/s1600/Goshawk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW62vR-IZ4xVJ_msR3t3yy2C7BBZmJ5DQZE41CC59rliyonFgGGrAEsskGZCqsjn-QY_qrScF99gmm4IEPqvRJVUozLzSJapd2JgSD1ViSV6TQzTj9XeXYEblRuKE1626AaDmHMVWOnLQ/s1600/Goshawk.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were even able to add the Goshawk to the kitchen window list as it performed a couple of circuits over the Obs. Only the 6th record for Fair Isle and the first since 1996, this one wasn't really on anyone's radar.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72UKf-bXK_N_Iy8TEiYhv8n1LbAOkkg-SYeu04J07qn_FJLn29G8iGL4VywsDKJq6Mja7cz_EjWtUydepD_HPVF6f8xnKdjcrAMrzz5usB3C0loGQ8Smx4o1xDTw4sW9LwoNT313fkmk/s1600/Goshawk+comparison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72UKf-bXK_N_Iy8TEiYhv8n1LbAOkkg-SYeu04J07qn_FJLn29G8iGL4VywsDKJq6Mja7cz_EjWtUydepD_HPVF6f8xnKdjcrAMrzz5usB3C0loGQ8Smx4o1xDTw4sW9LwoNT313fkmk/s1600/Goshawk+comparison.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interestingly, North Ronaldsy BO recorded their 11th Goshawk a couple of weeks ago, which lingered for a few days then appeared to drift off south. Could this have been the same bird making another attempt to return north? There certainly seem to be similarities between the Fair Isle bird (left) and the North Ronaldsay bird (right, photo by Stephen Rutt). Many thanks to <a href="http://northronbirdobs.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">NRBO </a>for supplying the picture, as well as interesting comments about the similarities of the birds. Please let us know if you have any thoughts as to whether these are the same birds.<br />
If they are the same, that gives us hope that we've still got a chance of catching up with the White-tailed Eagle that was seen on North Ronaldsay a few days ago!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqNg5Sfqb3pHju2eL0QOFzR4Z-jLFrBIaEAw-9pmUZg6aJctE_lSiDGPXOyl1Btex7iCAjG9_94J9_Y-zEx8uhJic0tokQ3_MT7pwq9cqmoPUgpp_RZ-Ya202O8x8gjArERKD6QAvEfU/s1600/Goshawk+plucking+post+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqNg5Sfqb3pHju2eL0QOFzR4Z-jLFrBIaEAw-9pmUZg6aJctE_lSiDGPXOyl1Btex7iCAjG9_94J9_Y-zEx8uhJic0tokQ3_MT7pwq9cqmoPUgpp_RZ-Ya202O8x8gjArERKD6QAvEfU/s1600/Goshawk+plucking+post+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Returning to the site it was first flushed from later revealed a freshly dead, partially eviscerated rabbit. Nearby was the plucking post, although most of the fur had blown away by the time we returned with a camera (photo: Ciaran Hatsell). The rabbit was pretty impressively dealt with, but the picture is a bit gory for the blog, so you'll have to email and ask for a copy if you're interested!</td></tr>
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The rest of the day didn't really matter in some respects, but it still went on to produce the first <strong><span style="color: blue;">Ring Ouzel </span></strong>of the year amongst impressive counts of <strong><span style="color: blue;">Meadow Pipit </span></strong>(520) and <strong><span style="color: blue;">Skylark </span></strong>(332), as well as an increases in <strong><span style="color: blue;">Chiffchaffs </span></strong>(9) and <strong><span style="color: blue;">Bonxies </span></strong>(at least 40 were back on their breeding grounds). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4IqPip9mtjr8E66I3q0TgjDLMBOXeAW9aJUBocz0I9BX8Fco3__i0-Fzva3detBQaqVeBYjTnugAhXVmp0Ojc-t_JInJfDXdkjupTUxd29nwYVDSm8chpwKsm5d4m3bYRr6_p8jl2ebk/s1600/Ring+Ouzel+1+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4IqPip9mtjr8E66I3q0TgjDLMBOXeAW9aJUBocz0I9BX8Fco3__i0-Fzva3detBQaqVeBYjTnugAhXVmp0Ojc-t_JInJfDXdkjupTUxd29nwYVDSm8chpwKsm5d4m3bYRr6_p8jl2ebk/s1600/Ring+Ouzel+1+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A flighty Ring Ouzel at Busta Geo was the first of the year (photo: Ciaran Hatsell).</td></tr>
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The recent run of interesting wildfowl continued with two each of <strong><span style="color: blue;">Pintail </span></strong>and <strong><span style="color: blue;">Shoveler</span></strong>, whilst the <strong><span style="color: red;">Mute Swan </span></strong>remained (although it had a little fly around today, so maybe it's looking to move on - although perhaps it's more likley that it was following someone home after they'd fed it!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OSgqYF1TbCiAGX2O75fimzLkRPhbzwKaMQqjdw6wKpzhridwF2ur5BsDi5LVkag7ak2e-dqVZt1AJrObWSsK3YyD12EOAEAb8t8NxbZsj15UdzsBqY0NygwxK2MWt_fSaZwGV0_34Nc/s1600/Mute+Swan+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OSgqYF1TbCiAGX2O75fimzLkRPhbzwKaMQqjdw6wKpzhridwF2ur5BsDi5LVkag7ak2e-dqVZt1AJrObWSsK3YyD12EOAEAb8t8NxbZsj15UdzsBqY0NygwxK2MWt_fSaZwGV0_34Nc/s1600/Mute+Swan+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quack. (Ciaran Hatsell).<br />
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Still all westerlies in the forecast at the moment, although we're doing reasonably well off them so far, so maybe we shouldn't get too disheartened, and it's still early...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0P9ZyG8VExlg-LMZo_IGByX5Sge8kdTmW6igOY_H94A_iTGWihlfvD2MUC34sBqztFr2rp7cblom0OXnOSUaOMBa2TR4FM56o1EMKtyDNEI1FGRyI1tzKVD3IgPmC72CoJ9ggmhCHSF4/s1600/Obs+rainbow+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0P9ZyG8VExlg-LMZo_IGByX5Sge8kdTmW6igOY_H94A_iTGWihlfvD2MUC34sBqztFr2rp7cblom0OXnOSUaOMBa2TR4FM56o1EMKtyDNEI1FGRyI1tzKVD3IgPmC72CoJ9ggmhCHSF4/s1600/Obs+rainbow+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo: Ciaran Hatsell</td></tr>
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David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-89767796429448957352015-04-11T19:38:00.002+01:002015-04-11T19:38:58.965+01:00Swan Luck<strong>3rd-10th April</strong><br />
Although we've passed the snow, the winds have remained largely westerly based and the spring has taken a while to get going. A bit of easterly on 3rd brought a few birds, whilst lighter southerly winds in the last couple of days have finally made it feel like we're out of the winter. There have been ten additions to the year list in the period, with the undoubted highlight being the <strong><span style="color: red;">Mute Swan </span></strong>found by Ciaran on 8th during a <strong><span style="color: blue;">Tystie </span></strong>survey. After circling the island a couple of times, it settled on Da Water where it is still present. Interestingly, the first person who walked down to Da Water didn't flush the bird, in fact it swam straight towards them, suggesting it's come from somewhere where it's used to getting the odd bread crust or two! It's only the 10th Fair Isle record (and just the second in the spring) and our first 'any other birds' species for Log in 2015. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmUsSMjS3TEynAtb-bJI8HSbmM-8N1vlnbYD0eVdjnMeBSeizMYmNYzWdZlhQW1fWYaR9_1KWBmrsaNIB54ENT_gHJqHyd1yioaOT8IxhUPnKkHcn_M55lcz3IWFLU7oD4ulX0yV-K50/s1600/Mute+Swan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmUsSMjS3TEynAtb-bJI8HSbmM-8N1vlnbYD0eVdjnMeBSeizMYmNYzWdZlhQW1fWYaR9_1KWBmrsaNIB54ENT_gHJqHyd1yioaOT8IxhUPnKkHcn_M55lcz3IWFLU7oD4ulX0yV-K50/s1600/Mute+Swan.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quack. A classic island rarity, its circuits of the island before settling on Da Water allowed it to be added to a few house lists (and Susannah's kitchen window list). It also provided points for just two people in the Prediction Competition, with Henry from Haa the only person to get three points for a spring prediction. Photo: Susannah Parnaby.</td></tr>
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Two <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Greenland White-fronted Geese </span></strong>(4th-5th) were the other main highlight from some (very) light wildfowl passage that also included the year's first <strong><span style="color: blue;">Shelduck</span></strong> (3 in South Harbour on 8th). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6XVxoSYeI_1G98laHSyyoPogI5L_OIzsGsk9kJAb13TkiVYChpVumSAvXbdeIE5L6g1ZJiERS1pOt3r9LBg2RQMHn1uN9YkYAR4TKF7EbZXgXWHwUIN3GqJXM6SbAIqOo8X-OwJ1_u8/s1600/Greenland+White-fronted+Geese+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6XVxoSYeI_1G98laHSyyoPogI5L_OIzsGsk9kJAb13TkiVYChpVumSAvXbdeIE5L6g1ZJiERS1pOt3r9LBg2RQMHn1uN9YkYAR4TKF7EbZXgXWHwUIN3GqJXM6SbAIqOo8X-OwJ1_u8/s1600/Greenland+White-fronted+Geese+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Logan and Tommy added White-front to the year list when they saw these two birds fly in off the sea at Meoness, with views after that generally distant. Photo: Ciaran Hatsell.</td></tr>
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The typical harbinger of spring for most of the country, the <strong><span style="color: blue;">Swallow </span></strong>made its first landfall on Fair Isle on 9th whilst the first <strong><span style="color: blue;">Wheatear</span></strong> (a far more typical sign of spring for Fair Isle) was late, with the first not arriving until 7th April and small numbers building up after that. Incidentally, as far as BBC Springwatch goes, the Swallow means that's us done for spring on Fair Isle as the other signs of spring for their 'Big Spring Watch' are: Hawthorn, English Oak, Orange-tip butterfly and 7-spot Ladybird, the first three of which are not found on Fair Isle and the latter's only live appearance was a stowaway that arrived in the Obs Christmas tree last year (to add insult to injury, they then missed FIBO off the map of British Bird Observatories, ha'way man Chris, get it sorted!)! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGr49GFCKHAk6NsjoqQw5sWw7V8mgYoEanYisKts9NCfu8fCjgrO8s3qfJlI4RZ1NOzpzQcR8j5MWyThsDhdhNQ_lAkX8lGVzx-gkdubf_Q5-JKYLUCZLit_SR8ojne8SO2u6-ZzZEDpk/s1600/Springwatch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGr49GFCKHAk6NsjoqQw5sWw7V8mgYoEanYisKts9NCfu8fCjgrO8s3qfJlI4RZ1NOzpzQcR8j5MWyThsDhdhNQ_lAkX8lGVzx-gkdubf_Q5-JKYLUCZLit_SR8ojne8SO2u6-ZzZEDpk/s1600/Springwatch.jpg" height="210" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here be dragons. I'm all in favour of an increase in the licence fee if it means the BBC can afford the couple extra inches of paper needed to include the whole country on their map next time! (image from BBC iplayer).</td></tr>
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Other firsts for the year included some typical early season migrants, with <strong><span style="color: blue;">Dunnock</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: blue;">Siskin</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: blue;">Linnet</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: blue;">Collared Dove </span></strong>and <strong><span style="color: blue;">Cormorant </span></strong>all logged in ones or twos. Migration has been generally slow, with very few species arriving in any decent numbers. <strong><span style="color: blue;">Meadow Pipits </span></strong>and <strong><span style="color: blue;">Skylarks </span></strong>are now generally in three-figures, but, other than 37 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Goldcrest </span></strong>and 20 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Blackbird </span></strong>in light easterlies on 3rd and <strong><span style="color: blue;">Redwings </span></strong>arriving from 6th to a peak of 91 on 9th, most migrants have struggled to get out of single figures.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFj__WleMTkiEhRRci5Km2g3l-CqhTF4YapTIfih6OZHuxDu3wZ2ZmahMTsIvUVNtpIC7FBe6SBrKh73x8xyBJdhw0eZb7YmWo9RjKUffl6Wxvgdinwf3PWaUpiaGvSG3vMWk2vrbC19w/s1600/Linnet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFj__WleMTkiEhRRci5Km2g3l-CqhTF4YapTIfih6OZHuxDu3wZ2ZmahMTsIvUVNtpIC7FBe6SBrKh73x8xyBJdhw0eZb7YmWo9RjKUffl6Wxvgdinwf3PWaUpiaGvSG3vMWk2vrbC19w/s1600/Linnet.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Linnet in the Obs garden, feeding alongside its commoner relative (on Fair Isle at least), Twite.</td></tr>
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Signs of the start of the breeding season have been emerging as well, with <strong><span style="color: blue;">Shags</span></strong> on eggs early this year (with the first noted on 4th April), <strong><span style="color: blue;">Gannets </span></strong>also confirmed as incubating, <strong><span style="color: blue;">Puffins </span></strong>returning to land from 3rd and the skies full of bird song whenever the sun has come out. An encouraging report as a follow up to last year's successful breeding season is the sighting of one of 'our' Shags on Noss last week (thanks to Andy Denton, the Noss Warden for the sighting).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4npy1qSqK5y5Sich4o21Hh7uOJ_llIFrR4pHf6vEDsTV5mWH17Qxe6PIpqm_SsYc4TH_S3Z2c-ZTFOreowrCUeUajU9PpBV-4Z4szRIHKY8xoIbdH2hrrqyqdPPMT4fCVWNN-45DIkmA/s1600/Shag+(Darvic)%2Bon%2BNoss%2B(Andy%2BDenton).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4npy1qSqK5y5Sich4o21Hh7uOJ_llIFrR4pHf6vEDsTV5mWH17Qxe6PIpqm_SsYc4TH_S3Z2c-ZTFOreowrCUeUajU9PpBV-4Z4szRIHKY8xoIbdH2hrrqyqdPPMT4fCVWNN-45DIkmA/s1600/Shag+(Darvic)%2Bon%2BNoss%2B(Andy%2BDenton).jpeg" height="320" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red HCE on Noss earlier this week. Photo: Andy Denton (SNH). </td></tr>
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'Red HCE' was ringed as a chick on Fair Isle on 11th July 2014 and was still here until at least 27th September and was then on Noss on 7th April. With 90 Shags colour-ringed on Fair Isle in 2014, there will hopefully be more sightings to help us understand the movements of our breeding birds. It's always interesting to get news from other islands, sometimes it's directly relevant (regular updates from North Ronaldsay BO about the <a href="http://northronbirdobs.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/10th-april.html" target="_blank">White-tailed Eagle that turned up there yesterday </a>were greatly appreciated for example, although unfortunately it chose not to continue north) and other times it bears no relevance to Fair Isle, but is fascinating none the less. An example being one of the Isle of May's more remarkable records, with a sea-going Red Grouse providing an <a href="https://isleofmaynnr.wordpress.com/2015/04/06/the-famous-grouse/" target="_blank">unexpected first for the island</a>. If ever anything shows that there'll always be unexpected happenings in birding, then this is it and it helps keeps our hopes up despite the forecast for at least ten more days of westerlies!<br />
David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-12672863801449950122015-04-02T23:42:00.000+01:002015-04-02T23:42:24.851+01:00What a difference a year makes...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtjfaKsSCbKQWt9vrXGjfyVZFtzR1qe0XO1MF_fBaWtKM7WCR5es4s3YDj8S0aLzNRqG5XUB39cT79R3JBmZ8VYMT3Yk7GFYaiZwoPWt3ryV2z7lGfc9-1lZ_QHPSY3y-3qfjEgKL0lQ/s1600/Ciaran+watching.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtjfaKsSCbKQWt9vrXGjfyVZFtzR1qe0XO1MF_fBaWtKM7WCR5es4s3YDj8S0aLzNRqG5XUB39cT79R3JBmZ8VYMT3Yk7GFYaiZwoPWt3ryV2z7lGfc9-1lZ_QHPSY3y-3qfjEgKL0lQ/s1600/Ciaran+watching.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bright skies and optimism at the end of March.</td></tr>
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Late March in 2014 saw some glorious sunshine, south-easterly winds and falls of Robins and thrushes, that brought a Red-flanked Bluetail and had seen the year list rise to 100 before we'd even started the official 'census season' on 1st April. Things have been somewhat different in 2015, with the small fall mentioned in the last blog update giving way to westerly winds, that got colder and dumped a load of snow on us for 1st April.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7ExXjrAa2nLF0NPFmvJt3XuUgPI-gwiNaV2_-bPzGw5LiTe8ZIuDuXdO-CxdZD4x-PKda4UECMCguBj6e1Gp-ZKVFCdTgtMVGRqZoOd3Mv_RWcM-7ZWwGr2HgKvzc0mh4FMVyKI314w/s1600/Sheep+Rock+snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7ExXjrAa2nLF0NPFmvJt3XuUgPI-gwiNaV2_-bPzGw5LiTe8ZIuDuXdO-CxdZD4x-PKda4UECMCguBj6e1Gp-ZKVFCdTgtMVGRqZoOd3Mv_RWcM-7ZWwGr2HgKvzc0mh4FMVyKI314w/s1600/Sheep+Rock+snow.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow joke. It's not unusual to get snow showers right until early May, but lying snow is a rare occurrence. There was enough on 1st for a (admittedly small) snowman to get built at the Obs, the second of the year!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtI5bSNJB4TDS08sFT-ZcZiifxW1EC0h5plKruem4B0EtqAyVPaCne2HZi8Yg99E2pKSTEV2HI0cge0MzM9Bt8Kpg_aO1DJwOMlTFeeYcT1FItx1kHzUo4WmvaRB9YSS52XNITGy-1mCo/s1600/163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtI5bSNJB4TDS08sFT-ZcZiifxW1EC0h5plKruem4B0EtqAyVPaCne2HZi8Yg99E2pKSTEV2HI0cge0MzM9Bt8Kpg_aO1DJwOMlTFeeYcT1FItx1kHzUo4WmvaRB9YSS52XNITGy-1mCo/s1600/163.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not ideal census conditions! Frequent blizzard-like conditions and a cold wind made birding unpleasant at times, especially as it had almost entirely halted migration in its tracks.</td></tr>
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With very few migrants, and virtually nothing that wouldn't be expected (although a <strong><span style="color: blue;">Goldfinch </span></strong>on 27th was the earliest ever for Fair Isle), the year list stands on just 83, with a small amount of corvid passage from 26th March bringing the first <strong><span style="color: blue;">Rooks</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: blue;">Carrion Crow</span></strong> and <strong><span style="color: blue;">Jackdaw</span></strong> for the year, whilst <strong><span style="color: blue;">Puffins</span></strong> and <strong><span style="color: blue;">Bonxies </span></strong>returned from 29th March and 2nd April respectively. <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Iceland Gulls</span></strong> are still well represented, with four on 28th the peak, emphasising how wintry it still feels at times.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0gWz1U7UwrDF5inC-KYkjB8bdCMjR6LdewJgX1MWD1Y_ETt_27sdedexrgdtDOGYr3fWJFthkIfsiik4mQJACfKODV4jaj1CWZySxnGXqaXE_yCyDP6KYCQ8K9ppQO3SdTVRUq54guvw/s1600/Rooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0gWz1U7UwrDF5inC-KYkjB8bdCMjR6LdewJgX1MWD1Y_ETt_27sdedexrgdtDOGYr3fWJFthkIfsiik4mQJACfKODV4jaj1CWZySxnGXqaXE_yCyDP6KYCQ8K9ppQO3SdTVRUq54guvw/s1600/Rooks.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The season's first two Rooks head south over Gilsetter on 26th.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgma5RzU0a7p-Xy-85MnoI2ku0qf1pRrndGKA4JWls46ElEN2G6oMGoHlpuGc_3KzXji2zStRIGJtmYAPzXocRwgeOYWbdecMwtRFSYZwOt3HqlSg7vljQ5UgS6zb3WBKntk4_SY-vRorM/s1600/Snipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgma5RzU0a7p-Xy-85MnoI2ku0qf1pRrndGKA4JWls46ElEN2G6oMGoHlpuGc_3KzXji2zStRIGJtmYAPzXocRwgeOYWbdecMwtRFSYZwOt3HqlSg7vljQ5UgS6zb3WBKntk4_SY-vRorM/s1600/Snipe.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A <strong><span style="color: blue;">Snipe</span></strong> feeding just outside the library window.</td></tr>
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However, there is some hope... The forecast looks like the winds tomorrow will be heading our way from the northern coast of France, which sounds promising for encouraging a few more birds in our direction. Saturday also looks quite calm, hopefully enough to get a Tystie count in (we've tried one already, but the relatively low total was likely to have been influenced by the sea state and wind) and that may well see the first few Wheatears and the likes coming our way.<br />
It certainly feels like we may have used up all our spring luck last year, but birding doesn't really work like that and I'm sure there'll be some surprises yet in the next few weeks, especially as spring migration often doesn't really kick off in earnest until late April or even May. More than one person has suggested that they think we're in line for a really good autumn as well! Whatever happens, we'll be out there looking for it and I'm sure we'll enjoy the year ahead...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggymCQXTID-BfWAzOJHXqc5jnfW6j85RaBj3QkGvdxR5A8haiWdj1qvPPmBByNOjIveJbSJ87KMyZk7VOgJmRK7IbGMtFz89l_RAjl8WgzXwDao834F5l5Uyti741R1JH1qrzXSxyoZ-I/s1600/Kite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggymCQXTID-BfWAzOJHXqc5jnfW6j85RaBj3QkGvdxR5A8haiWdj1qvPPmBByNOjIveJbSJ87KMyZk7VOgJmRK7IbGMtFz89l_RAjl8WgzXwDao834F5l5Uyti741R1JH1qrzXSxyoZ-I/s1600/Kite.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grace's new kite got a run out before the weather turned foul. I imagine that it won't get a chance to be airborne when the Bonxies return to their territories!</td></tr>
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David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-706868149308215052015-03-27T09:14:00.000+00:002015-03-27T09:14:51.317+00:00Here We Go!Fire up the walking boots, sharpen the biros and gird your binoculars my friends, for the 2015 season starts here. <br />
After a largely wet and windy winter that delivered very little in the way of avian surprises, we've had a couple of spring like days recently, with SE winds and migrants coming in. The 26th coincided with my return from holiday (a very pleasant week and a bit of birding in Nepal with my Dad - good weather, great birds, fantastic wildlife and a lovely chance to spend some time father/son time that wasn't just trying to get the Transit fixed or replace a door) and the first full-team census of the year. A good arrival of birds was evident, especially on the more sheltered north and west cliffs, with counts including 56 Goldcrest and 76 Blackbirds, along with smaller numbers of other common migrants. Today has started with bright weather, although there is likely to be rain soon and it looks like we'll get Saturday off as heavy rain is forecast for the day, but it's maybe good to ease ourselves into things slowly!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0_Hwp5S7MfrDF7hExYtSDoTCTAhfsapUa-PVgqlGXL7lPB-Nxg0cWgGPm_a_bdIeGzvCbNnrqB909d791UfAMg32uvoccnWokY8QES9T6L0B9jjAlziNIk-xSXs3LgS4ti_-L7R7wd0/s1600/Goldcrest+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0_Hwp5S7MfrDF7hExYtSDoTCTAhfsapUa-PVgqlGXL7lPB-Nxg0cWgGPm_a_bdIeGzvCbNnrqB909d791UfAMg32uvoccnWokY8QES9T6L0B9jjAlziNIk-xSXs3LgS4ti_-L7R7wd0/s1600/Goldcrest+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Goldcrest trapped yesterday (photo: Ciaran Hatsell)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCrSGXrAcLjmIu7XCu8TldrgYd3MgKwyJm9MRJssHJd8WO5Qus5xUKoHpnlRZzhjj7wHRzdS1hUlQ6NDbTs04CWSqum9RVyRQPjoOkKltT9liS6wnVdLmhkdEP41WyVYKcWV1IWrKegE/s1600/Rhino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCrSGXrAcLjmIu7XCu8TldrgYd3MgKwyJm9MRJssHJd8WO5Qus5xUKoHpnlRZzhjj7wHRzdS1hUlQ6NDbTs04CWSqum9RVyRQPjoOkKltT9liS6wnVdLmhkdEP41WyVYKcWV1IWrKegE/s1600/Rhino.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Greater One-horned Rhinoceros, not trapped yesterday. This one was at Chitwan and was one of many wonderful animals we saw, although we just missed out on seeing Tiger (we were on a watchtower just round the bend in the river from where a large Tiger crossed just out of sight from us).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5ujKuqA3wTAi2t7V1t-EuxbUB01eT2_534uPoFtLupZzRYAb3YkBHrmvg2HKqrWI37D_YGrIj_HnSZPRvLaqmt0PHN13W9afINIpJlnp8C8Zfkh8ptAb8VWk5EoCBkJeRnhEGb0ucUA/s1600/Grace+and+Freyja+Tiger+Leopard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5ujKuqA3wTAi2t7V1t-EuxbUB01eT2_534uPoFtLupZzRYAb3YkBHrmvg2HKqrWI37D_YGrIj_HnSZPRvLaqmt0PHN13W9afINIpJlnp8C8Zfkh8ptAb8VWk5EoCBkJeRnhEGb0ucUA/s1600/Grace+and+Freyja+Tiger+Leopard.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grace decided to make up for it though by making herself up as a Tiger and hiding in the garden when I got back (whilst Freyja joined in as a Leopard, although we did see one of those!). As a consequence, Grace has gone to school this morning looking like she's wearing fake tan. At some point I'll have to sort through the hundreds of photos to put together a talk about the Nepal trip.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Whilst I was away, Ciaran and Chris returned to the island and between them (and Susannah), have racked up a few impressive sightings, including a peak count of 7 Stonechat (the highest count since 2010) on 17th, along with other typical early migrants including Chiffchaff, Moorhen, Grey Wagtail, Black Redstart etc. You'll find all of March's sightings on the <a href="http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html" target="_blank">Latest Sightings page </a>of our website.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkrbkW9DTWC6M9xvn0kde6I6tB4YM_g2IyMdaTws0eeA3iZDgybxxb-Iboc0QFB4aDJmew8RkXs_qnLAPtJfkAo568iSKi1fgUYZQ088gh-32bz8IMATp_T-dcECwpjyCnXpc0QjiIbIA/s1600/Moorhen+2+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkrbkW9DTWC6M9xvn0kde6I6tB4YM_g2IyMdaTws0eeA3iZDgybxxb-Iboc0QFB4aDJmew8RkXs_qnLAPtJfkAo568iSKi1fgUYZQ088gh-32bz8IMATp_T-dcECwpjyCnXpc0QjiIbIA/s1600/Moorhen+2+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Moorhen was seen in Gilsetter before being trapped the following day (photo: Ciaran Hatsell).</td></tr>
