White-arse here and a Wheatear there

Wheatear

Not only does Fair isle welcome seabirds to breed but we also wait for a Sub-Saharan migrant ' The Wheatear' to return every spring. They arrive about March time after wintering in central Africa and leave again in September/October.

Male Wheatear

The name 'White-arse' comes from the fact it has a white rump and usually that is all we see when its flying away. Also when this species was first descibed in 1758,  The term refered to the birds returning to Greece just when the first grape vines blossomed. They eat mostly insects and larva with the occasional berries and nest mostly on moorland in stone walls, rocky crevices and burrows which means Fair isle has ideal breeding habitat.

Female Wheatear
Digi-scoped Image

We get two races of Wheatear which visit the island. We have the Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) which is  a summer migrant to the Britian and we have the larger Greenland Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe leucorhoa)  which is only a passage migrant to the UK  where they head up to there Breeding grounds in Greenland.

Birds will use anything for a perch

During end of June and July, I noticed no matter which way you looked, there was several Wheatears on every fence line. I could guarentee when I opened my bed room curtains, the Wheatear would of been one of the 1st birds I see. There was family parties scattered around the island and is always a joy to watch.

The adult is warning its fledglings
that there was potential danger nearby

Just fledged the nest that afternoon being looked after by its parents

This fledgling would of left the nest a week before I took the photo
and was already feeding independently

As part of a univeristy study, Adam Seward had been researching Wheatears that pass through Fair Isle.  He has been studying the impact of climate change of migratory birds where he chose this species as it has one of the most challenging migrations of any passerine. As part of the project, he has been colour ringing them, and when he is not on the island, The observatory  continues the colour ring and sends any data back to Adam.

If any body has seen any colour ringed Wheatears, we would love to know the date, the time and where you have seen them. You can send your sighting(s) to British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Fair isle Bird Observatory and Adam Seward.

For more Information about Adam whether its about it Wheatear study or his spectacular Earth in Focus photography then please click on the links below:

ADAMS WHEATEARS:           http://adamseward.co.uk/research.html

EARTH IN FOCUS:                  http://earthinfocus.com/

BTO (Report a Ringed Bird):     http://blx1.bto.org/euring/main/

Last Puffin Evening of 2011

Puffin

Around 54,000 of this comical bird call Fair isle there home every summer. They arrive in March and begin egg laying a month later. They Lay a single white egg deep inside their burrow where they hatch in May/June. Then around the end of July and beginning of August, the Chicks leave under the cover of Darkness evading any predators which fancy an easy snack. By the end of the month, Most of the Puffins would of disappeared  far out to sea where they will form huge flocks waiting until the next spring so they can breed all over again.

Below is just some last Photographs of the Puffins just as their breeding season was ending for another year.

They are very socialable birds

Incoming

Who are you?

Beak full of fish

Are you looking at me?

Puffins are very approachable and if you just sit quietly they will come and say hello

Just need some chips & peas!

A Puffin Meeting 

Heres a Puffin at Sunset to end the post



Guillimot Feeding Watch

Common Guillimot

Fair isle is internationally known for its diversity of seabirds from Auks to Skuas, from Terns and Gulls to Shags, Petrels and Gannets. Every Year, during in the summer, the island comes alive with 250,000 breeding birds of 19 species which can get very noisy. As part as the Observatorys work, it is their duty to monitor them to keep an eye on population changes, productivity rates, etc. One of their annual activities is to do a 24 hour feeding watch at Peitron Guillimot colony where we take it turns and do a couple of two hour shifts each sat on top of a cliff watching the auks..

Peitron Hide

During our shifts, every 20 minutes we do a chick count. When I first took part 10 years ago, we was counting 80 chicks but as the years went on, the numbers dwindled down to an all time low where in 2011 during the watch, we started off with 20 chicks but went down to less then 10 when we fiinished.

2006

This  watch was producing around 40 chicks

2011

The ledges used to be packed with Guillimots
but in these hard time they are struggling to breed.

