House for Rent... for the Birds! Birds! & Butterflies! photos at random

Oh no! Tree Sparrow were did you go?

The rare Fair Isle Tree Sparrows had been around my feeders and garden for a few days.



House for Rent - 5 rooms - no bath - free food.

In 1972 one pair of Tree Sparrows bred on Fair Isle. I lived here 3 years before I briefly saw one, so 4 in the garden at my feeders for a few days could stay? right? So I googled (Tree Sparrow nest box) then Brian & I built this bird housing project beyond specifications to withstand the gale force winds etc.. I lured them with the feeders in the back garden... they came close even sat on the roof of the shed just above the bird house. And for 2 days everything looked good.



Now for the past 2 days they are gone... The Twite and The House Sparrows gave them a hard time or maybe Henry's & Lowri's Jedi battle proved more than they could take. It was a long shot to began with.... It will be interesting to see if anything else takes up residence. I'm bummed but glad I tried.

Photos at random from the past few days...



first butterflies of the year yesterday - Red Admiral



WOOD WARBLER!





Barn Swallows

Interesting Bunting hiding in the tangle of Honeysuckle



I have to say Reed Bunting... but this bird is almost almost stringing Palla's Reed Bunting.
problem for a birder on Fair Isle is you need to really check ever common bird well. Like this bunting has conflicting markings as compared to the Colins Bird Guide. It had no visible crown stripe and bold mantle stripes on the back as shown for Palla's while the spotted breast takes me back to Reed Bunting. I think it is just sort of funky between Winter and Summer plumage?



Here is another funky bird?

Look at that unstreaked belly? Could it be a female Red-Breasted or Brown Flycatcher? or American what? All not unheard of on Fair Isle... No eye ring or tail markings, so sad to say it's just a common Spotted Flycatcher. But I always have to check it out and study the possibilities when ever I see something that strikes me as a bit different. Hey you never know till you check for sure and this is Fair Isle...

Seaweed yum yum!

Sedge Warbler in the Walli Burn



Sedge Warbler hunting Bluebottle Fly in my garden.



Blackcap eats orange



Blackcap hunting flies outside my window

drying the old wings

Shooting Puffins?

The North Lighthouse - Fair Isle

I love this part of my Auld Haa Guesthouse job... taking people to the North Light! It's Stunning!

I often drive guests up after breakfast and let them take thier time walking back.

 What a view!

View from the Fog Horn North Lighthouse

Seal Rock  below the Fog Horn
I count about 40 seals?

Kirk Stack looks like a church and steapal but it's white roof is thousands of nesting Gannets.

 tonight's sunset

Blow your own horn!



Wagtail in the shed... Grasshopper Warbler in the hedge!

Henry Came into the house holding this White Wagtail

The poor bird was trapped in the Shed / Garage frantically beating into and against the window.
I called to see if anyone wanted to ring it? but no one answered the phone...
So I snapped a few photos and we let it go.

ouch! that bird is feisty.



Portrait of the Young Wildlife Photographer.
The bird must of been exhausted and needed to rest before it flew away.



Henry's Photo - The poor thing had a tough day.



Grasshopper Warbler somewhere in this Hedge?

 Notoriously skulky not easy to photograph... I managed to get some record shots through the thickets.

Grasshopper Warbler

New Souvenirs

I made them for sale for the 2 cruise-ships that never came...

Fair Isle Painted Limpet Shells

Fair Isle Crafts Knitwear & Knitting table display for cruiseship visitors

 Elena and her new Fair Isle Knit Jumper

Elena asked me to take photos of all the knitwear before it starts to get sold to tourists.

And indeed some of this Fair Isle Knitwear has new owners tonight.

Elena also knit most of the hats as well. Besides using traditional colors, she often pushes the use of

non-traditional colours in a contemporary fashion while keeping with the traditional Fair Isle Patterns.

In other words she likes pink! bright colours! and it's a long dull winter!

Detail

I sold a few paintings in Limpet Shells today...

My new Fair Isle Souvenirs.

Sheep Rock

Puffin
I too had to take photos before they found new owners.