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We'll soon be getting the Domestic team arriving and then it isn't long before our first guests, but will we get our first rarity before then? Green-winged Teal is a possiblity at this time of year (following our first three records, all of which have occured in early spring since 2009), whilst last year's late-March Red-flanked Bluetail was a pleasant surprise and a reminder that anything is possible. Perhaps the late surge of American birds that occured in October 2014 (coupled with a fairly mild winter), could see a Transatlantic theme to our first good bird as a wintering vagrant reorientates, or perhaps, on a simlar theme, a rare accentor has secretly wintered somewhere in the UK and could be picked up on its return north...<br />
If you have any thoughts on what we might be going to get (or just fancy having a guess for a bit of fun), then be sure to take part in our easy to enter <a href="http://fibowarden.blogspot.co.uk/p/species-no-of-records-last-record.html" target="_blank">Prediction Competition</a>, although you'll have to be quick as enteries must be received by first light on 1st April to be in with a chance of winning the prize.<br />
Also coming up soon is the deadline for the last couple of roles available at FIBO this year, including an Assistant Warden job. Click on <a href="http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/opportunities.html" target="_blank">this link</a> for details.<br />
Right, time for census, let's see what today brings...David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-54885803107042690272015-02-17T14:11:00.000+00:002015-02-17T14:11:37.641+00:00Quack Quack Tick<strong>4th-17th February</strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPlhETvSdlGvUoMuO4u8AwvX2lP19HfaZeRUWGpcoaKQYoo0TL9dgaliMPsPKTAA-62yjjwVcs-L478RhY3XVf1BQ_6OxN7o13mfO7vcZDADeG1UVBjpRcBo_KYwfi40gWrIlNUJtbLs/s1600/Harlequin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPlhETvSdlGvUoMuO4u8AwvX2lP19HfaZeRUWGpcoaKQYoo0TL9dgaliMPsPKTAA-62yjjwVcs-L478RhY3XVf1BQ_6OxN7o13mfO7vcZDADeG1UVBjpRcBo_KYwfi40gWrIlNUJtbLs/s1600/Harlequin.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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A trip off the island for the <a href="http://www.birdobscouncil.org.uk/" target="_blank">BOC </a>AGM saw me making the long haul down the country to Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory, so it would have been rude not to have made the most of it with some birding as I went. Although it was nice to catch up on a few species that are unlikely to make it to Fair Isle (Tawny Owl, Pheasant, Green Woodpecker etc) it was also a good chance to call in on a couple of lingering rare ducks (and catch up with family and friends of course!). Sadly, I also made it to the Stadium of Light, but we'll skip over that one for now.<br />
The BOC meeting was interesting, it was a good chance to catch up with representatives of other Observatories and the BTO and share experiences of our work and thanks to SBBO for being excellent hosts.<br />
Not much was happening bird-wise as I left Fair Isle (the snow gradually melted over three days or so), so I was fairly relaxed about being off the island and was even more pleased when I met up with David Steel (heading up to his new role on the Isle of May) and we picked up the Black Scoter off Cheswick in Northumberland (and fish and chips in Seahouses).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQikCmWPxWRjH2X72miGmi8T-GexYS7jwhEFXrE3amTm0QrwCburtoja6iVf5TsKF1-X0k-LkJfTrH74pChPRWNLJAYX7GNUv3r90-FvdVSXmdjcMdZi1OceS_FaG7B6mdaLyDUb8as04/s1600/Black+Scoter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQikCmWPxWRjH2X72miGmi8T-GexYS7jwhEFXrE3amTm0QrwCburtoja6iVf5TsKF1-X0k-LkJfTrH74pChPRWNLJAYX7GNUv3r90-FvdVSXmdjcMdZi1OceS_FaG7B6mdaLyDUb8as04/s1600/Black+Scoter.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rather fortunately, the sea was fairly flat calm and, although the bulk of the Common Scoter flock soon drifted out to quite a distance, a small group remained closer in. This group contained the Black Scoter, as well as Red-breasted Mergansers, Red-throated Diver and a couple of Slavonian Grebes (all of which are technically visible in this photo).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSycdNMhwdlMJcswAT6s49nME7RO-Y-pyELQsw5bgNuXO_v13R8OdmJ7Jq-de3NPDsLXWxHXlr32iIA48erRX8eMIBHkxqsQwbiiygsiNo1SrSaSXcvGCxQfmcRFjPqo4tZACwZe9T8o/s1600/Black+Scoter3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSycdNMhwdlMJcswAT6s49nME7RO-Y-pyELQsw5bgNuXO_v13R8OdmJ7Jq-de3NPDsLXWxHXlr32iIA48erRX8eMIBHkxqsQwbiiygsiNo1SrSaSXcvGCxQfmcRFjPqo4tZACwZe9T8o/s1600/Black+Scoter3.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although it was a very distinctive bird when viewed through the scope (butterbill being a great name for the male of the species), the distant meant that views through the camera were not as convincing. I think this is it!</td></tr>
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The journey back saw me in Aberdeen on a glorious sunny day, with around six hours to spare, so a walk up to Donmouth to finally get a crack at the Harlequin seemed the obvious choice. After a brief period where it was hiding from view (although Dipper, Kingfisher, Goosander and other species were good to see), I met the finder of the bird, who told me where to stand to expect a view.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLcvVfU3F8Aj9CETpCDEeHKMb6-ndqNSvJAPPCeptWSynkmIyXP87QItjAJ8F8oLFVycX3D2isOcKl3cSkeyBWa5b-8NtS51m_4b_M5pOcOWAw3Ukuw1J2rdfYcS4UuIBFXboCPi9alQ/s1600/Kingfisher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLcvVfU3F8Aj9CETpCDEeHKMb6-ndqNSvJAPPCeptWSynkmIyXP87QItjAJ8F8oLFVycX3D2isOcKl3cSkeyBWa5b-8NtS51m_4b_M5pOcOWAw3Ukuw1J2rdfYcS4UuIBFXboCPi9alQ/s1600/Kingfisher.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A distant Kingfisher through a fence - a rarer bird on Fair Isle than Harlequin!</td></tr>
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Within a minute, a dumpy duck [it's more Micky than Niall (harle)Quinn] had flown up the river and landed alongside us!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyeKWQtiJcS7cVQDAJpZGnjQDxPirM0Go65xy_3opnaycUlLrK47V7-TdL_D9YjZzT2KHyh0rzNuwZZS-pv1iNPRwqDDBOhQZ829aoGI6rAjvwuJUGzoUUKd2Mo-M5hZgz0VEM6TrUm0/s1600/Harlequin+and+Goldeneye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyeKWQtiJcS7cVQDAJpZGnjQDxPirM0Go65xy_3opnaycUlLrK47V7-TdL_D9YjZzT2KHyh0rzNuwZZS-pv1iNPRwqDDBOhQZ829aoGI6rAjvwuJUGzoUUKd2Mo-M5hZgz0VEM6TrUm0/s1600/Harlequin+and+Goldeneye.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harlequin in the company of a Goldeneye.</td></tr>
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It eventually swam to the riverbank then came back towards us, where it sat on a barrel in the river about four metres away!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifAs0253vTmBI2ImHKRkUUBiME160uXOO3RERNcEz5rk58rvHpuAUrfRbbJkLDJqAJeOiP8eq67zUUQVEb27e59CBlupZ9X0fX8TeRUMjCWxwOn7rLEqG2vS7JAJBadO9Ykhx05iyhMTo/s1600/Harlequin2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifAs0253vTmBI2ImHKRkUUBiME160uXOO3RERNcEz5rk58rvHpuAUrfRbbJkLDJqAJeOiP8eq67zUUQVEb27e59CBlupZ9X0fX8TeRUMjCWxwOn7rLEqG2vS7JAJBadO9Ykhx05iyhMTo/s1600/Harlequin2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With a 400mm lens, it was pretty difficult to get the whole bird in view as this uncropped image shows! What a great bird! </td></tr>
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Anyway, after a day where we almost flew back to Fair Isle, but then didn't, I eventually arrived home in time for a little flurry of new arrivals for the year as SSE winds encouraged birds to get on the move.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNQwy7YVBawKDFRaRn3HawMy9fNRDH89sKHFqK6fSSc5ypX2uF8CwKMtg9BoTwd7TZMPpm9HiIfqneXaepTGrFaYM3pPywH1WIa4nBdjfNY4PXDI1VYV4YK7Tayw8m2EkoGbv_0F1KeQ/s1600/Oystercatcher.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNQwy7YVBawKDFRaRn3HawMy9fNRDH89sKHFqK6fSSc5ypX2uF8CwKMtg9BoTwd7TZMPpm9HiIfqneXaepTGrFaYM3pPywH1WIa4nBdjfNY4PXDI1VYV4YK7Tayw8m2EkoGbv_0F1KeQ/s1600/Oystercatcher.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oystercatcher numbers have built up to at least 36.</td></tr>
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A Ringed Plover on 13th was followed by a Hen Harrier the following day (the first winter record since 1997) then Woodpigeon and Red-breasted Merganser on 16th, whilst this morning has seen a flock of four Chaffinch in the Obs garden.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfDE4nqqruCh7BASPR-JDQKeNgrwGuiv9pBPKXP1XAIUQ-6Jr9FJJEvQuZbJJ3b_5o_Ly8wo1L3Y6y9cl802nDiBdf2rEyM6oSjec8TX9irqRu7xJBtiYQv7k4nrWCZWU1gUtrgDR-I4/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfDE4nqqruCh7BASPR-JDQKeNgrwGuiv9pBPKXP1XAIUQ-6Jr9FJJEvQuZbJJ3b_5o_Ly8wo1L3Y6y9cl802nDiBdf2rEyM6oSjec8TX9irqRu7xJBtiYQv7k4nrWCZWU1gUtrgDR-I4/s1600/007.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's nothing like getting excited over a Woodpigeon to remind you of what it's like birding in the Northern Isles in winter!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-PuLjYGR0qLmV4dobs3tq67PhcEdHb2UIM6jQU49nsDiwMQYLJulfD4lx7W9Go_Z6MCjihu7tgGuih_wjqMAq0WJOD5c6-s5efx4DZ2Hwdep93132sUEZqC7bqwHbhsSQz9-kHZGKfw0/s1600/Chaffinch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-PuLjYGR0qLmV4dobs3tq67PhcEdHb2UIM6jQU49nsDiwMQYLJulfD4lx7W9Go_Z6MCjihu7tgGuih_wjqMAq0WJOD5c6-s5efx4DZ2Hwdep93132sUEZqC7bqwHbhsSQz9-kHZGKfw0/s1600/Chaffinch.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chaffinches are often one of the earliest migrants, but this is an early date for birds to be moving through (although small numbers are not unusual as overwintering birds).</td></tr>
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There are a few daffodils in the garden, new birds coming through and the deadline for staff applications coming up at the end of the week, it's starting to feel distinctly sort of spring-like.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrIoA7_1Cs65jpq5XZJWDHBehoq86OFoAKPL7bV70arJxaY42I1859seaj-9GPSG_7Iv6VtbvhRYiC8qapJeTAIV5HYzhNs-QoQsfPwiflMTLnPuwgasR3bEZb8dQjP1cFNGKemzOiP0/s1600/Aurora+harbour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrIoA7_1Cs65jpq5XZJWDHBehoq86OFoAKPL7bV70arJxaY42I1859seaj-9GPSG_7Iv6VtbvhRYiC8qapJeTAIV5HYzhNs-QoQsfPwiflMTLnPuwgasR3bEZb8dQjP1cFNGKemzOiP0/s1600/Aurora+harbour.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A wonderful aurora last night wasn't matched by the quality of my photos, but it was nice to get back to the family and have the bonus of Northern Lights and birds coming through.</td></tr>
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<br />David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-91529287717310909852015-02-04T11:46:00.000+00:002015-02-04T11:46:01.190+00:00Do you want to build a snowman?26th January - 3rd February<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9PW-Jx0AF0nMfVurW88LZILGijqJsnJWzp1XJTnXArZnG55N_RHdszC5dRbIZKXoFrPeA3TKEnyt3kCYLgZITnGnjmV4NTlq4Uw0MnoR5iyVaKls6MBHq4CijwChWWllVG1kHzhkyTg/s1600/Obs+in+snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9PW-Jx0AF0nMfVurW88LZILGijqJsnJWzp1XJTnXArZnG55N_RHdszC5dRbIZKXoFrPeA3TKEnyt3kCYLgZITnGnjmV4NTlq4Uw0MnoR5iyVaKls6MBHq4CijwChWWllVG1kHzhkyTg/s1600/Obs+in+snow.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
If you've got small children, you've probably seen Frozen at least once and are likely to have some of the songs stuck in your head. We certainly have today, after a rare day of lying snow on Fair Isle, a 'snow day' for the kids and some sledging out the back of the Obs. Having brought one sledge to Fair Isle (which has been, if anything, too many sledges since we arrived), we've since had another child - so we were very thankful to friends who had previously found a sledge washed up in Busta Geo, scrubbed off all the algae, seaweed etc and delivered it to the Obs this morning so we could have a sledge each for the girls!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_au7B-OOz8TwwonjLZOgtnqs-PvEH9MB62upCw2J8kj0pClxLuU0WvZacmhXFIhetjI6tJ73nHiNJUTmB-b2l_grLXQAUxuBykbPzzNV3vTUi6p4jzGRF_eSCwhEkpRjvTYZQTu8ToA/s1600/Girls+on+sledges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_au7B-OOz8TwwonjLZOgtnqs-PvEH9MB62upCw2J8kj0pClxLuU0WvZacmhXFIhetjI6tJ73nHiNJUTmB-b2l_grLXQAUxuBykbPzzNV3vTUi6p4jzGRF_eSCwhEkpRjvTYZQTu8ToA/s1600/Girls+on+sledges.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1-Xazpcm3_AveufpNNVRSzh-ValyK7g0CfbQC4MQUSR_yAjqULFeMGA9SjcuKDhpsOoFUHptXPmMCizGpnQK-lT0ZbRNxwLJcyJlgCbETUDJLiqe6CsfEy2x5l2VRNvKVPkms8REpZU/s1600/Do+you+want+to+build+a+snowman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1-Xazpcm3_AveufpNNVRSzh-ValyK7g0CfbQC4MQUSR_yAjqULFeMGA9SjcuKDhpsOoFUHptXPmMCizGpnQK-lT0ZbRNxwLJcyJlgCbETUDJLiqe6CsfEy2x5l2VRNvKVPkms8REpZU/s1600/Do+you+want+to+build+a+snowman.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first snowman we've built in the Obs garden I think (the last one we made was two years ago and was up at the airstrip).</td></tr>
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Of course, it's not all sledging and snowmen (although a day of that never does anyone any harm) and the office work continues to take up a fair bit of time as we get ready for the ever approaching 2015 season (and with bookings opening for 2016 on 1st March, that as well!). A couple of things to be aware of, are:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li> <a href="http://fibowarden.blogspot.co.uk/p/species-no-of-records-last-record.html" target="_blank">The 2015 Prediction Competition </a> - have a go, you could win a couple nights at the Obs </li>
<li> There are just over two weeks to apply for <a href="http://fibowarden.blogspot.co.uk/p/vacancies-2013.html" target="_blank">Job and Volunteer vacancies</a> for the 2015 season, please help spread the word amongst your friends if you think they could be a part of the FIBO team this year.</li>
</ul>
<br />
I also managed to briefly get my email inbox empty (for the first time in my history I believe) and work on the 2014 Annual Report is coming along nicely. If anyone has photographs that they think could be suitable for the report and would be happy for us to use them, then please get in touch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKZJbGFsAAZmLn1RW-xKHf-X0e6yNCFRAOHQTyOdKg1889pcq5TAFNXBpHo1Phk026P1ix842B8ZoiRZvBKYPjecMbEVxhf1lesDJaQrvlqUq2ftn-0Cx5JGIYXHsHe7FkflLA_EftNE/s1600/Glaucous+Gull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKZJbGFsAAZmLn1RW-xKHf-X0e6yNCFRAOHQTyOdKg1889pcq5TAFNXBpHo1Phk026P1ix842B8ZoiRZvBKYPjecMbEVxhf1lesDJaQrvlqUq2ftn-0Cx5JGIYXHsHe7FkflLA_EftNE/s1600/Glaucous+Gull.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juvenile Glaucous Gull (centre), on a snow-dusted rock in Mavers Geo on 1st February . Do you have better photos than this?!</td></tr>
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Bird sightings have been largely unremarkable since the last update: 4 <b><span style="color: blue;">Pink-footed Geese </span></b>on 1st were the first of the year and seemingly arrived with a few more <b><span style="color: blue;">Greylags</span></b> (152 were counted on 2nd), a couple of<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"> Iceland Gulls</span></b> and a <b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Glaucous Gull</span></b> were seen and the <b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Buzzard</span></b> and <b><span style="color: blue;">Sparrowhawk</span></b> reappeared, whilst a small arrival of thrushes at the end of January saw <b><span style="color: blue;">Fieldfare </span></b>numbers rise to at least 57. Full details of recent sightings are updated regularly on the <a href="http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html" target="_blank">FIBO website</a> .<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5J45YXkbeHrE6ntVADhq9XcmW8W_axlXh2STTRCdctBBTBVbLGRTzSodrqBKBnQi5LRFBg4o7zoliEwPIEZz7in80o1v7oogb5tVnXBVJBMRKbJalZBGImRRdd-kEMOeO5totQUJOdo/s1600/Water+Rail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5J45YXkbeHrE6ntVADhq9XcmW8W_axlXh2STTRCdctBBTBVbLGRTzSodrqBKBnQi5LRFBg4o7zoliEwPIEZz7in80o1v7oogb5tVnXBVJBMRKbJalZBGImRRdd-kEMOeO5totQUJOdo/s1600/Water+Rail.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least two Water Rails remain, although mostly elusively like this bird on Barkland on 30th January. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSMNQkdzAvD1wXIOiQtH6sxFJHhcAfBjBpFMJGhqxAxnLLa9ytbCu82fzTlDrPNX7Oji87uzAzcRRw8Hhx0ArmFPg9Kq70JQzOUesDuWHl6R-T2Rom8aqDEG1rAWHjFUBOLzjFDZmV04/s1600/Twite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSMNQkdzAvD1wXIOiQtH6sxFJHhcAfBjBpFMJGhqxAxnLLa9ytbCu82fzTlDrPNX7Oji87uzAzcRRw8Hhx0ArmFPg9Kq70JQzOUesDuWHl6R-T2Rom8aqDEG1rAWHjFUBOLzjFDZmV04/s1600/Twite.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few Twite have returned to the garden in the last couple of days. Another poor photo, but can anyone else produce a picture of Twite <span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">on a nyjer seed feeder in the snow?!</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It looks like the snow may hang on just long enough to scupper flights for the next day or two, but if there is any transport, I'll be away for the next week or so. Hopefully that won't be when the snow melts to reveal a Gyr Falcon or something similar lurking on the island!</span></div>
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David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-52942515170838988942015-01-26T21:36:00.001+00:002015-01-26T21:36:07.898+00:00Oycxiting Times<strong>18th-25th January</strong><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn43Nhbl9nBB2O3Bi1i2vFzUpLP8H_nSUUXJNIGxX49HdVt5EATz_zHxMtYjw6CRKNK3On5AzIvc9Vkhy9gP2WzfHhzFh6jP9FMAwm9KGlFEBq_ZQSZSBTsvK59FDa_OAkgBMsqa4pH0Y/s1600/Big+Garden+Birdwatch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn43Nhbl9nBB2O3Bi1i2vFzUpLP8H_nSUUXJNIGxX49HdVt5EATz_zHxMtYjw6CRKNK3On5AzIvc9Vkhy9gP2WzfHhzFh6jP9FMAwm9KGlFEBq_ZQSZSBTsvK59FDa_OAkgBMsqa4pH0Y/s1600/Big+Garden+Birdwatch.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Big Garden Birdwatch was a highlight of Saturday. In the absence of having taken many other pictures during the week, I'll pepper this update with BGBW shots.</td></tr>
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After a dark, windy winter it is still pretty windy, but getting a bit lighter now and there are a few reminders that it will eventually be spring again. Although <strong><span style="color: blue;">Oystercatcher</span></strong> is not really a summer migrant, it is one of the many species that abandon us (Turnstone, Redshank, Curlew, Snipe, Purple Sandpiper and possibly a few Woodcock are the only waders that remain right through the winter, whilst passerines are limited to the resident Fair Isle Wren, House Sparrow, Starling, Rock Pipit, Hooded Crow and Raven, with the four common thrush species usully present in varying numbers, a handful of Robins and a few Skylarks and Snow Buntings often overwintering), so it was good to get one in the Havens whilst doing the Beached Bird Survey yesterday, the first on the island since 10th November. The BBS produced, amongst other more typical finds, a dead juvenile <strong><span style="color: blue;">Herring Gull</span></strong> that had been ringed in one of the Fair Isle breeding colonies in July 2014.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBg2CvJpfP9To5zB170o0RqNbEzR9Fe8Mj_cTF1I-eLBXkQZroYtt4Hk4u9ItLoceXBNXMbUpsdpNfqYLSSCUCyeG9Id5qjv2e3F3ArJXS6XL0FolH8SNLS0GtVrDWUhJJzZZZvhZzl7A/s1600/Rock+Pipit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBg2CvJpfP9To5zB170o0RqNbEzR9Fe8Mj_cTF1I-eLBXkQZroYtt4Hk4u9ItLoceXBNXMbUpsdpNfqYLSSCUCyeG9Id5qjv2e3F3ArJXS6XL0FolH8SNLS0GtVrDWUhJJzZZZvhZzl7A/s1600/Rock+Pipit.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Rock Pipit</span></b> was an expected one for us, but counts as an 'other species' on the RSPB form, as there won't be many British gardens that expect this species.</td></tr>
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Other new birds owed more to the bad weather than any signs of spring, with juvenile <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Iceland Gull</span></strong> sightings on 19th, 23rd and 25th and <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Glaucous Gulls</span></strong> on 23rd (and adult and juvenile), 24th (one juvenile) and 25th (two juveniles), with a bit of seawatching producing <span style="color: #b45f06;"><strong>Little Auk</strong></span> and <strong><span style="color: blue;">blue Fulmar</span></strong> (20th) and <strong><span style="color: blue;">Great Northern Diver</span></strong> (23rd). Cold weather further south and south-easterly winds were probably responsible for our first <strong><span style="color: blue;">Lapwing</span></strong> (21st) and <strong><span style="color: blue;">Brambling</span></strong> (22nd) of the year, with the latter also the first January record since 2003, along with <strong><span style="color: blue;">Golden Plover </span></strong>(20th-21st), a flock of 25 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Twite </span></strong>(20th) and a small increase in <strong><span style="color: blue;">Fieldfare </span></strong>and <strong><span style="color: blue;">Song Thrush</span></strong>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_TX0pwhfjuzaiXOlPL52OJs4N16aC-cWKTGxeYygSrPq4eEjhw751RZ25fGwKrkTWO5vq-928CRBYUhG20ax64uka8I_KUCfEeDjt2MytM6HF1vFYtVN_AWpfJhUZcUoP1s0m1n6LcU/s1600/Glaucous+Gull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_TX0pwhfjuzaiXOlPL52OJs4N16aC-cWKTGxeYygSrPq4eEjhw751RZ25fGwKrkTWO5vq-928CRBYUhG20ax64uka8I_KUCfEeDjt2MytM6HF1vFYtVN_AWpfJhUZcUoP1s0m1n6LcU/s1600/Glaucous+Gull.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not countable on the BGBW (it didn't land in the garden), but this Glaucous Gull (bottom bird) flew over, having clearly annoyed these two <b><span style="color: blue;">Great Black-backed Gulls</span></b>, which harried it for some time.</td></tr>
