A lingering Woodlark at Springfield and a male Marsh Harrier roaming the north have been the highlights in recent days, alongside several more year ticks and a steady increase in Wheatear numbers. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight...
📸 A Penn
A clear highlight of the past couple of days was the 9th isle record of White-billed Diver. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight...
📸 A Penn
Regrettably, the packaging supplied by the printer was not suitable for posting a 5 kg set of books. We are awaiting the new ones... Apologies to those who pre-ordered.
We are pleased to announce that copies of ‘The Birds of Fair Isle’ are now on sale at The SOC, Waterston House, Aberlady, East Lothian at £85. @scottishbirding.bsky.social
A break in the wind saw 7 new additions to the 2026 year list yesterday, including Blackcap, Siskin, Sand Martin and House Martin. Puffins are also making their return, with multiple groups sat on the sea recently. Catch up on our latest sightings over at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight...
Thanks to Will Miles for dropping off my contributor's copies of 'The Birds of Fair Isle' today. An exceptional new publication and very much looking forward to reliving some of the many memories of from this island 'mecca', a few of which are here ⬇️ #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #Birds
Last few days to apply - applications close on 7th April!
The prepublication offer price of £70 plus postage will be valid for orders received up to 27th March. After this, the price will be £85 plus postage. ORDER NOW
Look no further if you'd like to find out more about staying with us and how to get to Fair Isle www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEuC... #RuthAisling
We're excited to announce a brand new partnership with @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social, offering the chance to for two aspiring conservationists to visit the Obs for two weeks in August this year!
For more details and how to apply, see www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/opportunitie...
Avoid disappointment - order now - this special offer price will only be available for a limited period and the print run is not large. Publication is due in March. #BirdingScotland #rarebirdsUK #ukbirding #ornithology #birding
Fair Isle Bird Observatory is pleased to announce that 'The Birds of Fair Isle' is now available to pre-order. This richly illustrated two-volume avifauna celebrates 75 years of FIBO survey work.
The set is offered for a limited time at £70 plus postage. For details: www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/bofi
It’s beginning to feel that the end is in sight. The proofs of the new 'Birds of Fair Isle' book are now being checked by the team of authors. That’s more than 400,000 words on 938 pages!
Details on how to order will be announced in the New Year.
www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/bofi
#BirdingScotland
Christmas can be an expensive time of year, so how about something for free?
The @scottishbirding.bsky.social and Scottish Birds Records Committee are hosting a FREE online conference over the evenings of February 24th to the 26th. Three talks per night and some real belters among them.
The new FIBO library has arrived at the Obs. With a huge effort from John & Marian Ginnever and the generosity of many donors, 80 boxes of books now replace and expand the library lost in the 2019 fire. Huge thanks go to DHL, Streamline and the crew of the Good Shepherd for their generosity and help
Scops Owl, Fair Isle, June 2025. © Alex Penn
Black-faced Bunting, Fair Isle, October 2025. © Alex Penn
Oriental Turtle Dove , Fair Isle, October 2025. © Kevin Kelly
Music night at the Obs. © Alex Penn
Still wondering whether to visit the new Fair Isle Bird Obs in 2026? We are open for bookings 20th May to 31st October. Although there is only limited availability in May-July, we still have plenty of space from early August until the end of October. Our website includes information on how to book.
Highlights of the last few days of the season were Little Bunting, Firecrest, Barred Warbler and Long-eared Owl, but the best of the week waited until a day after the last census of the year, a Black-faced Bunting at Shirva!
Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight...
📸 A Penn
Yesterday we trapped a Norwegian ringed Goldfinch, which was originally ringed on 6th August this year at Jomfruland Fuglestajion by a young girl, pictured with the bird. The map shows Fair Isle in blue & Jomfruland in red, a movement of over 600km!
📸 Alex Penn & Ola Nordsteien
A wild couple of days limited birding ability, but bought with it Little Auk and Waxwing. Some more pleasant weather yesterday resulted in a clear-out of birds but also presented an opportunity for catching some Jack Snipe. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight...
📸 L Marriner
A classic day in Fair Isle today. With superb numbers of Woodcock and Blackcap especially, amongst a good spread of thrushes. A personal highlight was finding this Isabelline wheatear with @birds-and-me.bsky.social. Just a second for Fair Isle.
Isabelline Wheatear
Oriental Turtle dove (Meena)
Richard’s pipit- an interesting bird, with some odd vocalisations and seemingly smaller size than typical, and frustratingly brief flight views through most of the day- persistence paid off in the end.
Goldcrest- great numbers of these fantastic birds littered the cliff tops and stone dykes.
Another great trip to Fair Isle has come to an end. But some nice highlights, and some impressive day counts of Blackcap and Woodcock in particular. A Northern flavour to the final day- with Northern Bullfinches arriving.
On a wet and windy day like today, the floor to ceiling windows around the bar make the observatory the perfect hide for watching birds in the garden while staying warm and dry. It doesn’t get much better for garden birds than this one, a Waxwing spending the afternoon enjoying an apple feast!
Things have really picked up the past few days, with thrushes, Blackcap and Goldcrest everywhere and highlights in the form of Pallas’s Warbler, Isabelline Wheatear and Paddyfield Warbler, as well as a few Northern Bullfinch today. Read more here www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight...
📸 A Penn
Boom 💥 lightening strikes twice @kevinshetland.bsky.social and I have just found Isabelline Wheatear on Fair Isle. @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social #UKBirding
Recently, Ranger Carla wrote a blog about the new Observatory building and what it means to the staff and the island. You can read that blog and see some of the stunning photos taken by the @promoteshetland.bsky.social team here: www.shetland.org/blog/fair-is...
After a quiet few days, yesterday’s winds bought in a few new birds including a Bluethroat trapped at Double Dyke, a Turtle Dove, the first Long-eared Owl and Goldeneye of the autumn and the first Greenfinch of the year. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight...
📸 T Wright
An elusive and mobile Richard’s Pipit and a lingering Black-throated Diver have been the recent highlights, along with a Purple Sandpiper ringed in Svalbard earlier this autumn. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight...
📸 T Wright
Minke Whale in the appropriately named Finnequoy
Mealy Redpoll at the Observatory
An example of the extraordinary food we were treated to
Standing room only for Logan’s talk on Mongolia
It was a tough few days weather-wise on Fair Isle but we still had a fantastic time at @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social thanks to the wonderful staff, with Minke Whale from the bedroom window and Mealy Redpoll in the obs garden #birdingscotland
Had some insane minke whale views this morning, with them coming very close in to where I was sat! The day then got even better when I also got to see my first white-beaked dolphins, which, though distant, put on a show breaching repeatedly!
A longer blog post about a week on Fair Isle with @sheldonbirds.bsky.social: www.outofthebluesky.co/2025/10/11/a...
Many thanks to all at @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social, a fantastic place with incredible food! Honourable mentions for @lukemarriner1.bsky.social and @philwoollen.bsky.social
#ukbirding