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!