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Amongst the wildfowl, the <strong><span style="color: blue;">Shoveler </span></strong>and 2 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Barnacle Geese </span></strong>both lingered and there were 8 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Wigeon </span></strong>and 2 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Long-tailed Duck</span></strong>, whilst other species still present included <strong><span style="color: blue;">Peregrine</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: blue;">Merlin </span></strong>and <strong><span style="color: blue;">Water Rail</span></strong>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03Qnd1N__bLrnvDlxEqRq0kJUINWGldMD7QnIPZ_9TEF7D9wNhu7r85ZgTLscFLZMqqYLP_rNjlD6jXWxPa_yffCaunr3uuyju8NsceEkfD8zWStzy60tnONaQfVbz68v0Kt9hx2cgcI/s1600/House+Sparrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03Qnd1N__bLrnvDlxEqRq0kJUINWGldMD7QnIPZ_9TEF7D9wNhu7r85ZgTLscFLZMqqYLP_rNjlD6jXWxPa_yffCaunr3uuyju8NsceEkfD8zWStzy60tnONaQfVbz68v0Kt9hx2cgcI/s1600/House+Sparrow.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The<b><span style="color: blue;"> House Sparrow</span></b> flock peaked at 11. They don't always stay at the Obs throughout the winter, but as we haven't been away on holiday, they've had a constant supply of feed, so haven't had to decamp down the island this winter.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTsL9GTC4GJBodAmd00S30FtFI9ctWriCPGXhz0qMNaCMKi-sDXuOHixmxxAkAP-XM1qdNc2w2HrtepPejNNHzPCmyOrOyVHuaY3ofPxSvS0ZvWdh6LqZvquQ3YQUYfXTu_C770bsV6c/s1600/Starlings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTsL9GTC4GJBodAmd00S30FtFI9ctWriCPGXhz0qMNaCMKi-sDXuOHixmxxAkAP-XM1qdNc2w2HrtepPejNNHzPCmyOrOyVHuaY3ofPxSvS0ZvWdh6LqZvquQ3YQUYfXTu_C770bsV6c/s1600/Starlings.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Starling</span></b>s were the commonest species recorded, with a peak of 24. They made amazingly short work of fat-laced pine cones and slices of apple.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0gv-ZdYjjcj5_gz7V4_FNQl9G96py4Zo4crn9oKawZAgzHU_GasP3ZqJ15_iM-A67PFfqTuWePGoluxrHh-rqwq0sY7C5y-30xQ6TwQhWQmBErRTRzIVeD_fGh4JshqlxuO2p9IOdvB0/s1600/Blackbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0gv-ZdYjjcj5_gz7V4_FNQl9G96py4Zo4crn9oKawZAgzHU_GasP3ZqJ15_iM-A67PFfqTuWePGoluxrHh-rqwq0sY7C5y-30xQ6TwQhWQmBErRTRzIVeD_fGh4JshqlxuO2p9IOdvB0/s1600/Blackbird.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wintering <b><span style="color: blue;">Blackbird</span></b> numbers across the island seem to have dwindled a bit recently, this immature male is the only one using the Obs garden regularly. The only other bird to call in was the wintering<b><span style="color: blue;"> Robin</span></b> (Rock Dove and Fair Isle Wren managed to miss our chosen hour).</td></tr>
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<strong><span style="color: blue;">Guillemots </span></strong>had returned to the cliffs early in the period as another reminder that spring will get here eventually, but as the wind increased, they dissipated again. The bulbs daring to start poking through in the garden are having a similarly stop-go start to the year, with fresh green shoots being regularly burned brown by wind and salt spray.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMtaWFOVgb1zkhrrOKqByld1uXBsKQ3McnbSqQmTBKiA5ZFnjV_0ErqIlGL_-HkcqKF5XC_NoLEoeDfBjvKlpdsC0kW22TyLR5SBA7i8ov05A-eorDDtxShCVxiMUxCUhOEdCbfAG90U/s1600/Birdcakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMtaWFOVgb1zkhrrOKqByld1uXBsKQ3McnbSqQmTBKiA5ZFnjV_0ErqIlGL_-HkcqKF5XC_NoLEoeDfBjvKlpdsC0kW22TyLR5SBA7i8ov05A-eorDDtxShCVxiMUxCUhOEdCbfAG90U/s1600/Birdcakes.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preparing food for the BGBW. The Good Shepherd sailed fairly recently, so we've not had to rely on lard-filled pine cones for ourselves yet. Mmmmm lard.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgEkpzyZPEWWHwZ2oFApFIZiyaGu6coV-DBkr_TZjlEEbVMKQstuGcA66pybhoD2NdQbm0piGwCdaa_LwvAhVlwiBNoSF0pQAb2E4q8_9-OfPebHCMSov1ohkFYS5qHIinGJEnH3hpf8/s1600/Mouse+watching.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgEkpzyZPEWWHwZ2oFApFIZiyaGu6coV-DBkr_TZjlEEbVMKQstuGcA66pybhoD2NdQbm0piGwCdaa_LwvAhVlwiBNoSF0pQAb2E4q8_9-OfPebHCMSov1ohkFYS5qHIinGJEnH3hpf8/s1600/Mouse+watching.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The girls were quite excited and Grace managed an impressive 45 minutes at the window before being distracted. The culprit being ...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70Y0r3n4KuT1SfPT6-YKZVFJ6w6t4WPuKi7s2GEmSrPLos8fE8RUWNVr9IHmOzmf6rwT_Fvy4mVtdLQlEh2SigWbT-hqXamFO1JuSsaD2GjJ0fHxzHdtOacfO0GNKyzxy0v9pku8wgb0/s1600/Fair+Isle+mouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70Y0r3n4KuT1SfPT6-YKZVFJ6w6t4WPuKi7s2GEmSrPLos8fE8RUWNVr9IHmOzmf6rwT_Fvy4mVtdLQlEh2SigWbT-hqXamFO1JuSsaD2GjJ0fHxzHdtOacfO0GNKyzxy0v9pku8wgb0/s1600/Fair+Isle+mouse.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...a <b><span style="color: #38761d;">Fair Isle Mouse</span></b> (a slightly larger form of the Field Mouse), which took advantage of some bird seed that had been dropped at the back door.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
As we cling to the few signs that spring is on its way, there's also the chance to relive last year's excellent birding, with an <a href="http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=4821" target="_blank">article on Birdguides</a> summarising the excitement of breaking the Fair Isle year list record (subject to the various rarities committees accepting all the rarity records of course) and start to wonder what 2015 will bring. We'll be running the Prediction Competition again this year, so get your thinking caps on (check the tab above for last year's rules, which I'll be updating shortly) and start dreaming. </div>
<br />David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-86272771817269130132015-01-18T22:39:00.000+00:002015-01-18T22:39:40.615+00:00 You aint seen nothing like the harlequin.<b>10th-17th January</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLT7qwfslAAkWwp-NTVkoYYSSp7B4jEDiGYw3IHn5T2cemQM115d2PZDoU36Uj2Qgmbin101u3aD-D4-egX3uzXgAVKc_YRMAcMjpjwAlToYIHItyhNmFsqWT2a5NuRGAABQeA9Yajcxo/s1600/Stormy2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLT7qwfslAAkWwp-NTVkoYYSSp7B4jEDiGYw3IHn5T2cemQM115d2PZDoU36Uj2Qgmbin101u3aD-D4-egX3uzXgAVKc_YRMAcMjpjwAlToYIHItyhNmFsqWT2a5NuRGAABQeA9Yajcxo/s1600/Stormy2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, not only
did my attempt to conjure up a Harlequin on Fair Isle fail miserably, I also
managed to curse my attempts to see the Aberdeen bird – a total lack of planes during
the week meant I was stranded on the island and had to Skype into the FIBOT
Directors’ meeting. In fact, there hasn’t been a plane since 8</span><sup style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
January (and there was only one managed to make it in that day, which was fully
booked, so the last chance to leave Fair Isle if you weren’t scheduled on that one
was on 6</span><sup style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> January!), but the Good Shepherd made its first voyage
since the first week of the month yesterday, so the island is now stocked up on perishable
foods. We’re always grateful to the ferry crew who endure some rough crossings
at this time of year to make sure the island is still capable of functioning (whilst
we could have managed without salad for a while, the delivery of all the island’s
fuel, animal feed etc also relies on the Good Shepherd running) and thanks to
Robert and Fiona for the late-night opening at Stackhoull last night to make sure
everyone can have a boiled egg for Sunday breakfast (Freyja was so excited by the greenery that came back from the shop that she's been wearing a cucumber as a hat!).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The weather
has continued with the strong (sometimes ridiculously so) westerly wind, which
has shifted slightly more NW in the last couple of days, making it cooler, so
the accompanying showers have become increasingly sleety. It looks like next
week could well be more settled, with the wind coming more from the east, which
may encourage a bit of bird movement.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKq6od0DePfQ74CdaLeqhh957O2xttAnBuefiI5_75AdT7hrXATOG74yTl9w6A2q_GxT38a7dAhXLkILjdxI_Wm5n3ucn20hDx1TQ2eXvdJtqdy-bDyegzOSFhj7EwXxc_9bgcx2Z84yc/s1600/Stormy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKq6od0DePfQ74CdaLeqhh957O2xttAnBuefiI5_75AdT7hrXATOG74yTl9w6A2q_GxT38a7dAhXLkILjdxI_Wm5n3ucn20hDx1TQ2eXvdJtqdy-bDyegzOSFhj7EwXxc_9bgcx2Z84yc/s1600/Stormy.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If I had been able to get off the island, I'd have had 36 hours on the Northlink in return for 5 hours in Aberdeen. I'd then have got stuck for a night in Shetland before having to come home on the Good Shepherd. With seas like these, it was probably the first time I've ever been glad the plane didn't come in.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Things have
been very quiet for new arrivals, although Susannah turned up a </span><b style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue;">Shoveler </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">on 15</span><sup style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(which was still present on 16</span><sup style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: Calibri;">). A very rare bird at this time of
year (only the second January record for the island in fact), I wonder what the
odds are that it was actually from across the Atlantic (the weather would certainly
have helped and there have been Blue-winged and Green-winged
Teals arriving on Orkney)?!</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyciFJDOmssAEMrtO1MATEpJxWudOx_gzg3y2Rkhzzo66RZSpIGYfTjxiDvF4RdgtwN0ZKqmKV31N4bMnOHXaokL4zcX0_X61YLnHtP6p7CBH45ErEvOvxSPE7xa7YkyeLJ04jcp8Qqyg/s1600/Shoveler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyciFJDOmssAEMrtO1MATEpJxWudOx_gzg3y2Rkhzzo66RZSpIGYfTjxiDvF4RdgtwN0ZKqmKV31N4bMnOHXaokL4zcX0_X61YLnHtP6p7CBH45ErEvOvxSPE7xa7YkyeLJ04jcp8Qqyg/s1600/Shoveler.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rather old-school record shot of the Shoveler.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A </span><b style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue;">Long-tailed
Duck </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(in Ditfield on 16</span><sup style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: Calibri;">) was the only other addition to the year
list, with 3 </span><b style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Tundra Bean Geese</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, </span><b style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue;">Sparrowhawk</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, </span><b style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue;">Merlin</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, </span><b style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue;">Peregrine</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, a </span><b style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue;">Mealy Redpoll</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(a small, darkish individual that was probably the same one seen earlier in the month),
a small handful of </span><b style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue;">Water Rails </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">and </span><b style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue;">Woodcock </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">amongst the lingerers.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Avyh-M5l3H9Yq3wa5sh_ug7w4-FEs6E__-33zwlpMteL25TbsNJ3enKEX3TR8vaamSSPZlrgsXGcOavA8upquMXsBipCRKdD7PqOUzZOwVydL44y5hFp8JSv4k-nCFWhzLJkCAgrkas/s1600/Tundra+Bean+and+Barnacle+Geese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Avyh-M5l3H9Yq3wa5sh_ug7w4-FEs6E__-33zwlpMteL25TbsNJ3enKEX3TR8vaamSSPZlrgsXGcOavA8upquMXsBipCRKdD7PqOUzZOwVydL44y5hFp8JSv4k-nCFWhzLJkCAgrkas/s1600/Tundra+Bean+and+Barnacle+Geese.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tundra Bean Geese teamed up with the two lingering Barnacle Geese for a short while.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The main
interest remained in the gulls though, with 7 </span><b style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue;">Glaucous Gulls </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">on 10</span><sup style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
(one of which was an adult, so a different bird to the 9 seen the previous day)
and 2 </span><b style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Iceland Gulls </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">on the same day, with one or two juveniles of each species
remaining throughout the period. The 10</span><sup style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> and 11</span><sup style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> also
saw further sightings of the 2</span><sup style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-winter </span><b style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Kumlien’s Gull</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, which seems
to be using Fair Isle as shelter when the weather gets too bad for its presumably
largely pelagic lifestyle.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8Du8WmztUEnn49tRYo6UOcs9u5S5ZL3xgPJxkfhBumo3Qbef1312HwHdjyflUj_M6EU2uZbxB7CBUlf3uy8XU-0iiO-V_j6kVwOtSt52VaB1Qh3w3bPYGqym3y8jeBrLJGayweG8TDw/s1600/Kumlien's%2BGull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8Du8WmztUEnn49tRYo6UOcs9u5S5ZL3xgPJxkfhBumo3Qbef1312HwHdjyflUj_M6EU2uZbxB7CBUlf3uy8XU-0iiO-V_j6kVwOtSt52VaB1Qh3w3bPYGqym3y8jeBrLJGayweG8TDw/s1600/Kumlien's%2BGull.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another ropey record shot, this time of the Kumlien's Gull (left) with a rather manky Glaucous Gull. There has to be a chance this is last year's bird returning.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, much of a
muchness here so far, but it’s been a good week for getting on with the office
work and hopefully there’ll be more time in the field next week and more to report.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKq_V73amQ3LhaBpMnmnhK-dcVNNLhnvxz0lHNFobP-pGu1IGuK55RV9hgMHEE2uRaCdr2923Hp2M6LlhmP_iWrnyhYQwFXYxgjm7YOI6SCq3ko6kuLV5H2hmRUViK83d69M4NZTgXtCs/s1600/Boy+oh+buoy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKq_V73amQ3LhaBpMnmnhK-dcVNNLhnvxz0lHNFobP-pGu1IGuK55RV9hgMHEE2uRaCdr2923Hp2M6LlhmP_iWrnyhYQwFXYxgjm7YOI6SCq3ko6kuLV5H2hmRUViK83d69M4NZTgXtCs/s1600/Boy+oh+buoy.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boy oh buoy. The oddest catch of the week, this fender must have taken an interesting journey to get to the top of the Gully trap in westerly winds. It may have come from somewhere down the island, otherwise it's had to make its way up the cliffs somehow. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-6766444871439137362015-01-09T22:55:00.001+00:002015-01-09T22:55:47.889+00:00Gull Force9th January<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bzUuZJ03OW4NDvMlAnQx7Kre8Jtmznw3ll13KtFbhwOCjfKfxhwSxETbiCrtgA-VHpWFJliIAW9SUxi57izotACNgoHpv6DVkvAlgxi-Ozn7WcNrg6VADv1_5CCfYF62aA3CZNnpgCU/s1600/Rock+Pipit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bzUuZJ03OW4NDvMlAnQx7Kre8Jtmznw3ll13KtFbhwOCjfKfxhwSxETbiCrtgA-VHpWFJliIAW9SUxi57izotACNgoHpv6DVkvAlgxi-Ozn7WcNrg6VADv1_5CCfYF62aA3CZNnpgCU/s1600/Rock+Pipit.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Rock Pipit; just because this little fella has been faithful to our garden all winter (with only House Sparrows, Starlings, Rock Doves, a Robin and the occasional Blackbird for company), so I thought he (or possibly she) should get headline billing in a blog post.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-Y4Ucr_IGVkyWKay1icjLbdXnrgseVIiL64GH3kJqfm3n-Hi-_LvUkHbA5p5fTGMSnkT13sEdRXTtBvA1oGt6_f6dXY6xef3FXFglV3QEMqmEjQFQoUekJQOiDgnI2ONzxFC-eBqp9Q/s1600/Holms+in+high+seas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-Y4Ucr_IGVkyWKay1icjLbdXnrgseVIiL64GH3kJqfm3n-Hi-_LvUkHbA5p5fTGMSnkT13sEdRXTtBvA1oGt6_f6dXY6xef3FXFglV3QEMqmEjQFQoUekJQOiDgnI2ONzxFC-eBqp9Q/s1600/Holms+in+high+seas.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gull nests on Greenholm will have been nicely cleaned off for the start of the next breeding season, with some high seas in recent days.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With the Shipping Forecast for sea area Fair Isle warning of a Force 12 westerly last night (in the end, it was very windy, but the worst of the conditions passed to the south of us), we knew we were in for a blowy time, and hopefully the sort of conditions that would see large numbers of gulls sheltering around the island.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_6lfwWs4sRPY6igVPX-z-juV6DKYzwRljiKGjgkIlUrrDj6-cfmnKNNX9QWfVbC3Rnot4XjNUA_XSxN1BLRcHKFpFmjuu2iEhw30JSVMHsPutRATXGQC2kgdOKAJFIOaCYnFpNBiKqI/s1600/Glaucous+Gulls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_6lfwWs4sRPY6igVPX-z-juV6DKYzwRljiKGjgkIlUrrDj6-cfmnKNNX9QWfVbC3Rnot4XjNUA_XSxN1BLRcHKFpFmjuu2iEhw30JSVMHsPutRATXGQC2kgdOKAJFIOaCYnFpNBiKqI/s1600/Glaucous+Gulls.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gull flock on Ditfield, how many white-wingers can you find?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the end, numbers weren't actually that impressive this afternoon, probably only around 300 or so gulls were present, but amongst them were an impressive 9 (nine) Glaucous Gulls, with 5 in a loafing flock at Ditfield, another flying around in the bay there and 3 together in South Harbour (alongside an Iceland Gull) amongst a group of gulls feeding around the tideline. That's the highest Glaucous Gull count on Fair Isle since 1996 (although somewhat short of the record count of 300 on 24th November 1969!). Interestingly (well, sort of) 1996 was also the year I saw two Harlequins at Girvan (the first of three mentions of that species in this blog post...).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbjmIQ7fdF_INO1mt1semcHz7m9DhfvCp9_zlzC6o2tkfgIkZsO1aaJ3X3FpX_pmMv97A0WL8rbmHanlgREBOrCAnitGlh2n1ewhLd1GYDe7AfaZIkgRlmb9IPi50C_z5Te_thwXsm0U/s1600/Iceland+Gull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbjmIQ7fdF_INO1mt1semcHz7m9DhfvCp9_zlzC6o2tkfgIkZsO1aaJ3X3FpX_pmMv97A0WL8rbmHanlgREBOrCAnitGlh2n1ewhLd1GYDe7AfaZIkgRlmb9IPi50C_z5Te_thwXsm0U/s1600/Iceland+Gull.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iceland Gull riding the waves in South Harbour (and doing so a lot more successfully than the Great Black-back to its left!).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The 3 Tundra Bean Geese reappeared for the first time since 1st January and other typical winter fodder included Merlin, Snow Bunting and Peregrine (the latter being the first of the year).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIChMBj-ONrBav5y0w4EF7HInxbS75-Q5yL0JB5v_BQAHlArxcJeaC2kbqrce__pG_de3DOQHc60trmMQGwuFpqJms5qqPrKa12bPp-LbXJBDZzs7kstyLKQwvMdkcJKhkbf63F0Gzyg/s1600/Tundra+Bean+Geese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIChMBj-ONrBav5y0w4EF7HInxbS75-Q5yL0JB5v_BQAHlArxcJeaC2kbqrce__pG_de3DOQHc60trmMQGwuFpqJms5qqPrKa12bPp-LbXJBDZzs7kstyLKQwvMdkcJKhkbf63F0Gzyg/s1600/Tundra+Bean+Geese.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peek-a-boo. The three Tundra Bean Geese that have presumably been lurking in a ditch or back of a field somewhere for the last week or so. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHN4Meer-0wdbNAwsXYAZbz0KKFSRKQYEudjsWZwuoIN0Q6NZup9MVWaPsnz6gZw5vfitmb4oCMl9OhRjAu_dp7D8TCuHDPnbpcAwnC0131xAFe_PQA51tgeO4Y15KcsPmQC-1zjBDTL8/s1600/Merlin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHN4Meer-0wdbNAwsXYAZbz0KKFSRKQYEudjsWZwuoIN0Q6NZup9MVWaPsnz6gZw5vfitmb4oCMl9OhRjAu_dp7D8TCuHDPnbpcAwnC0131xAFe_PQA51tgeO4Y15KcsPmQC-1zjBDTL8/s1600/Merlin.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merlin at Upper Stoneybrek shortly before it went off chasing a Snow Bunting.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdfhkTWhwTr8YXUAZ01_oGAxkgXgSD830LqUdIu79mCRSYL0bBWeJf2-XRPm-E2F0eeRTh9GrgB19hjrPTnXBR4-y9qftK-MffDResHLBQNbI1Ap82O8PdBxGaLfMDliaH4U1z8odQ5ZM/s1600/Peregrine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdfhkTWhwTr8YXUAZ01_oGAxkgXgSD830LqUdIu79mCRSYL0bBWeJf2-XRPm-E2F0eeRTh9GrgB19hjrPTnXBR4-y9qftK-MffDResHLBQNbI1Ap82O8PdBxGaLfMDliaH4U1z8odQ5ZM/s1600/Peregrine.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Field views of the first Peregrine of the year.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So, we've survived the first big blow (thanks to everyone who got in touch to check we were ok), and the forecast tonight is 'only' a violent storm 11. We've got some strong westerly winds forecast for the next wee while, but hopefully enough of a calming in the weather mid-week to let me get down to a meeting in Aberdeen (just ten minutes or so walk from the Harlequin that turned up a few days ago...). Perhaps there could be more white-wingers turning up soon, I'm not sure that westerly gales in January will bring much else, but who knows, after all 11th January is the 50th anniversary of a pair of Harlequin (I'm working on the Beetlejuice theory that because I've mentioned it three times, a Harlequin should turn up here now) and the 45th anniversary of Great Bustard on Fair Isle...</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBACdBXhJ7lyoMXnYP1DBH-mcR5b_vaGzuK85YMEXCACbxQ0yQzmLfZjiHxCpQWyUZQpo-7T3_UTZbS9Mq81DLGLo2rKjRTt6kl6yGXBjKjGzTKZk8gRfPYhTcdY_l7G9ISTsc4VUMm4/s1600/Woodcock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBACdBXhJ7lyoMXnYP1DBH-mcR5b_vaGzuK85YMEXCACbxQ0yQzmLfZjiHxCpQWyUZQpo-7T3_UTZbS9Mq81DLGLo2rKjRTt6kl6yGXBjKjGzTKZk8gRfPYhTcdY_l7G9ISTsc4VUMm4/s1600/Woodcock.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not really relevant to this blog post, but here's a picture of a Woodcock in the Obs garden in December. Very small numbers of this species probably winter on the isle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1lLvWrCMGVO62Gv_SzfPBYZJ89kn_gfa2vPZPikrDrS4Kq4kdK8l-_w4YpBFFFCN1PFcFs_yyyrtKaAEg0H3PHZ4oKlsLO7B74xln7Mvn_akbOk0bi2nri7J-XonpKJY5_DlPUxmBF0/s1600/Sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1lLvWrCMGVO62Gv_SzfPBYZJ89kn_gfa2vPZPikrDrS4Kq4kdK8l-_w4YpBFFFCN1PFcFs_yyyrtKaAEg0H3PHZ4oKlsLO7B74xln7Mvn_akbOk0bi2nri7J-XonpKJY5_DlPUxmBF0/s1600/Sunset.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The light and sea at this time of the year provide a constantly changing display that is just one of the reasons that Fair Isle is a special place to live in the winter (picture: S.Parnaby).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-4629746019021766002015-01-05T23:47:00.000+00:002015-01-05T23:47:58.293+00:00Happy New Birds (and some old friends from 2014)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f">
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</v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:formulas><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Happy New Year to you all. It’s been a rather blustery start to the year, with some strong winds, heavy rain showers, a bit of hail and a rather nice display of Northern Lights.</span></v:stroke></v:shapetype></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdcCxqdDw5utfAKX3QZLHO4zfQ89HG-iI1OZ5fw0sZ0JI-sxbVyf0mtQsUHvsIiPB1jZXbKtz_hkAPnRR5kMF7No-x9hcQJ5SJe5ud-u-MyttZzA4byRZQG8LmiTCpVibS7T-RE79ola0/s1600/North+Light+at+night+(Dave%2BParnaby).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdcCxqdDw5utfAKX3QZLHO4zfQ89HG-iI1OZ5fw0sZ0JI-sxbVyf0mtQsUHvsIiPB1jZXbKtz_hkAPnRR5kMF7No-x9hcQJ5SJe5ud-u-MyttZzA4byRZQG8LmiTCpVibS7T-RE79ola0/s1600/North+Light+at+night+(Dave%2BParnaby).jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A visit to North Light on the night of 4th January failed to produce any of the hoped for Northern Lights, but despite it being too cloudy for any aurora, my Dad still managed to get arty with his camera (photo: D.Parnaby Snr).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUJkTZQscN43jPwDKKyUOz7hbItp6XYjJuBh6oGiS0jQsGIn8M03Z7zCk61RliNvUonRiTH63DVkFRpb9yFkFW-U19KNYEx-gmAODMi9Ug4P5qLp_SIQYG5I6SNfdDYp866sd00jSfSA/s1600/Panto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUJkTZQscN43jPwDKKyUOz7hbItp6XYjJuBh6oGiS0jQsGIn8M03Z7zCk61RliNvUonRiTH63DVkFRpb9yFkFW-U19KNYEx-gmAODMi9Ug4P5qLp_SIQYG5I6SNfdDYp866sd00jSfSA/s1600/Panto.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Christmas festivities have seen a Panto, Carol Service, Guising, New Year Party, 'Christmas Tree' party, another New Year Party and a good deal of socialising besides. We're back to work now though, with Directflight taking bookings for 2015, so plenty of calls and emails to get through about people staying at the Obs this year as well as report writing etc as we look forward to what is bound to be another exciting year on Fair Isle.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Birding has produced some decent bits and bobs, but actually very little that hasn’t been