  Our main aims for the watch is to find out:

• What type of fish they are bringing in
• What size of fish they are bringing in
• How often they are bringing in the fish.

The Guillimots main food source as with all Auks are Sand Eels but over the last several years, the Sand Eels had started to disappear making the auks go further out to sea for there food. Because of this they take longer searching  for the fish leaving the chicks to starve. Rob Hughs (RSPB) and Beckie Langton (PHD Aberdeen Univerisity) were putting small transmiters on sea birds to find out where they are going. From there data, they were going as far as Norway, Orkney and Aberdeen taking several days per a single trip. But we also found they are bringing different types of fish back such a Pipefish, Gagoids, etc. Sometimes the birds were not bringing food back at all.

Guillimot with a unidentified fish
This bird eventually came back with some food but the chick had disappeared.
(Digi-scoped image)

As well as dwindling food supplies, The Auks has to defend there colony from predators. During my watch in 2011, Gulls, Skuas and Covids were patrolling the cliffs waiting fot an oppotunity to snatch a chick.

A Patrolling Herring Gull

Recently, The chicks have become very easy takings as both adults are often out searching for food. The Predators dont have to put up with  whole colony of dagger like beaks pointing up at them no more so if I was a avian predator, I will defintly take my chances.

Luckily the chick manange to hide

I have seen gulls take chicks before but I have also seen them fledge. When they are about half the size of an adult and cant fly, they take an extraodinary leap of faith of the cliff ledge to crash in to the water below, This is when the father of the chick will then take it out to sea and look after it. The Chick will not see land again until its an breeding adult. It does bring a tear to you eye when you watch them but I fear there is only a matter of time until this will becomes a rare sight on Fair Isle.  This is why the observatorys work is of upmost importance in trying to work with different organisations to safe guard the marine life around shetland.

What Stunning Birds!

For more infomation on the seabird sof Fair Isle, Please click on the following links:

http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/seabird_studies.htm

Season 2008 - http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/Seabirds/2008/seabirds_08.htm

Season 2007-  http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/seabirds_07.htm

Season 2006 - http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/seabirds_06.htm

Season 2005-  http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/seabirds_05.htm

Carrie the 'Birdie' Ranger finally arrives for her second Season.

Once again, I got a knock on the door to say that there is a Common Buzzard soaring over Buness with several gulls. I did not even have to get out of bed for it as I only opened my window and there it was! My second for the island and a good bredroom window tick. As I woke myself up, another knock on the door, and it was lovely Lyndsey with a Bacon/Mushroom Sandwich and a strong coffee.....Brekkie in bed, a very welcome surprise but I did not even have time to finnish it as I got a text to say a White Tailed Sea Eagle had just left North Ronaldsay (Orkney) and its headed towards us. Bins and my camera ready. I was not going to miss this magificent bird for the world as I have dipped on quite a few. I got a lift up to the plantation where I met Will, We marched half way up Hill Dyke to meet Roger (FIBO Chairman) so we could have a clear view of the south of the island. We had a lookout on the high cliffs of Hoini with  several more eyes scattered around the island so when it does turn up it will not evade us. The excitment was high but after 30 minutes, there was no sign of it, A quick phone call to North Ron mentioned that the bird departed very high with Gulls in hot persuit, After a few minutes, the Gulls came back down while the eagle continued to go north going higher and higher to a point you can no longer see it. Once again, this species  has evaded me but I can only hope that one day, an eagle would turn up.

As everybody went back for lunch, I decided to stay out and headed towards Hoini where I had just a single Swallow fly pass and several Northern Wheatears displaying, Apart from the chill in the wind, its feels like Spring is finally here with the glorious sunshine. A look down the dramatic cliffs saw over a hundred Grey Seals sheltering on the beach from the swell which is a lovely sight in its self!

Grey Seals

After a nice walk down to the shop to get myself something to eat, I then headed back up to the Airstip to wave off Roger and his lovely wife Agnes who are always a pleasure to meet.

