Please read Understanding catalogue records for help interpreting this information and Using footage for more information about accessing this film.

Title: FAIR ISLE, the

Reference number: 1618

Date: 1951c

Director: [filmed by Theo Kay]

Sound: silent

Original format: 16mm

Colour: col

Fiction: non-fiction

Running time: 18.26 mins

Description: Detailed amateur record of the work of the Fair Isle Bird Observatory. Beginning with the arrival of Fair Isle's mail boat the "Good Shepherd", it goes on to show work at the laboratory, methods of bird trapping and ringing, including catching fulmars in a Faroese 'Fleyg' net. Various types of birds are seen in the film, including the Great Skua.

See also ref. 1615

Shotlist: [shotlisted from VHS, manual control track]

Credits, overlaid on c/u Fair Isle Bird Observatory Bulletin, Fair Isle Log; The Island Mail Boat The "Good Shepherd", Fair Isle's mail boat arrives at the island (0.40) The Bird Observatory gvs observatory, includes ints rooms and washbasin (1.22) Visitors arrive at the hostel gvs as they arrive by boat, walk up to hostel (2.16) Cliffs and Stacks Haunts of Seals and Sea-birds gvs birds, including puffin (2.53) Weighing a Tystie Chick gvs same (3.59) Kittiwakes gathering nesting material gvs same (4.27) Bird trapping and ringing c/u bound volumes 'Fair Isle Bird Observatory Ringing Records', shot of netted 'cages' outdoors where they birds are ringed (?) (4.55) Driving the gully trap gvs same, and shot of family cycling along a road (6.50) Laboratory examination, weighing, measuring and search for parasites ints laboratory (9.13) Other traps and catching methods including cages outdoors, elaborate tunnels that the birds fly into, c/u various handling methods (10.40) Release of a greenshank gvs same (11.03) Catching fulmars in a Faroese 'Fleyg' gvs same (using long stick with a net on the end, like a huge lacrosse stick) (11.46) The Yeoman Net, an effective means of trapping rarities gvs same, and c/u comparison of results with refernec books and drawings of birds in to aid identification (12.13) The Daily Weather Charts show how weather affects migration c/u charts (12.29) The Lighthouse Lanterns guide night-flying migrants to the Isle shot of lighthouse by day and night (12.55) Museum Study specimens help to distinguish geographical races of birds c/u stuffed birds (13.22) The Tintometer measures colour differences in bird plumage gvs same (13.56) Bird 'Casualties' are prepared as museum specimens gvs as bird is prepared (14.41) The Arctic Skua Colony A Special Long-term study c/u bound volume 'Fair Isle Bird Observatory Detailed notes on Skuas' (14.59) Each family has its colour-ring combination c/u map of geographical areas the birds are ringed; a baby bird is ringed (16.01) Extreme colour-phases in adults and young inspection of birds (17.12) The Great Skua or Bonxie gvs birds (20.12) [no ecs]

[Please note actual running speed is 18fps. Overall running time at 18fps is c. 24.34 mins]