Avoid disappointment - order now - this special offer price will only be available for a limited period and the print run is not large. Publication is due in March. #BirdingScotland #rarebirdsUK #ukbirding #ornithology #birding
21.02.2026 08:42 — 👍 16 🔁 6 💬 1 📌 0
Fair Isle Bird Observatory is pleased to announce that 'The Birds of Fair Isle' is now available to pre-order. This richly illustrated two-volume avifauna celebrates 75 years of FIBO survey work.
The set is offered for a limited time at £70 plus postage. For details: www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/bofi
It’s beginning to feel that the end is in sight. The proofs of the new 'Birds of Fair Isle' book are now being checked by the team of authors. That’s more than 400,000 words on 938 pages!
Details on how to order will be announced in the New Year.
www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/bofi
#BirdingScotland
Christmas can be an expensive time of year, so how about something for free?
The @scottishbirding.bsky.social and Scottish Birds Records Committee are hosting a FREE online conference over the evenings of February 24th to the 26th. Three talks per night and some real belters among them.
The new FIBO library has arrived at the Obs. With a huge effort from John & Marian Ginnever and the generosity of many donors, 80 boxes of books now replace and expand the library lost in the 2019 fire. Huge thanks go to DHL, Streamline and the crew of the Good Shepherd for their generosity and help
24.11.2025 08:40 — 👍 42 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 0
Scops Owl, Fair Isle, June 2025. © Alex Penn
Black-faced Bunting, Fair Isle, October 2025. © Alex Penn
Oriental Turtle Dove , Fair Isle, October 2025. © Kevin Kelly
Music night at the Obs. © Alex Penn
Still wondering whether to visit the new Fair Isle Bird Obs in 2026? We are open for bookings 20th May to 31st October. Although there is only limited availability in May-July, we still have plenty of space from early August until the end of October. Our website includes information on how to book.
12.11.2025 15:33 — 👍 34 🔁 8 💬 0 📌 0
Highlights of the last few days of the season were Little Bunting, Firecrest, Barred Warbler and Long-eared Owl, but the best of the week waited until a day after the last census of the year, a Black-faced Bunting at Shirva!
Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight...
📸 A Penn
Yesterday we trapped a Norwegian ringed Goldfinch, which was originally ringed on 6th August this year at Jomfruland Fuglestajion by a young girl, pictured with the bird. The map shows Fair Isle in blue & Jomfruland in red, a movement of over 600km!
📸 Alex Penn & Ola Nordsteien
A wild couple of days limited birding ability, but bought with it Little Auk and Waxwing. Some more pleasant weather yesterday resulted in a clear-out of birds but also presented an opportunity for catching some Jack Snipe. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight...
📸 L Marriner
A classic day in Fair Isle today. With superb numbers of Woodcock and Blackcap especially, amongst a good spread of thrushes. A personal highlight was finding this Isabelline wheatear with @birds-and-me.bsky.social. Just a second for Fair Isle.
21.10.2025 20:40 — 👍 53 🔁 2 💬 2 📌 1
Isabelline Wheatear
Oriental Turtle dove (Meena)
Richard’s pipit- an interesting bird, with some odd vocalisations and seemingly smaller size than typical, and frustratingly brief flight views through most of the day- persistence paid off in the end.
Goldcrest- great numbers of these fantastic birds littered the cliff tops and stone dykes.
Another great trip to Fair Isle has come to an end. But some nice highlights, and some impressive day counts of Blackcap and Woodcock in particular. A Northern flavour to the final day- with Northern Bullfinches arriving.
24.10.2025 19:38 — 👍 49 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
On a wet and windy day like today, the floor to ceiling windows around the bar make the observatory the perfect hide for watching birds in the garden while staying warm and dry. It doesn’t get much better for garden birds than this one, a Waxwing spending the afternoon enjoying an apple feast!
24.10.2025 13:35 — 👍 73 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 1
Things have really picked up the past few days, with thrushes, Blackcap and Goldcrest everywhere and highlights in the form of Pallas’s Warbler, Isabelline Wheatear and Paddyfield Warbler, as well as a few Northern Bullfinch today. Read more here www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight...
📸 A Penn
Boom 💥 lightening strikes twice @kevinshetland.bsky.social and I have just found Isabelline Wheatear on Fair Isle. @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social #UKBirding
21.10.2025 13:00 — 👍 92 🔁 3 💬 4 📌 0
Recently, Ranger Carla wrote a blog about the new Observatory building and what it means to the staff and the island. You can read that blog and see some of the stunning photos taken by the @promoteshetland.bsky.social team here: www.shetland.org/blog/fair-is...
