OBSERVATORIES' ROUNDUP

Observatories’ Roundup is a regular bi-annual feature about our bird observatories in Scotland. The intention is to publicise the work of the observatories, visiting opportunities, as well as incidental snippets of news from the islands.

Fair Isle

October is a hotly anticipated month for anyone birding on Fair Isle, with the potential for several of the classic ‘Fair Isle specials’ to turn up, as well as any number of major rarities. Despite being dominated by strong westerlybased winds, the October of 2022 saw plenty of brilliant late-autumn birding, and although the elusive ‘biggie’ failed to make an appearance, there was no shortage of excitement to be had.

The month got off to an excellent start, with a lingering Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler at Quoy (going on to become the isle’s longest-staying ever) and ‘Hornemann’s Arctic Redpoll’ making up the BB rarities on the first day of October, with a Red-flanked Bluetail around Burkle adding some colour to the mix. A good supporting cast of scarcities included a Corncrake that was trapped in the abandoned buildings by the Mast, before being released into the much more hospitable Obs. garden. A

Barred Warbler on the cliffs of Dronger, singles of Bluethroat and Great Spotted Woodpecker, and a scattering of Yellow-browed Warblers meant there was plenty to see around the isle.

The next day saw the arrival of a pristine juvenile American Golden Plover, the twelfth record for the isle, which showed brilliantly at the Airstrip for the finder, but flushed just as the nearest birders arrived to see it. Several frustratingly brief and possible sightings followed over the next couple of days before it was finally tracked down two days later on Vaasetter, giving excellent views to its appreciative admirers. The same day saw the first major thrush arrival of the autumn, with swirling flocks of some 3,000 ‘ tseep’ -ing Redwings regularly harried by Merlin and Sparrowhawk looking for an easy meal.

Poor weather dominated the next week, with strong south-westerly winds and heavy showers making birding tricky, and the forecast devoid of the easterlies we all hope for at this crucial time of year. Wildfowl passage continued unabated, with Pink-footed, Barnacle and Greylag Geese passing noisily overhead, joined by several groups of Whooper Swans. An Olivebacked Pipit arrived on 7th despite the winds, but passerines were generally thin on the ground. A further two ‘Hornemann’s Arctic Redpolls’ arrived on 11th and 13th, with Iceland and Glaucous Gulls, Slavonian Grebe, Grey Phalarope and Long-tailed Duck passage contributing to the decidedly wintry feel of the middle of the month.

The autumn wasn’t over yet however, with White-tailed Eagle on 18th–19th, a Little Bunting in the classic location of Pund ditch also on 19th, and a ‘Black-bellied’ Dipper ‘zitt’ing up and down Wirvie Burn on 20th. Some excellent late-autumn birding on the latter date also produced good island birds in the form of