FAIR ISLE - Beautiful Day

Left the light house at 6.30am and went to look for the Red backed Shrike that was seen at Quoy last night. Very cold this morning. No sign of the shrike. Went to join others at the tail end of the trap round at the Plantation trap. Simon caught a Garden Warbler in the Vaadal trap. Walked back with Richard to the light house for breakfast. Richard leaves today by plane in the afternoon (no more Geordie jokes!) He made me laugh as in the visitor book in The Kirk where it said ‘nationality’ he put ‘Geordie’!!!!!

Breakfast again was first class.

Walked to the shop to buy 2 packets of their scrumptious oatcakes and some postcards and chocolate (not that I need any!). Walked over the stile opposite the shop and walked across the fields to the West Cliffs where I climbed to the top of one of the Geo’s and sat watching birds flying across in hope of something good, but no luck. Walked back to the lighthouse for lunch.

Lunch: soup, rolls, pasta and cheese and cakes!

Walked to the observatory. On route, nothing in the plantation or the gully traps. At the obs I sat in front of the plantation for quite a while just to see if the bluethroat or anything else appeared, but no luck. Simon appeared and flushed out a blackbird which he said had been here since March. Walked down to the harbour where I spent a long time photographing a Fair isle Wren, a Wheatear, and attempting to photograph a Twite. 3 yachts were moored up in the harbour and one yacht owner sat on the hillside chatting with me while I took pictures - he said he was pleased he had stopped at Fair isle - ‘it was a very pretty island’.

Opposite the observatory I took pictures of 3 Eiders asleep on the rocks below and also Fulmars and Arctic Terns - I got so carried away I genuinely forgot the time and realised at 6.15pm that I had 45 minutes (not possible!) to get back to the South Light for dinner at 7pm!!! I marched back BUT did take a picture of an Arctic Skua on route and also a Chiffchaff near the HM Coastguard hut on right hand side of road, which looked like it had just dropped in. Got back just after 7.05pm!

Dinner: Soup and rolls to start followed by roast veg/potatoes, sweetcorn, beans, peas, boiled minted potatoes and omelette and rhubarb crumble and custard to follow.

Barry and Cheryl leave tomorrow on the Good Shepherd along with another couple who are staying in Springfields (self catering cottage). Ines will still be here though - Ines is a fascinating lady and a real character - very entertaining!

Fell asleep when I returned to my room - shower, downloaded pictures and then too late to do blog - added this on Sat morning.