Fair Isle: May 2014

Friday, May 30, 2014

The Fishing Hands - Inge Thomson - FIMETI

Inge Thomson preforms to here home crowd.
- Fair Isle Community Hall - May 23rd 2014 -

- Da Fishing Hands -

Project in cooperation with Fimeti
http://www.fimeti.org.uk/news.asp?intent=viewstory&newsid=50921

Song preformed at the Fair Isle Hall - recorded on my pocket camera on video mode on a tripod.

For more information cheque out some of these reviews and links:

http://www.shetnews.co.uk/reviews/8595-blown-away-by-da-fishing-hands

http://www.folkradio.co.uk/2014/02/inge-thomson-da-fishing-hands-interview/

http://www.capefarewell.com/seachange/lost-birds-and-fishing-hands-getting-our-bearings-on-fair-isle/

http://www.shetlandarts.org/inge-to-present-music-inspired-by-fair-isle-marine-heritage/

http://www.mareel.org/listen/events/da-fishing-hands/#.U4irQfldXw8

The Band .

Thank you Inge!

Over the weekend FIMETI arranged a schedule of activities.

Da Fishing Hands concert the highlight, but the Nature Talks and Walks, Craft sale at the Fair Isle Hall were all well attended. Henry & I were thrilled by the long overdue Nature Club Meeting with Nick Riddiford and many other locals and visitors together at the tide-pools below the South Lighthouse. Three new species never recorded on Fair Isle were found, but most exciting to us was the recovery of the Small Cushion Star population, witch had not been seen since the big storm that smashed the lighthouse and raged though the Small Cushion Star's rockpool location Feb. 4th, 2013 almost a year and a half ago.

Seeing Stars Again!

More info on the Small Cushion Star:

http://nature-henry.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/most-northerly-record-of-small-cushion.html

8 Small Cushion Stars and a live Spotted Cowrie in a Limpet shell.

Birds About...

Ringed Plover Chick

Nightjar

NightJar after ringing at FIBO

Collard Flycatcher twitch an the cliff.

Collard Flycatcher

Krazy Kumlien's - Iceland Gull in the Auld Haa Garden.

Gulls in odd perspective.

Good Night...

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Calandra Lark! (Melanocorypha calandra) Fair Isle

The Calandra Lark - Melanocorypha calandra
(photographed through a scope)

Found up on Ward Hill near the mast.

The Calandra Lark hiding among the Heather banks.

All I got was record shots and good views through a scope.
When it wasn't flying, it sat fluffed up looking quite tired with it's eyes close a lot.

The Finders... Booyah! That's what we are looking for.

Calandra Lark is a very rare bird in Britian.
The second one I've seen since moving to Fair Isle.

The one that got away… Jimmy (Midway) Stout referred to this story as his other first for

Britain

. October 1928 a Calandra Lark was collected and sent to the Paisley Museum, but the bird’s skin was lost in the post. Only seen and confirmed by Islanders, his Calandra Lark record was never accepted, but is occasionally noted. As in Birdwatching and Ornithology today sometimes only the seeing is believing and the right people need to see it, not someone else. The second British record is one of the four subsequent Fair Isle sightings of Calandra Lark that have been accepted since 1978. Now make that 5 Fair Isle sightings.

http://fair-isle.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/living-legend-james-stout-100-years-of.html

While up at the mast, trying to relocate the Lark. I found a female Bluethroat.

Sweet!

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Hermit Thrush!

Gordon Bell

Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus

Photographs by Gordon Bell

Gordon is one of 5 guests staying at my Auld Haa Guesthouse, part of the Shetland Wildlife - Fair Isle Spring Migration Tour. The surprised Shetland Wildlife guide Judd Hunt identified the North American Thrush in the field. Just before dinner while preparing an apple crumble I got a call from a flabbergasted Judd "I just found a Hermit Thrush at the base of Malcolm's Head." I called it into the Obs and a few other Islanders and then rushed over to see it myself. Wow! I have only seen a few in the USA... this is a Fair Isle and UK. tick for me. A 10th record for all of Britain. I have a rule at my Guesthouse, "No one complains when dinner is a bit late when a rare bird is about."

Bonxie - Great Skua

We are all laughing!
It's been a great Spring for rare birds... Who knows what's next?

Friday, May 09, 2014

What's About?

Cretzy, Where are you hiding now?

The Cretzschmar's Bunting has not been seen in some time and is believed to have moved on.

But where, no one knows?

Here are a few more unpublished photos I took.

You may want to watch this video again as we say goodbye to one of the best birds seen in Britain this year.

Yeah! the Caspian Stonechat is still here!

Looking very happy in the garden and fence lines of Upper Leogh Croft.