British Birds Cover - February 2009 . . .

One of my recent images of a Purple Sandpiper, taken on Fair Isle during Autumn 2008, has been chosen as the cover shot for the February issue of British Birds 2009. I was delighted to have another BB front cover image and for the proceeds to be donated straight to the Fair Isle Bird Observatory 'New Obs Appeal'

www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk

Purple Rain . . . 

Internet access has finally been restored after several days of lightning, heavy rain, hurricane force winds & numerous power cuts! Yesterday (Saturday) saw the strongest winds I have ever been out in, force 12! over 100 mph . . . it was quite difficult to walk about & not get blown over, let alone pick up the bins or camera! Watching the sea & skies became fascinating, even more so when a large thunder & lightning storm rolled around the Island on Friday night - seeing Sheep Rock lit up by purple lightning was quite something, I had never seen lightning on the Island before. Today I enjoyed photographing more Purple Sandpipers on South Haven which were very approachable. There are still good numbers of Fieldfare & Redwing about & the weekend weather brought in good numbers of waders with small flocks of Dunlin & Sanderling in the south & a lone Bar-tailed Godwit. On Friday afternoon as the weather deteriorated I had a Corncrake at the roadside up near Furse which flushed up from a roadside ditch & landed in the heather briefly before catching the wind & disappearing in the storm force winds towards north light. Also today we noted one of the Grey Phalaropes heading south past Chalet, being battered by the wind & the other Grey Phalarope had left South Haven by the evening.

Storm Sunday . . .

Well what a surprise, more awful weather.  Really not the day for bird photography! or even birding for that matter as it was difficult to raise the bins let alone the lens! However, Phil trapped 2 Purple Sandpiper in South Haven & I concentrated on Purple Sandpiper & Turnstone photography in the increasing mounds of seaweed & violent waves of the Havens. A Peregrine, several Kittiwake & Black-headed Gull were also noted. 

Safe Havens . . . 

Today was marked by very strong north westerly winds & rain. As such it was difficult to contemplate leaving the Havens. Luckily that's where the action was! I was able to get more shots of one remaining Grey Phalarope and an obliging Purple Sandpiper. Also noted 7 Black-headed Gull, 1 Kittiwake, 1 Razorbill, 1 Common Guillemot, 1 Chaffinch.