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

The first Yellow-browed Warbler of the autumn was seen on the 11th, with a Greenish Warbler and Great Snipe the other highlights of the past few days. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸 L Marriner

Yesterday bought our best day of the autumn yet, with plenty of new birds in all across the isle in very calm conditions. A range of common migrants showed well across the gardens, cliffs, and all sorts of other unusual places! Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸 L Marriner

It’s been a busier few days for birds, with today bringing the first Red-breasted Flycatcher of the autumn, a new Wryneck, two Little Stint and six passing Curlew Sandpiper. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸 T Wright

Highlights from the past few days have included a Wryneck, another Barred Warbler and an Icterine Warbler all trapped and ringed as well as a Pipistrelle sp. seen hawking over the Obs garden at dusk yesterday evening. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸 T Wright

The past few days have bought some welcome arrivals, including a couple of Barred Warblers, a scattering of Pied Flycatchers, two Wood Warblers and a Wood Sandpiper. Read more on our latest sightings www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸 A Penn

A shift in the winds in the past couple of days has bought the first Wood Warbler and Icterine Warbler of the autumn our way, and small numbers of Ruff are enjoying the cut silage fields. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸A Penn

A juvenile Red-necked Phalarope has spent the past couple of days doing laps of Da Water, and a Greenish Warbler was found on the cliffs at Wirvie yesterday. Read more of our recent sightings at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸 A Penn

Book your 2026 trip to Fair Isle Bird Observatory now. We have kept the prices the same as this year plus there are cheaper rates during spring and autumn “Migration Specials”. The single and twin rooms are all en-suite and prices include all meals. See www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/accommodation

Last nights Storm Petrel ringing session ended with a total catch of 263 Storm Petrels ringed and 18 retraps, including a Portuguese-ringed control. The highlight of the night, however, was a Leach’s Petrel, shown with a European Storm Petrel for comparison! 📸 A Penn

Census has now resumed for the autumn, with the last bits of seabird work being finished up for the year. Evidence of migration is starting to show, with a trickle of warblers and waders moving through. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸 T Wright

Recently we’ve been busy carrying out plenty of seabird work, monitoring lots of our breeding species. We’ve also had a couple of Orca sightings! Read more of what we’ve been up to lately over on www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸s - A Penn

Left my GoPro in with the Puffins while I went and did a Shorewatch yesterday and this was the result! Such curious little birds! @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social

Hulk and Nott paid us a visit on Fair Isle this morning, with a swim by the obs! Our second orca sighting in the past 9 days! @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social

Orca!!! When one of the pier workmen casually mentioned there was an orca in the harbour, none of us quite believed him at first, but sure enough there they were! They attracted quite a crowd as they made their way around Buness. My first orca and they did not disappoint!!

As usual, FIBO will be at the @globalbirdfair.bsky.social‬ at Rutland this weekend. Why not come along and hear about the new observatory building and some special offers. There are vacancies for this autumn and bookings for 2026 open for 'Friends of Fair Isle' on 1st August.

Friends of Fair Isle will be able to make accommodation bookings for 2026 from Friday 1st August 2025. General booking will open on 15th August. Prices will be published at that time. Discounted rates may also be available for certain periods in 2026.

Feature: At the edge of the cliffs, no-one says a word. Before us are literally dozens of puffins, fawning at our feet on the grass – the only noise their own mutterings and the sound of the waves below. @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social

You can now make a late autumn visit to the newly opened Obs with a special deal with prices from £99 per person per night (full-board, en suite accom) during the whole of Oct 2025. 25% discount for 7-13 nights 33% discount for 14+ nights See all our prices at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/prices

There was a great atmosphere last week when all the islanders, guests and staff were invited to toast the newly opened Obs. Douglas Barr, Roy Dennis and Eileen Thomson spoke of the importance of the Obs to the birding and island communities. We all raised a glass to the new Obs!

It’s been a mixed few days weather wise, and numbers of migrant birds remain low. However, we’ve had some excellent highlights the past few days, including Greenish Warbler, Eastern Subalpine Warbler and Great Reed Warbler. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸 T Wright

Two rather nice birds ringed at the obs yesterday afternoon! First, the Great Reed Warbler from the previous day went into the obs garden nets, closely followed by a Greenish Warbler caught in Gully. Both very cool birds to see up close, the Great Reed Warbler is huge! @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social

This Great Reed Warbler was found in the obs garden this afternoon, and though it has shown itself only a couple of times since, it’s given some very nice views out of the bar windows for several observers! A nice bird, and so much bigger than I thought they’d be! @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social

SCOPS OWL caught in the Gully Heligoland trap at around 21:00hrs last night! This is the Isle's third record, the last being 19 years ago in 2006. Keep up to date with all recent sightings here: www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸A Penn

