Today is sunday 1st May and our last day before our first guests arrive. Our first major job was to finnish off getting the Guests area's up to a high standard including cleaning the dreaded windows that was full of salt spray which had collected on there over the winter. Washing windows on Fair isle does have its rewards because where else can you watch a male Eastern Subalpine Warbler, a Stunning male Black Redstart and a Waxwing close by together.
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Subalpine Warbler
(picture taken in Israel) |
Also in the Obs plantation, I saw My first Lesser Whitethroat of the year but the most unusual activity had to a singing Blackbird. It must of been the nice sunny weather and the essence of spring which got him to burst out in to song has they dont breed but only migrate through the island.
Thanks to Will, I ringed my second ever Tree Pipit, Another delightful reward while cleaning windows. On the seabird front, I saw my first Arctic Skua's of the year flying north over the observatory. Their calls make your hairs stand up on the back of your neck and defintly makes you smile.
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Arctic Skua
(pale phase) |
For our last guest free evening, staff and researchers decided to watch Black Sheep on the Big Screen, A new zealand low budget film about zombie sheep. A film I would NOT recomend to watch but it was the ideal film to watch on Fair isle as we share the island with over 1200 of them against 65 people!!
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