About the author – Jonathan M Drew jmdrew@btinternet.com

My progression of interest in birds was a gradual one. I went from toilet-roll tube in primary school, to little better than toilet-roll tube, until I reached my mid twenties, when the optical equipment improved and the driving instructor said ‘well I’m pleased to tell you …’. From then on my hobby accelerated into twitching, and then, when I got bored of that, into finding rarities for myself.

My birding has taken me all over the British Isles, and like many others that have been afflicted with the twitching bug at one time or another, I now tend to associate places with what I saw there and when (much to the amusement of my wife).

After a stint for the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Martin Mere doing reserve management work, and WWT Caerlaverock doing research, I moved to the Shetland Isles.

Here my self-found list increased dramatically. It gave my experience of birding a whole new perspective. I was in birding heaven.

It was whilst in Shetland that together with my brother, Tim, we started visiting the Outer Skerries and then Foula, with the aim of finding rare birds.

We started going to the Skerries, practically every weekend throughout the autumn months of 1992 and 1993, and found at least a rare bird on each visit – on more than one occasion 4 or 5 rarities. For those that think the Shetland Isles are well watched – with only one exception, we were the only birders visiting the island.

Skerries has been well watched from time to time, and had already proved itself as a site to visit. It was now also, becoming favoured by one or two others. So we turned our full attention to Foula – an island barely watched, if at all, in the autumn. This was the start of what is now a 15 years love affair with the island and its birds.