lingering since the back end of 2014. The <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Buzzard </span></strong>is the pick of the bunch
amongst those, in fact it’s such a scarce bird in Shetland that it has been
added to the local description list at the start of 2015 – so it becomes our
first description of the year, despite having been present since October! Three
<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Tundra Bean Geese </span></strong>(re?)appeared on 28<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> December and also made it to
the New Year (although they have been dropped as a local description species
after several influxes in recent years), whilst other highlights include <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Glaucous
Gull</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Iceland Gull</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: blue;">Mealy Redpoll</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: blue;">Water Rail</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: blue;">Merlin </span></strong>and, more unusually, two <strong><span style="color: blue;">Sparrowhawk</span></strong>,
amongst the 48 species now recorded in 2015 (thanks to Logan for the regular
text updates during the last few days letting me know how he was getting on
with building the year list up).</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfbGOsw6S0arjw_A4XrGqMkxBnwfwYZb_vXJCsaTgZp0jZQy5J-6Xontfy263kGib7PZR1MRSZGXgArJTfhnxCaklyPGMw7L6giA1EI4wZMTUQ41iaB4KGS8sQ0qTAqRROTSngpgBUmA/s1600/Sparrowhawk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfbGOsw6S0arjw_A4XrGqMkxBnwfwYZb_vXJCsaTgZp0jZQy5J-6Xontfy263kGib7PZR1MRSZGXgArJTfhnxCaklyPGMw7L6giA1EI4wZMTUQ41iaB4KGS8sQ0qTAqRROTSngpgBUmA/s1600/Sparrowhawk.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A wintering male Sparrowhawk was joined by this immature female from early January, which became the first bird to be ringed on the isle in 2015 when it was caught in the Plantation today (photo: Dave Parnaby Snr).</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, whilst
things are relatively quiet, I’ll have a quick review of a few things from
2014, starting with some darvic-ringed wildfowl that were seen by quite a few
of our visitors. It was a good year for sightings of these individually marked
birds, with the first two being Whooper Swans ‘Yellow BTB’ and ‘Yellow BTD’
that were both ringed in Iceland on 5<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> August 2013 (and seen again
in Iceland on 20<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> April 2014) before being seen on Fair Isle on 29<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
September 2014. The next Whooper to be individually identified in a strong
autumn passage of the species was ‘Red BLL’, ringed in February 2012 at Martin
Mere WWT (in Lancs), next seen in December 2013 at Welney (Norfolk) before
turning up on Fair Isle on 7<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> October.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Long-staying Whooper Swans on Fair Isle rarely
do well (there are only about seven years where birds have successfully overwintered
and two of those years were a bird that hung around with domestic geese!), so
when BLL was still present with a couple other Whoopers at the start of
November and ignored the chance to head south with a few small groups of her species
that moved through the island, it didn’t look good. Indeed, with the death of
her occasional companion on 24<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> November it seemed only a matter of
time before BLL also succumbed. However, one islander took pity on BLL and went
out every day with food (to the extent that we had our own mini-version of the
WWT ‘swan lake’ events, with BLL flying in every day at the same time to the
field where she was being fed) and this did the job as she was last seen on 1<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup>
December, having apparently continued her migration.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg4EWzyMNOJCfQBw1BwRi-hP4q8SXPqlt9uV2gzaHG34OBd1WJbid-VhPBY1CSXjH2m-cx4R9EX-imlfMMPZqJybjOwAvrNEOnizrb7fRGecCdepijesIsIQKYjsxJHCJBTg4pneFtVAY/s1600/BLL+Whooper+Swan+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg4EWzyMNOJCfQBw1BwRi-hP4q8SXPqlt9uV2gzaHG34OBd1WJbid-VhPBY1CSXjH2m-cx4R9EX-imlfMMPZqJybjOwAvrNEOnizrb7fRGecCdepijesIsIQKYjsxJHCJBTg4pneFtVAY/s1600/BLL+Whooper+Swan+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BLL pictured in late October by Ciaran Hatsell. Keep your eyes open for her in Norfolk (and elsewhere) as we'd love to know where she's gone.</td></tr>
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Also of
interest was the flock of 130+ Barnacle Geese grounded on Fair Isle by poor
weather from 6<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> October for a few days. Amongst these, we were able
to pick out four darvic rings: NAP, SAZ, SID and PVI. NAP was ringed as a
female gosling at Aalesund (Norway) on 2<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> August 1996 (making her
older than some of our staff!), SAZ (the partner of NAP) was ringed as an adult
male at the same site in July 2000, with both birds having not been seen since
spring migration through Norway in 2013. PVI was ringed as an adult female in
July 1999 and was last seen in March 2014 at RSPB Mersehead. Despite the name, SID
was actually a female, ringed as a yearling in July 2000 and last seen on
spring migration in Norway in 2014. Interestingly, the last sighting of SID in
winter was at WWT Caerlaverock in November 2011, whilst SAZ last winter record
was from the same site in December 2009 – so I wonder where they now spend the
winter? Many thanks to the WWT for getting back to us so quickly with the
details of these records.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GK3QHg4-UafRF5-OrkrT0Hxkb8Y34N6kEEQvzwp8sDiIE8AierIzihyphenhypheniRY0x2VxPmubqF1PP3-oHHqDeC48tRZOo3mgx6AsFrW-umf_sHsXADiuUX3eZzztNtWQNayfrz07GiuEu0uE/s1600/Barnacles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GK3QHg4-UafRF5-OrkrT0Hxkb8Y34N6kEEQvzwp8sDiIE8AierIzihyphenhypheniRY0x2VxPmubqF1PP3-oHHqDeC48tRZOo3mgx6AsFrW-umf_sHsXADiuUX3eZzztNtWQNayfrz07GiuEu0uE/s1600/Barnacles.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the Barnacle Goose flock that contained the darvic-ringed birds.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_p8-qBtGdggL5X3JFRfrznG5Xy3am2Ip4OLXE5YsMR9fhAgkbsh1VoLraoow6Rh5JtCmL2xJVKfVwJ43TyvXJ1pxxc2vg2P74NpM6lt4KossP4oWOjezRVFBbv9LpMvMcNJWOm9-K1s/s1600/2013+Report+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_p8-qBtGdggL5X3JFRfrznG5Xy3am2Ip4OLXE5YsMR9fhAgkbsh1VoLraoow6Rh5JtCmL2xJVKfVwJ43TyvXJ1pxxc2vg2P74NpM6lt4KossP4oWOjezRVFBbv9LpMvMcNJWOm9-K1s/s1600/2013+Report+cover.jpg" height="320" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FIBO 2013 Annual Report - out now. The front cover features a Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll photographed by Steve Arlow.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On another
subject entirely, the 2013 Annual Report is now available, with copies having
been sent out to FOFI members in the autumn. If you’d like a copy, please send
a cheque for £12 (which includes p&p to UK addresses) or phone with your
card details.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As well as the systematic
list, ringing report, seabird report and monthly summary there are write-ups on
the remarkable Swinhoe’s Petrel records (including a paper on biometric, sound
and DNA analysis), Red-eyed Vireo, Sykes’s Warbler and Collared Flycatcher, a
short paper on DNA in modern birding by Professor Martin Collinson and plenty
more besides.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjW3oBlxNwxIDpBIsQNJxKt4I47kvYJQKBW0M3Ucn6MDWubbz4tU7gnnDmZG8-mheUUYlZAzFeEtOMKBrPl9CHIYUkoI0WwWMfiYD-r3NiY-SRyxO_gw8U-iU01dvQo4bOlKAhT0fjos/s1600/Aurora+Jen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjW3oBlxNwxIDpBIsQNJxKt4I47kvYJQKBW0M3Ucn6MDWubbz4tU7gnnDmZG8-mheUUYlZAzFeEtOMKBrPl9CHIYUkoI0WwWMfiYD-r3NiY-SRyxO_gw8U-iU01dvQo4bOlKAhT0fjos/s1600/Aurora+Jen.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the displays of Aurora have been pretty impressive (more so than my camera allows me to show here), always one of the highlights of a winter on Fair Isle.</td></tr>
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<br />David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-44623132796348020982014-12-23T01:12:00.000+00:002014-12-23T01:12:01.031+00:00Many Happy Returns!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDyhVi03rqMONLdbeq3MhHPcbB0GnuiasY6prrkeM4RiT-_xf9EKHxcD0usksHiLhg2AsqX9vD3uSRTngIKDH7zavu8o-5vC-yiNifUl_WzW0sO3kaKX3Opb0IR8n4WZ-dG3uL0olMtJY/s1600/Rainbow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDyhVi03rqMONLdbeq3MhHPcbB0GnuiasY6prrkeM4RiT-_xf9EKHxcD0usksHiLhg2AsqX9vD3uSRTngIKDH7zavu8o-5vC-yiNifUl_WzW0sO3kaKX3Opb0IR8n4WZ-dG3uL0olMtJY/s1600/Rainbow.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">OK,
apologies first – I had to go off the island in October for a short while and
then Susannah was away with the kids, so I was helping to cover the Administrator’s
job as well and then there was just so much to catch up on that I didn’t know
where to start with the blog. Then more stuff happened so there was no spare
time, then I went away with the kids for a long-weekend visiting, which the
weather made into a long week, we brought back norovirus, then it was nearly Christmas, so sorry for not keeping the blog up to date. Hopefully you were able to keep in touch with the news throughout the autumn via Facebook or Twitter though.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4SppPn5sKdFM45mB8ocXwuhrgc6dyA6KcjyhyIzZ2UwSDRtvnpeXKqLgDeAgZWt-QOEHLIr56XYbsgZ7h8s-t-OXXpeF4RBZuxpLxvt0Qr4TECWnYbPIQhnVxRHCKplf6Q9WYSIOf8U/s1600/Little+Bunting+(Paul%2BFrench).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4SppPn5sKdFM45mB8ocXwuhrgc6dyA6KcjyhyIzZ2UwSDRtvnpeXKqLgDeAgZWt-QOEHLIr56XYbsgZ7h8s-t-OXXpeF4RBZuxpLxvt0Qr4TECWnYbPIQhnVxRHCKplf6Q9WYSIOf8U/s1600/Little+Bunting+(Paul%2BFrench).jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Bunting and Brambling (Paul French). It was a very good autumn for the former species.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This seems a
good a time as any to try to summarise things though and where better to start
than with the birds:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF2TBOMaXr8BB-igmcadMO2lFkEQM7fcYb-8pvOeJO7IlGYrs56xpR3DgtM4Famf4tXACYFvKc_hQSekH4TYuc840eTTOh3jSCiSCfN283KDr-aDY1v9ubFPxXL_qkozhMxAVgi-LF_0Y/s1600/Red-flanked+Bluetail,+Skinner's%2BGlig%2B(Paul%2BFrench).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF2TBOMaXr8BB-igmcadMO2lFkEQM7fcYb-8pvOeJO7IlGYrs56xpR3DgtM4Famf4tXACYFvKc_hQSekH4TYuc840eTTOh3jSCiSCfN283KDr-aDY1v9ubFPxXL_qkozhMxAVgi-LF_0Y/s1600/Red-flanked+Bluetail,+Skinner's%2BGlig%2B(Paul%2BFrench).jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-flanked Bluetail, Skinner's Glig (Paul French). Relocated here four days after being ringed at the Obs and not seen during the intervening days.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was a strange
autumn in some respects, with some of the ‘big rares’ just missing us and a
perception that Fair Isle had a quiet autumn, but with White’s Thrush,
Grey-cheeked Thrush (our 2<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> consecutive year with a record), Lanceolated
Warbler, Red-flanked Bluetail (trapped at the Obs) and an intriguing ‘Stejneger’s’
Siberian Stonechat, along with back up in the form of a couple of Arctic
Warblers, seven Olive-backed Pipits, three Red-throated Pipits, a decent spread
of scarcities and some really good thrush falls that brought good numbers of
Robins, Woodcocks and other common migrants, the birding was rarely less than
very enjoyable. I suppose we’re the victim of our own success in some ways,
with a roll-call of rarities that would surely be the envy of most other sites (maybe
even counties) in the UK, but one that didn’t quite hit the heights of previous
years and perhaps paled in comparison to our immense rarity-filled spring. </span> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNpvaAAhKefqnFeyFsGnRHnQ10745f0u_w8c8BiFlqqQaiMYNd6bY5Xpc3u-WVAkr7EXYRvNiLx8Q8Qrz4hBDTvHAKcTxDeWmjBILSUIHOc4qmJFeyrXmxZhrZl7sAWmTurA1FqwLrQY/s1600/Sibe+Stenchat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNpvaAAhKefqnFeyFsGnRHnQ10745f0u_w8c8BiFlqqQaiMYNd6bY5Xpc3u-WVAkr7EXYRvNiLx8Q8Qrz4hBDTvHAKcTxDeWmjBILSUIHOc4qmJFeyrXmxZhrZl7sAWmTurA1FqwLrQY/s1600/Sibe+Stenchat.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Siberian Stonechat that arrived in late October and appears to be a very good candidate for Stejneger's Stonechat.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1BPRo4bD8YvocVogTkbv6BTCkjMBWwAEF8Ekqa377cpZ9m_3FhxIwMTuqWVs_8wS3VJJNqhg8mrFbXThrmcC6EUex-Tx4UF9POzvsDtzHSvAlMDGcqzWDMVAtVI3gwUUB35davnwwYg/s1600/Red-throated+Pipit+Buness+17th+Oct+2014+894B9147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1BPRo4bD8YvocVogTkbv6BTCkjMBWwAEF8Ekqa377cpZ9m_3FhxIwMTuqWVs_8wS3VJJNqhg8mrFbXThrmcC6EUex-Tx4UF9POzvsDtzHSvAlMDGcqzWDMVAtVI3gwUUB35davnwwYg/s1600/Red-throated+Pipit+Buness+17th+Oct+2014+894B9147.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two of the three autumn Red-throated Pipits were smart adults, including this stunning individual brilliantly photographed by Steve Arlow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As the
autumn progressed though, it became apparent that our epic spring had left us
with a rather healthy year list and, despite a couple of quiet spells where we
hadn’t added that many species<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(mid-August and late-September in particular producing some decent
conditions, but not many new birds), we were still in with a sniff of the
record.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I last
left you, we had just added Treecreeper, our 212<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> species of the
year on 9<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> October, but there weren’t too many gaps in the year
list that would make the five species needed to equal 1992’s record 217 species<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>easy to find. In fact, we had to wait almost
a week before the next addition, our seventh ever Firecrest on 15<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>,
followed two days later by a brief Rough-legged Buzzard, then strong westerlies
saw the most obvious gap remaining filled with the first of several records of
Greenland White-fronted Goose (21<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup>). Two species to go to equal the
record and we eventually cashed in on a displacement of Nearctic passerines
with a superbly showy Grey-cheeked Thrush at the Obs on 24<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfR3awKTYpIXD45vfAvwLWnur46_470w_JU8klsRXQyMwXPC38zHRYRLRVgFrUApDKYrGIF6ZOly4Sk6vvHycVDZgWN7blEjG5V6J3-imvML0sZX-qLmMFRmqZC8yHtXjN8iPJorJlCk/s1600/Firecrest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfR3awKTYpIXD45vfAvwLWnur46_470w_JU8klsRXQyMwXPC38zHRYRLRVgFrUApDKYrGIF6ZOly4Sk6vvHycVDZgWN7blEjG5V6J3-imvML0sZX-qLmMFRmqZC8yHtXjN8iPJorJlCk/s1600/Firecrest.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Firecrest in the Raevas was one of the highlights of the autumn in terms of looks.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyqQxHDxoDU4u2-W2pQKN0jGwUQIFpDiub9ZiWRlJubBUA_i8_bKN0PBMTWHKqZfuhDUcOcqKZaS14nxf78o0VS8DM4cnjtNgXmprlW4yMZCrzK_mf0fLP82t11H9-7Tyr5rnDJoyFZw/s1600/Grey-cheeked+Thrush2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyqQxHDxoDU4u2-W2pQKN0jGwUQIFpDiub9ZiWRlJubBUA_i8_bKN0PBMTWHKqZfuhDUcOcqKZaS14nxf78o0VS8DM4cnjtNgXmprlW4yMZCrzK_mf0fLP82t11H9-7Tyr5rnDJoyFZw/s1600/Grey-cheeked+Thrush2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Grey-cheeked Thrush kept up the recent good run of autumn American passerines, with 10 individuals of 6 species in the last eight years (that's more than St Agnes in the same period I believe), keeping up the discussion on whether this apparent shift in the focus of trans-Atlantic waifs is weather or observer related.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another
quiet spell followed, with further westerlies eventually giving way to some
more productive winds at the end of the month that produced more birds (including
the Stejneger’s Stonechat), but no additions to the year list. </span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpb2ZZVke9DkqODR4lMUDl_nd3s-OAhZYLWXobAsxM8m_GEqaOTvTp7K7yjBlbqwixkzrXUclpbzNH_NlrD33roPyjrk_P1Dl4Y1ZPD2QYE7JMVRYoPwECBhSgc3c5Z2_q5i7B26bxToo/s1600/Great+Grey+Shrike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpb2ZZVke9DkqODR4lMUDl_nd3s-OAhZYLWXobAsxM8m_GEqaOTvTp7K7yjBlbqwixkzrXUclpbzNH_NlrD33roPyjrk_P1Dl4Y1ZPD2QYE7JMVRYoPwECBhSgc3c5Z2_q5i7B26bxToo/s1600/Great+Grey+Shrike.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very good year for Great Grey Shrikes saw four individuals recorded in the autumn. This bird was at Lower Stoneybrek and was later caught at the Plantation and remained around the Obs until 10th November.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We were well
into the second week of November (very much the 90<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> minute of the
migration season to use a football analogy) when Susannah struck with her finest birding moment on Fair Isle to
date, a Shorelark at Lower Leogh on 10<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>; species number 217. The wind
stayed in the SE for the next week, birding was fairly intense (whenever the rain
allowed) and eventually another wave of thrushes brought in species number 218 –
a smart male Bullfinch in the Wirvie Burn on 17th. There were no more new species after
that, although in early December the BOU upped the total by one more with the
splitting of Moltoni’s Warbler (<a href="http://fibowarden.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/subalpine-surprises.html" target="_blank">see here for details of that one from the spring</a>, our rarest bird this year as it turned out). We've still got over a week to go, so it's possible this remarkable year will spring one last surprise, but we'll settle for 219 species! You’ll find <a href="http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html" target="_blank">all the up to date sightings here</a>.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVk1uDE7LspkmAJqJPWCPli-OnZMIqHPM68FATlpZIMcWrRxJP0UNnkuc9p0SL57wM5NSG4NgX9r8mCoqaSXLgvp1-jVRvchCW-xSSFYNDxqyh234nuu8oOwE_ia0SYdHTqvcyHGg8kiU/s1600/Moltoni's%2BWarbler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVk1uDE7LspkmAJqJPWCPli-OnZMIqHPM68FATlpZIMcWrRxJP0UNnkuc9p0SL57wM5NSG4NgX9r8mCoqaSXLgvp1-jVRvchCW-xSSFYNDxqyh234nuu8oOwE_ia0SYdHTqvcyHGg8kiU/s1600/Moltoni's%2BWarbler.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">If accepted,
this female Moltoni's Warbler (identified by DNA) will be just the 4th British
record and a first for Fair Isle of this newly split species, making it our
rarest bird on the Isle this year in national terms. Of course, all the stats
on the year list etc are with the proviso that the various committees who
adjudicate on rarity occurrences agree with our identifications (we’ll have submitted
around 70 records to the BBRC, SBRC and SBCRC by the end of the year)<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, thanks very much to the team and our
guests and visitors for all the hard work needed to get to this impressive
total. In the grand scheme of things, a year list record maybe doesn’t mean a great
deal, but it’s a great way to remember a really good birding year, in which other
ornithological highlights have included three new species to the Fair Isle list
(Glossy Ibis, Bridled Tern and Moltoni’s Warbler – with Caspian
Stonechat, Southern Italian Eastern Subalpine Warbler [they really need to sort
the taxonomy and names of this species out soon!], <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sinensis</i>
Cormorant and possibly Stejneger’s Stonechat amongst the new subspecies noted,
although the latter subspecies may well have occurred previously), the best
seabird breeding season for several years and the highest number of birds
ringed since 1998.</span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhmEuqvRIhXhtRhXBezSi_QjBuPTWRePWv0gYr70Km5QkBABA318ioVbYec0JeVd5bYE5nCHgbV52r94wgOIPf89p7PN5P7IF3Q2ccyJHkFJCG6fG2OE6fwbzptDHx0_T1SHpioYQ5Jw/s1600/Obs+Team+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhmEuqvRIhXhtRhXBezSi_QjBuPTWRePWv0gYr70Km5QkBABA318ioVbYec0JeVd5bYE5nCHgbV52r94wgOIPf89p7PN5P7IF3Q2ccyJHkFJCG6fG2OE6fwbzptDHx0_T1SHpioYQ5Jw/s1600/Obs+Team+2014.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Obs team at the start of the season (none of us looked like this by the end of the year!). Other staff members came and went, each bringing their own strengths with them. Another year of a good bunch of people and some lasting friendships.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are
plenty of other things to catch up on, but I think I’ve gone on long enough for now, so
I’d just like to take advantage of the season of goodwill to catch up on a few
thank yous to everyone who has helped FIBO and Susannah and I through our
fourth year running the Obs. First of all to all the FIBO staff (and we
include the visiting RSPB researchers in this, as they feel very much like part
of the FIBO team); we’ve seen our fair share of blood, sweat and tears this
year but we’ve enjoyed having all of you here, we want to thank you for all
your efforts and we’re glad we’ve made some friends who we'll hopefully stay in
touch with well beyond our FIBO years. Also, to all our volunteers, we hope you
enjoyed your stay as much as we enjoyed having you here and we look forward to seeing
some of you here again. Technically also volunteers have been our various family and friends, particularly our parents, who have provided all manner of help when visiting us. Also falling into the category of volunteers are the FIBOT
Directors and we want to thank you all again for your help during the year. The
work that the Directors put into the successful running of the Obs, be it
sorting finances, shifting vans or engines from Grutness, manning stands at
Birdfairs, running research projects or just answering our enquiries about
everything from petrels to people carriers, is very much appreciated (and a special thank you to Roger Riddington, who stood down as Chairman this year). We also
appreciate the support given to us by JNCC, SNH, SOTEAG <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and the Seabird Group. The Fair
Isle community is a unique group of people and it’s obvious to say that FIBO
couldn’t run the way we do without their support, so thank you to everyone on
the island, especially those who have answered our calls for help during the
course of the year. Of course, without all of you who support the Obs by
visiting, being members of FOFI or sending donations, there wouldn’t be a FIBO,
