Friday, January 20, 2012

Hawaiian Gull?


Hawaiian Gull
no color added...
Rosy Gull? Pink Gull? Henry named this a "Hawaiian Gull"... You wish Henry!
I call it a Sunset Gull... just a photo of a Iceland Gull with the refected glow of the sunset.

this is what I found when I googled Hawaiian Gull...
Q. Why aren't there any Gulls in Hawai'i ?

A. There are no indigenous or endemic gull species that nest in the Hawaiian Islands, although recent fossil evidence suggests that a gull species may have inhabited the Islands once. The position of the Islands means that there is very little "edge" to the island landmass, with the narrow strip of coastal reef and rock quickly falling away into the deep ocean and ocean trenches. Gulls are generally continental species which inhabit the shallow waters along the edges of the continental shelf of mainland areas, and as such their food preferences are reflected in the areas they usually inhabit. It is very difficult for gulls in Hawai'i to find the right type of foods to satisfy their dietary requirements. However, several gull species do visit the Islands each year, mainly during the winter months and mainly in juvenile plumages, although a gull might be observed at any time of the year. The most frequently occurring species are Ring-billed Gull (above) and Laughing Gull, but Franklin's Gull, Bonaparte's Gull, Herring Gull and Glaucous-winged Gull are also recorded in small numbers annually. Most gulls that arrive in Hawai'i take up residence at coastal ponds, lagoons, streams and beaches and may remain for several weeks or even months, however, due to the lack of suitable food individuals often end up emaciated and will starve to death. A large proportion of the gulls that arrive in Hawai'i never make it back to the mainland. Franklin's Gulls, which usually arrive in the spring, are almost always adults in summer plumage and appear to be just passing through and seldom stay for long at one site, and perhaps this is one species that does actually complete it's rather "off-course" migration. A full list of gull species that have been recorded from the Hawaiian Islands can be found in the State List.

from: http://www.birdinghawaii.co.uk/faqs2.htm
 



Being blessed with so many great sunsets lately I was again at the South Lighthouse taking photos....

But to my suprise it was even better when I got home... after sunset, before dark.
The view as seen from my garden.
Stunning!

 other birds around....
The Dunnock (Hedge Sparrow) & a Robin are still here...

Oystercatcher! first of the year... maybe more appropriately named Wormcatcher?

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Henry's 11th Birthday Party


Pinata Bull - The Birthday Boy - 11 Birthday Cake


All the kids! partying after school.

Eleven!

Party Games & Skits



The first candy starts to fall... done worry plenty for all.

Happy Birthday 2 U !

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Counting on Iceland Gulls

We always count on some White Winged Gulls  to make Winter birding on Fair Isle a bit more interesting.
but the reason they are here is most likely they are starving and looking for food.

As I found it on the South Harbour Beach
Henry & I have a closer look. I really need to learn taxidermy...
From a short distance they look pure white, but up close it is amazing to see the taupe coloured marbling

under side
back side
 Iceland Gulls
The Good News is that 7 other living individuals were counted today.
Warden David, Henry & I  did the rounds on a pleasant calm winter day.
Probably on of the warmest places in Britain today. (no Joke)
All the white wingers were seen in the south croftlands or the South Harbour.
Other birds of note: 10 Hooded Crow, 20 curlew & a Dunnock.

2 adults, 1 third winter, 4 first/second winter birds.
(total of 8 counting the dead one.) 
 See the Iceland Gull count results for all of Shetland
Adult Iceland Gull
Strong grey back like Herring Gull but no black wing tips

Juvenile -1st or 2nd Winter Iceland Gull
Pale creamy white all over


3 Iceland Gulls - South Harbour

I know it's a Iceland Gull but with sunsets like this any gull would do...


We saw 1 2 3 4 5 6 ticked by on the blog today...
Thanks Everyone!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Iceland & Glaucous Gulls & a Pond Tick!


Iceland Gull - Adult - even less common around here...



2 Iceland Gulls & a Swan               1st winter Iceland Gull

Birding had been a bit slow since the New Years Count really not much to add (A few Ducks) but...
Yesterday when I finally checked for 3 Gulls out the window on Meoness, I thought I was seeing things... are all the Gulls Iceland? To my surprise yes all three of them! Today I had 5 Iceland & 1 Glaucous around the Auld Haa & the South Harbour plus Warden David had another 2 Iceland maybe another Glaucous but not sure if it isn't the same bird... Wow! I was working in the garden when this Adult Iceland dove into my pond! (Wahoo! Pond Tick!) only 10 foot away swim on top. but my camera was in the house. I think it was trying for one of my goldfish. After I got my rubbish camera I was able to get about 10 foot away from the one adult gull and get some good shots. My Fuji Camera 10megapix 10X optic zoom held together with a rubberband is not the nature photographers first choice and the dull blue overcast light didn't help, but not bad...

Tomorrow(Sat.) we'll try to survey the whole island as part of a Shetland's White Winged Gull Count due to the large influx of birds in the past few days.


Glaucous Gull - South Harbour 
Taking photos of White Winged Gulls together is hellish to be sure you have the right bird.
I think I got it right but white birds in silhouette is sort of useless.




I'm looking for a Kumliem's Gull if any such thing truly exsit?

What a Kumliem"s Gull?




Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Henry & the Puffins - Fair Isle Video by Liz Musser for Promote Shetland

Atlantic Puffin with Sandeels - Fair Isle

                  
                   
Temporary Working Video Link: http://vimeo.com/28342681


Video by Liz Musser (my wife)

* Starring *
Henry Hyndman (my son)
Dr. Will Miles
Jason Moss
& the Puffins of Fair Isle

Music by Inge Thomson

Made for
&

Thank you Fair Isle Bird Observatory

The Videographer

The Talent
The Birds
Fair Isle

Sunday, January 01, 2012

Hogmanay Guizing & New Years Day Birdwatching

Happy Hogmanay!
 Guizing house to house is a party every step of the way...