Just as I thought today couldn’t get much better with Blyth’s Reed Warbler and Nightjar trapped and ringed, @alex-penn.bsky.social catches this absolute showstopper of a Scops Owl in Gully! What a bird!! @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social

Juveniles are starting to pop up all over the island, with the first fledged Starlings and Lapwings seen in the past couple of days. Some wild and windy weather made for some difficult birding, with many small birds hiding away out of the wind. www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸 A Penn

Fair Isle saw its third PALLAS'S REED BUNTING, yesterday - a spring male, no less - following two autumn birds, the last some 43 years ago! www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... Please note - no sightings so far today, although the bird can be slippery, and today's weather wild! 📸A Penn

Several of yesterday’s birds remained today, and an influx of Crossbill produced the highest count since 2009. The first Reed Warblers of the year were recorded and a stunning male Bluethroat was trapped and ringed. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸 T Wright

The past couple of days have bought in some good birds, and some very nice catches in the mist nets. I was very pleased to ring a lovely female Western Subalpine Warbler yesterday afternoon! Other highlights were a trio of Crossbill and my first bluethroat in the hand! @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social

Some gorgeous weather yesterday came hand in hand with some very birdy conditions, with an array of scarcities scattered across the isle. Thursday’s elusive Subalpine Warbler was also trapped and ringed, and deemed to be a Western. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸 C Hill

The 6th spring Fair Isle record of Little Gull was a census highlight this morning. The overall highlight, however, waited until the evening to make an appearance - a female Subalpine Warbler skulking at Shirva. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸 C Hill

Please note we have been advised that Airtask flights from Shetland to Fair Isle will continue to operate from Sumburgh (not Tingwall) until 9th June. See www.airtask.com/passenger-tr... or call 01595 840246 for more information

Had a bit of fun photographing these swallows out of the @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social bar windows this afternoon as they perched on the fence and the patio between bouts of swooping around and investigating the building! They looked a little grumpy in the wind and the rain.

This gorgeous male Rustic Bunting found at Upper Stoneybrake this afternoon brightened up what has been a rather quiet few days here at @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social It spent a lot of time zipping around the area but settled in a ditch long enough to give everyone present some nice views!

It’s been a quieter few days for birds, with a singing Quail heard at Pund and two Canada Geese that settled on Da Water today’s highlights. Dunlin have also been seen singing on higher ground recently, sparking hopes for a breeding attempt. www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸 L Marriner

#OnThisDay in 1977, Britain’s first White-crowned Sparrow turned up on Fair Isle. Caught by John Potter in the Double Dyke Heligoland trap, and taken back to the Observatory for examination, it was ringed and then released at Shirva, where it remained for a second day. 📸 R Broad

Today was another day of quality over quantity with the highlights a stunningly bright male Red-throated Pipit around Wirvie, and a Red-rumped Swallow briefly at Walli Burn in the evening. www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸 A Penn

This gorgeous Red-throated Pipit found by @alex-penn.bsky.social this morning showed very well this afternoon! After a failed attempt to relocate it late morning, it was a relief to stumble across it within a few minutes on attempt number two! @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social

A smart breeding-plumage Curlew Sandpiper which made a brief appearance on Da Water was today’s highlight, the first Fair Isle record since 2020. It was also a busy day for butterflies, with an influx of Red Admiral. www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸 T Wright

What better way to spend a sunny Tuesday afternoon than ringing these little bundles of joy?! You don’t get much cuter than a Lapwing chick! @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social

#BirdingScotland #ukbirding #ukwildlife #birds #shetland

It is now six years since a fire totally destroyed the Observatory and we are delighted to announce that the Observatory and Hotel is now open for guest bookings for 2025! Please read our website for prices and terms: www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/accommodatio... We look forward to welcoming you soon!

A bee-eater added a splash of colour to this afternoon at @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social, moving between fences in the south of the island and putting on a show for several observers! Seeing it occasionally hovering over the grass was also insanely cool to watch!

Today was an exciting day of quality over quantity, the highlight being a male Western Subalpine Warbler. Other notable birds included the first Buzzard recorded since 2020 and a mobile Turtle Dove. Read more on our latest sightings www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸 A Penn

Yesterday bought some good birds in, including two new birds for me, wood warbler and bluethroat, and a lovely female hawfinch I had the pleasure of ringing! @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social

A calm and much birdier day bought several new birds in, including a Wood Warbler caught at the obs, a female Hawfinch moving around the isle and trapped in plantation, and a male Bluethroat. Read more here: www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸 A Penn

Today’s highlight was Fair Isle’s 15th record of Mute Swan! The best of the rest included Grasshopper Warbler and Ring Ouzel, and the long-staying Short-toed Lark remained for its 23rd day. Read more on our sightings page www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸 A Penn

A little more movement through the isle today resulted in 4 year ticks, including wood sandpiper and swift. The highest count of whimbrel since 1999 was also recorded, as well as a high Woodpigeon count. Read more at www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sight... 📸 A Penn