Olympic Torch on Fair Isle? Natalie Clark & other recent photos..

A boys burning desire to carry a torch!
Henry was bummed to here the Olympic torch was in Shetland but was not coming to Fair Isle. So I cut a picture of the torch out of the Shetland Times Newspaper, attached it to a sparkler and let him run around.

 

The Queen's Biscuits & a Icterine Warbler

The Queen & Icterine really have nothing in common...

though their names rhyme and they both like to wear pale yellow.
So from now on when she wears yellow I may have to call her the Icterine Queen.

Natalie & Me
My dear friend Natalie Clark & son Otto came to visit for a few days from the USA.
How I wish I had a photo of us to show when we met in the early 1980's at Alfred University.
Natalie is English and lives in America splitting her time between Washington D.C. & The Tenons Mountains in Idaho. That is when she is not travelling the rest of the world of course. Who would of ever guessed we would now be living in the others country? The visit was short, but sweet!

What's on my head? see link: http://www.natalieclark.com/scarves.html

A Fair Isle Kep comes back to see it's knitter...

The Fair Isle Nature Club - with Nick Riddiford

Willie & Gina - Rosemary & Magnie
 Much more than welcome guests at the Auld Haa.

One Happy Micha! - the leader of a German Birding Tour after seeing a rare River Warbler with only minutes to spare before his departure on the afternoon plane.

Puffins & Razorbill

Natalie, Liz, Henry & Otto taking in the sights and taking photos.

Golden Oriole in Hand

Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus

 What a stunning bird to see in the hand! My 2 other views of Golden Oriole on Fair Isle were quite distant so this was a welcome sight for everyone, most of all Becky.... who finally had her most wanted lifer.

Thank You Peter!
The visiting Peter Morgan from Portland Bird Observatory 
Show his skills by catching a scares Golden Oriole in the delight of us all he gives us a wink.
(to be fair it was a bit windy and I think he had dust in his eye but my other photo was out of focus.)
 

Just before release...

Otto's Photos

Landscape and close up nature photos taken around the Fair Isle by Otto Clark-Martinek, who is from Dallas Texas. Shot using an iPhone and edited with snapseed and instagram.

Common Crane Grus grus

Common Crane Grus grus

The Queen's Bonfire - Diamond Jubilee Celebration Fair Isle

Some memories never go away like this 31 year old plastic crisps bag commemorating
Lady Diana's Royal Wedding from 1981 that Henry just found while digging in our garden.

The only sign of decomposing is the loss of the red ink, doesn't that make you think? 

Musical Mermaid
new commissioned wire sculpture... Sorry folks this one is sold.  

The days other big news was the Ring Billed Gull Twitch.
A North American Sea Gull the 3rd record for Fair Isle.

Ring Billed Gull

The Twitch

 Ring Billed Gull Larus delawarensis

a third record for Fair Isle & a island/garden tick for me.

on Meoness.... It's the bird in the center...
Yes I know I need a better camera, but these are my unrecognisable record shots

in the South Harbour...

Fair Isle Knitwear Photographed in the 1970's

Babs Stout of Lower Stoneybrek knitted this classic Fair Isle jumper for George Waterson founder of the Fair Isle Bird Observatory, from all account George wore a Fair Isle Jumper like a badge on honour.

Recently a woman said to me... I know who you are, I read your blog and It has helped me to reconnect to Fair Isle and has made me come revisit after 30 some years. Her name? Sally Hind a former Fair Isle Bird Observatory administrator from the 1970's. She told me some bird stories like the time she found Fair Isle's first an only record of Gull-Billed Tern. etc. She also had brought with her some old photos which I asked to scan and show on my blog and I have made copies for Anne Sinclair at the Fair Isle Museum. Lucky for me Sally was already a fan of the blog, but even more Sally had been and still is a keen knitter and had taken record photos of Fair Isle Knitwear on the visitors or while cleaning or stretching the garments for returning guests with their previous purchases. I think we would all like to thank Sally for sharing these photos and I don't think she was at all disappointed with her visit. I imagine it will not take her so long to come again next time.

If you have any old Fair Isle photos, knitwear or historical items please contact me or the Fair Isle Museum. We would love to see them.

Unknown knitter & vistor

Anne Thomson's Fair Isle Jumper 1978 for John Potter

Unknown Visitor & Knitter 

Fair Isle Scarves 

Fair Isle Jumper by Helen Stout for Dr Jeul Jensen

Groovy Baby!
Made by Anne Thomson -1972
Though non-traditional this Fair Isle Shaded Jumper would of been the height in fashion in 1972.

Fair Isle Jumper - Knitter unknown? 

Molly Wilson - Fair Isle Knitting 1978

Fair Isle Knitter Helen Stout of Busta made this jumper in 1952 for Dr. Bodington.
Interestingly this Fair Isle Jumper was lengthened by adding a row or 2 of pattern.
 Even in this photo you can see they had some difficulty matching the natural home died colours. 

It was vintage then! Fair Isle Knitwear on display at FIBO 1978

If you have any additional info on these photos please leave your comments below. I have not yet conferred with Anne & Annie for additional info on these, I have just used what was written in the back of the photos. cheers!