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2009 -
APRIL SIGHTINGS
IT'S ALL SYSTEMS GO – WELL ALMOST!
New Observatory Appeal – early
April Update
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
Tiny Fair Isle has added 27
species to the British bird List and boasts an enviable 373 species in total
- including no less than FIVE new to the isle in 2008. How many of them have
you seen? Help ensure that we are able to add more in the future -
please
donate to our appeal!
April 30th:
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 29th:
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 28th:
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 1st
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 1st
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 1st
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 1st
Whinchat
of the year, a |