Island Life! Lumpsuckers & A Hand full of Birds.

Baby Lumpsuckers also known as Lump Fish

Baby Lumpsuckers caught with Henry's minnow trap... not in it, but found sucking the bottom of the floating buoy. We have never seen anything like them before (so cute!)

So cute, but will grow into a ugly brute.

Jessica the Starling Researcher.

a hand full of birds

Henry & Jessica checking the Starling nesting sight at the old mill.

Cheers again! this is the 4th or 5th FIBO opening party I've been to?
Great speech and insight Jimmy!

Sheep Hill - I clipped 2 1/2 sheep just to be neighborly.




Killer Whale or Large Fish in the South Harbour?



Young Wheatear

 

What the?

When I first saw large black wings landing on Meoness in the fog I thought it looked interesting from my window? I found it all hunched over standing on the cliff in the thick fog... I thought it might be a Black Stork! When I saw it raise it's neck? what the heck! was it some sort of Crane? I went back to the house to get my Collins Field Guide and called the Bird Obs to send one or two of the boys down to help... They brought a van load. The bird flew to the Scrape, was it young Purple Heron? It was on the cliffs by the Holms by time the "Van" showed up. They had distant views in flight and confirmed it must be a Heron, most likely badly oiled. The next day I saw it again and snuck up on it to get better photos... I concluded it was a juvenile Grey Heron badly oiled stained. but if anyone has any other ideas let me know?

 Red Herring? Black Oiled Grey Heron?
it was interresting...

closest thing to a Bald Eagle I saw all day. 

(Great Skua - Bonxie)

 

Fourth of July at the Auld Haa House, Fair Isle.



Fireworks at 11pm. still not so dark out.



Rare Migrant Hover Fly - Scaeva pyrastri



YUCK! tastes like fish?



Lifer! "The Black-Headed Bunting?" Roosting at Schoolton Tonight!



Black Headed Bunting?

Record shot 10:15pm. - Hopeful for better shot in the morning light.

 Only seen by one birdwatcher on Sunday! After dipping this bird on Sunday with everyone else... I had been doing double takes all day at the 2 male Siskins (yellow with black heads) in my garden in hopes to refind this bird myself. How great that Nick refound this bird on his Rosa coming in to roost for the night at Schoolton. I had views through a scope but with light rain and low grey clouds at 10:15pm it was not helping to show off this bright and beautiful bird.

Orcas! Killer Whales in the South Harbour!



Seal the Deal for a Meal? - photo detail

full size photo

 5 Killer Whales in the South Harbour Today!

So many people were able to watch as the whales hunt the seal. All the school kids were there on the Football Pitch playing rounders and took a break in the game to witness the natural spectacle. A fine treat for the last day of school! yeah! Photos far better than mine were taken by others and Liz got some video! No one was sure if the seal was eaten or killed in the end? I thought it looked like a training class for the younger whales. The large Bull let the youngsters to try and get on with it? All the same it was a real National Geographic moment... more like 30 minutes or more. What fun to here every one roar every time a fin broke water. I'm pretty sure Henry was the loudest. I'm very happy as I have always wanted to see them hunt seals plus this is the first time I have had my camera with me for a rare Orca photo opportunity.

Training Session? - How to make waves and get a unsuspecting sunning seal off a rock.


Orca! Killer Whales hunt Seal! Fair Isle, Shetland, Scotland, UK. from Liz Musser on Vimeo.

Video by my wife - Liz Musser

The big bull!
I feel really lucky just to see a fin now and again.

and this is what a normal sighting might look like from Fair Isle.



This was awesome!



Simply Stunning!

Good bye. Please come again soon!

The Wedding & another Beautiful Sunset

Married on Fair Isle Today!



Sailed in from Sweden inspired by Per Holmlov Book
Per & Lisa also were married on Fair Isle a few years ago.

Link to Per Holmlov's book
http://cdon.se/b%c3%b6cker/holml%c3%b6v%2c_per/lycka_%c3%a4r_ett_sommarskepp_%3a_ketch_siris_%c3%a4ventyr_i_v%c3%a4sterled-4189967



Magnus & Cathanina Karlsson



We catered the wedding party of 8 people at our Auld Haa Guesthouse.

Champagne plus starters - Crab & Salmon Sushi, Spring Rolls& Saute Chicken Skewers
Main Course - Salmon encrusted in red and green peppercorns with seaseem seeds and panko.
homemade bread and David & Mati's fresh Fair Isle goats cheese.
plus salad and roasted potatoes, turnips, carrots & garlic.

They brought lovely Champagne, Red & White Wine, Port, & a fine dram of Whisky.



 

the Chocolate Cake!

Cheers!

A lovely evening and a new beginning...

Lighthouse, Rainbow, Sunsets, Fish and Rare Breeding Bird

Sunset South Lighthouse - Fair Isle - June 26th 2011

This post should of been called "Random Photos from the past few days" But I think I've done that before? 

He is getting bigger every day...

Large lens... not for photographing birds.

Bill & the South Lighthouse Light

I'm beginning to hate sunset photos because they are never as good as the real thing or sometimes they look so good that the look fake.

Sunset Pollock caught by Henry in the North Haven

 

Five Bearded Rockling - largest one we ever seen.

Shameless FIBO plug

What's That! I Wondered?

It took me a minute... and I did check it for a light coloured eye? wishing it was a North American Rusty Blackbird, one of my dream birds I hope to find someday on Fair Isle. No such luck, but it is still very rare in it's own way as this is one of the two newly fledged Blackbirds. The result of the first time Blackbirds have breed on Fair Isle since 1973. Very cool! I've never seen a blackbird so brown or young before.

Good Luck! and come again.