P G Tips or Rose Coloured Starling? Bird of the Week... Sept. 26 - Oct.2

Finally! PALLAS'S GRASSHOPPER WARBLER!

Bert who has come to Fair Isle since the 1960's finally sees the Fair Isle speciality  P G Tips!

the twitch...
Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler aka P G Tips
white "tips" to feathers on tertials and tail.

The light was fading fast and bird was very mobile scurrying like a mouse in the ditches and tall grass. I tried but didn't get great views like last year... and couldn't get anything on it other than it looked like a Grasshopper Warbler with a supercilium. but that's about what it looks like isn't it? P G Tips is notoriously hard to photograph but I did get a good photo of it last year as shown below.

P G Tips - a Fair Isle rare a tea.

Pallis's Grasshopper Warbler - Wali Burn 2008 - photo Ashley Banwell
http://www.worldbirders.com/index.asp?PageId=128&PageName=2008

P G Tips 2010 twitch

Rose Coloured Starling - Juvenile
 personally this is my bird of the week... I have dipped this species twice before on Fair Isle... 
Henry and I dipped it once again the first day it was seen this time. The bird was seen briefly by the obs and havens only to quickly vanish. The next morning (Monday 26th) my son Henry relocated the bird walking to school and pointed it out to me... OMG your right! thanks I said, "that's the best birthday gift!"
 bonus 2 for the price of one!
When adding to my Fair Isle list I realized I never counted common Starling. woot woot!

snow buntings

Returning from morning trap rounds

Red Shank in the garden walls

Reed Warbler on the South Haven Beach... Blyth's
feeding the same as last years? eventually caught and yes! it is Blyth's Reed Warbler.

 Nervous times for birdwatchers...
                      every Warbler, Wader, Wagtail, Pipit and even Swift look suspiciously rare this time of year?

Citrine Wagtail - 1st winter

Swift... but what kind?

Ribble Bird Tours  -  http://www.ribblebirdtours.co.uk/

Oh My God! like... Bill & Stuart are like totally awesome!

no Lobsters in our trap... but 4 huge Edible Crabs

Rarest sighting on Fair Isle this week... one of the family of fungi commonly referred to as:
Dog Vomit Slime Mold
1st record for Fair Isle and Shetland
found by Nick Riddiford who said it has been most likely over looked?
not that it was something I was looking for...