so the biggest thanks is due to you. Personally, I have to thank Susannah as well (and not just for the Shorelark!); running an increasingly busy Obs (it was another record year for visitor numbers)</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> and looking after me and the kids isn't easy (in fact, I reckon it must be the hardest job at the Obs) but she does it very well, as I'm sure anyone who has visited us will agree with. Thanks love.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJnkvR_de1YRA1ba5pO47PhHxWO8dmGHTIjGhlJKNRiGLORGsicPvIWCqen8Og8xAFDZAMJ36Lk_wZvskWO9AiIIswD4-_U9Zt_MiG13KyLSnbHB57QJT66Uve622CERnhe4pe4mJgwM/s1600/Dolphin+watching+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJnkvR_de1YRA1ba5pO47PhHxWO8dmGHTIjGhlJKNRiGLORGsicPvIWCqen8Og8xAFDZAMJ36Lk_wZvskWO9AiIIswD4-_U9Zt_MiG13KyLSnbHB57QJT66Uve622CERnhe4pe4mJgwM/s1600/Dolphin+watching+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A busy year, but a fun one, for us, the Obs team, visitors and islanders, with plenty of highlights all round (photo: Ciaran Hatsell).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So now the
shortest day has passed, we’re finally getting caught up with the office work and
our thoughts are turning to the rapidly approaching 2015. <a href="http://fibowarden.blogspot.co.uk/p/vacancies-2013.html" target="_blank">Staff and volunteer vacancies are now up on this very blog </a>if you’d like to join us as part of the
team next season (although note that we’re out of the office until 5<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
January, so we’ll not be able to answer emails until then), but for now, Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year, may all your birding in 2015 be fun.</span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHGupjsriboBFW7iqiCvHzXRNK33VkqHunjYpJUbxNxKo8CEye9eflwPZKx4NhZAUAKroWUKfzszmkxEA0ym3jMl3DAjIe4xXhwXVbKUA9VRORwoeshRiUJyMcb2TXH7p4hzDF9l25e8M/s1600/Christmas+Bean+Geese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHGupjsriboBFW7iqiCvHzXRNK33VkqHunjYpJUbxNxKo8CEye9eflwPZKx4NhZAUAKroWUKfzszmkxEA0ym3jMl3DAjIe4xXhwXVbKUA9VRORwoeshRiUJyMcb2TXH7p4hzDF9l25e8M/s1600/Christmas+Bean+Geese.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas is coming, the Tundra Bean Geese are getting fat (well, they've been lingering on the island for over a month now and seem to be doing quite well, although numbers have dropped from 13 to 9 this week).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-41481521476328658672014-10-10T13:55:00.000+01:002014-10-10T13:55:46.768+01:00I'm a Creeper, I'm a weird record, What the heck am I doing here, I don't belong here.
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>8th-9th
October</strong></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlEjfhc2OJj8SYsMVuztpzSJfBKsVjFbUM0DRbOmK4LSjscj41w61GOnh6d1Hwcoik_dl3DMv01xy9YW3ZuTqzuxrioCLI5V_KAKmAQDqO0V6QwyDOm7kcUMuDYSPRRV1tCG5vd0_4PI/s1600/Treecreeper3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlEjfhc2OJj8SYsMVuztpzSJfBKsVjFbUM0DRbOmK4LSjscj41w61GOnh6d1Hwcoik_dl3DMv01xy9YW3ZuTqzuxrioCLI5V_KAKmAQDqO0V6QwyDOm7kcUMuDYSPRRV1tCG5vd0_4PI/s1600/Treecreeper3.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The star bird of the 9th.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If the
excitement of a Barn Owl didn’t exactly set the pages of Birdforum alight, it’s
fair to say that the next couple of days would also be unlikely to see any
charters winging our way, and yet the birding was some of the most enjoyable of
the year so far.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With a light
to fresh easterly wind (NE at first veering SE later), it felt good – and it
was. Thrushes were the most obvious arrivals on 8th, with the final Log totals of 1921<strong><span style="color: blue;">
Song Thrush </span></strong>(a particularly good count), 876 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Redwing</span></strong>, 129 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Blackbird</span></strong>, 126 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Robin</span></strong>,
61 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Blackcap </span></strong>and 46 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Goldcrest </span></strong>giving an idea of the bulk of the birds to be
found.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfXRplnKHJZJsLSXRuhqdFDRGT8p0gQMFE5hebHb8PrEGLGnuq2etXovJ55booFB3Ig3wBfgxYYaZfEnFOVQocFlII8EDZNtDmPO7_gCrOetwgfTgA1aK3elxIuJd2kcc4N8qhXI8Yvk/s1600/Sparrowhawk+female+in+hand+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfXRplnKHJZJsLSXRuhqdFDRGT8p0gQMFE5hebHb8PrEGLGnuq2etXovJ55booFB3Ig3wBfgxYYaZfEnFOVQocFlII8EDZNtDmPO7_gCrOetwgfTgA1aK3elxIuJd2kcc4N8qhXI8Yvk/s1600/Sparrowhawk+female+in+hand+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpeg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A decent number of birds have been ringed during the current fall, including this female <strong><span style="color: blue;">Sparrowhawk</span></strong>. (photo: Ciaran Hatsell)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It wasn’t
long before highlights started to appear amongst them, with a <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Buzzard </span></strong>first
seen over the Hill Dyke then a <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Great Grey Shrike </span></strong>found behind Lower Leogh. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqt3AUvb9VnzcW_FXdd-zEUjF93mUtPqFIR-GUKdz0MPD7Z81X-KjNWcNpQf5Sf7BMApk22Z_ln7O11HtDK4m8KJgpQp0t0BPqXWAEqEV49rMU7sNUOTbg1bEdAEtx-JvXOuHhoQbJ88/s1600/Buzzard+(Richard%2BCope).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqt3AUvb9VnzcW_FXdd-zEUjF93mUtPqFIR-GUKdz0MPD7Z81X-KjNWcNpQf5Sf7BMApk22Z_ln7O11HtDK4m8KJgpQp0t0BPqXWAEqEV49rMU7sNUOTbg1bEdAEtx-JvXOuHhoQbJ88/s1600/Buzzard+(Richard%2BCope).jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buzzards are less than annual on Fair Isle, so this was a good record. (photo: Rochard Cope)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBEzUb2zLCUUHss_DbwD2kXBrzX4zybfG9eb9C0Y2VDsUcyRHfWxwVdaQg-i7_GGoA9dPeYoXM3D8cAnoKlrylCMW_FVTzWReArFCEMGbPLuOVUeCUOzEJBAxgp5WEKAe5H_i3Wz9AzY/s1600/Great+Grey+Shrike+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBEzUb2zLCUUHss_DbwD2kXBrzX4zybfG9eb9C0Y2VDsUcyRHfWxwVdaQg-i7_GGoA9dPeYoXM3D8cAnoKlrylCMW_FVTzWReArFCEMGbPLuOVUeCUOzEJBAxgp5WEKAe5H_i3Wz9AzY/s1600/Great+Grey+Shrike+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Great Grey Shrike with prey (photo: Ciaran Hatsell)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Other
species still present included an <strong><span style="color: red;">Olive-backed Pipit</span></strong> at Pund, with possibly the
same bird later in the Gully (both sightings are taken as referring to the same
bird as was seen briefly at Hjukni Geo on 7th for now), the 3 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Tundra Bean Geese</span></strong>
(seen properly today!), a <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Little Bunting </span></strong>at Pund (possibly a different
individual to the one at Walli Burn on 7<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>), a <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Yellow-browed Warbler
</span></strong>at the Obs, <strong><span style="color: blue;">Slavonian Grebe</span> </strong>in South Harbour, the two roaming male <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Pochard</span></strong>, 3<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">
Lapland Bunting </span></strong>and yesterday’s <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Dotterel </span></strong>was joined by a second. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51XeffbQJGwRV8bA2mwCEqyvOt9Joa9t8JjoRhIKrd1OAQ8gc3hoHJAeeS__F3HyCWSIk0yA0DZcLFitYY0rdBSzi3IYbLesp2o0Ga0IWXg8TK0Tf3HF66-xZUEstdq0yNw2ZXt3hyphenhyphenJA/s1600/Pochard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51XeffbQJGwRV8bA2mwCEqyvOt9Joa9t8JjoRhIKrd1OAQ8gc3hoHJAeeS__F3HyCWSIk0yA0DZcLFitYY0rdBSzi3IYbLesp2o0Ga0IWXg8TK0Tf3HF66-xZUEstdq0yNw2ZXt3hyphenhyphenJA/s1600/Pochard.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rarer than Lancey: 2 Pochards on Easter Lother Water.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few new
species included <strong><span style="color: blue;">Redstart</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: blue;">Stonechat</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Quail </span></strong>and a male <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Gadwall </span></strong>(in a good current spell
for wildfowl), whilst other healthy counts included 476 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Pink-footed</span></strong>,
112 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Greylag</span></strong> and 95 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Barnacle Geese</span></strong>, 24 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Jack Snipe</span></strong>, 139 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Snipe</span></strong>, a wonderful 13
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Short-eared Owl</span></strong>, 34 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Ring Ouzel</span></strong>, 68 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Wheatear</span></strong>, 144 <span style="color: blue;"><strong>Brambling</strong></span>, 25 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Reed Bunting</span></strong> and
2 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Tree Pipit</span></strong> (showing that they aren’t all OBPs!). The day was lacking that one
big rarity until just after 1pm, when the run to School to pick Grace up
resulted in a major Fair Isle rarity being found at Upper Stoneybrek. The fact
that it was a <strong><span style="color: red;">Blue Tit</span></strong> may not have been what people were expecting (although
it turned out to be part of a decent arrival in the Northern Isles), but as
it’s only Fair Isle’s 13<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>, and just the second record since 1989
(following one in 2012) we weren’t complaining. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuH7BT9Vkq3bPzMDCIdRpv8BN9n0hm3lQg7xxuE1LMEnL1fzyspR0tSZ83jJ5k_b2gLXtDTny2ujfi6LEeZPAI2StkwAhU1iVY1rC3xu0HHij-zzWkTEBkBaVOrmYA1Xsr1lCVZ2j-PMc/s1600/Blue+Tit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuH7BT9Vkq3bPzMDCIdRpv8BN9n0hm3lQg7xxuE1LMEnL1fzyspR0tSZ83jJ5k_b2gLXtDTny2ujfi6LEeZPAI2StkwAhU1iVY1rC3xu0HHij-zzWkTEBkBaVOrmYA1Xsr1lCVZ2j-PMc/s1600/Blue+Tit.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Much rarer than Lancey!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A calm
morning on 9<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> gave way to an increasing westerly breeze, although the
early morning rain cleared giving a cool, but pleasant day in the field. It was
immediately obvious that there’d been a clear out of thrushes (with counts of 618
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Song Thrush</span></strong>, 23 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Blackbird</span></strong> and 7 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Ring Ouzel</span></strong> for example showing large decreases
from yesterday) and most other species also diminishing in number. The only species to
show a significant increase was <strong><span style="color: blue;">Brambling</span></strong>, with 169 Logged (thanks largely to a
flock of 105 in North Naaversgill). Familiar faces included the <strong><span style="color: red;">Blue Tit </span></strong>(which
reappeared at Midway, assuming it was the same bird…), <strong><span style="color: red;">Olive-backed Pipit </span></strong>(at
Ditfield, with another possible not far away – I suspect it may only be a
matter of time before more than one is confirmed), <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Little Bunting </span></strong>at Chalet,
the <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Buzzard </span></strong>again floating about, the two <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Pochard </span></strong>still roaming, <strong><span style="color: blue;">Hen Harrier</span></strong>,
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Slavonian Grebe </span></strong>and a good selection of geese, with 538 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Pink-feet</span></strong>, 149 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Barnacle</span></strong>
and now 4 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Tundra Beans</span></strong>, whilst a <span style="color: blue;"><strong>Shoveler</strong> </span>added to the recent duck list.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rQqaNo7bjl2kK7tploeZXiDiryP6h-EXWQH67pAxGRsi8GtL24Hk2yBRh6aifxsuvsLOoh_ZmDJKCJab0sNccJOrR8p-e0cThnP_3EsHWML_ghFQuidezBi7fbXCpxxiao1YTJfh-8s/s1600/Olive-backed+Pipit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rQqaNo7bjl2kK7tploeZXiDiryP6h-EXWQH67pAxGRsi8GtL24Hk2yBRh6aifxsuvsLOoh_ZmDJKCJab0sNccJOrR8p-e0cThnP_3EsHWML_ghFQuidezBi7fbXCpxxiao1YTJfh-8s/s1600/Olive-backed+Pipit.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olive-backed Pipit at Ditfield, showing better than the photo would suggest.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIrjjyVH7gCkSTlFnDnsdSnhBcvO1abmlVFUhm-RQDzSfEcyt1rB7Xoi4frXkX6Lwq5XnPZWcvf6Co698yN1DIGxrQDtR38tMUAReJ2fKRRPOLMOZZjaQzqp37M1ARBXwDzaWI2fncV4/s1600/Slavonian+Grebe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIrjjyVH7gCkSTlFnDnsdSnhBcvO1abmlVFUhm-RQDzSfEcyt1rB7Xoi4frXkX6Lwq5XnPZWcvf6Co698yN1DIGxrQDtR38tMUAReJ2fKRRPOLMOZZjaQzqp37M1ARBXwDzaWI2fncV4/s1600/Slavonian+Grebe.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slavonian Grebe in South Harbour - presumbaly the bird seen off Hjukni Geo a couple of days ago.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQxMkF5SJDgSQUOztnx9ucnaGjfL6hS2lUmESWBQ4WsyzdboF6asiG5B_ZnfTVTDlOd6NvDzORhkvAL285_nsG9kX_ZrmS-l2Tx_Pr8NnSodhlGqqOMVgYmY-mzCIxlOuopg4XGwnKEc/s1600/Tundra+Bean+Geese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQxMkF5SJDgSQUOztnx9ucnaGjfL6hS2lUmESWBQ4WsyzdboF6asiG5B_ZnfTVTDlOd6NvDzORhkvAL285_nsG9kX_ZrmS-l2Tx_Pr8NnSodhlGqqOMVgYmY-mzCIxlOuopg4XGwnKEc/s1600/Tundra+Bean+Geese.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The three Tundra Bean Geese at Barkland (another single was seen on Meoness and lingered with Pink-feet for a while before heading south).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">New highlights
were hard to come by, although <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Yellow-browed Warblers</span></strong> increased to 3 and a
<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Long-eared Owl</span></strong> showed well near South Light (from where a blue<strong><span style="color: blue;"> Fulmar</span></strong> was seen
offshore), that was until late in the afternoon, when a visiting group called
with the news of a <strong><span style="color: red;">Treecreeper</span></strong> at South Light. A frantic twitch later saw most
people getting views of this impressively frosty northern bird, which relocated to nearby Smirri Geo, as it scurried
around seemingly quite contentedly on the lichen covered rocks.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNzWo0X8RY3gufeOh8qRLfboFe4cGV_fOOhB02NAyV-Sj15V64DpcVavj34p56R8O4nxchDFkaMKgvpUZ_h-jEYMHeM3lhlTBOJbdJeF_VvwJV7vpslYPc2tGLyUhSNLrcJg9ANa6yBo/s1600/Treecreeper2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNzWo0X8RY3gufeOh8qRLfboFe4cGV_fOOhB02NAyV-Sj15V64DpcVavj34p56R8O4nxchDFkaMKgvpUZ_h-jEYMHeM3lhlTBOJbdJeF_VvwJV7vpslYPc2tGLyUhSNLrcJg9ANa6yBo/s1600/Treecreeper2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mystery bird from the photo at the top of the blog - 'Northern' Treecreeper, showing it's pale 'frosty' upperparts.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWO3Q8-qB6a8YErXbKQZPZWdZTqP1xM6bYNeyc9sqxN0rYO36WUlFL5CQWuqxUbf6AIGIMkBJ2_YAfMvrTHStpfB6AQoO7P_M2MwXSAGnu9cBfBGGGFredaMXrj62KmnIYiTw5HRvGNw/s1600/Treecreeper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWO3Q8-qB6a8YErXbKQZPZWdZTqP1xM6bYNeyc9sqxN0rYO36WUlFL5CQWuqxUbf6AIGIMkBJ2_YAfMvrTHStpfB6AQoO7P_M2MwXSAGnu9cBfBGGGFredaMXrj62KmnIYiTw5HRvGNw/s1600/Treecreeper.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very clean and white with a dazzling white supercillium, most (possibly all) of the previous Shetland records have thought to be Northern '<em>familiaris</em>' birds, including the eight previous Fair Isle records (making this species even rarer than Blue Tit on the island, with previous records in 1906, 1913, 1959, 1980, 1987, 1993, 1998 and 2010).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So with the recent
highlights reading: Barn Owl, Treecreeper, Blue Tit and Buzzard it’s been a
strange few days, with that list looking more reminiscent of a pleasant
woodland walk on the UK mainland than the peak of autumn migration on Fair
Isle, although I’m sure it’s not over yet (but will the next decent bird be of locally-exciting
calibre of Jay or something a bit more hoped for by our visitors…).</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5DyZhYZ4uaN_zIGzsc-FDzEHqC9N0JgaWqFR_1DT1FhnHJJXB7WICOeuszFO22gKpJNtY8tOL92x48BcudN9xuV78vVVaU69vzvqbfWHuRM31o-cpPN8ztL5DPbEc-bInPSxrEnss2o/s1600/Shetland+geese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5DyZhYZ4uaN_zIGzsc-FDzEHqC9N0JgaWqFR_1DT1FhnHJJXB7WICOeuszFO22gKpJNtY8tOL92x48BcudN9xuV78vVVaU69vzvqbfWHuRM31o-cpPN8ztL5DPbEc-bInPSxrEnss2o/s1600/Shetland+geese.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geese feeding below the Shetland flag.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-55368081704688216652014-10-08T00:23:00.000+01:002014-10-08T00:23:01.062+01:00Barn Storm
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>-7<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
October</span></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRVK3ck-Sgp44yVovYjSCIRsUel6BXsyvPQVsCRbim6ZBYAc5XZ9qpv6xURbnoA66Fy8m8z86DkX2EuXZTan6l0HhIme7KxfC2DOWY2i9sJKSE6DgYL1y_fRfu1AMF2gMThpq7YbMTXA/s1600/White+seas+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRVK3ck-Sgp44yVovYjSCIRsUel6BXsyvPQVsCRbim6ZBYAc5XZ9qpv6xURbnoA66Fy8m8z86DkX2EuXZTan6l0HhIme7KxfC2DOWY2i9sJKSE6DgYL1y_fRfu1AMF2gMThpq7YbMTXA/s1600/White+seas+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).JPG" height="219" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storm 10 at times: the view from the Obs this morning (photo: Ciaran Hatsell).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the excitement of the White’s Thrush on 4<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>, things
quietened down on 5<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>, with lingering scarcities including a
<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Bluethroat </span></strong>and 2 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Yellow-browed Warblers </span></strong>and a fresh southerly breeze not
encouraging that many migrants, although 40 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Whooper Swans </span></strong>were impressive and a
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Slavonian Grebe </span></strong>off Hjukni Geo was the first of the year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A very strong SE wind on 6<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> made birding difficult, with
severe gale force winds later in the day being accompanied by rain, but it was
obvious that birds were coming in and the day finished with high counts including
570 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Song Thrush</span></strong>, 293 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Redwing</span></strong>, 36 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Goldcrest </span></strong>and 25 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Robin</span></strong>, whilst highlights included
2 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Little Buntings</span></strong>, a <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Dotterel </span></strong>(with the <strong><span style="color: blue;">Golden Plover </span></strong>flock on Lerness) and
some decent wildfowl movement that included 2 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Pochard </span></strong>(a rare bird on Fair
Isle, with less than 60 records) and the first <strong><span style="color: blue;">Scaup </span></strong>of the year (a smart male in
the Havens, that then appeared on the cliffs of Easter Lother). </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hyphenhyphenkTTJTC42A355pCSaUcFpE-HejvyIpBANYwkylXsX4ZaHUyFz2qfOC2SlJBNjN7K-JiQIFOQPQaZBOtOEv-IlXyDB3d-l8tP-gb2eHj5H6JJa6TJ14d5kOrdAdir9x8OQsEv1f0g_c/s1600/Scaup+CRH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hyphenhyphenkTTJTC42A355pCSaUcFpE-HejvyIpBANYwkylXsX4ZaHUyFz2qfOC2SlJBNjN7K-JiQIFOQPQaZBOtOEv-IlXyDB3d-l8tP-gb2eHj5H6JJa6TJ14d5kOrdAdir9x8OQsEv1f0g_c/s1600/Scaup+CRH.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After first being seen in the Havens, it's possible that this bird was maybe attacked by Bonxies, forcing it onto the atypical habitat of the cliffs. What was very possibly the same bird was present on 7th off Hjukni Geo. A Long-tailed Duck seen on Suka Mire and Easter Lother on 7th was also a species in less than expected habitat. (photo: Ciaran Hatsell).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The 7<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> ope</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">ned with the promise of birds to come, but it was
clear that it would have to wait as the driving rain continued and the SE winds were
absolutely lashing the island, reaching Storm 10 and making walking pretty
difficult, let alone birding. We did manage to get a bit of goose scanning in
and picked out 4 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Barnacle Geese</span></strong> darvic rings (which are likely to be birds ringed
in Svalbard, but we’ll update you on those later), amongst the <span lang="EN" style="color: #141823; mso-ansi-language: EN;">139 Barnacle Geese, with 490
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Pink-feet</span></strong> and 94 <span style="color: blue;"><strong>Greylag </strong></span>also present, along with 22 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Whooper Swans</span></strong>.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92qMUd22x4T4DrERcZC4vb5Brtf_qmsGT0BXuNUMdVNG55iBT-1W6JSdzKM1LB14NBnjnJD4jbi3nAHcKUpzy7xA5l7nIf792v6O4QjYPhmt7vTHYRv_qlbXNAZyz2Ld8a0MfJJGFeXs/s1600/Barnacles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92qMUd22x4T4DrERcZC4vb5Brtf_qmsGT0BXuNUMdVNG55iBT-1W6JSdzKM1LB14NBnjnJD4jbi3nAHcKUpzy7xA5l7nIf792v6O4QjYPhmt7vTHYRv_qlbXNAZyz2Ld8a0MfJJGFeXs/s1600/Barnacles.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Barnacle Geese have remained relatively settled below Shirva for a couple of days, allowing good opportunities for scoping them.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #141823; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The rain
eventually cleared at about 3pm, the wind eased slightly (30mph+ still wasn’t
exactly calm) and a frantic dash around the census areas as the light began to
fade saw the slightly more sheltered west cliffs heaving with birds, although
viewing was still difficult. An <strong><span style="color: red;">Olive-backed Pipit </span></strong>put in a brief appearance at
Hjukni Geo, a <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Little Bunting </span></strong>roamed south east and other highlights included a late
<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Quail</span></strong>, a <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Yellow-browed Warbler </span></strong>at the Obs, the <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Dotterel </span></strong>(which flew south down
the island), <strong><span style="color: blue;">Hen Harrier</span></strong>, <span style="color: #b45f06;"><strong>Lapland Bunting</strong>, </span><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Long-eared Owl </strong></span>and both <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Pochard </span></strong>still present on Da
