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!
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21st June
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, the second for Fair Isle. |
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10th June 3 Peregrine chicks in old Raven nest on west cliffs |
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9th June A cracking male Red-breasted
Flycatcher.
Photographs by Deryk Shaw |
June 2nd:
A male Red-backed Shrike and a female
Bluethroat
plus a lingering Marsh Warbler is
all there was to report.
June 1st:
A quiet start to the month with a
Red-backed Shrike and a
Marsh Warbler all there was of
note.
