Golden Oriole in Hand

Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus

 What a stunning bird to see in the hand! My 2 other views of Golden Oriole on Fair Isle were quite distant so this was a welcome sight for everyone, most of all Becky.... who finally had her most wanted lifer.

Thank You Peter!
The visiting Peter Morgan from Portland Bird Observatory 
Show his skills by catching a scares Golden Oriole in the delight of us all he gives us a wink.
(to be fair it was a bit windy and I think he had dust in his eye but my other photo was out of focus.)
 

Just before release...

Otto's Photos

Landscape and close up nature photos taken around the Fair Isle by Otto Clark-Martinek, who is from Dallas Texas. Shot using an iPhone and edited with snapseed and instagram.

Common Crane Grus grus

Common Crane Grus grus

The Queen's Bonfire - Diamond Jubilee Celebration Fair Isle

Some memories never go away like this 31 year old plastic crisps bag commemorating
Lady Diana's Royal Wedding from 1981 that Henry just found while digging in our garden.

The only sign of decomposing is the loss of the red ink, doesn't that make you think? 

Musical Mermaid
new commissioned wire sculpture... Sorry folks this one is sold.  

The days other big news was the Ring Billed Gull Twitch.
A North American Sea Gull the 3rd record for Fair Isle.

Ring Billed Gull

The Twitch

 Ring Billed Gull Larus delawarensis

a third record for Fair Isle & a island/garden tick for me.

on Meoness.... It's the bird in the center...
Yes I know I need a better camera, but these are my unrecognisable record shots

in the South Harbour...

Fair Isle Knitwear Photographed in the 1970's

Babs Stout of Lower Stoneybrek knitted this classic Fair Isle jumper for George Waterson founder of the Fair Isle Bird Observatory, from all account George wore a Fair Isle Jumper like a badge on honour.

Recently a woman said to me... I know who you are, I read your blog and It has helped me to reconnect to Fair Isle and has made me come revisit after 30 some years. Her name? Sally Hind a former Fair Isle Bird Observatory administrator from the 1970's. She told me some bird stories like the time she found Fair Isle's first an only record of Gull-Billed Tern. etc. She also had brought with her some old photos which I asked to scan and show on my blog and I have made copies for Anne Sinclair at the Fair Isle Museum. Lucky for me Sally was already a fan of the blog, but even more Sally had been and still is a keen knitter and had taken record photos of Fair Isle Knitwear on the visitors or while cleaning or stretching the garments for returning guests with their previous purchases. I think we would all like to thank Sally for sharing these photos and I don't think she was at all disappointed with her visit. I imagine it will not take her so long to come again next time.

If you have any old Fair Isle photos, knitwear or historical items please contact me or the Fair Isle Museum. We would love to see them.

Unknown knitter & vistor

Anne Thomson's Fair Isle Jumper 1978 for John Potter

Unknown Visitor & Knitter 

Fair Isle Scarves 

Fair Isle Jumper by Helen Stout for Dr Jeul Jensen

Groovy Baby!
Made by Anne Thomson -1972
Though non-traditional this Fair Isle Shaded Jumper would of been the height in fashion in 1972.

Fair Isle Jumper - Knitter unknown? 

Molly Wilson - Fair Isle Knitting 1978

Fair Isle Knitter Helen Stout of Busta made this jumper in 1952 for Dr. Bodington.
Interestingly this Fair Isle Jumper was lengthened by adding a row or 2 of pattern.
 Even in this photo you can see they had some difficulty matching the natural home died colours. 

It was vintage then! Fair Isle Knitwear on display at FIBO 1978

If you have any additional info on these photos please leave your comments below. I have not yet conferred with Anne & Annie for additional info on these, I have just used what was written in the back of the photos. cheers!

Spotted Crake in Hand

Spotted Crake Porzana porzana
Adult male.

 

Asst. Warden Jason Moss caught this bird by hand while crawling and feeling around in ditches in the Chalet Garden. What can one say but... Well done! and THANKS! up until today I had only had brief & rubbish views of Spotted Crake. You know, flying silhouettes with danglely legs flushed and quickly diving into cover again with everyone reassuring me of it's identity. The Spotted Crake was ringed at the Fair Isle Bird Observitory in front of an enthusiastic group of vistors & staff. A really beautiful bird... if you ever get a chance to look at it.

The Spotted Crake was released back into the Chalet Garden where it was a blurr as it ran for cover.

Yellow / Orange Rosefinch
Photo by my 11 year old son Henry for more info see his blog "The Nature of Henry".
http://nature-henry.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/orange-rosefinch-rare-bird.html

Male Rosefinch & Red-Rumped Swallow - How close is too close?

Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus - male

In the window box birdtable

I woke this morning 8:15am with my son yelling "Dad! female Rosefinch on the birdfeeder!" I was not that surprise because it had been eating the cast off seeds on the ground the night before but still I was  excited! I came down stairs and there it was just outside the window. I soon checked the other window and couldn't believe it! A Male! I called the family over... move slow, don't scare it, I said. then a Redpoll flew up and lost it's fight to get onto the birdfeeder. "It's a red bird day!" I said, and with the day later sightings of 3 Red-backed Shrikes and a Red-Rumped Swallow it certainly was. We have not had a red male in a few years, last year Nick had unpesidented flock of 16 Rosefinch in his garden not one of them red... The 2 Rosefinch were last seen on the feeder at about 9:30pm. Henry & I took about 250 photos over the course of the day, here are a few.  

The bird fluffed & unfluffed

The 2 Rosefinch fed all day on my Nigerseed feeder I made out of a old baby lambs bottle.

 

The male & female Rosefinch in the old X-mas trees.

Female Rosefinch

Female Rosefinch sharing feeder with the resident Twite.

Rosefinch on the Stick List!

Red-Rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica

When I say the birds are to close I mean like we had to duct our heads and bodies sometimes as the Red-Rumped Swallow came that close. The Red-Rumped Swallow was a self found lifer for Asst. Warden David (sorry I can't recall his last name at the moment) but I don't think he could either at the time. Well done! It is amazing to watch any Swallow but this one is a Fair Isle - First for Britain from 1906 check this out for some history on it: http://fair-isle.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/red-rumped-swallow-flew-over-my-garden.html

Red Rumped Swallow flying out of frame. The black bit cut off on the top boarder. 

A Red-Backed Shrike at Setter Croft spotted by Ian Stout.

It's a red bird day!