Water. It was the number of birds that was most notable though as, even
allowing for the conditions, Log totals included 864 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Song Thrush</span></strong>, 346 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Redwing</span></strong>, 72
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Brambling</span></strong>, 32 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Robin</span></strong>, 22 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Blackbird</span></strong>, 15 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Siskin</span></strong>, 25 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Woodpigeon</span></strong>, 19 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Jack Snipe</span></strong>, 59
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Snipe</span></strong>, 10 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Woodcock</span></strong> (the first of the autumn), 9 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Reed Bunting</span></strong>, 5 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Dunnock</span></strong>, 3 ‘<strong><span style="color: blue;">North-western’
Common Redpolls</span></strong> and single <strong><span style="color: blue;">Jackdaw</span></strong> (the first of the autumn) and <strong><span style="color: blue;">Fieldfare</span></strong>. Not
bad!</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFci4cC1ehzZsbJeDCQ7pVESRKZ0y3DAHYtjTufsEZGP7mcTeeb5N4DgzoQ98iKEeg3HcHDbEEyW6z1i1KytF_e8hJQ4Hv6xpFUCZWqW-7IO8JE2hjWirHAyDDYje1JIw9P95FlSfS4F4/s1600/Jack+Snipe+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFci4cC1ehzZsbJeDCQ7pVESRKZ0y3DAHYtjTufsEZGP7mcTeeb5N4DgzoQ98iKEeg3HcHDbEEyW6z1i1KytF_e8hJQ4Hv6xpFUCZWqW-7IO8JE2hjWirHAyDDYje1JIw9P95FlSfS4F4/s1600/Jack+Snipe+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good numbers of Jack Snipe were seen today, but getting good views was another matter altogether, so well done to Ciaran for this picture.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Having warned at the previous evening’s Log that we could expect almost
anything to turn up with the current weather, it was still a surprise to
receive a call from John Day (a friend from my days working at the Lodge back
when it were all nowt but trees) late in the afternoon saying he’d just seen a <strong><span style="color: red;">Barn Owl</span></strong>. What’s more
his description (‘in the field with the Barnacle Geese and the two cows’) meant
it was right behind me as I had just started to walk up Malcolm’s Head. I turned
round and started getting the news out and, as I was doing so, it flew from the
burn and headed towards me, flopping regularly into the grass. It spent some
time out in the open before dropping into Steensi Geo, where it appeared to
roost on the cliffs. An amazing record and well worth the pint I owed John for
adding a species to my Fair Isle list.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp7ctRt8qIzAzOJMZGdPTvWQlkOiT5p0lrnhqXMBt01lHgcpcaKIPXJU5nj1oqAINP54oELOr3fKgjxq9rN9LTtNEnr7KFXmv6ToOV2JXtNiNz6enYNj5uFcZq3qjFgHWePoyC40KLu9I/s1600/Barn+Owl2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp7ctRt8qIzAzOJMZGdPTvWQlkOiT5p0lrnhqXMBt01lHgcpcaKIPXJU5nj1oqAINP54oELOr3fKgjxq9rN9LTtNEnr7KFXmv6ToOV2JXtNiNz6enYNj5uFcZq3qjFgHWePoyC40KLu9I/s1600/Barn+Owl2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With just five previous records, this is a major Fair Isle bird. The fact that they all occured between 1924 and 1958 (and the last three were all seen by the same person) means that it ranks pretty high on the 'most-wanted' list of staff and islanders for those species on the Fair Isle list and it attracted a reasonable twitch. Interestingly, all bar one of the previous records was also an <em>alba</em>-type white-breasted bird rather than the perhaps more expected dark-breasted <em>guttata. </em>It really is a bizarre and sensational record, but where has this bird come from?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefTfM5_Ba78ggNQJpAfHuG2KZia7uxwFKqSv6qNSF4ilwWeqtlDx2S0favVaPjXBSKNvJNaaspz2lFX1r5_552qxlHiTFs_d77fRB7uaSEfOVPiHZjyBAPd30UMf2w9ZqwMKwy8aTx2Y/s1600/Barn+Owl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefTfM5_Ba78ggNQJpAfHuG2KZia7uxwFKqSv6qNSF4ilwWeqtlDx2S0favVaPjXBSKNvJNaaspz2lFX1r5_552qxlHiTFs_d77fRB7uaSEfOVPiHZjyBAPd30UMf2w9ZqwMKwy8aTx2Y/s1600/Barn+Owl.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazingly, one of our guests had given a talk on Barn Owls on Sunday evening. I'm not sure if it's the first talk on that subject in FIBO's history, but the remarkable coincidence of the occurence of this bird so soon after has led to calls for a talk on Siberian Blue Robin soon!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDQrRTUPURwhehE25-__MFgdcBilvmX_APKjpFo8qtDu3W8SicPPaXt76Y6mOH5pDFy20ZkpSi3eWto69kzVgPvyutgohKZEMUsrD4J9_AXRDFjbX985tB740iUt-rVjgMjA4xyjW8p8/s1600/Mixed+Geese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDQrRTUPURwhehE25-__MFgdcBilvmX_APKjpFo8qtDu3W8SicPPaXt76Y6mOH5pDFy20ZkpSi3eWto69kzVgPvyutgohKZEMUsrD4J9_AXRDFjbX985tB740iUt-rVjgMjA4xyjW8p8/s1600/Mixed+Geese.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As a postscript to the amazing Barn Owl story, as I was sat at the base of Malcolm's Head keeping an eye on the owl as it sat in the field in front of me, a large flock of Pink-feet went up having seen approaching 'twitchers'. I swung my camera round, managed to get one in-focus shot of the flock and then went back to keeping an eye on the owl. It was only when looking at the photo back in the office that I noticed that there seem to be three <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Tundra Bean Geese </span></strong>in the shot! Can you spot them?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, storm force winds, a Fair Isle mega and a major thrush fall, and yet I think
the main excitement could still be to come from this week yet…<span style="color: #141823;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-33330979869134985102014-10-05T14:17:00.000+01:002014-10-05T14:17:42.645+01:00All White on the night<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<strong>27th September - 4th October</strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, it’s
been an interesting few days since the last update, with some strong westerly winds
and the odd bout of easterlies that hadn’t really delivered on their promise
(to Fair Isle at least). There’s no denying that it’s been tough going at
times, with White’s Thrush, Siberian Rubythroat and Yellow-rumped Warbler not
far north of us and <a href="http://northronbirdobs.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/30th-september.html" target="_blank">Eye-browed Thrush and Pechora Pipit gracing our neighboursto the south</a>, whilst top-quality rarities seemed largely to pass us by. Various
theories were put forward (including: ‘the wrong kind of weather’, ‘a curse’ or
having had ‘too much good fortune in the spring’), but we were all hopeful it
was just one of those things and everything would come good. There’s certainly
been no flagging from the Wardening team, with double-census on most days, whilst
some really keen visitors have also covered many miles of ditches, fields and
cliffs, but sometimes things just don’t go your way.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialp5jhqq8w2b_6nRUDpyBkalSAg3getgq3np5o6Mmrz9khQaODkiJvRyaGMhktWwQFaREiPz5-Ks8DxjpOLUXb9rZJUZKSARuBFumZ-qV0VJ3NUpa_mLsdk5gfSkcOTCXvSqKjp-q6S8/s1600/Brambling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialp5jhqq8w2b_6nRUDpyBkalSAg3getgq3np5o6Mmrz9khQaODkiJvRyaGMhktWwQFaREiPz5-Ks8DxjpOLUXb9rZJUZKSARuBFumZ-qV0VJ3NUpa_mLsdk5gfSkcOTCXvSqKjp-q6S8/s1600/Brambling.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There have been arrivals of common migrants including good numbers of Brambling.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There have
still been some decent birds about, with old favourites including the
<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Rose-coloured Starling </span></strong>lingering to 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> (when it was seen looking
rather bedraggled after some heavy rain and poor weather), the <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Bluethroat </span></strong>at
Pund throughout, daily records of up to 5 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Yellow-browed Warblers </span></strong>and up to 2<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">
Common Rosefinch </span></strong>(to 30<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> September). New scarcities included <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Wryneck</span></strong>
and <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Barred Warbler </span></strong>on 29<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>, a <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Little Bunting</span></strong> on 30<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>, the
first <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Grey Phalarope</span></strong> of the year on 2<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> (a bird on the sea off Da
Burrian) and 2 <span style="color: #b45f06;"><strong>Richard’s Pipits</strong></span> on 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> (one to 4<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>) with
other migrants of note including a <strong><span style="color: blue;">Hen Harrier</span></strong> from 1<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup>, a peak of
122 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Redwing</span></strong> on 30<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> Sep and the first <strong><span style="color: blue;">North-western Common Redpoll</span></strong>
of the autumn on 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup>. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pbhg8Sy6eZtxm5iZt-yDxzXaRsupnkWSFqpaGEu4wGldbVC5UAhL0OkVMOzd_EMQuldIqnsCQpf04rLFbadQvGFL90tNgfe6ueKlt1YJk3nbae3a6ufiX9Dn8LzBKw6oq-Z3t9ql0oY/s1600/Richard's%2BPipit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pbhg8Sy6eZtxm5iZt-yDxzXaRsupnkWSFqpaGEu4wGldbVC5UAhL0OkVMOzd_EMQuldIqnsCQpf04rLFbadQvGFL90tNgfe6ueKlt1YJk3nbae3a6ufiX9Dn8LzBKw6oq-Z3t9ql0oY/s1600/Richard's%2BPipit.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard's Pipit in the Parks, the first sign of new passerine arrivals for a while.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The lack of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">rostrata/islandica</i>-type Redpolls had been a bit of a surprise given
the westerly winds, with other birds from that direction clearly arriving,
including a surge in <strong><span style="color: blue;">Wheatear </span></strong>numbers that peaked at 182 on 28<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
(most of which were <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">leucorhoa</i> ‘Greenland’
birds), the first <strong><span style="color: blue;">Whooper Swans </span></strong>of the autumn (from 27<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> Sep and
peaking at 30 on 29<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>) and daily <strong><span style="color: blue;">Pink-footed Goose </span></strong>records. The latter
benefitted from a relatively calm day on 4<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>, with several skeins on
the move (a large number of which spent at least part of the day resting on
Mire of Vatnagaard) and a final total of 1105 logged (along with 72 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Barnacle
Geese</span></strong>, 22 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Greylag</span></strong>, 68 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Wigeon </span></strong>and 10 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Red-breasted Merganser</span></strong>).</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkfXfZzaorAq0Om_5YNYKplHHwCQJ9eHon65Y6xNT96c-jfLwltKV84EEKmcbpYj-b8Y3t8RRs1p28uQQqaEcSbZlDR284XSRNrwQ4kVsgotKKrFRcxRM2ewJwh2sZ1oHughML9A1iBY/s1600/Whooper+Swans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkfXfZzaorAq0Om_5YNYKplHHwCQJ9eHon65Y6xNT96c-jfLwltKV84EEKmcbpYj-b8Y3t8RRs1p28uQQqaEcSbZlDR284XSRNrwQ4kVsgotKKrFRcxRM2ewJwh2sZ1oHughML9A1iBY/s1600/Whooper+Swans.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whooper Swan passage over Fair Isle is quite variable, but these were part of an impressive group on 29th which toured the island, providing a wonderful spectacle as they trumpetted there way around.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The 4<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
also brought a large amount of rain, which made census impractical for the morning
(we did try, but with rain-soaked bins and birds clearly keeping to cover, it
proved a thankless task), but by about 3pm, the downpour had finally stopped
and census was on, surely this was the day that Fair Isle would wake from its
temporary slumbers…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Early signs
were slow (although singles of <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Pomarine Skua</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: blue;">Sooty Shearwater</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: blue;">Storm Petrel </span></strong>and
blue <strong><span style="color: blue;">Fulmar </span></strong>were seen from the Good Shepherd) with a <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Little Bunting </span></strong>at Chalet
then Pund the pick of the crop, but it was good to be birding in calm, dry
conditions and it really felt promising. That’s not to say that there wasn’t a
certain element of surprise when Richard phoned to say ‘<strong><span style="color: red;">WHITE'S THRUSH </span></strong>near
Wester Lother’! The Obs machine was put into full effect rounding up people from
across the island and this notorious skulker, which often leads potential
observers on a merry dance went on to not only show well to everyone, but also
to treat us to a merry dance!</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfSvkn_jiE4KQGgmZYC5W5lANFXkOZ5Uh0Gfqmz-7PiEyqWq4qugbLwoZZc1SPNzesNun23avComWm-779yrtn3itkkpGhFFf1J3iEp4qy7yv55wuqjyT53j7b0jk4THM9AIFAOD_tbU/s1600/White's%2BThrush%2B(Ciaran%2BHatsell).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfSvkn_jiE4KQGgmZYC5W5lANFXkOZ5Uh0Gfqmz-7PiEyqWq4qugbLwoZZc1SPNzesNun23avComWm-779yrtn3itkkpGhFFf1J3iEp4qy7yv55wuqjyT53j7b0jk4THM9AIFAOD_tbU/s1600/White's%2BThrush%2B(Ciaran%2BHatsell).JPG" height="320" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The White's Thrush was found by Richard as it fed on the slope behind Wester Lother. It spent most of the time out in the open, often just under this ridge, where good scope views were obtained. Photo: Ciaran Hatsell.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The 13<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
record for Fair Isle, they are always an absolutely fantastic bird to see, with
Ciaran’s video below (taken not long before dusk), showing the species curious ‘bobbing’
motion when feeding. So, despite a few quiet days, things are definitely looking
up, with a lot of happy staff (none more so than Ciaran who was marooned on the
‘wrong’ Farne Island when <a href="http://farnephoto.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/whites-thrush.html" target="_blank">one turned up there in 2012</a>; although spare a thought
for poor David Steel, his colleague on Brownsman at the time, who had just been
visiting Fair Isle, but left the day before the White’s Thrush was found) and
guests last night. It could be an interesting spell coming up as well, with
some fresher southerly winds giving way to a few days of SE winds (gale force
at times), bringing a lot of rain, but maybe more birds… <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwVd0_LdFRE7yfsyKjPMekYXJEiBJPmuef4HfYrTWyWN4lNXlw974EImtZEdCbRSD6KZxmA2wic9Xjz6A8ikQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-12668587333240366992014-09-26T16:25:00.003+01:002014-09-26T16:25:55.460+01:00Whale Force
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">23<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd </span></sup>- 26<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> September</span></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQevSf73iGSlDPorUvLpXt2PT3gRK3SYTOMy_IWUe3Gc9H2-wS7w4wuxq2dkzFUqZy3_uXKIKtDhJZvRVExWNVoL4q04_Ncl41JK6km9h9kg0P1hUL1KnYpsO4XuTwY7-SDeTxf8ob5Q/s1600/Red-throated+Pipit+23+09+2014+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQevSf73iGSlDPorUvLpXt2PT3gRK3SYTOMy_IWUe3Gc9H2-wS7w4wuxq2dkzFUqZy3_uXKIKtDhJZvRVExWNVoL4q04_Ncl41JK6km9h9kg0P1hUL1KnYpsO4XuTwY7-SDeTxf8ob5Q/s1600/Red-throated+Pipit+23+09+2014+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-throated Pipit at Setter, a rare opportunity to see a red-throated individual in autumn (photo by Ciaran Hatsell)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My last
prediction proved hopelessly optimistic, as the westerly winds kicked in early
and very few new migrants made arrival. New highlights were a <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Richard’s Pipit </span></strong>at
Field then Setter (23<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> & 24<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>) and a <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Short-toed Lark</span></strong>
in a mobile <strong><span style="color: blue;">Skylark </span></strong>flock around the back of North Naaversgill, with the <strong><span style="color: red;">Red-throated
Pipit </span></strong>(until 24<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>) and <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Rose-coloured Starling </span></strong>(until 25<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
at least) both still proving popular. Other scarcities included the <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Bluethroat </span></strong>(until
25<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> at least), up to 5 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Yellow-browed Warbler</span></strong>, 2 <span style="color: #b45f06;"><strong>Common Rosefinch</strong></span>
and a (unringed) <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Barred Warbler</span></strong> (23<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup>). </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-OOUP9jIXpGoigzRELuXf-hsD4X_vHGqDXVYGLdJDBVl4Rp2V01bTuyeNbIyGcse446xLKOq5Fm861YfkiEzHG1f4ElOTFebRrkqKCwb1iTmGFyvBCxhe0u2OZc_Udng8gGzgHnZ0JVc/s1600/Rose-coloured+Starling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-OOUP9jIXpGoigzRELuXf-hsD4X_vHGqDXVYGLdJDBVl4Rp2V01bTuyeNbIyGcse446xLKOq5Fm861YfkiEzHG1f4ElOTFebRrkqKCwb1iTmGFyvBCxhe0u2OZc_Udng8gGzgHnZ0JVc/s1600/Rose-coloured+Starling.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rose-coloured Starling seems to have settled in the area around the Walli Burn.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With the
winds from the NW, it was no surprise that goose passage picked up and 764
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Pink-feet</span></strong>, 56 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Barnacles </span></strong>and 5 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Greylag </span></strong>were recorded on 24<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>, with 11<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">
Lapland Buntings </span></strong>also likely to have come from the same direction.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuQ4KSS86xdzYtVX-iSYDg0MaHOJhUkZRwgtcxU1Bl_Y8_UVoiylLZQuCeo4cXp7Ct8fDLXh4DAz-jc6jiVpfYF1fAty5D-CEm4ccppnBPk886gNNlMZT-xQpOWqeOe3E4zvaITKxUw8/s1600/Shags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuQ4KSS86xdzYtVX-iSYDg0MaHOJhUkZRwgtcxU1Bl_Y8_UVoiylLZQuCeo4cXp7Ct8fDLXh4DAz-jc6jiVpfYF1fAty5D-CEm4ccppnBPk886gNNlMZT-xQpOWqeOe3E4zvaITKxUw8/s1600/Shags.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the increase in the wind, any sheltered areas of coast have been attracting birds like these <strong><span style="color: blue;">Shags</span></strong> in North Haven, although there have been no rarer species brought in yet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">By the 25<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>,
new arrivals were more or less restricted to a <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Goldeneye </span></strong>(the first of the
autumn), with numbers of most common species decreasing and just a few geese
still passing through.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDSO0mz-NMayADgAKqyTp4msZPdQBAGIqDgfZyl3giB7-ewpLSpSBhbKvynNyDRBYozxQmla3O8lXv2QWwo3Y0rybtAcRtn4tXgaNk7-FBkfZy61a_AumK-vzU2amot-ZovaKWrQKShw/s1600/Jack+Snipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDSO0mz-NMayADgAKqyTp4msZPdQBAGIqDgfZyl3giB7-ewpLSpSBhbKvynNyDRBYozxQmla3O8lXv2QWwo3Y0rybtAcRtn4tXgaNk7-FBkfZy61a_AumK-vzU2amot-ZovaKWrQKShw/s1600/Jack+Snipe.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up to 10 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Jack Snipe </span></strong>have been counted in recent days as the ditches are thoroughly searched for migrants.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The highlight
for most visitors during this period though were twitchable<strong><span style="color: #274e13;"> Killer Whales</span></strong> on
consecutive days on 24<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> and 25<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>, with the first day in
particular proving exciting as they first moved north up the island before
appearing around South Harbour, where everyone got to catch up with them. A
<strong><span style="color: #274e13;">Risso’s Dolphin</span></strong> (24<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>) and 2<strong><span style="color: #274e13;"> Porpoise</span></strong> (25<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>) added to the
cetacean sightings.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgEXFOM-F5dCKD4xYSYbZdkjcYqoiVInHSEzTH9RgQR-NDhxUC4hBey6l-yP3w7SEEuLho0n9NFphDbW4KhQeN4_h4WAGdVJ4aNcNDgyyKqUQlbOcr3EHqRKDNayb7MX8OewH0CtfW8o/s1600/Killer+Whale.+24.09.14+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgEXFOM-F5dCKD4xYSYbZdkjcYqoiVInHSEzTH9RgQR-NDhxUC4hBey6l-yP3w7SEEuLho0n9NFphDbW4KhQeN4_h4WAGdVJ4aNcNDgyyKqUQlbOcr3EHqRKDNayb7MX8OewH0CtfW8o/s1600/Killer+Whale.+24.09.14+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although they normally either motor past the island or stop to prey on seals, these Killer Whales appeared to be hunting fish offshore (on 25th at least) if the number of Gannets feeding around them was anything to go by. (photo by Ciaran Hatsell).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nice though
whales and dolphins are, most people’s thoughts are now firmly fixed on the
birding, with the current gale-force westerly winds having great potential to bring
something across the Atlantic, although the odds are always long when hoping
for an American vagrant. An exhausted Red-eyed Vireo at Sumburgh on 25<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
certainly boded well, but it may well be tomorrow before conditions improve
enough to actually see anything. Sunday looks promising as the winds start to
drop, then Monday and Tuesday could see some lighter SE winds before a return
to the weather coming in from the Atlantic later in the week. In an ideal
world, this would mean we’ll be having American rarities sandwiching a nice
eastern gem or two, but as my predictions have been woefully inaccurate so far