20.10.2025 09:36 — 👍 18 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 0
After a quiet few days, yesterday’s winds bought in a few new birds including a Bluethroat trapped at Double Dyke, a Turtle Dove, the first Long-eared Owl and Goldeneye of the autumn and the first Greenfinch of the year. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight...
📸 T Wright
An elusive and mobile Richard’s Pipit and a lingering Black-throated Diver have been the recent highlights, along with a Purple Sandpiper ringed in Svalbard earlier this autumn. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight...
📸 T Wright
Minke Whale in the appropriately named Finnequoy
Mealy Redpoll at the Observatory
An example of the extraordinary food we were treated to
Standing room only for Logan’s talk on Mongolia
It was a tough few days weather-wise on Fair Isle but we still had a fantastic time at @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social thanks to the wonderful staff, with Minke Whale from the bedroom window and Mealy Redpoll in the obs garden #birdingscotland
13.10.2025 08:29 — 👍 18 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
Had some insane minke whale views this morning, with them coming very close in to where I was sat! The day then got even better when I also got to see my first white-beaked dolphins, which, though distant, put on a show breaching repeatedly!
12.10.2025 18:05 — 👍 19 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
A longer blog post about a week on Fair Isle with @sheldonbirds.bsky.social: www.outofthebluesky.co/2025/10/11/a...
Many thanks to all at @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social, a fantastic place with incredible food! Honourable mentions for @lukemarriner1.bsky.social and @philwoollen.bsky.social
#ukbirding
Continuing unsettled weather has kept things on the quieter side, though multiple close in Minke Whales have kept everyone entertained between bouts of rain. Avian highlights include Black-throated Diver, Grey Phalarope and Slavonian Grebe www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight...
📸 T Wright
Great to have stayed at @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social for a week after watching the rebuild over the last 5 years. A fabulous place & a great team. We’ve already booked again next year. Now to lose the weight United on despite walking 23k steps/ day. The food was terrific.
09.10.2025 13:34 — 👍 27 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
A male Siberian Thrush emerges from cover at Asta Loch, Shetland, Oct 2025
Red-breasted Flycatcher peeping out from cover in South Raeva Geo on Fair Isle, Sept 2025
A migrant Common Redstart finding shelter in the derelict buildings near the summit of Ward Hill on Fair Isle
Landscape looking south along the West Side of Fair Isle
Leaving Shetland after 8 super days birding Fair Isle & Shetland with @tombedford.bsky.social. A superb mix of rarities, scarcities, common migrants, seabirds & spectacular scenery based at the brilliant @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social - thanks to all. eBird trip report ⬇️
ebird.org/tripreport/4...
Storm Amy has bought with it some waterfowl movement, with flocks of geese and Whooper Swans around the isle, along with the fifth island record of Little Egret. Other highlights include Olive-backed Pipit and the 12th record of Firecrest: www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight...
📸 A Penn
Two Richard’s Pipits added some interest to an otherwise fairly quiet few days with few new birds in. Yellow-browed Warbler continue to be present in small numbers with a few other scattered scarcities. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight...
📸 S Arlow
Yesterday’s Glossy Ibis was only the fifth Fair Isle record! The Yellow-browed Warbler influx continues, with seven seen yesterday, and thrushes have begun to move through in bigger numbers. Read more on our latest sightings www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight...
📸 L Marriner
Approaching Fair Isle from the North by plane - North Light on cliff top
Sumburgh Lighthouse and Sumburgh Head
First winter Barred Warbler at Fair Isle Bird Observatory
Common Rosefinch perched on wire
Arrived @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social for week's birding with @tombedford.bsky.social yesterday eve. Smooth journey with spectacular views from plane of Sumburgh Head & Fair Isle looming out of the south. Short pre-dinner birding produced Barred Warbler, Common Rosefinch & Lapland Bunting - not bad!
25.09.2025 05:26 — 👍 64 🔁 2 💬 2 📌 0
Recent days have bought an arrival of Yellow-browed Warbler, along with a mobile Bluethroat, the second Great Spotted Woodpecker of the autumn and the third Turtle Dove of the year. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight...
📸 L Marriner
The past few days have bought our fourth Brown Shrike in 3 years, as well as the first Snow Bunting and Whooper Swan of the autumn. Catch up with what else has been seen on our latest sightings blog www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight...
📸 L Marriner
The flow of migratory birds has continued with several Sparrowhawk and Redstart moving through, along with our first Great Spotted Woodpecker of the year and a Glaucous Gull seen off Buness. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight...
📸 L Marriner
