Fair Isle Bird Observatory
@FI_Obs
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One of Britain's premier bird observatories on the UK's most remote inhabited island - reopening in 2025! Follow for migration, marine life & more
Fair Isle, Shetland
Joined April 2011
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: https://t.co/D557rDWSme We look forward to welcoming you soon!
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The new FIBO library has arrived. With a huge effort from John & Marian Ginnever & generosity of many donors, 80 boxes of books now replace & expand the library lost in the 2019 fire. Huge thanks go to DHL, Streamline & the crew of the Good Shepherd for their generosity and help
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After a fire in 2019, the newly reopened Bird Observatory on the remote Fair Isle in Shetland is an excellent facility to stay and learn about the amazing birdlife on the island. ▶️ https://t.co/rPqXviozO4
#shetland #findyourshetland #fairisle
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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. Details on our website.
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Black-Faced Bunting showed much better today after it was found in the rain and darkness of yesterday by @DavidParnaby2 nice to get in on the action after a few records nationally this year. A nice Mega to finish the @FI_Obs season off!
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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 https://t.co/2m3gIzPipr 📸 A Penn
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Amazing to see this gorgeous Long-eared Owl nestled on the south coast cliffs @FI_Obs. It's precarious choice to rest shown in the second image with crashing waves behind it!
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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
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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 https://t.co/2m3gIzPQeZ 📸 L Marriner
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On a wet and windy day like today, the floor to ceiling windows around the bar make the obs the perfect hide for watching birds while staying warm and dry. It doesn’t get much better for garden birds than this one, a Waxwing that’s spending the afternoon enjoying an apple feast!
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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 https://t.co/2m3gIzPipr 📸 A Penn
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Woodcock everywhere @FI_Obs, with a grand total of 85 birds counted across the isle. Many birds were sheltering in the geos along the west coast allowing for amazing views of this cryptic species.
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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 team here:
shetland.org
Fair Isle Bird Observatory was established in 1948, and since then there have been five iterations of the Observatory building. The latest was lost to a fire in March 2019, and after six years and a...
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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 https://t.co/2m3gIzPQeZ 📸 T Wright
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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 https://t.co/2m3gIzPipr 📸 T Wright
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A lovely showy Black-throated Diver spent the afternoon fishing in The Havens. A surprisingly rare bird @FI_Obs, with todays bird being just the 8th isle record.
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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!
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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 https://t.co/2m3gIzPQeZ 📸 T Wright
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Sadly declining over much of their range in the UK @FI_Obs still has a good breeding population of these charismatic little finches. A rare bird in Cheshire I saw my 1st one winter in the 70s whilst a young birder at Alton Water, Suffolk
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A few Brambling were feeding in crop fields @FI_Obs last week before continuing their migration south.
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