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!

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!