The Hogmanay Singers, The famous artist Hog-Monet
& a wolf in Sheep's clothing.

Before reading the script below I would like to explain the word "Hog" on Fair Isle is defined as a young male castrated sheep good for nothing but eating hence they are the cut up and place in the freezer until needed. Yum Yum! This is the main pun the script is built on as "Hog"manay is a word for New Years Eve .
Hogmanay guzing script:

Tommy: Hello! I’m the famous artist Hog-Monet
I’m here to introduce, the Hogmanay Singers... The Castrati!

Tommy: we all know you are world famous for your high pitched voices.
Do you mind me asking how you hit those high notes?
Liz: yeah, we've all had an encounter with some real ball busters.

Tommy: Well it’s New Years eve or as we say Hogmanay.
Every time I think of January 1st I get a chill in the bones...
Karen: It’s better than freezer burn!

Tommy: Well do we have any New Years resolutions?
Liz: Lose weight
Joyce: Stay away from the mint sauce
Karen: Stay out of the freezer
Henry: to get more mint sauce. yum yum!

Tommy: Looks like we have a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
My resolution is to finish painting my master piece... before my master cuts me to pieces...
Henry: I would like to be there when that happens! yum yum!
Tommy: Well it's on with the show? Dunna be Sheepish, lets hear you sing that Hogmanay holiday classic!

Everyone sing:
Rise up good wife
and shack your feathers
dunna think dat we are beggars
we’re only Bairns that come to play
rise up and geens for Hogmanay

your pockets full of money
your bottles full of beer
rise up ageens for Hogmanay
against a good new year.

Tommy: Now the Castrati will leave with this new and final verse.
that best portrays their feeling at this time of year...

Give up on life
we won’t be fathers
dunna think we die with bitters
rest in pieces later today
rise up to heaven for Hogmanay




The Fair Islander

The Mexican


Some of the party goers at Barkland after midnight...
Thank You Angela & Darren!

The Barkland Blue Christmas Tree

Sunrise New Years Day 2012 - Fair Isle

Henry & I went out "Birding" all day!
We look forward to birdwatching on New years Day because all the common birds we know count on our new year list of birds seen in 2012. We made a good start today and have great hopes for a few more Lifers or Fair Isle ticks this year.


Henry & David (FIBO Warden) at cliffs edge by the North Lighthouse.
We saw a Glaucous Gull here... It pays to enlist the help of a professional!


A Shag...
 List of the 38 species of birds seen today.... as we found them.
  1. Starling
  2. Fulmar
  3. Snipe
  4. Rock Dove
  5. House Sparrow
  6. Blackbird
  7. Herring Gull
  8. Greylag Goose
  9. Turnstone
  10. Curlew
  11. Shag
  12. Purple Sandpiper
  13. Redwing
  14. Eider Duck
  15. Black backed Gull
  16. Rock Pipit
  17. Gannet
  18. Guillemot
  19. Little Auk
  20. Redshank
  21. Hooded Crow
  22. Common Gull
  23. Mallard Duck
  24. Twite
  25. Fieldfare
  26. Black Guillemot
  27. Snow Bunting
  28. Robin
  29. Glaucous Gull
  30. Raven
  31. Woodcock
  32. Song Thrush
  33. Dunnock
  34. Lapwing
  35. Pink-Footed Goose
  36. White-Fronted Goose
  37. Wren
  38. Merlin 

We also found this today!
Jack Ashton-Booth? Henry & I think this hat found today in the Wervie Burn is yours!
It still has a Puffin pin on the other side. Just one more reminder of you for us here on Fair Isle.
Cheers & Happy New Year!

We Bird until Dark and can't imagine we missed anything?

New Years Day Inter-island Challenge 2012
Fair Isle vs. Whalsay

Hey Tommy - final score from Whalsay was 51 species today.
An absolutely monumental effort from dawn to dusk. 

In no particular order: Great Northern Diver, Shag, Eider, Mallard, Teal,
Wigeon, Goldeneye, Tufted Duck, Black Guillemot, Hooded Crow, Raven, House
Sparrow, Starling, Blackbird, Twite, Rock Dove, Wren, Rock Pipit, Lapwing,
Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone, Purple Sandpiper, Golden Plover, Ringed Plover,
Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Gull, Greylag Goose, Snipe,
Dunlin, Long-eared Owl, Common Buzzard, Cormorant, Gannet, Long-tailed Duck,
Guillemot, Little Auk, Skylark, Redwing, Fieldfare, Chaffinch, Oystercatcher,
Black-headed Gull, Kittiwake, Iceland Gull, White-fronted Goose, Robin, Song
Thrush, Jack Snipe, Fulmar.

Also saw the wintering adult Kumlien's Gull, but that's not a species, so
doesn't count for anything. Can't believe I didn't see any Red-breasted
Mergansers; and despite them being resident and there being their shit all
over the moors, I couldn't find a Red Grouse. But otherwise, a pretty good
effort from Whalsay I think. The Common Buzzard was a complete surprise,
found being mobbed by Hoodies. In the same place as the bird in November, so
it must have been lurking unseen in the hills until today.

How did you guys get on? Cheers, Jon


Not as well as you... you are the WINNER!
Fair Isle was down by 3 species while Whalsay is up 14 from last year...
This years combined total 48 species.

Congrats is in order... Well Dunn!

Happy New Year Everyone!