Carla Hill
@carlahill.bsky.social
@fairislebirdobs.bsky.social Ranger 2025.
Birder, trainee bird ringer and marine life lover with a passion for environmental education. Uni of Exeter grad.
Birder, trainee bird ringer and marine life lover with a passion for environmental education. Uni of Exeter grad.
This afternoons Black-faced Bunting certainly gave people the runaround, but eventually settled for long enough at Barkland to give everyone present some nice views in some pretty miserable weather! @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social
November 1, 2025 at 8:39 PM
This afternoons Black-faced Bunting certainly gave people the runaround, but eventually settled for long enough at Barkland to give everyone present some nice views in some pretty miserable weather! @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social
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!
October 12, 2025 at 6:05 PM
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!
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
July 25, 2025 at 3:41 PM
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
Little Tystie takes on a big Butterfish!! Didn’t get to see if it won the battle as we were on our way to take a look on board the Flying Dutchman, a rather impressive tall ship that had just arrived in the harbour!
July 21, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Little Tystie takes on a big Butterfish!! Didn’t get to see if it won the battle as we were on our way to take a look on board the Flying Dutchman, a rather impressive tall ship that had just arrived in the harbour!
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
July 19, 2025 at 5:24 PM
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!!
July 10, 2025 at 9:40 PM
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!!
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
June 14, 2025 at 11:53 AM
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
June 12, 2025 at 7:04 PM
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
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
June 8, 2025 at 10:17 PM
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
I was very pleased to get to ring this gorgeous male Bluethroat the other day!! I didn’t know what I’d been handed until I pulled him out the bag, as you can probably imagine the resulting smile when I realised what I had was pretty big! What a stunner, I can’t get over how blue that throat is!
June 3, 2025 at 8:35 AM
I was very pleased to get to ring this gorgeous male Bluethroat the other day!! I didn’t know what I’d been handed until I pulled him out the bag, as you can probably imagine the resulting smile when I realised what I had was pretty big! What a stunner, I can’t get over how blue that throat is!
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
May 31, 2025 at 8:27 AM
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
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.
May 27, 2025 at 4:47 PM
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!
May 22, 2025 at 6:33 PM
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!
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
May 14, 2025 at 3:37 PM
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
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
May 13, 2025 at 7:15 PM
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
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!
May 11, 2025 at 6:48 PM
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!
Some pretty perfect timing after rockpooling with the school kids yesterday afternoon meant I was able to have a look at this little beauty before it was released back into the Birkle garden. Western Subalpine Warbler, what a stunning little bird! @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social
May 9, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Some pretty perfect timing after rockpooling with the school kids yesterday afternoon meant I was able to have a look at this little beauty before it was released back into the Birkle garden. Western Subalpine Warbler, what a stunning little bird! @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social
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
May 7, 2025 at 7:41 AM
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
Nice to finally get a piece of the eastern subalpine warbler action at @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social with this stunning male found at Schoolton today!
April 23, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Nice to finally get a piece of the eastern subalpine warbler action at @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social with this stunning male found at Schoolton today!
Thoroughly enjoyed seeing my first white-tailed eagle earlier today! Arriving at the south of the island moments too late as it disappeared out to sea I wasn’t optimistic, but luckily it decided to return and do some laps of the island giving me some excellent views as it passed close by!
April 17, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Thoroughly enjoyed seeing my first white-tailed eagle earlier today! Arriving at the south of the island moments too late as it disappeared out to sea I wasn’t optimistic, but luckily it decided to return and do some laps of the island giving me some excellent views as it passed close by!
Nothing says spring like a lamb in some daffodils!
April 12, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Nothing says spring like a lamb in some daffodils!
Had this flick out in front of me while on census this morning and immediately had the feeling it was something out of the ordinary. Some panicked shots that I quickly sent to @alex-penn.bsky.social confirmed my suspicions that it was something different, a short-toed lark!
April 10, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Had this flick out in front of me while on census this morning and immediately had the feeling it was something out of the ordinary. Some panicked shots that I quickly sent to @alex-penn.bsky.social confirmed my suspicions that it was something different, a short-toed lark!
It’s been great to see the puffins back on the cliffs this past week, especially since it’s my first time seeing them so close up! I’ve also loved seeing so many people heading up to Buness to enjoy them, islanders and workmen alike. It’s hard not to love them! @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social
April 9, 2025 at 9:20 AM
It’s been great to see the puffins back on the cliffs this past week, especially since it’s my first time seeing them so close up! I’ve also loved seeing so many people heading up to Buness to enjoy them, islanders and workmen alike. It’s hard not to love them! @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social
Tricky to summarise my first 10 days on Fair Isle in just 4 photos, but it’s been an amazing start to the season! We’ve been lucky to have some gorgeous weather too so I’ve really been introduced to the island at its best! It’s such a stunning place, excited to see what the rest of the year brings!
April 6, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Tricky to summarise my first 10 days on Fair Isle in just 4 photos, but it’s been an amazing start to the season! We’ve been lucky to have some gorgeous weather too so I’ve really been introduced to the island at its best! It’s such a stunning place, excited to see what the rest of the year brings!
Grey seals at Winterton-on-Sea last week! Still quite a lot around for how late in the season it is, including many up in the dunes! Also saw one of the last 8 suckling pups (the whitecoat pictured looking very mischievous!) who was fun to watch as it did the best it could to annoy its mother 🦭
January 18, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Grey seals at Winterton-on-Sea last week! Still quite a lot around for how late in the season it is, including many up in the dunes! Also saw one of the last 8 suckling pups (the whitecoat pictured looking very mischievous!) who was fun to watch as it did the best it could to annoy its mother 🦭