David Parnaby

Still waiting for our first here in Fair Isle...

Grey Seals, North Haven, Fair Isle. 22.11.2025. In Shetland, selkies can come ashore at night and remove their seal skins to reveal a human form underneath. You can control a selkie by stealing the skin, which prevents them from getting back in the water, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Plenty of selkies in the North Haven yesterday, including these two having fun in the shallows.

I've tried (thought I was in with a chance with a skulky juv a couple autumns ago)! But I'll keep checking...

This is one of the 'herd' of up to five regularly feeding on short grass at Barkland. I wonder what the total wintering population in the Isle is?

Young me would be amazed that I'd have 4+ Water Rails feeding in my garden one day (and so might not have spent as many hours in hides hoping for a glimpse of one!). With most gardens also holding 1-5, could Fair Isle be one of the easiest places in the UK to see double figures of them in a day?

Same in our garden if that helps Andy?!

I didn't get one I'm afraid. I think I've seen Tommy post one on Facebook from when it was trapped.

It feels immensely rare this morning and, with four Goldcrest in the garden so far, I'm hoping for something even stripier by the end of the day...

I really try not to rely on Sunderland for my enjoyment of a weekend! Mind, I've been saying that for nearly 40 years...

I was very pleased to add Black-faced Bunting to my croft, Fair Isle, British, world and self-found lists yesterday and just as pleased when it was relocated at Barkland. I didn't manage any photos of the bird, but here's the twitch! #pwc2025

He was roosting in exactly the same spot last night!

I was checking the honeysuckle for moths and accidentally woke up this roosting male Blackcap. He didn't fly off though, so he'll hopefully still get a good night's sleep.

Many thanks, that's what Nick Riddiford thought as well. First and last dates for A.straminella for Fair Isle were 28th May - 18th August, apart from an outlier on 6th September 2021.

I'll hopefully get better (out the pot) photos later, but I was thinking this was Agriphila straminella. That would make it a very late record for Fair Isle though, so is there anything else I should be looking out for?
@mothiduk.bsky.social

Feels like a fun morning in Fair Isle; 3 Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap, Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler, Whinchat, 2 Siskin and Lesser Redpoll so far without really trying. Surely more to come! #BirdingScotland

With a bright moon, I'm not holding out much hope for the trap, but there's obviously migrants out there: 28 Dark Sword-grass, 4 Silver Y and Setaceous Hebrew Character on the sugar and flowers in our garden tonight (Fair Isle, VC112). #Teammoth

It's very variable depending on the weather (and light levels in mid-summer tend to make it not worthwhile), but we've had good conditions for a lot of this year. Sugaring has proven quite effective the last couple of years, and I spend more time than I should wandering round the flowers at night!

Turnip Moth on sugar last night. A rare migrant to Shetland, with records in only five previous years in Fair Isle. Hopefully calm enough to try the trap tonight... #TeamMoth

The recent run of easterlies has been a wee bit underwhelming for migrant birds, so I was delighted to find this Wryneck in the driftwood stick outside the kitchen window this evening. #BirdingScotland

Dewick's Plusia feeding on the hebe last night is a first for Fair Isle and there were still at least three Convolvulus Hawkmoths on the honeysuckle. It's been a remarkable week of moths! #Teammoth

Fabulous mothing in the garden last night. Rarest were these two Scarce Bordered Straws. Most impressive were the 5 Convolvulus Hawkmoth feeding on the honeysuckle. 20 Dark Sword-grass feeding in the garden. Fair Isle rarities included Frosted Orange, Lime-speck and Double-striped Pug. #teammoth

A busy night for moths on the honeysuckle, hebe and sedum in our garden last night. Highlight was this Bordered Straw (2nd Fair Isle record), with other migrants including 2 Convolvulus Hawkmoth, 6 Dark Sword-grass and 3 Setaceous Hebrew Characters. #teammoth

Convolvulus Hawkmoth, Dark Sword-grass and 2 Silver Y feeding on honeysuckle and hebe in the garden last night. The trap was relatively quiet (47/5), but this Lunar Underwing is the first Fair Isle (and fourth Shetland) record. #TeamMoth

A very calm morning with the SE breeze forecast to start kicking in this afternoon. Predicting Citrine Wagtail and Arctic Warbler wouldn't feel like a huge gamble...

Ahead of the forthcoming south-easterlies, the net ride has been trimmed, viewing to the ponds has been opened up and the rosa and lawn have been strategically cut to allow better viewing. And now we wait...

Convolvulus Hawk-moth

Convolvulus Hawk-moth

Peacock

Convolvulus Hawk-moth on the honeysuckle in the garden tonight at Shirva, Fair Isle. A few butterflies around today including Peacock, which I've decided is possibly my favourite thing in the natural world.
#TeamMoth

Brilliant thanks. Two firsts for Fair Isle in consecutive days in the trap!

And I think it was running as well, so it's a different shape! Sorry, I really should have at least mentioned that in the ALT text!

Thanks. Both the same moth, but the second photo is it in a pot.

This micro on the outside of the trap wasn't one I recognised. Obsidentify suggests Bactra furfurana, which seems a good fit, but the only Bactra currently on the Fair Isle list is lancealana. Any thoughts on the ID please? #TeamMoth