2009 - APRIL SIGHTINGS

On 2nd April we received the fantastic news that FIBOT has secured the last major element in the funding package for the New Observatory. The SRDP (Scottish Rural Development Programme) have granted us £1, 938, 250 (50% of the total cost). Along with the initial £1,150,000 grant from SIC (Shetland Islands Council), the recent £400,000 from HIE (Highlands & Islands Enterprise) and almost £250,000 raised by our own appeal (so far) means that we can now proceed with demolition and building work in summer 2009, as planned.

Deryk & Hollie and the board of Directors are extremely grateful to all those organisations and individuals who have granted or donated monies to the project, reflecting the socio-economic importance of the Fair Isle Bird Observatory to the island and Shetland as a whole.

We are still waiting for final planning permission and a building warrant, but hope that these will be approved shortly.

Our contractors, Synergie Scotland (click for link) and A H Wilson have drawn up plans and are standing by, itching to get to work on the demolition phase.

We still require around £200,000 to complete the funding package, but we are confident that, with the help of Friends of Fair Isle, other visitors and private funding sources, we can raise this during the coming year.

So do please keep on donating – no matter how small an amount, it all adds up!

Watch this space for further developments!

NEW OBSERVATORY APPEAL

April 30^th: Another good day to end a good month with two new birds being added to the year list including a Sanderling and a Jackdaw. Other notable species seen on this clear but breezy day were 6 Greylag Geese, 4 teal, 6 golden plover, 1 Whimbrel, a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, 3 Purple Sandpiper and 3 Dunlin. The Stock Dove remains in the vicinity of Pund and 5 Woodpigeon were seen around the Meadow. Also noted were 5 Swallow, 3 Tree pipits, 2 Yellow, 5 White and 2 Pied Wagtails, a couple of new Robins, 2 Redstarts, 4 Whinchats, 3 Chiffchaff, 7 Willow Warbler, 2 Brambling, 2 Siskin and a single Goldfinch.

April 29^th: The Pink-Footed Goose and Greenland White-Fronted Goose remain with just 13 Greylag Geese and 5 Teal are the only other notable wildfowl species. A Grey Heron and a female Merlin were seen on the wing in the south and waders comprised of 8 Golden Plover and a single Dunlin, Whimbrel and Common Sandpiper. Pigeons were represented by a Stock Dove, 3 Woodpigeon and a Collared Dove. A Short-Eared Owl was also encountered as were13 Swallows, a single Goldcrest, Robin and Reed Bunting, 3 Tree Pipits, 3 Yellow Wagtails, a Grey Wagtail, 5 Pied Wagtails and a single White Wagtail. Newly arrived chats included a male and female Redstart, and 2 stunning male Whinchats. Warblers comprised of 2 Grasshopper Warblers, 4 Blackcaps, 5 Chiffchaff and 6 Willow Warblers. Finches were rather thin on the ground with just a single Goldfinch, Brambling, Linnet and Mealy Redpoll feeding with 2 Siskin at Auld Haa.

April 28^th: Another good late April day with a Common Shelduck on Da Water with a group of 4 Teal, however there was no sign of their Neartic equivalent. The 1^st 2 Manx Shearwater of the year were reported by the crew of the Good Shepherd and the Marsh Harrier continues its stint with us, as does the male Sparrowhawk that was trapped in the Gully early in the morning. Waders included a flock of 16 Golden Plover on Setter, 2 Whimbrel and 2 cracking summer plumaged Dunlin in the south along with 3 Common Sandpipers. Skuas were very evident today with 112 Great Skuas around the island and 10 Arctic Skuas that were beginning to re-establish their territories. Continuing with that arctic theme was a fly over 1st summer Glaucous Gull and the 1^st Arctic Tern of the year. The 2 Collared Doves were again seen and the Woodpigeons on the island continue to fluctuate with a flock of 10 birds counted. The elusive Great-Spotted Woodpecker was again seen briefly by the island nurse this time on the mast, much to the disappointment of a certain seabird warden who I can assure now knows the precise locations of all the islands birdfeeders like the back of his hand. An obvious influx of migratory passerines was evident with 25 Swallows, 2 House martin, 3 Tree Pipits as well as a count of 139 Wheatears - the highest count so far this year. It is also the first time this year that 4 different Wagtails have been noted which included the 1^st of the years Yellow Wagtails (Ssp.flavissima) with 3 individuals in the south alongside 6 Pied, 4 Whites and a Grey Wagtail. Other migrants that arrived as part of this afternoon arrival included the 1^st Whinchat of the year, a