this autumn, I’ll stick to waiting and seeing what turns up…</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiuECqNNL8Ma1zs7oH2v_7up0pxeCdSygHM2tlTKlGB11lN9H4fbIxE0V9Bga3hKrhyphenhyphenGZtv8sDIbEDl-57UA4S9KWjrwpxxD9yYPY0wJEDZEYqmqI1_D_vgmnv07bvGjyUo7KwdjtA4bw/s1600/Gannet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiuECqNNL8Ma1zs7oH2v_7up0pxeCdSygHM2tlTKlGB11lN9H4fbIxE0V9Bga3hKrhyphenhyphenGZtv8sDIbEDl-57UA4S9KWjrwpxxD9yYPY0wJEDZEYqmqI1_D_vgmnv07bvGjyUo7KwdjtA4bw/s1600/Gannet.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will it be the wild Atlantic or the stormy North Sea that our next rarity has crossed to reach us?...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-30449586998993239412014-09-23T09:02:00.000+01:002014-09-23T09:02:06.571+01:00Lance Encounter<strong>21st-22nd September</strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A strong NW
wind on Sunday brought an unsurprising lack of birds, although going against
the grain somewhat was a smart <strong><span style="color: red;">Olive-backed Pipit </span></strong>found lurking in long grass
around the Quoy allotment, whilst a good spread of lingering migrants made for
a pleasant day in the field.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgdcAcSQWswzPkMM160QIvX3YcyZOnTgKDtKlBkwvFkTmOPqQFPIN8tFj88y3_pZXWM6BLJi4Q9F38yd_0Sj13BNZclNIBB4uayLtZ4JU4ZN2S4TxCEUrtDVpyYHpsyYAQ0WVdoQJJaw8/s1600/Olive-backed+Pipit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgdcAcSQWswzPkMM160QIvX3YcyZOnTgKDtKlBkwvFkTmOPqQFPIN8tFj88y3_pZXWM6BLJi4Q9F38yd_0Sj13BNZclNIBB4uayLtZ4JU4ZN2S4TxCEUrtDVpyYHpsyYAQ0WVdoQJJaw8/s1600/Olive-backed+Pipit.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although incredibly elusive at times, the OBP at Quoy could be watched feeding in the grass down to around 2 metres.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Monday
opened very calm, the perfect conditions for a bit of drifty movement and early
signs were promising, with a <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Barred Warbler </span></strong>and <strong><span style="color: blue;">Reed Warbler </span></strong>trapped in the morning
(further Barred Warbler sightings during the day at Barkland, School, Vaila’s
Trees, Schoolton, Burkle and Haa were all thought to be the same wandering
individual). Whilst there didn’t seem to be huge numbers of new birds in, it
felt good and, sure enough, an <strong><span style="color: red;">Arctic Warbler </span></strong>was found near North Shirva during
morning census. Although not exactly a ‘Fair Isle special’, this is about the
90<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> record of this species for the island and it is still not easy
to connect with in most of the UK (in my home county of Durham for example, I reckon
there’s only been one record since I saw my first on Hartlepool
Headland back in 1996 – there are probably more people who’ve seen Eastern
Crowned Warbler in the county than Arctic!).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Perhaps only
on Fair Isle would a BB rarity be a ‘good sign’ rather than the day’s
stand-alone highlight, but we were certainly hopeful for more and, just as hope
seemed to be fading with the light (and the onset of light rain), visiting
birders Micky Maher, Martin Culshaw and Phil Harris found Fair Isle’s 89<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
<strong><span style="color: red;">Lanceolated Warbler </span></strong>near the roadside between Midway and Upper Leogh. Thanks to
their swift reporting, an entire Obs-full of guests was able to enjoy this
fearless <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">locustella</i> giving great
views before dinner (we were only slightly late back, but the kitchen staff
were very understanding again!).</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYGkbUV7sJ5MSYjWgBUxmXiQcZHMn2gt6shzr-jc4glt6-6vfO-Pb7UEgf_jqwbnqBknlOdhBSK2M-mOarN3RMLZ5EqwU0_lZGV3DiX8xW849UizPKM92Ow-SSw5GFXPWSYiMuIxrM98/s1600/Lanceolated+Warbler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYGkbUV7sJ5MSYjWgBUxmXiQcZHMn2gt6shzr-jc4glt6-6vfO-Pb7UEgf_jqwbnqBknlOdhBSK2M-mOarN3RMLZ5EqwU0_lZGV3DiX8xW849UizPKM92Ow-SSw5GFXPWSYiMuIxrM98/s1600/Lanceolated+Warbler.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lancie showed very well (although I only managed a couple of rubbish record shots as it hid in a hole in a wall) often giving views down to just a few feet away. There will be much better photos from other people to come!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The atmosphere
at Log in the evening was understandably merry as people compared photos and
relived the encounter, whilst the day’s other birds made for an impressive
back-up cast with <strong><span style="color: red;">Olive-backed Pipit</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: red;">Red-throated Pipit</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Rose-coloured
Starling</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Bluethroat</span></strong>, 3 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Yellow-browed Warbler</span></strong>, 2 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Common Rosefinch </span></strong>and 5 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Lapland
Bunting </span></strong>all out there to be enjoyed. Also new for the autumn were 2 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Linnets </span></strong>and
a skein of 16 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Barnacle Geese</span></strong>.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixiZRx2jjm3tjqh_GQGplH8W-fxd5_JszouoIMcmdmouqopZtDpgooaPFurNdQcxOcWbJZnf3lryQDS8Gd4rXvyWwYkXwlRGbaf1Nt30VV_yPGEzvl_DLsT12WOhdJsWyw98i1KgLc3OQ/s1600/Yellow-browed+Warbler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixiZRx2jjm3tjqh_GQGplH8W-fxd5_JszouoIMcmdmouqopZtDpgooaPFurNdQcxOcWbJZnf3lryQDS8Gd4rXvyWwYkXwlRGbaf1Nt30VV_yPGEzvl_DLsT12WOhdJsWyw98i1KgLc3OQ/s1600/Yellow-browed+Warbler.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-browed Warbler at Quoy, part of an impressive supporting cast of birds on a really good day's birding.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The forecast
is for continued westerlies, seemingly forever,
but we’re doing pretty well at the minute and there are some birds that seem to
have a habit of turning up on the ‘wrong’ winds, so maybe something like
Citrine Wagtail today and Pechora Pipit tomorrow (when the wind gets more NW)
could be on the cards, and perhaps later in the week we’ll continue<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>our theme of recent autumns of an American
passerine making landfall somewhere on the island (just out of interest, it's the second anniversary of the Magnolia Warbler today)…</span>David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-69839039873555757782014-09-21T11:43:00.000+01:002014-09-21T11:43:02.977+01:00Our list is like a Red Rose.
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>19<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>-20<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
September</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The 19<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
saw the last day of the spell of easterlies that had delivered some good numbers
of common migrants, an impressive display of scarcities but just two additions
to the year list (Grey Plover and Yellow-browed Warbler) and just one description species (Short-toed Lark).
Another good day of birding saw the first <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Corncrake </span></strong>and <strong><span style="color: blue;">Ring Ouzel </span></strong>of the
autumn, along with a new <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Bluethroat</span></strong>, 4 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Red-breasted Flycatchers</span></strong>, 8
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><strong>Yellow-browed Warblers</strong></span>, <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Little Bunting</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Barred Warbler</span></strong>, 3 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Common Rosefinch</span></strong>, 13<strong><span style="color: blue;">
Jack Snipe</span></strong> and 2 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Grey Plover</span></strong>, along with a similar number of common migrants to
previous days; so despite the lack of rarities, nobody was complaining at the quality
of the birding.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KVrfzXG7W6ATsztGYJz6kPTkbKrwSk6zzkT0P4rXH3Pb4aDgLuRtTL7-sz4RZ7DQ1iuJLCrcsmk2DEzMksYfY0HRtREulrgubqB0eXOf2GzHi-IFHYe7xG2xPF1oOVoOjS3yhbj2lbg/s1600/Grey+Plover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KVrfzXG7W6ATsztGYJz6kPTkbKrwSk6zzkT0P4rXH3Pb4aDgLuRtTL7-sz4RZ7DQ1iuJLCrcsmk2DEzMksYfY0HRtREulrgubqB0eXOf2GzHi-IFHYe7xG2xPF1oOVoOjS3yhbj2lbg/s1600/Grey+Plover.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This smart breeding-plumaged Grey Plover has been lingering around the Skadan for a few days. Contrary to what I said earlier in the week, there was a record in 2013 (two flyover birds on 29th September), but 2012 was a blank year, so it's always a good one for the year list. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The 20<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
finally saw the winds change and, although NW is not a direction usually
associated with good birds, it often happens that on Fair Isle a switch in the wind
direction delivers something good. The early signs were interesting, with a
skein of <strong><span style="color: blue;">Pink-footed Geese</span></strong> heard over the Obs in the morning entirely expected
given the weather, but three new <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Yellow-browed Warblers</span></strong> trapped in the garden were
less predictable. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63EJJKhip1Xu_cBpjSpSqf8UnRTlCdsyQNwde2OQxpbZVf3Z963-5V7Jt-85LMC6vfPzQPc4n34_xEB3PRJE436SVqXM07_bvLeS3AmDriCSSPR9dYhm2_TLLt5D-dvRt1rz0Eay_RxY/s1600/Yellow-browed+Warbler2+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63EJJKhip1Xu_cBpjSpSqf8UnRTlCdsyQNwde2OQxpbZVf3Z963-5V7Jt-85LMC6vfPzQPc4n34_xEB3PRJE436SVqXM07_bvLeS3AmDriCSSPR9dYhm2_TLLt5D-dvRt1rz0Eay_RxY/s1600/Yellow-browed+Warbler2+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).JPG" height="320" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three Yellow-browed Warblers in an hour was a good return for the morning's ringing efforts. This was one of two trapped the previous day (photo: Ciaran Hatsell).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It wasn’t long before the first new good bird was found, when
a juvenile <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Rose-coloured Starling </span></strong>was discovered near Steensi Geo before
setting off on a wander of the south of the island. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCDY5Nk5yjlDxxRKUI1zsl0-ghvV2cO6CV2UN8ivjob-hh6f0wq7LyOWA3WHHBLbaam7fGpGWeUz8JG2kNhMiwVY_fIxMl0n3rgU8ddWu0tmdmi8diufzuaM4AFsLwxp2M9ylvBcfmEg/s1600/Rose-coloured+Starling+i+20.09.2014+Ciaran+Hatsell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCDY5Nk5yjlDxxRKUI1zsl0-ghvV2cO6CV2UN8ivjob-hh6f0wq7LyOWA3WHHBLbaam7fGpGWeUz8JG2kNhMiwVY_fIxMl0n3rgU8ddWu0tmdmi8diufzuaM4AFsLwxp2M9ylvBcfmEg/s1600/Rose-coloured+Starling+i+20.09.2014+Ciaran+Hatsell.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rose-coloured Starling. Just the second since 2008, with an autumn juvenile in 2011 the most recent record (photo: Ciaran Hatsell).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The rest of
the day produced another good spread of migrants, although mostly lingering
birds with 2 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Bluethroats </span></strong>(at Barkland and Quoy), <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Little Bunting </span></strong>(still at Lower
Leogh), 2 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Red-breasted Flycatchers</span></strong>, 7 <span style="color: #b45f06;"><strong>Yellow-browed Warblers</strong></span>, 2 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Common
Rosefinch</span></strong> and the <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Gadwall</span></strong> reappeared. There was also the first <span style="color: blue;"><strong>Grey Wagtail</strong></span> of the autumn, but most common
migrants decreased in number. By 5pm, the wind had increased, people were drifting
back towards the Obs and thoughts were maybe starting to veer slightly from
birding to eating, until a ‘red’ was added to the ‘rose’ for our list of
highlights for the day, appropriately enough by our very own Lancashire lad
Ciaran, when he found a rather smart <strong><span style="color: red;">Red-throated Pipit</span></strong> (maybe not a BB rare anymore, but rare enough nowadays to warrant the red font I think) in the Setter tattie
rig. Although elusive at times, everyone was eventually able to get decent
views and we were just about back in time for dinner; another good Fair Isle
day.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikD2Gd2oNl4isriUlYgZQFEGk-SdnMVNU4OkeYEo5N65qsQ32NDgUzLuYRNnomUIwbED3nslxhHmoPGp-v_Jc1gD6q1x3FBakRh8RTBLbhZ7NLvWxjNphzvQG8OtpGN75MpVziruXQR6k/s1600/Red-throated+Pipit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikD2Gd2oNl4isriUlYgZQFEGk-SdnMVNU4OkeYEo5N65qsQ32NDgUzLuYRNnomUIwbED3nslxhHmoPGp-v_Jc1gD6q1x3FBakRh8RTBLbhZ7NLvWxjNphzvQG8OtpGN75MpVziruXQR6k/s1600/Red-throated+Pipit.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Red-throated Pipit being a bit elusive but showing off several of its main identification features (pale-based bill, mantle stripes, lack of primary projection, streaked rump). There were none in 2011 and 2012, one in autumn 2013 and this is the first of the year, reflecting a change in fortunes for this formerly regular spring migrant. It was the second quality addition to the year list on the 20th, taking us to 202 for the year so far.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-68244136733368735322014-09-19T00:25:00.001+01:002014-09-19T00:25:40.298+01:0018th September<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
With a wet and murky start to the
day, things started off pretty slowly, but as the cloud lifted and the
conditions brightened up, more new birds were found and this lovely spell of
easterlies continued to intrigue. </div>
Whilst still lacking in a new genuine
rarity, there were clearly more birds coming in, with 2 <span style="color: #b45f06;"><strong>Bluethroats </strong></span>(which inhabited
the radically different habitats of an area of Puffin burrows on Buness and the
School car park) and a <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Short-toed Lark </span></strong>(on Ward Hill – after yesterday’s
Richard’s Pipit, I wonder what might be found up there when the cloud eventually
clears from the high ground) the scarcest new arrivals. There was also still an
obliging <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Little Bunting</span></strong>, 2 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Yellow-browed Warblers</span></strong>, 2 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Barred Warblers</span></strong>, a <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Common
Rosefinch </span></strong>(with sightings at Kenaby and Leogh before a bird roosted at the Obs,
so perhaps more than one was present) and 2 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Red-breasted Flycatchers </span></strong>(with
yesterday’s ringed bird being joined by an adult at the Obs, with the two
spending a lot of time chasing each other around the garden). The <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Gadwall </span></strong>was
also present, so deserves a mention in the blog, although I appreciate that
Fair Isle is one of the few places where it would sit alongside the
previously mentioned species.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXiBNjsj31WTMent5PUYgNijkW8QyxFc-KzcBvkNOTuMsALyxHk4moJg9rDnk14ehG1T0JZqs_FBReYc0tZx87bGF9N285PnpZmh2zAE7dzljClCb2_8YUjvOTe_Vf05MUmwf8DFRBukU/s1600/Bluethroat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXiBNjsj31WTMent5PUYgNijkW8QyxFc-KzcBvkNOTuMsALyxHk4moJg9rDnk14ehG1T0JZqs_FBReYc0tZx87bGF9N285PnpZmh2zAE7dzljClCb2_8YUjvOTe_Vf05MUmwf8DFRBukU/s1600/Bluethroat.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scarce chats are always a joy to watch even if, like this young Bluethroat, they lack some of the glamour of a spring male. We've been told that these are the first Bluethroats of the autumn in the UK.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Many of the common migrants were
present in similar numbers to yesterday, although <strong><span style="color: blue;">Blackcaps </span></strong>had increased to
34, <strong><span style="color: blue;">Lesser Whitethroats </span></strong>to 8 and <strong><span style="color: blue;">Jack Snipe </span></strong>to 8 (the latter count a sure sign
that ditches are being well checked for rare, creeping warblers). There were
also at least two <strong><span style="color: blue;">Lesser Redpolls</span></strong>, with one of them trapped in the afternoon (this
species is scarce on Fair Isle, with most records coming when there are arrivals
of Mealy Redpoll, so the fact that the only redpoll records today were Lessers
is unusual).<br />
Perhaps also of note was the first <strong><span style="color: blue;">Reed
Bunting </span></strong>of the autumn, the first 2 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Grasshopper Warbler </span></strong>since the 1<sup>st</sup>
of the month and an increase in <strong><span style="color: blue;">Dunnocks </span></strong>to 6; is it clutching at straws to
describe that as a fall of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">locustellas</i>,
bunting and accentors and suggest that a similar theme (but with different species)
tomorrow would be very popular indeed?David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-92157725566207342062014-09-18T05:53:00.000+01:002014-09-18T05:53:03.871+01:00Falling Into Place
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">17<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> September<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, the
sun didn’t exactly come out, but the rain eased from around 6am and the cloud
starting lifting (although it lingered around the higher ground, causing the
cancellation of flights for the second day) resulting in birds being able to
find the island and being able to be found by a dried off Wardening team.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Perhaps
surprisingly, there was no real new rarity amongst the many birds that had arrived,
although the <strong><span style="color: red;">Pallid Harrier </span></strong>remained (and the <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Gadwall </span></strong>was relocated!). Several
scarcities including a <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Richard’s Pipit </span></strong>(heard in the fog over Ward Hill; the
first of the autumn), <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Little Bunting </span></strong>(unringed, so not yesterday’s bird), 5
<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Yellow-browed Warbler</span></strong>, 4 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Barred Warbler</span></strong>, 3 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Red-breasted Flycatcher</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Common
Rosefinch </span></strong>and a <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Lapland Bunting</span></strong>. The real highlight though was the variety and increased
number of migrants, with highest counts of the autumn so far being posted by several
species, including: 68 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Song Thrush</span></strong>, 26 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Chaffinch</span></strong>, 29 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Blackcap </span></strong>(including 10
ringed at the Obs, suggesting that even more were probably lurking around the
island), <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>17 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Grey Heron</span></strong>, 13 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Goldcrest</span></strong>, 13
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Chiffchaff</span></strong>, 11 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Whinchat</span></strong>, 9 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Robin</span></strong>, 9 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Redstart</span></strong>, 6 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Tree Pipit</span></strong>, 6 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Lesser
Whitethroat</span></strong>, 5 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Brambling</span></strong>, 5 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Jack Snipe </span></strong>and 4 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Redwing </span></strong>whilst 4 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Dunnocks </span></strong>and a
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Mealy Redpoll </span></strong>were the first records since the spring. <strong><span style="color: blue;">Kestrel </span></strong>numbers were
impressive, with one of the highest ever counts seeing 13 recorded, with a
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Sparrowhawk </span></strong>also newly arrived (and 2 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Hen Harriers </span></strong>and a <strong><span style="color: blue;">Peregrine</span></strong> lingering
and adding to the raptor haul). Also adding to the variety were the first <strong><span style="color: blue;">Woodpigeon</span></strong>
since early August, the first <strong><span style="color: blue;">Sand Martin</span></strong> of the month and the second <strong><span style="color: blue;">Spotted
Flycatcher</span></strong> of the autumn.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgctYNFqdYCSV3OMLIWpROlEXW9-5DngeeuulZjpuQH5unCbJwpvUvrwX4q91gUjyuFd2B6uZgTa7XeT5AXKFPHQMP3W3nuWgU-ZgW5r36_-lOg8XIsFDlKwCbQ1GpYwoz4sAfEMrvKQ/s1600/Red-breasted+Flycatcher.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgctYNFqdYCSV3OMLIWpROlEXW9-5DngeeuulZjpuQH5unCbJwpvUvrwX4q91gUjyuFd2B6uZgTa7XeT5AXKFPHQMP3W3nuWgU-ZgW5r36_-lOg8XIsFDlKwCbQ1GpYwoz4sAfEMrvKQ/s1600/Red-breasted+Flycatcher.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In common with the rest of the UK, we're enjoying a good spell of Red-breasted Flycatchers, with one of today's birds trapped and going on to show well at the Obs. The pale wing-bar shows that this is a first-year bird.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wader numbers
were generally down, but there was an increase in <strong><span style="color: blue;">Golden Plover</span></strong> to 94, whilst a
cracking breeding-plumaged <strong><span style="color: blue;">Grey Plover</span></strong> on Meoness was the first record of this
species since 2012 (so was technically our ‘bird of the day’, although that
accolade may have gone to the Citrine Wagtail heard in flight over Pund had it
been relocated, hopefully that’s one for tomorrow…).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The conditions
look set to be fairly similar tomorrow and, although prolonged easterly winds
often see falls ‘blow themselves out’, I suspect that we haven’t seen the last
of the new birds associated with this weather yet. Will it be more common migrants,
more new species for the year list, or maybe that mega that this weather system
has been threatening? It seems to be a feature of Fair Isle falls that they often produce the bigger numbers of commoner birds first, with the rarities maybe following a day or two later, in which case, the next couple of days could prove quite interesting...</span><br />
David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-78193938131999047932014-09-16T23:12:00.001+01:002014-09-16T23:12:26.246+01:00The sun'll come out tomorrow...
