NO FLY ZONE

What Ash Cloud?
The car covered with ash and salt...

Not another Volcano in Iceland? Volcano Vue... didn't this happen this same time last year? For her school project 8 year old Robin (and her father, Darren) just did a car wash fund raiser for the Tall Ships Event this summer. So almost everyone on Fair Isle just paid to have their car washed... Oh well. I need to clean every outside window on the house too. The good news is if the wind slows down we should get planes because the props planes are not effected and do not go up very high.

 But what about the Birds?

It's a "No Fly Zone" here on Fair Isle!

No new migrating birds in these conditions today.

Strong winds from the West and we can hope for an American bird if anything at all.

The sun came in and out of the rain but the wind hasn't eased much.

Here are a few interesting common birds I photographed today.

Between Winter & Summer plumage Black-Headed Gull

5 Wigeon & 2 Wheatear

Male & Female Wigeon

Icterine Warbler - weighed and measured

Icterine Warbler

Liz got a call at 8:00am (me just getting out of bed) they just caught a Icterine Warbler and are taking it back to the Obs for ringing! is shouted from the bottom of the stairs... I quickly gather my stuff and tear up the island like a rally driver.

The Asst. Warden and licensed ringer "Will" have you know... This is serious stuff! Bird Ringing.

 No one likes to hold on to a bird to long but the record shot for rare or uncommon birds is becoming just as importaint as weighing and measuring the bird. Plus, who doesn't love to see a bird up close!

Pointing to the pale edges forming a pale panel one of the clues to identifying "Ickey" in the field.

Though I see Icterine Warbler ever year in my garden, I have never seen one ringed and in hand.
So this was a real treat. Thanks Will.

The bird was let go happy and unharmed.

Also in the Obs Ringing Room this morning...

Spotted Flycatcher

if you don't already know it... here is a link to Fair Isle Bird Observatory and recent sightings, etc...
http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest.htm



Hawfinch aka Auld Haa-finch in my garden today.

This morning I found this female Hawfinch in the back yard.

Hawfinch on my Tree with House Sparrow

 The bird enjoyed my garden all morning and early afternoon.

 The Hawfinch is not a garden or tree tick for me... but I have been thinking of adding pond ticks to my list and a Hawfinch taking a bath would have to be a highlight for sure.

Hawfinch in pond smelling Pansy after a bath.

 Jason & Angela had a Cuckoo this afternoon... All the other rare birds were up on the north cliffs late in the day... Icterine Warbler, Bluethroat & Rustic Bunting. Plus the Eastern Subalpine Warbler is still delighting visitors in the Obs plantation.

Henry found a Meadow Pipit's nest.

Check out this link to my wife's video about Fair Isle's Lise Sinclair's folk music project.

BBC Scotland online

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/arts/a_time_to_keep.shtml

Tonight we brace ourselves for the forecasted gale force 10 storm!

Rustic Bunting & Waders on Kirki Geo Beach



This is not a Rustic Bunting... It is not Rusty it is Purple?



Rustic Bunting
Rubbish Record Shot - taken from far away and severely cropped.

Found by David our new Warden in the Quoy crop.

Cheers! and Thanks for the call.

Holy Cow! Lots of waders down on the beach.

Waders on Kirki Geo Beach at High Tide.
Dunlin, Sanderling & Purple Sandpiper

 After a few hours working in the Studio...
I had a pleasant hour today sitting on the beach with the birds all around.
They seemed happy to come very close so I got some nice photos for a change.



Purple Sandpiper on a grey day  :)



Grey Headed Wagtail & Iceland Gull - record shots




note the grey on the back of the head?

Grey Headed Wagtail

 Subspecies Tick!
Cheers! found by Asst Warden Jason! I think? I'll find out for sure tomorrow...

This happens more than you would think... I'm cooking for guesthouse visitors and I get the call about a bird! I have one house rule no one gets upset if dinner is late if a raw bird has been found. It doesn't matter if they are a birders or not... Lucky for me I have a house full of birders today from the Shetland Wildlife Bird Tours and everyone was more than happy to eat after a good viewing. The bird was quite far away but I managed to put my little camera to someones scope and got these record shots.

Fair Isle Spring Migration Tour info:  http://www.shetlandwildlife.co.uk/holidays/wildlife/islespring.htm

What a good looking bird!
I know I wish I had better photos... but Wagtails are very flighty and we didn't want to risk flushing it.
We knew others would want to see it after dinner.

 

Also seen today again...

I love this shot! I wish it was sharp!

Iceland Gull & Herring Gull
They both look 2nd year birds?

 Birds of note in the garden today 2 Siskin male & Female.
a Blackcap male.

from my garden...
Iceland Gull, Kestrel and Canada Goose

Eastern Subalpine Warbler still on Isle and showing well!













2 Siskins on my home made niger seed feeder
 

THE WIND WILL BLOW THE FLEECE FROM THE SHEEP TONIGHT!
We are bracing for the forecasted
GALE FORCE 8 TONIGHT

It's nights like these in Spring and Autumn we dream of North American birds found the next day...
I'm predicting Vesper Sparrow? but everyone else wants an American Warbler, that's fine by me.



Iceland Gull as rare a Linnet on Fair Isle?

Iceland Gull

I found a Iceland gull in the South Harbour this morning quite close to shore. Wow! it looked small, I got used to that Glaucous Gull that hung around for a few months this past winter. It soon took flight before I could turn on my camera and I was impressed with the white wings in the sunlight. It sat back on the sea farther out from shore for a while but the wind was blowing it back to shore so it took off after a few minutes. below is the gull as it flies away.

Love the white tips!

I relocated the Iceland Gull later sunning and napping among the other gulls.
I was happy that Carrie, Marilyn and some others all had "Lifers" upon their viewing.

I not sure... but, oddly enough this bird seems

just a rare as Iceland Gull on Fair Isle?

Linnet in my garden eating Dandelions Seed

other bits

pipit

Interesting Reed Bunting? on my tree!
Tree Tick!