Spring Watch

Just back from a superb Spring week on Fair Isle & Shetland. It was great to catch up with friends & see the 'New' Bird Observatory in it's nearly completed state - it does look incredible! Birds were fairly quiet this week but a cracking male Red-backed Shrike, Icterine Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Common Rosefinch & the Red-throated Pipit shown here were all very welcome scarce Spring migrants. Again as is always the way these days, we were torn when departure day came, but a technical fault with the plane saw us stranded on Fair Isle for one more day ;-) & we missed our other 2 connecting flights back to Luton . . . However this twist of fate saw me take the best photographs of the trip during our 'extra' day followed by another great evening with Hollie & Deryk so all was not lost! We also jammed in on an extra day on Shetland at the weekend where we drank tea with Helen & Paul H in the Shetland sunshine, had fillet steak & Lobster at the Sumburgh Hotel & managed to photograph Skua's & a smart Osprey being attacked over Virkie. Quite a trip!