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>11<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>-16<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
September</strong></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEoP7owbwQsyL8uSjIouoZf8Rxgd4FVUoN-V-VriuMjNR4oePZV3xl76HK20E5syHi-0ZJjWqk0PHFPSmHLNSQYBdtQEUSuVLOUVv600Qq6wG_yo8lOnoHLwG_kM5WWNxwQljXu-vrP0/s1600/Yellow-browed+Warbler+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEoP7owbwQsyL8uSjIouoZf8Rxgd4FVUoN-V-VriuMjNR4oePZV3xl76HK20E5syHi-0ZJjWqk0PHFPSmHLNSQYBdtQEUSuVLOUVv600Qq6wG_yo8lOnoHLwG_kM5WWNxwQljXu-vrP0/s1600/Yellow-browed+Warbler+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-browed Warbler by Ciaran Hatsell</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With the
wind starting in the south, then switching to SE and E later in the period, it
looked promising and there have indeed been some good birds. The weather hasn’t
been all favourable though, with fog dominating the first three days, clearing
on 14<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>-15<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> but being replaced by low cloud and heavy
rain on 16<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>, which severely hampered attempts at birding. The forecast for continued easterly winds but drier, brighter conditions on 17th has got everyone on Fair Isle rather excited though...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The <strong><span style="color: red;">Pallid
Harrier </span></strong>remained throughout and could occasionally be seen in the company of
one of the two <strong><span style="color: blue;">Hen Harriers </span></strong>that have been present since 14<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>,
whilst the other rarity, the <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Buff-breasted Sandpiper</span></strong>, remained until 15<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
at least (it has been quite elusive at times, so could easily have been
overlooked today). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Technically also a
highlight was the <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Gadwall </span></strong>that lingered to 15<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>, whilst a smart <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Pomarine
Skua </span></strong>that cruised over the Good Shepherd on 13<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> was the first of the
year (they are less than annual on Fair Isle, although this is the third year
in succession with a record from the Good Shepherd – the last land-based record
was back in 2009).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There has
been a good showing of scarcities as well, with a <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Little Bunting </span></strong>(found
sheltering in the Quoy garage!) on 16<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>, daily sightings of <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Barred
Warblers </span></strong>(peaking at 5 on 11<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>), up to 2 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Common Rosefinch </span></strong>and the first<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">
Red-breasted Flycatchers </span></strong>(daily from 14<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>) and <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Yellow-browed
Warblers </span></strong>of the autumn (or the year, in the latter’s case). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The latter arrived on the 14<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>,
with numbers peaking at nine the following day during a decent fall of warblers
including 50 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Willow Warbler</span></strong>, 14 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Blackcap</span></strong>, 12 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Garden Warbler</span></strong>, <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">6 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Chiffchaff</span></strong>, 3 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Lesser Whitethroat</span></strong>, 3 <span style="color: blue;"><strong>Whitethroat </strong></span><span style="color: black;">and </span><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Reed Warbler</strong></span>, along with 6 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Goldcrest</span></strong>, 2 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Redstart</span></strong>, 2 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Whinchat</span></strong>, 5 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Pied
Flycatcher</span></strong>, 2 <strong><span style="color: blue;"><em>flava </em>Wagtail</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: blue;">Tree Pipit</span></strong>, 3 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Song Thrush</span></strong>, 2 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Brambling </span></strong>and the
first <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">2 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Redwing</span></strong>, 2 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Snow Buntings</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: blue;">Chaffinch</span></strong>,
</span></span><strong><span style="color: blue;">Jack Snipe</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color: blue;">Great Northern Diver </span></strong>and <strong><span style="color: blue;">Goosander</span></strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><strong><span style="color: blue;"> </span></strong>of the autumn, along with an impressive </span>1087 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Meadow Pipit</span></strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><strong><span style="color: blue;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></strong>– a canny day all in all, and a
sign of some of what’s to come when the conditions improve…</span></span>David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-11574143195226948732014-09-11T00:52:00.000+01:002014-09-11T00:52:56.704+01:00Ginger Nuts!
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6th-10th September</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3FUXnbyGw9ERl2vE3AvzTKqlXQ3WlqUJATIrsR5mk7o1EBYY6wFSbDByuyq10-TSLkZa5uphKWzV1wsQEUQXP8M-hk1TBmNWcnC2-2urwe8O7mTbgh83bNSGkxOK6ICdWX9MljCbzkU/s1600/Pallid(blog6).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3FUXnbyGw9ERl2vE3AvzTKqlXQ3WlqUJATIrsR5mk7o1EBYY6wFSbDByuyq10-TSLkZa5uphKWzV1wsQEUQXP8M-hk1TBmNWcnC2-2urwe8O7mTbgh83bNSGkxOK6ICdWX9MljCbzkU/s1600/Pallid(blog6).jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are
certain things that you can predict when birding on Fair Isle, but part of the
fun is definitely the unexpected things that happen with surprising regularity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So far this
autumn, we’ve had some really good birding when the easterly winds have occurred,
bringing some good numbers of scarcities and common migrants, although not
actually that many rarities. However, westerly or northerly winds have brought
us Paddyfield, Arctic and 2 Blyth’s Reed Warblers, showing that you should never
be downhearted when birding Fair Isle even in the ‘wrong’ winds. The fact that
the Wardening team go out on census whatever the weather (well, more or less –constant
rain and gales sometimes limit us a bit) certainly helps as well of course (and
does make me wonder what I’ve missed on previous local patches when I’ve maybe
neglected the not so good weather, although I suppose there aren’t really any
other local patches like Fair Isle).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The last few
days have seen something similar, with light easterlies on 6th not bringing in that
much of note, then a day of horrible north-westerlies and rain on 7th followed
by another breezy north-westerly on 8th that saw a rather fantastic <strong><span style="color: red;">Pallid Harrier</span></strong>
discovered mid-morning, which went on to show well until mid-afternoon on 10th
at least. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-z5mHOXSIb-WH6uP6BNxspQjt3rFFQv55Nc90_WOykuW3TQsaCQ67FgUhz0WF0kXQpMNNfqM4py3QHYXuBqUCt1v-X7tz_1h2Diif5kINWE4oGxvLtKhG2SSEaTmiPgvE-vm9DlDC4A/s1600/Pallid+(blog3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-z5mHOXSIb-WH6uP6BNxspQjt3rFFQv55Nc90_WOykuW3TQsaCQ67FgUhz0WF0kXQpMNNfqM4py3QHYXuBqUCt1v-X7tz_1h2Diif5kINWE4oGxvLtKhG2SSEaTmiPgvE-vm9DlDC4A/s1600/Pallid+(blog3).jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 4th Pallid Harrier for Fair Isle, with previous records in May 1931, 12th-15th August 2011 and 11th-14th September 2011. A bird seen in June 2014 and initially believed to be this species was later reidentified as a Montagu's Harrier (which would only be the third Fair Isle record of that species if it is accepted as such). <strong>Photo: Ciaran Hatsell</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After having first flown over Richard’s head at Da Water, it was
found independently by Craig Round of Speyside Wildlife and Deryk Shaw (who was
working in his garden and had it hover over his polytunnel!) before eventually
proving twitchable near Midway as it was watched devouring a Meadow Pipit (with
over 500 present, there was plenty to spare!). </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsdN9HPZWcfdYm0kMbCMUej0sL2Ttj1395rzoVZ2ThkoFvRBVRR4VDWAqMOe3-mXswjhHP5VTPtzKEB9TNbgRzM-bm6NQGtNzoWq4Adg6asPEBT4MBiIxewJIkUsZtBVo2wwOhIdVrDY/s1600/Pallid+(blog1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsdN9HPZWcfdYm0kMbCMUej0sL2Ttj1395rzoVZ2ThkoFvRBVRR4VDWAqMOe3-mXswjhHP5VTPtzKEB9TNbgRzM-bm6NQGtNzoWq4Adg6asPEBT4MBiIxewJIkUsZtBVo2wwOhIdVrDY/s1600/Pallid+(blog1).jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At times, the views were absolutely stunning. It may not be the Mega it was 20 or so years ago in terms of records, but as gorgeous rarities go, it still rates up there as one of the best. <strong>Photo: Ciaran Hatsell</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">An absolutely belting bird, it was surely appropriate that it was found just one day after 'Redhead Day' (held in the Netherlands), celebrating all things ginger.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFs_YJlASeqc2yhP2PzVSgl6QSdl9Ju0vAzTQSMCDaSmiHuDGLA-Lu7s2hf5pDC6eXhxqViUFdSHahsNaOux7vZeLNbITciQ7Vl00HRPYwQwW1KRVu8SWmHhJ_ZyNLkNNJuZt8P7wiC0/s1600/Pallid+(blog4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFs_YJlASeqc2yhP2PzVSgl6QSdl9Ju0vAzTQSMCDaSmiHuDGLA-Lu7s2hf5pDC6eXhxqViUFdSHahsNaOux7vZeLNbITciQ7Vl00HRPYwQwW1KRVu8SWmHhJ_ZyNLkNNJuZt8P7wiC0/s1600/Pallid+(blog4).jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having a shake after eating a Meadow Pipit in full view of all the Obs staff and guests. <strong>Photo: Ciaran Hatsell</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was the fourth species to be
added to the year list in September and, curiously enough, they all began with ‘P’
(following Paddyfield Warbler, Pectoral Sandpiper and Pintail).</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCfaYC-QBsP5lp6hN8_8LNFF8i_LRWyaL2rPNiPF0dvivPu3_ZYNKS7_ictK6yTB2ItHtw4R3IhUNH-S2vq7RubdEd0mLy9RsRfbPaw0zILBer74uDnv6f4YmneF0b_68q57U-0pcB3Y/s1600/Pallid+(blog2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCfaYC-QBsP5lp6hN8_8LNFF8i_LRWyaL2rPNiPF0dvivPu3_ZYNKS7_ictK6yTB2ItHtw4R3IhUNH-S2vq7RubdEd0mLy9RsRfbPaw0zILBer74uDnv6f4YmneF0b_68q57U-0pcB3Y/s1600/Pallid+(blog2).jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The 9th saw light
west winds again and a few new birds including a <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Red-backed Shrike </span></strong>at Wirvie
(which was still present on 10th), then a switch in the winds on the afternoon of
the 10th to light SE, saw us wondering what the next new bird would be, and if
the ‘P’ theme continued, then surely Pechora Pipit or Pallas’s Grasshopper
Warbler could be on the cards. But no, in this ever unpredictable autumn, the
easterly winds actually dropped in an American bird, with a <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Buff-breasted
Sandpiper </span></strong>picked up as it flew over a visitor who’d just got out the car to try
to see some <strong><span style="color: #274e13;">Risso’s Dolphins </span></strong>that Ciaran had found off Da Burrian as we were
driving past!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHAsQE6KXZp30K9eNFGR4ZE2sxxqA_wt9-tlca2sBI5zrSPgdL7cHS45YRTN5NaDzPaHtAQmkrcf30YoOqQ5xYfN_shaf3MNhrosqFWeY__Z3mY3_9n5WPxovfrGbolnsi_5uD1Y7EvE/s1600/Buff-breasted+Sandpiper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHAsQE6KXZp30K9eNFGR4ZE2sxxqA_wt9-tlca2sBI5zrSPgdL7cHS45YRTN5NaDzPaHtAQmkrcf30YoOqQ5xYfN_shaf3MNhrosqFWeY__Z3mY3_9n5WPxovfrGbolnsi_5uD1Y7EvE/s1600/Buff-breasted+Sandpiper.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A smart find by Alex Ash, who commented that the wader that had just zipped over our heads looked 'a bit Buff-breasty'.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiio3XEpN8Gye7Ene2N5kUZTLbRYIKmLcH4ZTMCJTxeSXFEM6mS-ChTgt3f4RBNX_4WDdIZwTarbEjoo4bN_hYsbtOeJjJaldqrxo8Wm6daii47Fa50nxtkQJ6jbpOc5OvPL3nBCW-n1eA/s1600/Buff-breasted+Sandpiper2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiio3XEpN8Gye7Ene2N5kUZTLbRYIKmLcH4ZTMCJTxeSXFEM6mS-ChTgt3f4RBNX_4WDdIZwTarbEjoo4bN_hYsbtOeJjJaldqrxo8Wm6daii47Fa50nxtkQJ6jbpOc5OvPL3nBCW-n1eA/s1600/Buff-breasted+Sandpiper2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It went on to associate with a Golden Plover flock, although would drift off on its own on occasion. It's the 15th Buff-breasted Sandpiper for Fair Isle, although there have been records in 7 of the previous 9 years. All except one of the previous birds were found in September (the exception being in October 2013). </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjDGO5BQ-MsO9jnqZYriuByYC0Bct0NH5-CWzoLkxXzJBS_6g3Cx3ootb2dHtfstyxBWdMrHf_gydYAjxvv9OWmsez8dEe96pA4WXSzohWAdECCTuSEYicnlHhJ1RkEZBHWuWIJNSDVY/s1600/Risso's%2BDolphins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjDGO5BQ-MsO9jnqZYriuByYC0Bct0NH5-CWzoLkxXzJBS_6g3Cx3ootb2dHtfstyxBWdMrHf_gydYAjxvv9OWmsez8dEe96pA4WXSzohWAdECCTuSEYicnlHhJ1RkEZBHWuWIJNSDVY/s1600/Risso's%2BDolphins.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Risso's Dolphins that started it all. A group of at least four were off North Light the previous day.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So another slightly
crazy rarity given the conditions, but surely with the forecast for south-easterlies, we’ll see some
more conventional species heading our way soon. It looks like
we’re potentially getting some rather promising winds stretching right
across the North Sea and beyond, with Sunday onward looking best and a lot of next
week hopefully enjoying similar conditions. As we approach mid-September, the possibilities
start to seem endless…</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSzq0Ny2eA6y5WlzDxk5L1CZZdRoTPdgqgyaLBcjQJNxD0x0-uWiOGDvPZNZQr8YZvKXPfj83pWKJRiixbStD77E5Ccvu1OhRSQ5u-h0n6zmxMGQvdRLBPB9wH5WFLEJjcuTX-lYrS7iY/s1600/FAIR+ISLE.+Eastern+Grasshopper+Warbler.+20.09.12.+Will+Miles.+i.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSzq0Ny2eA6y5WlzDxk5L1CZZdRoTPdgqgyaLBcjQJNxD0x0-uWiOGDvPZNZQr8YZvKXPfj83pWKJRiixbStD77E5Ccvu1OhRSQ5u-h0n6zmxMGQvdRLBPB9wH5WFLEJjcuTX-lYrS7iY/s1600/FAIR+ISLE.+Eastern+Grasshopper+Warbler.+20.09.12.+Will+Miles.+i.JPG" height="258" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A reminder of what could be coming up, with the BOURC today officially announcing that the Eastern Grasshopper Warbler found on 20th September 2011 has been <a href="http://www.bou.org.uk/about-the-bou/recent_news/" target="_blank">accepted onto Category A of the British List</a>. Although it is currently classified as 'just' a subspecies, it could prove a useful one to have seen, as a future split is certainly a possiblity. Maybe the next new <em>Locustella </em>for Britiain will be something more unequivocal, with the oft-predicted Gray's Grasshopper Warbler surely overdue in the UK. <strong>Photo: Will Miles</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720263965124283569.post-43931800245878870492014-09-06T21:47:00.001+01:002014-09-06T21:47:38.587+01:00Happy as Paddy<strong>5th September </strong><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2Lxdi5-GPHHy_qGK64lyMtNdWPYYnQhiRkWxhzXnAQvSC3DeHNYrQ3IDbdWjUs-aCqz-_om7SIuPxoSFZLNSnoxOM30j4kY8u5waitsexOynDSJzB7_EWgEYkYqs61A4JSI55ehOrvc/s1600/Ciaran+and+Paddyfield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2Lxdi5-GPHHy_qGK64lyMtNdWPYYnQhiRkWxhzXnAQvSC3DeHNYrQ3IDbdWjUs-aCqz-_om7SIuPxoSFZLNSnoxOM30j4kY8u5waitsexOynDSJzB7_EWgEYkYqs61A4JSI55ehOrvc/s1600/Ciaran+and+Paddyfield.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ciaran did well to find a rather skulking rarity despite all the dense, tangled growth (the Lower Leogh roses).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A grey and drizzly start to the day gave way to some glorious sunshine and, although the wind was a light westerly, the conditions were clearly encouraging birds to move, with <strong><span style="color: blue;">Meadow Pipits </span></strong>the the most visible species (small flocks could be seen coming in over the sea from the east during a quick seawatch from Buness for example), the final total ending up at an impressive 619 birds. Other common species on the increase included 143 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Wheatears </span></strong>and 70 <strong><span style="color: blue;">Skylark</span></strong>.<br />
Amongst the new migrants caught up in the excitement, the highlight was definitely the <strong><span style="color: red;">Paddyfield Warbler </span></strong>found at Lower Leogh by Ciaran during morning census. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbsG4F25Y7ZOhLuDztLJWoXxj_RLMnfsWkEjk9ox3suON-AESom13N7cYPntw2Z5H0q6hurLfbL8KZU89SzxLWcrG9mVsKcU-MBjgjOk92QFyiFOUFjWZBiPuvTNHhSGUeNY18u6BmSlo/s1600/Paddyfield2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbsG4F25Y7ZOhLuDztLJWoXxj_RLMnfsWkEjk9ox3suON-AESom13N7cYPntw2Z5H0q6hurLfbL8KZU89SzxLWcrG9mVsKcU-MBjgjOk92QFyiFOUFjWZBiPuvTNHhSGUeNY18u6BmSlo/s1600/Paddyfield2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
Recorded for the 3rd succesive year, this represents the 23rd Paddyfield Warbler for Fair Isle (following the first for the UK found in 1925), with the majority of records falling in September. It's our earliest autumn occurence though, with 13 of the autumn records coming after the midway point in September and the only other records at this season on 8th Sep 1993, 9th Sep 1995 and 13th Sep 2008. Incidentally, <a href="http://northronbirdobs.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">North Ronaldsay's bird </a>(found the day before) was still present, so was obviously not the same individual.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cQCjvyhRd3YSpBdbcCi1vu4jUY925t5JlQMCsf4XIqUnJhEIcvAw5wyWN0XwapXdGxm9VVhhdBSDRAT5jPCBV-c8L5iR34iGHGKXwx7hITjsxnL9mXW21qYa0DyZ2qkBMPzWmngsZu0/s1600/Paddyfield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cQCjvyhRd3YSpBdbcCi1vu4jUY925t5JlQMCsf4XIqUnJhEIcvAw5wyWN0XwapXdGxm9VVhhdBSDRAT5jPCBV-c8L5iR34iGHGKXwx7hITjsxnL9mXW21qYa0DyZ2qkBMPzWmngsZu0/s1600/Paddyfield.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
The <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Pectoral Sandpiper </span></strong>went on to show very well on Da Water, with the <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Short-toed Lark </span></strong>still at Kenaby (although it was less cooperative).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHieFKWcmBUrgs_4S4j-cDxOAh2gKjM7TEcxIUiyM6Gp6pU4CwskTGnUH33wrjHCHvIpiarTbT6yvSPPDWlbYW-IlBHevzaE5vTYZM8ifUJoONiwSRjpgesuojhJEEu-E5r-mk4Sizlo4/s1600/Pectoral+Sandpiper+2(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHieFKWcmBUrgs_4S4j-cDxOAh2gKjM7TEcxIUiyM6Gp6pU4CwskTGnUH33wrjHCHvIpiarTbT6yvSPPDWlbYW-IlBHevzaE5vTYZM8ifUJoONiwSRjpgesuojhJEEu-E5r-mk4Sizlo4/s1600/Pectoral+Sandpiper+2(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper on Da Water (photo by Ciaran Hatsell)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtUvAIpi_w-gv2r1VIA0ERRCPiSF3nB3524qIEotP1sXQOygNZ7Yvha3aVO-33MImymB7CuGwNFLGGEv3zxmv_GWmsOjk0lmFVccNgoSdiSDGgukyZXvXUPz76dRtZjFbAIS7YpcL6kc/s1600/Short-toed+Lark.+Sep.+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtUvAIpi_w-gv2r1VIA0ERRCPiSF3nB3524qIEotP1sXQOygNZ7Yvha3aVO-33MImymB7CuGwNFLGGEv3zxmv_GWmsOjk0lmFVccNgoSdiSDGgukyZXvXUPz76dRtZjFbAIS7YpcL6kc/s1600/Short-toed+Lark.+Sep.+(Ciaran%2BHatsell).jpg" height="317" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Short-toed Lark. Species present for comparison: sheep. (photo by Ciaran Hatsell).</td></tr>
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Other scarcities were represented by a new <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Wryneck</span></strong>, 3 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Barred Warblers </span></strong>(including another bird caught in the Gully), 5 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Common Rosefinch </span></strong>at Quoy (with the same ones having been seen going to roost at Schoolton the day before), 2 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Lapland Buntings </span></strong>and 3 <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Dotterel </span></strong>on Ward Hill. The count of the latter species is actually one of the highest autumn counts of this species, which is more frequent in spring and for which occurences in this season tend to be of one or two birds.<br />
Saturday should be another fine day, although it looks like northerly gales and rain on Sunday before a spell of westerlies. Although it is likely to see a reduction in migrants, we're in the autumn, it's Fair Isle and anything is possible. David Parnabyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532006903306619447noreply@blogger.com0