Arrived on Fair Isle yesterday morning through howling Westerlies, which seem to dominate the weather forecast predictions for the next ten days! Before Fair Isle, we had a days birding on mainland Shetland, with Pied Fly, Redstart, 3 Common Crossbills & Barred Warbler at Vidlin followed by delicious soup and bagels at the Peerie Cafe in Lerwick. Later we enjoyed a meal out at the Sumburgh Hotel with Helen who we stayed with in Toab. We were pleasantly surprised to get onto Fair Isle at all yesterday given the foul & worsening conditions but we were soon catching up with friends, drinking tea & pondering on the weather & what delights we might not be seeing this autumn visit. In between afternoon showers we caught & ringed a lone Dunlin on the scrape with Alan Bull & Peter Stronach & later at night the boys 'dazzled' waders including Curlew, Ringed Plover & 2 more Dunlin. Today, the westerly winds had died down in the morning but the conditions worsened again throughout the afternoon. The few birds noted this morning included up to 6 Lapland Buntings, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Whinchat, Richard's Pipit, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Whooper Swan, 5 Linnet. I photographed Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Lapland Bunting & Chiffchaff.
Great to be back here!!
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