Pink - a - Boo!

Check out this post for more Fair Isle knitting info:
http://fair-isle.blogspot.com/2011/01/fair-isle-knit-where-for-yarn-market.html

Collared Flycatcher in the Studio & not so Great Snipe.

Painting in Progress at the Studio

Inspired by the Collared Flycatcher and the colour on the cliffs of Hioni

not so great Snipe?

 Assorted Photos from the past few days

Four Tree Sparrows in the garden

Northlink Ferry passing the South Harbour



Fish Rock



Alien Planet Sheep Rock

Red Rumped Swallow flew over my garden today.

Red Rumped Swallow
Fair Isle's First First for Britain

Collected by Fair Islander George Stout of Busta - June 2nd 1906

Henry & I recently saw what is left of this specimen in the collection in the Museum of Scotland.

Today with so many Swallows & Martins about I think everyone was hoping to find one.

But the honor fell to the new Warden David.

When I told my son Henry he even said "darn, I was looking for one too". 

I didn't get a very good photo as I am hopeless at photos of swallows unless they are sitting on a wire.

Question - If you see a Red Rump Swallow fly through your garden but you are actually standing down the road watching it... can you count that as a "Garden Tick"? I and others did see it pass through my garden and over the Auld Haa House. any objections?

Come to think of it... I didn't get a good photos the frist time I saw one in April 20th 2009.
But I did have great views every time!

And of course I love seeing Red-Rumped Swallow as they are a reminder of
Fair Isle's great birding History!

Great Snipe! Another Lifer! Bonus Birds, Wryneck, Tree Sparrow & Quail

Great Snipe!

My day started with a rare bird for Fair Isle... a Tree Sparrow among the Twite.

That made my day and it was only 8:15 am.

A few years ago I would not of been able to tell the difference from a House Sparrow.

I was quite proud 2 years ago when I finally found one in my garden for the frist time.

One had not been seen for a few years at that point. 

 Little did I know that the day was about to get a whole lot better...

Great Snipe!
And it was GREAT...  I could see it!

I was in the house when I saw an Asst. Warden & Bird Research Scientist running down Meowness and I thought I better quick get my socks and boots on! there must be a bird! I soon after got a shout in the door Great Snipe on the Utra Scrape. I didn't have much hope as I have dipped or missed a few sightings. Mostly these birds are flushed by a startled birder, fly away and quickly dive into heavy cover leaving the observer and everyone they tell in some doubt... Not today.  

 The Asst.Warden Will aka "The Ringer" spotted the bird and was waiting for people to gather to see or flush the Great Snipe as a Group. A small group gathered and Will could not wait no longer... there! out in the open! where I don't see it? until it takes flight. Then I clearly saw the white tail patches on each side. we watch the bird land in a ditch in the distance but saw where it landed. Soon more people gathered one of them saw a Quail in the same field on his way over. We walk around to try to flush the "Gripe" again but it was just sitting there in the ditch. It froze did not move for 5 minutes or more. Everyone saw it! and got photos and great views. But we all need to see the tell tailed signs of Great Snipe in flight. We all stood there about 20 feet away with our cameras ready and sent my son Henry to flush the bird so we could all watch it go. click click click... everyone happy? yup! Cheers Will well spotted!


In this photo you can see the white on the tail and the wing pattern confirming the identification.

Minutes later the Quail was re-spotted just in a ditch along the road by Utra. Again we moved within a few feet of the bird before it was flushed. I followed the bird again and took these photos



Quail in the grass seen through the wire fence.
We joked that the grass hasn't grown long enough yet to make it impossible to see these birds...



Quality Quail
Wow! I can't beleave it! I've only seen them fly away never like this!

Warblers of various sorts buzzing about the garden today

What the heck... Why not Wryneck

 Later in the day I found this... as I heard one had been ringed that morning.

You can't see it in these photos but this bird did have a ring on it.

 Three notoriously difficult birds to see... made so easy today.

With this Collared Flycatcher 2 days ago that's a "lifer" every other day! can't wait for Wednesday?

Thank You Birds your a joy to have around.