Fair Isle mini blog: a great way to end the week

Our last day on Shetland saw dawn break under leaden skies and heavy rain. However, during breakfast the weather improved and by the time we were out in the field the rain had stopped and the even tried to come out. There was really only one thing we all wanted to do; to go back and see more of the Siberian Rubythroat.

So by 08.30 we back at the wonderful garden in Gulberwick that this mythical bird has chosen as a temporary home, again we were not disappointed but the bird was much harder to see today, this did however, give us time to check out the local area for migrants. It has to be said that by this time the wind had picked up and was blowing strongly from the south-west, ensuring that there was going to be no overhead migration. It did mean that there ought to be grounded migrants though and sure enough there was three Chiffchaff and half-a-dozen Goldcrest in the rubythroat garden that weren't there yesterday, and as we began to search it became clear that Redwings, Fieldfares and Blackbirds had also arrived in the light overnight wind and were unable to continue south in the now gale force southerlies.

We also heard that the situation was the same on Fair Isle, where there were no thrushes yesterday there were lots today. It also became clear that had we waited for our afternoon flight off the island today, we would still be there this evening, the wind had increased to such a strength it grounded the Fair Isle flights too.

We rounded off the day with a seawatch and were rewarded with the arrival of Little Auks and a small movement of Long-tailed Ducks, a great way to end a great week.

Fair Isle mini blog: gale force winds, snow showers and a birdrace

We awoke this morning to epic weather. The wind was blowing gale force 8-9 from the northwest, as if this wasn't bad enough there were frequent snow showers. We needed something to motivate us to get out in the field and do some birding; what we needed was a birdrace. So it was decided that the six of us would make up three teams of two. Andy Clements teamed up with Rick Goater, Nick Moran teamed up with John Marchant and Paul Stancliffe with Andy Mason. With the gauntlet cast and the rules decided (each member of the team had to see or hear every bird) we all headed off into the teeth of the storm.
It became immediately clear that despite the incredibly strong wind, Greylag Geese were on the move. Flocks of these garrulous birds were to become a feature of the day, with small skeins still going over at dusk. Flocks could be seen coming in over the sea, some stopping to rest on the island, whilst others continued on their way; all of them presumably fresh from Iceland.

Over the last few days, Redshank has been quite a scarce bird, however, this was not the case today. Redshank seemed to be everywhere around the crofts, with a single flock of seven birds in one small tatty-rig.

Beyond this, the conditions made finding birds very difficult and all three teams had a tough time. So how did it all finish. Andy Clement's team came first with 62 species, Nick Moran's team came second with 57 species and Paul Stancliffe's team came third with 54 species. All three teams had a great time in some of the wildest of weathers on one of the most remote of the british islands. Between us we managed 66 species - the wardens were impressed.
We also had a flavour of what might be, with the news of a male Siberian Rubythroat on Shetland, some thirty miles north of where we are. With the wind dropping overnight, we will be out in the field with renewed enthusiasm. There is a saying here; "If there's a rare bird on the mainland, there's something even better on Fair Isle." Tomorrow could be a very big day indeed".

Fair Isle mini blog: or should that be the Shetland mini blog?

What a difference a day makes, at least weather-wise. After yesterday's gale force winds and wintry showers, today dawned still and sunny. So still in fact that the island wind generator came to a standstill.

So, after rushing breakfast, it was time to get out and chart today's migration and find that mega-rarity; remember, there is always something better on Fair Isle. We were all very excited about what today might bring, but it seems the summer-like conditions put migration on hold. Greylag geese were the only birds visibly migrating but in much smaller numbers than yesterday. The Fieldfares and Redwings all but moved out overnight and Brambling was a rare bird.

By lunchtime it was looking like the Siberian Rubythroat on mainland Shetland wasn't going to be eclipsed by anything on Fair Isle, at least today anyway. So on meeting back at the observatory for lunch, and having completed our migration counts, it was decided that if we could possibly get off Fair Isle for the Rubythroat today, we would. After a few telephone calls it was on, by 3.00pm we would be on Mainland Shetland and on our way to what if we saw it, would be a new british bird for all of us.

By 3.50pm the stunning male Siberian Rubythroat, the ninth for Britain, didn't disappoint. It hopped up onto a garden fence and took everyone's breath away.

So our change of plan will see us birding on mainland Shetland tomorrow, checking out the ditches and counting visible migrants. Will the last day bring us any more surprises? Only time will tell.

Fair Isle mini blog: Resplendent Great Northern Diver

This, our fifth day on the island has had the feel of the quietest day so far. The thrushes that arrived on Friday have largely moved off, continuing their migration further south. Brambling numbers have also fallen and there seemed to be little evidence of migration. However, between us we have pretty much covered the whole of the island, and even though it is approximately three miles long by one-and-a-half miles wide it is no mean feat.

Despite there being no real indication of migration, the Hen Harrier have doubled from two to four, along with the Short-eared Owls, rising from four to eight. A small flock of Barnacle Geese headed south and four Whooper Swans visited the island briefly.

The surprise of the day was a full summer plumaged Great Northern Diver giving close views in the harbour by the observatory.

So what of the mystery warbler from yesterday? Despite extensive searching, it has not been seen again. Unless it pops up again over the next day or so it will be the one that got away.

