Classic Fair Isle

Of all the birding locations across Britain and Ireland, Fair Isle is perhaps the most iconic.

A lonely rock sticking out of the sea, about 3.5 miles long by a mile wide, and covered with but a thin green and brown blanket of vegetation, it is a haven for lost migrants, with a ridiculous track record for major rarities.

Nige Milbourne, Steve Preddy, and I decided to stay there in 1998 – the last few days of September and the first couple of October – followed by a weekend on mainland Shetland. We had planned to go the week before (which was good in itself), but the Obs was booked up, so more by luck than judgement we stumbled on a week of classic conditions.

Our plan was to fly on to Shetland from Aberdeen on Friday evening, overnight in Lerwick, then on to Fair Isle late morning Saturday. But there was a technical fault with the plane. Delayed became further delayed and then finally cancelled. With fog forecast for the Saturday, I feared the trip might be seriously damaged before it even started, and I am afraid I lost it, big time. Steve has since described it as a meltdown, and frankly he is right. I calmed down a bit after dinner in the airport hotel we were booked into by the airline, but went to bed still worried about the morning. 

26 September

In the end we got away fine, transferred from Sumburgh to Tingwall, and landed on Fair Isle before midday. We knew that both a Pechora Pipit and an Isabelline Wheatear were still present, but on landing we were told that a Lanceolated Warbler had just been found at Kennaby! A tick for all of us, we were soon down there watching it – a very pale individual, it worked its way round a small peat hag in one of the croft fields, and even flew between me and the birder next to me. Absolutely brilliant views. The ‘Pech’ was next, perching on a fence briefly at Quoy, showing well. Then over to Malcolm’s Head to pick the ‘Izzy’ out from the Northern Wheatears also present. Migrants were everywhere, and that afternoon we saw 60 species, including 3 Rustic Buntings at the Auld Haa, about 200 (!) Snow Buntings by the windpump, and a variety of waders, warblers, and finches. And still plenty of time for a leisurely stroll back to the Obs for dinner. What a start! 

27 September

We awoke to southeasterlies and drizzle – perfect Fair Isle conditions. The morning produced Lapland Bunting, Yellow-browed Warbler, 2 Richard’s Pipits, Wood Sandpiper, and several Jack Snipe as we soggily roamed the crofting area at the south of the island. Brief views of a Locustella near Burkle were inconclusive, but it was refound later and confirmed as a second Lancey, so we dashed back down from the Obs to see it again.

Paul Baker, the warden that year, wanted an assistant to trap it against the wall it was working along – I volunteered instantly. Crouching motionless, holding one end of the net against the wall while Paul closed in with the other end, I watched the bird scuttle to within a few feet of me before it made a dash for it and was safely secured. Stunning views, and a moment I will never forget!

28 September

A walk up to the North Lighthouse after breakfast produced a good variety of migrants, but nothing startling. We arrived back at the Obs to be asked by Alan Bull, one of the assistant wardens, ‘Do you know about the Great Snipe at Burkle?’ 

Great Snipe (Pic of print: original photo Stuart Rivers)

Another trip in the Obs van later we were watching it sat in the lee of a wall. The warden and I did the same trick as yesterday, and very soon the bird was trapped, giving me absolutely stupendous views in the process – the views in the hand weren’t bad either. Confirmed as the bird from the previous week that been seen to fly into a barbed wire fence, with a small wound on its back, it was released into the Sukka Mire, which was placed out of bounds to allow it to rest up and recover. After that we ‘warmed down’ with good views of 2 Yellow-browed Warblers, various common migrants, and finally a Little Bunting in the Sheep Cru in the evening.

29 September

The wind had switched briefly round to the northeast, so this was our quietest day, though it still had its moments. Nige and I found a Velvet Scoter in the South Haven early am, and, assuming they were common enough round the isle, only casually mentioned it over breakfast. Alan Bull dashed out the door, leaving his cereal half-eaten – it was only the 8th record for Fair Isle!

Compared to that, the third Lancey of the week was positively common. We were close by Pund when it was found there, but missed it. It took some 20 birders over an hour to relocate it, mere yards from where it had first been seen, in grass only a couple of inches tall. No wonder so few are found away from the Northern Isles.   

