Fair Isle Bird Observatory & Guesthouse

Bird Observatory & Guesthouse

Welcome to the Fair Isle Bird Observatory and Guesthouse. We are proud of our long tradition of welcoming visitors to Fair Isle and of our continuous scientific research into seabirds and bird migration since 1948. The Observatory, built in 2010, offers 3-star accommodation for visitors to the island from April to October and houses a team of wardens, a Ranger (funded by SNH) and other staff. More ...

obs — The Observatory with its garden of willows and *Rosa* bushes against the distinctive backdrop of Sheep Rock, 2015. © James Gentles

Latest sightings

During the spring and autumn migration seasons, birds are censused daily and news is disseminated as promptly as possible. Updates on birds and the Observatory are regularly posted on Facebook and Twitter and on our Latest Sightings page.

Fair Isle is, quite simply, one of the most exciting places to observe migrant birds whether common or rare, such as this Lanceolated Warbler from September 2016. © Lee Gregory

Activities

Visitors come to Fair Isle for diverse reasons - birdings, walking, photography, archaeology, history, genealogy to name but a few. Many come back time after time. Best known for its bird migration studies and vagrant species from all points of the compass, the Observatory also offers the assistance of a resident Ranger to help you make the most of your visit. More ...

Ringing birds (such as this autumn Long-eared Owl) has been a key tool in the Observatory's study of bird migration since its inception in 1948. In the event of some of the birds being recovered, vital information on migration routes, wintering/breeding areas and survival rates can be obtained. Trapping birds also provides an opportunity to examine the birds close-up and, in most species, provide additional information on the bird's age, sex and health. Visitors are welcome to watch, or, with the necessary permits and experience, assist the staff. © FIBO

- Follow us on
Annual Report 2017
- The 2017 report is now available.
  
  For future issues, we would welcome the contribution of more photographs from visitors (birds, people, the Obs, events, scenery etc.). The preferred format of digital files is as follows:
  • Direct JPG copies from your originals should be supplied, or as close to the originals as available. These totally uncropped and unaltered files allow us to consistently format them for print to achieve the best possible reproduction and offer maximum flexibility with page layouts
  • Maximum quality (always save at value 12) JPG format is fine; if you shoot in RAW format, then a 2700 x 3600 pixel JPG copy is ideal
  • Label each file with species, place/croft, date and your name
  • Send on a memory stick, CD or via a file transfer site (like Dropbox, OneDrive etc)
Accommodation vacancies for 2018
- Please note that the Observatory is now fully booked for 2018.
  
  Provisional booking is now open for 2019, please see our 'making your booking' page.
Fair Isle's flora
- Oysterplant. © Lee Gregory.
  
  In the summer of 2016, FIBO supported a visit to the Isle by MSc student Camilo Quinteros Peñafiel from the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. Camilo undertook a comprehensice floristic survey with support from local naturalist, Nick Riddiford, and her university supervisor, Alex Twyford. The fruits of their labours have now been published in the Journal of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. They highlight the extreme botanical richness of Fair Isle given its small size, and document habitat changes that have occurred since the previous habitat map was produced in 1991-92. Definitely worth a read...!
Kirkwall-Fair Isle flights summer 2018
- Loganair will fly Kirkwall-Fair Isle from 25th May to 5th October.
  The flights will operate on Mondays and Fridays. Book at loganair.co.uk.
  Connections available from Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Norwich.
  Monday and Friday
  Kirkwall-Fair Isle: 12:15-12:50
  Fair Isle-Kirkwall: 13:05-14:40
Latest sightings