The forecast for tomorrow is for gale force north-westerly winds with some snow and hail. We will have to don several more layers and go in search of any arctic waifs that might get blown this way.

Andy Clements

Fair Isle mini blog: rain, rare ducks and a mystery warbler

Early this morning we received news that the east coast was experiencing a huge finch movement, with Goldfinch being the most numerous, flocks of 2-300 birds were being recorded, with smaller numbers of Siskin, redpoll and Brambling, also on the move.

The news came just after breakfast and before we had ventured out into the field; would there be an arrival of finches here too. It seemed unlikely, the small trees in the observatory garden were almost horizontal and the rain was definitely horizontal. Whilst most us headed out into what felt like an epic storm, two of the group had risen before dawn and headed out to the south light for a seawatch (John Marchant and Nick Moran). They must have been feeling pretty miserable by the time we had seen our first bird, a male Gadwall (a very rare bird on Fair Isle), actually they had been invited into the lighthouse for tea and cake whilst the rest of us had the biggest soaking of our lives.

The rare duck theme continued throughout the morning with the arrival of a Pintail, a female Scaup and two Velvet Scoter, joining the Shoveler from yesterday on this auspicious list.

Rare birds are what most birders come to Fair Isle hoping to find, but for most of us today didn't quite feel like a day when one might be found (Andy Clements excepted, he predicted the finding of a good bird just after lunch). Just after lunch Andy's prediction was realised when an Olive-backed Pipit was found in the garden of a croft in the middle of the island. This beautiful pipit breeds no closer to Britain that central Siberia, spending the winter in India; a very special bird indeed.

The excitement didn't stop there. Mid-afternoon saw Paul Stancliffe on the trail of a very skulking warbler that had been seen briefly amongst some cabbages. It was seen twice in flight and once running on the ground beneath the cabbages, and even though it was seen by the five observers present, it defied identification. Something to look forward to tomorrow.

Paul Stancliffe

Skylark and Starling on the move

The north Norfolk coast at dawn is a magical place, particularly so in October. A favourite haunt at this time of the year is the narrow lane that runs from Kelling down to the sea. The thick hedgerows here have the potential to hold newly-arrived migrants and the occasional gaps in this berry-laden screen afford views over the surrounding fields. At the bottom of the lane things open up, a small expanse of water attracts waders and duck, while short cattle-grazed turf is great for wheatears, finches and buntings.

This morning looked promising, even though the wind had moved round and there had been clear skies overnight. The numbers of less common migrants reported along the coast over recent days, including dozens of Short-eared Owls, several Bluethroat and a Radde's Warbler, not to mention that Rufous-tailed Robin, were more than enough to give the local patch some added allure.

A tit flock feeding in the upper part of the lane held at least one Blackcap but there was no sign of of Chiffchaff or Goldcrest, both of which can be encountered here in numbers on some autumn days. What was particularly evident, however, was the large number of Starlings and Skylarks passing overhead. Small groups of Skylark peppered the soundscape with their calls, while the Starlings whooshed by on hundreds of noisy wings. Trailing off the back of one of the smaller Starling flocks were two Redwing.

The numbers of Chaffinches either passing overhead or dropping into the hedgerows also suggested a movement of some size, my highest count for the patch at any time of the year according to my BirdTrack records. There were also good numbers of Goldfinches, with fewer Greenfinch and no sign of the Linnet flock that had been engaging a fortnight ago.

While the pool held 28 Teal and 4 Snipe, it was the short-turf behind the sea wall that was busy with birds. Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails were here in reasonable numbers, feeding alongside Egyptian Geese and a solitary Little Egret that stalked the wetter ground. Also present were three Wheatears, still moving through from northern breeding grounds.

It did feel like things were on the moving, the crossover between summer (Wheatear and Blackcap) and winter (the arriving Starlings and Redwing), and this is one of the reasons why patch birding in autumn is so rewarding. The combination of your familiarity with the site, the sense of arrivals and departures, and the chance that something rare might be about to pop out of the bramble, make for exciting birdwatching.

39 species in total, not bad for a couple of hours on this particular patch.

Mike Toms

Fair Isle mini-blog: Migration waxes and wanes

Even though it is mid-October and migration is at its peak, there are still days when nothing much seems to be moving at all. That was definitely the case on Fair Isle today, with generally fewer birds around, or so it seemed. The Redwings and Fieldfare were confined to the south-west of the island and had dropped in number. Despite the lack of anything moving overhead, there were lots of Blackcaps on the island and a few more Chiffchaffs. Brambling numbers have definitely increased, with Andy Clements and Rick Goater finding a flock of twenty-six birds in a oat crop in the south of the island.

New birds found today, included a tailless Barred Warbler (perhaps the result of a close escape with a local cat), a Shoveler (a rare bird here) and two Iceland Gulls. Nick Moran also added a Sooty Shearwater during a dawn seawatch.

Searching the dykes was very much the order of the day, with all of us getting very wet feet. We have been told to be careful not to get trench foot. Perhaps dyke foot might be more appropriate.

The forecast for tomorrow is for strong south-westerly winds and heavy showers, maybe the change in the weather will mean a change in the birds.

Paul Stancliffe