Steve Arlow Birding: October 2020

Thursday, 29 October 2020

Fair Isle - Autumn 2020

Fair Isle Autumn 2020

So with numerous trips being cancelled due companies going bust (The Gambia/Thomas Cook) and international travel restrictions due to Covid-19 putting paid to other trips (Israel/March and Texas/April as well as Fair Isle/May) I was really needing a trip somewhere as work stress levels were through the roof and depression was creeping in again. An already booked trip to Fair Isle in August seemed initially in doubt as local anti-Covid measures were in place but I was able to re-arrange this to Auld Haa and I was able to spend 10days on the island. This was the first time I had been here in August and despite no big arrival migrants I really enjoyed the trip and it was a small relief from the stresses at work. This was a precursor to the September and October visit where I would spend 5 weeks on the magic isle. Fortunately restrictions did not prevent me from arriving and from 21^st September through to virtually the end of October I would spend my time as virtually the only visiting birder to the island.

August was enjoyable as I had no expectations of the trip as I really just needed a get away however for the September and October visit my expectation, or at east my anticipation, was high. I really needed it to be a good trip so I would return to work to face that stress again refreshed but despite starting well with a good bird every day or so, as well as then receiving perfect easterlies, the rarities just fizzled and the 'big' rares just kept turning up everywhere else. I'm not against other locations getting good birds but lets join in on the fun and games though some people will look at the following and think we did and perhaps to a degree we did have some successes but given its Fair Isle it really should have been something a little more.

On paper it should have been sensational, easterlies, few birders present so finding something exponentially increased, but we just couldn't find 'it', the one that would make everyone go 'wow' and there was really no explonation as to why we just didn’t get it, esepcially whenislands to the north and south of us were hitting the mega band wagon. The wardening team and myself put in every bit of effort as you would expect so it wasn't for the want of trying.

Obviously it wasn't a birding desert and there were some excellent birds and birding to be had and I had to settle for a Good trip instead of the hoped for 'Sensational' trip. Setting ones exptections and sights to high can lead to personal disappointment so I will temper my future visits and not let myself get carried away with what I want it to be and content myself on what it actually does produce.

I did find a few decent ‘scarcities’ (some only recently demoted from being rarities) and a couple of actual rarities, even though the best of the best went to the wardening team which is par for the course given they are out on census each day.

Of my personal finds the best were (from both trips) Siberian Stonechat (confirmed by DNA thus only the second confirmed for Fair Isle), Red-throated Pipit, Dusky Warbler, Citrine Wagtail, Rose-coloured Starling, Short-toed Lark, Arctic Warbler, a couple of Bluethroats and several Barred Warblers. Additions to my Fair Isle list were Western Bonelli’s Warbler and Thrush Nightingale in August and White-tailed Eagle, Great Tit, Pale-bellied Brent Goose and Little Auk in October though I did missed Spotted Crake and Booted Warbler.

Sadly I missed the rarest bird of the autumn, the Brown Shrike, which was up at South Naaversgill which disappeared shortly after it had been found and was not seen despite my extensive searching so I am thankful I saw last years Meadow Burn bird.

Additional rarities seen from the two trips were two stunning White’s Thrushes, two equally stunning Hornemann’s Arctic Redpolls, a Rustic Bunting, a Red-flanked Bluetail, a handful of Red-breasted Flycatchers, another Red-throated Pipit, Olive-backed Pipit , numerous Little Buntings, a further Rose-coloured Starling, more Barred Warblers, Common Rosefinch’s and Yellow-browed Warblers.

Not quite the PGTips, Lanceolated Warblers, Tennessee Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Eye-browed Thrushes that turned across our neighbours islands but still very good none the less.

I departed Fair Isle a few days early to ensure I could actually get off due to poor weather and I lingered on Shetland for a couple of days with the intention of trying for the Snowy Owl. I did see the lingering Blackpoll the day I arrived back on Shetland, though it did take me a while to find, but I dipped the Snowy Owl despite searching extensively the Ronas Hill area of North Mainland.

So overall it was both exciting and frustrating in equal measures and of course I will continue to visit. Whilst I have considered splitting my time between here and Scilly for the next couple of years I still have that urge to maximise my efforts on this isle so if next year, 2021, I am fortunate enough to be able to return for 5 weeks then 5 weeks here will be more than welcome, Fair Isle still has a lot to offer.

Select photos of the highlights from the AUGUST trip

Western Bonelli’s Warbler: Midway