Special Days - 1. Siberian Accentor on Fair Isle,

Fair Isle

To have a bit of a change from the Butterfly Farm, let's have a look at some of the very special days from The Biking Birder adventures.

Starting with possibly my favourite day from last year. 

A long-eared owl is sitting beside a dry stone wall between The Plantation and Setter. I am sitting watching the super bird. A birder, Shaun, comes to sit with me to admire the bird when my phone starts to receive texts in quick succession:-

First text . . . from Howard Vaughan (10.57)

go go go go >>>> ??????

Second text from Steve Nuttall (10.57)

Hope you enjoy your Sibe accentor as much as me. The pain of missing the Shetland bird will make you appreciate it that much more

Me to Shaun “ I think there's a Siberian accentor on the island!”

third text . . . . from Trevor Girling (10.59)

Sibe acc toila geo fair isle. Go get it.

Run!!!!!

Fourth text . . . from Gareth Hughes (11.12)

I hope you are still on Fair Isle Mr!

Fifth text . . . . from Penny Clarke (11.15)

Get that Siberian Accentor!!!! Just come on RBA for Fair Isle at Troila Geo!!! Best wishes, Penny

Sixth text . . . . Phil 'The Oracle' Andrews

Sib acc????

The agony of a run and a climb saw me and Shaun arrive at the top of Troila with just Cairan there searching for the special one. 

Lee Gregory. The finder, has gone over towards Tynesdie Geo with Deryk Shaw. The bird had flown at of Troila before our arrival and was being searched for.

Lying down to scan down the geo, I see a small accentor shuffling around half way down the deep valley. Cairan shouts that he can see the bird and I take the World's worst photograph of the bird I can see and show the photograph to him.

“That's it!”

Indeed it was.

More people arrive. More people get onto the bird.

Lee and Deryk return and the Siberian Accentor begins to come closer and closer.

A Who's Who of present day Fair Isle birders assemble along the geo edge.

The happiest couple though are Lee Gregory and Cath Mendez.

The bird eventually comes up to the birders' perch. It even sits on a tripod!

The rarest bird for my list in 2016 is secure and I leave to search the island. Back to reality . . .

Text from . . . . . . . Chris Craig (12.56)

I had everything crossed when I saw the message!!!