Great Grey Shrikes Again!

Great Grey Shrike strikes again!
it was hunting in the garden only for a minute or two.
Quickly scoring lunch and flew away with a female Brambling or Chaffinch
photo through a salt covered kitchen window



Lately, most of the time it's quite grey and wet to tell the truth.



Stonechat



With all the winds from the south balloons like this one keep coming ashore.
Sort of sad these balloons always make me feel like we are missing something? somewhere?
Frankie & Benny's New York Italian Restaurant & Bar - British chain, closest franchise is in Aberdeen



Sheep full -Sheep Cru - Sheep Hill

nice day on the hills

But when it's nice out there we get out and enjoy it!

The days are short... but what is wrong with long nights?

Sunrise Sunset at the South Lighthouse & Auld Haa House - Yesterday

Sunset South Lighthouse Fair Isle

Sunrise from Auld Haa

Auld Haa morning blush

Sun spreads upon the southern crofts



Sun is just up and the light is still on...



Evening blush on the Auld Haa House



Sunset in the South Harbour



good night.

Guy Fawkes - Bonfire Night on Fair Isle

Bonfire Night on Fair Isle
A most illuminating evening

 

 





Burn him!



Remember, remember the fifth of November 

Gunpowder, treason and plot.

I see no reason, why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy, t'was his intent

To blow up parliament.

Three score barrels were laid below

To prove old England's overthrow.

By God's mercy he was catch'd

With a darkened lantern and a burning match.

So, holler boys, holler boys, God save the king!

And what shall we do with him?

Burn him!

The last to leave... but with a burning desire to stay.



When we left the fire still burned

With the moon and the sea.

The Lighthouse still turned

Beaming repeatedly.

Halloween Batty for Bird of the Week

Happy Halloween!

Oct. 24th - 30th, Bird of the week... a Bat?
in the Obs Ringing Room.
caught at Barkland

 Henry's costume... Dracula!

3 little monsters

Pumpkin Seed Teeth

The scariest thing seen at this Auld Haalloween Party...
was the Freak Show "Attraction" Bearded Lady

               

Nice Pumpkins! Party Balloons! etc... possible the only way I'll ever see Tits on Fair Isle? LOL

Birds!

Yellow Hammer

Bramblings

I count 56 Jackdaw? this is crazy!

Flying from the crop by the Puffin Hotel back to the crop at Nedder Taft

I got a few rubbish record shots of Black Redstart, Stonechat & Whinchat but they are not worth showing as is the photo above or below. but if I don't show them? the other birdwatchers always "question" anything they have missed as something I may have misidentified... cheeky but true.

Whinchat

Very late record... Stonechat
With the time of year and winds from the east? I so wanted this to be Eastern or Siberian Stonechat... though it does have a very large white patch or collar? the breast seems much to orange for that.



Black Redstart



The sun is going down so early these days...

Little Gull and other Birds about yesterday.

Little Gull Hydrocoloes minutus - South Harbour
a small gull... size? a bit smaller than a Tern, note: dark under wing & reddish legs.

I can see the Little Gull in the South Harbour now as I look up from my computer and look out the window. (I guess when I saw one the other day it didn't count because I didn't get a photo and no one else saw it. beleave me now?)

The Sea and wind  is wild out there!!! but I ventured out in the gale for a better view and a record shot. The water looks calm between the waves when zoomed in? but it looks like this below! blown away! It 's hard to hold still to look with my binoculars or take a photo. We have had no plane service since Friday. The

South Harbour - Fair Isle

Even with the salt spray I can see the 4 newly arived Greenfinch.

We have a Jackdaw influx of 24 or more, some other new birds have been seen with the raging south east winds. Great Grey Shrike, Reed Bunting, Stonechat, Snow Buntings, Bramblings, Blackcap. etc. Scaup and Donnock still in Garden. 

Greenfinch

Murder of Jackdaw - I am told that the white collar is a Scandinavian trait?

Henry found this Beautiful but dead Water Rail.
Found in the Lower Leogh Garden.
I wonder if it was the cats? or the weather?

forcast calling for a mega bird?