Our final staff member was also returning on the flight in. Carrrie, after spending the last 6 weeks in the Seychelles makes the staffing almost complete but all we need now is a Cook- please check on the Fair isle bird Observatory website for more details.

Ring Ouzel in the hand to an Easter Dance

All Morning, myself and Lyndsay finnished off getting the guests bedrooms ready for when we get our first visitors at the start of May. It looks like we are going to have a busy month ahead but June looks alot worse which is the height of the Seabird season. Just before Lunch, David brought back a female Ring Ouzel which he caught in Double Dyke that meant everyone was late for Chris's tasty lunch. Afternoon saw me sneaking back into the kitchen to make the islands' speciality 'Fair Isle Peat', Two massive trays were made which was a big hit at the dance of where our JHMF volunteer Joe had a record 14 pieces. You need to experience Peat to find out why it tastes so good! By 7pm, just as the islanders arrive, Rory (an ex-FIBO Ranger) told me that they trapped a Mallard and they have it in the bird room, It turns out this female was a retrap and it had been ringed in 1998 or before, Making it out to be at least 13 years old! It was released back where it was caught where I saw it again the following day. The Easter Dance was a good success where young kids as young as 15 months were showing off there moves on the dance floor. A great big thanks should go to the musicans Neil (guitar/banjo?), Lisa (flute/fiddle),Stuart 'senior' (fiddle) and young Stuart (accoridian). I have put in a request to Neil to play a Jimmy Henrix song 'Little Wings' which was covered by the fantastic Irish band 'The Corrs'. Hopefully he will play it in July when the Tall ships come in!........We are lookiing forward to it!!!

Bluethroat - but what race

The day started of  just like any other day, The boys did there morning traps and caught the usual supects (Wheatears, Chiffchaffs, etc). Susannah sorted breakfast out for all of us while I got the Homemade bread on the go and worked out what we needed doing for lunch. By 9am, the Wardens headed out on their daily census (a bird survey covering every part of the island). By mid morning David, had 4 Barnacle geese heading south over the island which was a year tick, At this point they were the highlight of the day as their was nothing else to report. But before lunch  Will checked the traps on the way back from census an caught a nice suprise.....a female Bluethroat!
Bluethroats are no strangers to the island, As several (of the Red spotted race) pass through every year usally from the May onwards. It was quite interesting to catch a female in mid -april most certainly of the white spot race,  which is the much rarer of the two. With it being a female, it is impossible to identify the race and the biometrics fell in the range of the two. When it comes to spring migration, we expect males to make there journey first so they can get the best territory on there breeding grounds. If this was a Red Spot, it would of been a male but because its s female, we believe it to be a White spotted as they migrate about a month earlier then its Red spotted. But has always, Bluethroats are always nice to see.

Other News

After Lunch, I got dropped off down at south harbour and headed around the south west cliffs on a lovely warm sunny day. Caught up with the Iceland Gull at the base of Malcoms head and spotted a male Red Breasted Merganser on the sea. I continued up the west side and accidently flushed an entire cliff full of Fulmars (100+ birds) which was quite a sight in its self.

As the afternoon progressed, with newly born lambs skipping up and down the fields, It felt like I never been away.

I had a walk around Sukka Mire just as the Great Skua's were staking out there Territories & flashing there white wing patches as others fly pass. It was a just a lovely day!

The Adventure begins!

I set of from the busy town of Doncaster at seven in the morning to catch the train. This was the start of a very long journey up north. Arrving in Edinburgh just before lunch, I just had twenty minutes to catch my connection trying to manouver myself through hundreds of people waiting to go on their easter holidays. By This time next week, I will be away from the hustle and bustle of town life relaxing on a remote scottish island amongst thousands of seabirds. Escaping from the scottish capital, I continued my journey with ScotRail heading up the east coast of scotland, Which has one of the more scenic train routes with plenty of Common Buzzards soaring above forests. Arriving in The busy city of Aberdeen mid afternoon, I had only a few hours to do any last minute shopping and to explore the mazes of the big shopping centres as for the next half year I have only one small shop which is no bigger then the average living room. I did have time to have my last Costa 'fortune' coffee with a fellow friend which she said there were a alot dolphins outside the harbour today so I should stay out on deck when the Northlink ferry leaves. My hopes of seeing them were raised as I have seen leaping Bottle nosed dolphins there before.