We had left by then, wondering what else was out there to be found: our wanderings produced a female Bluethroat and a few Jack Snipe, but not much else. There was always added interest to be had, though, seeing common migrants in the hand in the ringing room – a male Redstart and a Brambling were particularly special.

30 September

Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler
(Pic of print: original photo Stuart Rivers)

Another good day started with a Little Bunting near the Obs before breakfast, then another Rustic Bunting and a male Bluethroat around the crofts. All excellent birds, but this week they were just the supporting cast. Then a large Locustella was found – we hurried to the scene.

It was hiding in a dry stone wall on the edge of Lower Leogh and showing only briefly. Opinion on it was divided, but eventually it showed well and called. It was indeed a Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler! After excellent views in the field for over an hour, it was trapped and taken back to the Obs for processing – on the journey it was my job to steady the ringing bag with it in hanging from the rear view mirror of the van. Another special moment for me, and brilliant in-the-hand views for all. One of the major targets of any autumn trip to Fair Isle, it was a new bird for nearly all present – the Obs’s beer supply took a serious hammering that night!

1 October

Dawn rose blearily. The Little Bunting was still near the Obs, but had few pre-breakfast admirers today. The wind had gone back round to southeasterly and freshened – hangovers disappeared rapidly when it was clear there had been a major overnight arrival of new birds. The middle of the island was carpeted with thrushes (mostly Redwings, Song Thrushes, and Blackbirds, but with a few Ring Ouzels thrown in) and Robins were two-a-penny. There were plenty of good birds on show and everyone had a hectic and mightily enjoyable time mixing searching for their own birds with chasing up and down the isle after each new find. 

In the space of a few minutes late morning we saw a Bluethroat hopping down the road near North Shirva and a Red-backed Shrike on the washing line at Midway, then a Short-toed Lark flew over, and birders chasing that flushed a Short-eared Owl. It really was that kind of a day! Then we heard Liz Riddiford at Schoolton blowing the rarity whistle – what next? It turned out to be a Treecreeper (very rare on the isle), seen briefly up by the North Light before flipping over the cliff face, never to be seen again.

We ignored that in favour of further searching round the crofts, but were quickly heading up the isle anyway, to the Havens by the Obs, for the jewel in the crown of a fantastic day – our second PG Tips. Prolonged field views again of what was this time a textbook individual, even showing the pale tips to the tail feathers as it rootled head down in the nettle clumps. Then back down the isle again to the crofts, where we saw a Red-throated Pipit but missed a new Pechora Pipit also present. At dusk we returned to the Obs, tired, hungry, but ecstatic. What a day!

2 October

Our last day on Fair Isle dawned. We relocated the Pechora Pipit down by the Meadow Burn; helpfully it called (‘spek’) to draw attention to itself. A probable Citrine Wagtail showed only to its finders, but we saw the Short-toed Lark again, and a good selection of other stuff. Nige and I had been having a friendly listing competition all week and ended up tied on 109 species (out of 120+ seen that week), with a few minor differences (I saw Buzzard but he got Grey Wagtail, that kind of stuff). We had to drag ourselves away early afternoon for our flight back to Tingwall. 

3–5 October

We had said goodbye to Fair Isle, but the holiday was far from over. Highlight of the Saturday was a Bobolink at Durigarth, then on Sunday we chased over to Bressay in the hope of Siberian Stonechat, dipped, but found a Bluethroat and a Red-breasted Flycatcher instead. Then the local birders recruited us to help look for a reported Great Bustard on south Mainland(!) Only after dark did we find out that it was a Little Bustard and had been refound and watched until dusk. Thanks for telling us, guys!

A small band of visiting birders collected at dawn on the Monday at Ringasta, staring at a field in hope. Two Richard’s Pipits flew over low, calling, to liven things up a bit, and we got to enjoy the sight of Franko haranguing the houseowner, who was still in dressing gown and slippers. While he was doing that, Nige called me over quietly and suggested I should look through his Questar – gulp, female Little Bustard! Everyone got good views, then we had to dash to Sumburgh airport for our flight. What a way to round things off, though!

Fair Isle has a bleak beauty all its own, and I loved it. I’ve twitched it a few times since, but not stayed on again. I keep promising myself I must go back: only problem is, if I do, what are the chances of having such a brilliant week again?