Tawny Pipit! Lifer! Fair Isle Tick!

Tawny Pipit 

It's a Lifer and a Fair Isle Tick for me!

I was driving back from the Fair Isle landing strip, where my son just headed out late for school after a morning of fog. A car was stopped in the middle of the road, I could see the passenger had his binoculars up looking at something? I couldn't see it? I was chequeing the sky for the Osprey I had hear about at the plane... then I saw a big pale pipit in the grass? I has told it was probably a Tawny or maybe a Richard's Pipit? good thing I didn't beep! like so many people do to me when I'm looking at a bird... I didn't have my bins or camera with me at the time. (I always live to regret that.) The bird flew away with out a positive ID. Refound later by the FIBO staff who called me and I got better views and photographs! hooray!

Some of the Fibo Staff and Seabird Researchers - Fair Isle twitching on the Houll near Shirva.

Blue skies and a sunny afternoon!

Thank You! Tawny Pipit!

Fair Isle's Marine Protected Area - Information

Thank You, Stuart Thomson, Kerri Whiteside & Nick Riddiford
for representing Fair Isle's interest in the
Proposed Fair Isle Marine Protected Area.

FIMETI Newsletter - March 2015

             

Kerri Whiteside of Fauna & Flora International Article:

 Protecting Scotland's Seas through Scottish coastal Communities 

in Oryx Magizine - the International Journal of Conservation - April 2015 issue.

Support the MPA by joining FIMETI on Facebook

facebook - Fair Isle Marine Environment Tourism Initiative

What? Must be April Fools Day in Fair Isle.

April Fools!

I would like to thank my friend Jim in America, who I've known since Art School... Jim follows my blog and from time to time he sends me funny photoshoped masterpieces made from my photographs. Today is the perfect day to share a few. Thanks Jim! you keep me laughing!

Gustuffin
LOL! Legend! So funny to me! Very obscure artist humour...
(Philip Guston)

How did Jim know I always had a thing for Wonder Woman?

Creature from the Black Buness?

Need I say more?

Solar Eclipse, March 20th 2015 - South Lighthouse, Fair Isle, Shetland.

The Sun & the Moon.

It was twilight for a few minutes today, I thought the Lighthouse darkness censers could turn on? maybe lighting up the tower at one point? almost... I have never photographed an Eclipse before, so I really didn't know what I was doing... I turned the camera to the lowest ISO and the fastest shutter speed.. By the time I figured it out the clouds came rolling back in. I got a few interesting pictures and the video worked well but I didn't try it until late in the Eclipse cycle. enjoy!

            

Watch the video!

I photographed from the rocks and beach below the South Lighthouse near my artist studio.

Heaven's Above!

I though this was cool that the Sun was still too bright even mostly blocked by the Moon, but the Eclipse shape refracted else where in the photographs.

Again here I photographed the refracted Eclipse shape in the silhouette of the Lighthouse tower.

Black & White

Happy Equinox and Spring is Finally Here!
Hooray!

February's Photos - Snow, Lighthouse, and Malcolm's Head.

A snow day at the South Lighthouse. Feb. 3rd  
Still catching up on my blogging... here are a few photos from February.

South Lighthouse in Snow.

 Snow on the ground is really quite rare on Fair Isle... on average maybe once or twice a year. 

Taking advantage of the photographic opportunity, I went out much of the day, I didn't see another soul... and thank goodness look at the way I was dressed! LOL. I was warm though, and really enjoyed the snow.

I'n this wind swept landscape you can see the snow drifted behind all the rocks thrown onto the ground by the big seas and winds on the recent winter storms.

No snow plough needed, - The Auld Haa

South Harbour

Caught in a pelting hail storm as the light comes on.
South Lighthouse at Sunset.

The relationship between two things.

Just another Sunset... viewed from the Auld Haa.

Love...
Happy Valentine's Day.

The view from up top Malcolm's Head is always amazing and takes my breath away! 

Maybe the experience is heighten because I'm already breathing heavy just climbing up the steep hill side... but Wow! look at that view!     Feb. 24th

I waited...

(This is the photo I sent Discover Britain Magazine.)

I was asked to take a photo of myself for a upcoming article in which I gave interview for Discover Britain Magazine's April/May issue. I'm told it is just one of many photos in a 7 page story about Fair Isle where I gave a few comments over the phone. They asked for my full length portrait in the landscape... I climbed Malcolm's Head alone with my tripod, camera and it's 10 second timer. click! click! Fair Isle never fails to deliver it's natural beauty, I even caught a rainbow! 

Fair Isle Landscape Photographs - January 2015

Time to catch up with my Blogging... 
Here are some assorted Fair Isle landscape photos from January.

Aurora - Northern Lights - Jan 2nd 2:35 am.

Auld Haa House
The full Moon and the Northern Lights and a 7 second exposure my for a lovely view of the Haa. 2:22 am.

The Aurora's Curtain of Light.

Ou Stack and the Cliffs off the North Light House at 2:56 am.

Flying to Fair Isle around the squalls of rain.
 Jan 19th
Reminds me of a William Turner painting...

Fair Isle... The plane is getting closer... Jan 19th.

Coming into the Fair Isle landing strip over the North Haven. Jan. 19th.

Steensi Geo - Jan. 24th

Hoini Cliffs - Jan. 24th.

Sunset - Jan. 29th

Looking east, back towards the house. Jan. 29th.

South Lighthouse - Jan. 29th

Extreme Golf Video! Fair Isle Lighthouse Keepers Golf Course in a Hurricane!

While the Hurricane lashes at Fair Isle one man plays Golf?

It had to be done! just for fun!

          

Fair Isle Lighthouse Keepers Golf Course - Info Link.

Fair Isle - No Squirrels, Just Nuts!

Storm Force Fair Isle! (watch the video)

Storm Warning Fair Isle!

Saturday Jan. 10th forecast was not good... Violent storm force 11 backed southerly and decreased gale force 8. Veering Westerly and increasing violent storm force 11 imminent, then increasing to Hurricane force 12. So that afternoon sounded like the prefect time to me to go out and take some photographs and make a video. The worse of the storm was in the night on Saturday and Sunday, but still it must of been storm force 8 or 9 while I was out there.

           

My Video of the storm as seen around Fair Isle.

White Wing Gulls in the South Harbour