When the Northlink finally left, I took my binoculars out only to spy young  family watching the harbour entrance pointing to the sea, The suspence was getting bigger as I was almost certain they were watching the dolphins, but I had to wait a few minutes until the ferry went around the corner, and as we got there my joy turned to disbelief as it turned out the family was watching a lifeboat speeding around the entrance. I did not want to watch boats, so I scanned the harbour wall ticking of coastal birds.......Shag, Herring Gull, Cormorant, Eider, Pheasant........What? .....Who would of thought it, a gamebird sat amongst the seabirds, At least that provided some entertainment, The Dolphins would of been better those!! After a nice sunset over the scottish mainland, I tried to bunk down for the night with little success as only four hours in to the crossing, The swell decided to get alittle bit too bumpy to a point you did not need alcohol not to walk straight. Finally at 7.30am, the ferry finally docked in lerwick of which I was very eager to get on to dry land. At that time, I could only think about how worse the next and final leg of the journey was going to be but I had a couple of hours wait at the viking bus station before I headed 25 miles down south on the bus. During that time, I was a getting text messages from Deryk Shaw (A new 'Good Shepherd' crewman) saying  we are on our way to pick you up  and its very very roly.......By this time I were taking an extra travel calm tablet which means the small boat crossing is going to be very unpleaseant!. Finally I arrived at Grutness to be greeted by the GS and her very nice crew members and a good cuppa tea......just what I needed to try a prepare myself for what is to come.

 After all of the island weeks food and supplies were loaded up, we headed out in to the noost - one of the roughest seas in the uk as this is where the north sea and atlantic ocean meets. The GS was an ex lifeboat and was disigned to bob around like a cork in those sort of of waters. On this particular day, the sea was in a really bad state (this is an understatement) so we had to stay below deck as the risks was too high of getting thrown over board if we was up on top. The crew was amazing, and recommended to lie down and get to sleep - it has worked in the past. I had it all planned out, I was listening to good choice of music (The Corrs) just about to nod off then bang, The swell has just got bigger, Trying to keep down flat and  anchoring your self to stop sliding from one end of the boat to another and its just impossible to try and sleep, At one point, when I dared to look up out of the small round window, The boat was virtually on its side with the top of the waves touching the glass. I would like to say a big thankyou to the crew Neil, Ian, Darren and Deryk as they really looked after us during a rough crossing, I dont know how they can do that several times a week so My hats go off for them. After three hours of what I call hell, I finally arrived at my desination........FAIR ISLE!!..... I was greeted by some of the lovely islanders along with Hollie, Raven  & Ythan and was met by the new warden and administrator 'David and Susannah Parnaby' along with Will and Gary who I will be working with this season. At present, I feel like its just a big dream and  has not really sunk in that Im on the island but when It does, its going to be just MAGICAL!

From 286,886 people to just 65!

In just Two weeks time, I will be swapping my home from a  busy town to a small remote island just south of Shetland.

From This

 To this

Im heading up to Fair Isle working at the world famous bird observatory. Founded in 1958, it was the brain child of George Waterson which he dream't up while he was in a prisoner  of war camp. Run by a small charitable trust, it is still going strong after 60 years!

The new Fair isle Bird Observatory situated in Maver's Cup.

Home to hundreds of thousands of seabirds in the summer

 including the

Commical Puffin to the mighty Great skua.

Fair isle is also world known for its famous Knitwear.

Close encounters with Killer Whales.

Panoramic view from Ward Hill (highest point) to the south of the island.

This is just a taster of whats to come during the course of my stay this season.

For more information about Fair isle Bird Observatory and Fair isle, Please click on the links below:

http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/index.htm

http://www.fairisle.org.uk/