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On March 10, 2019, the Fair Isle Bird Observatory was lost in a fire. Sadly, the building was a total loss, including invaluable original artwork, diaries, and the private library. Fortunately, no one was hurt and over 70 years of bird census data is preserved, thanks to digitization.
Nevertheless, despite the fire and then the pandemic that came the next year, I decided to finish this story, and plans to rebuild the Observatory are underway. While they cannot take bookings for 2020, the Observatory appreciates any donations toward their efforts to rebuild and return to their ornithological work.
You can learn more about this amazing endeavor at http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/.
The after-caa party is entirely my invention and bears no resemblance to the actual caa, or people living or dead on Fair Isle. But I would be there if I could.