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Cliff Swallow at Kilbrittain, County Cork, Ireland
Found by Tom Perrins and Julian Allen!
I never thought for a minute, that I would be seeing a second Yellow Warbler today – my first one was only a month ago on Foula!!! I didn't get there until early afternoon, I won't even mention this morning. The Yellow Warbler was covering a fairly big area and took a while to see – my first view was high up in a sycamore in the rain. Another vivid Yellow Warbler!!!
I had a few more fleeting views of the Yellow Warbler from the seaward side of Bayview House Garden with others and then it seemed to vanish. So lovely to meet Bethan, a young lass who's name I only remember because she has posted some brilliantly composed bird photos on Twitter – always with lots of habitat around the bird, which is quite unusual to see. Bethan had been on Unst when the news broke, so she had only just arrived and not seen the Yellow Warbler at all. The rain became heavier and heavier. Most people eventually left. At one point there was just one other birder and myself.
Suddenly Bethan and another birder joined us and we were aghast to hear that the man in the house just near the path, had just watched the Yellow Warbler on his windowsill whilst he was boiling a kettle and then saw it fly towards us! This gave us all the kick we needed to persevere and stay longer in what was now atrocious weather. We all walked round to where the Yellow Warbler was seen and kept our eyes peeled. The man who had seen the YW, came out of his house with a flask and cups and gave us a cup of tea – how wonderfully kind he was to do that, a lovely man, thank you so much! The other birder I had been standing with a bit earlier suddenly spotted the Yellow Warbler in the top of a fuscia bush in the garden nearest to Bayview! I couldn't see it until it flew up to a scycamore above though! I was just about to put the news out, but Marcus Nash, who's ferry home was cancelled yesterday, luckily for him 👍 must have been standing on the road, as he had put the news out a couple of minutes ago. Birders returned to watch this stunning bird, some watching it for the first time today. The Yellow Warbler then seemed to have flown off somewhere else.
Bethan, myself and a couple of others returned to where we had been standing earlier at the seaward side of the Bayview garden. Arriving birders joined us. We watched it fleetingly in the top of a sycamore. All of a sudden, I spotted it coming out of a pine tree, very close to us all – so close, I hardly dare move. I knew Bethan was standing immediately to my right, so I said "don't move Bethan" its coming out right in front of us". It had flown into the closest shrub to us and was at this moment around the back and just about to come into the front for what would have been potentially my/our best pictures so far today. The majority of people were standing where we were. Shutter button's were at the ready. Suddenly with no warning, someone decided to play a tape, VERY loudly from the other side of the garden, where we had been standing. The Yellow Warbler instantly flew up and high into a sycamore and then across to where the person was playing the tape and that was the end of that. I don't think any of us standing there were very happy at all at that moment and that's an understatement! Good night!
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER tomorrow please?! 🤞
Shetland Bird News, Latest Sightings:
https://www.nature-shetland.co.uk/latest-sightings
Cliff Swallow at County Wexford
Black-and-white Warbler at Inishbofin, County Galway, Ireland
Shetland Bird News, Latest Sightings:
https://www.nature-shetland.co.uk/latest-sightings
Shetland Bird News, Latest Sightings:
https://www.nature-shetland.co.uk/latest-sightings
Monday 9th October
With news of Ring Ouzels arriving, I drove up the dodgy road to Mossy Hill this afternoon. I have not been up here since I last stayed in 2021, the road has deteriorated further, so be very careful not to take your eyes off the road for a second, if you venture up here. These pot-holed roads/tracks up here are not for cars which are low to the ground!
The views from the top are truly spectacular. Shards of light and rain clouds over the sea and horizon were simply breathtaking! At the summit, just after the first branch road off right, I was excited to find four Ring Ouzels sitting on the tall concrete fence posts! Ring Ouzels have a habit of being very camera shy, so took a picture through the front window of my car, before they disappeared, which trust me is not worth posting. I was then distracted by a brown thrush, which I only saw the back end of from behind some concrete, it then flew off in the direction I had just come from, so retraced my steps to find it. It would have been awesome to find something spectacular, but to be fair it wasn't bad, when I eventually found it – a beautiful Song Thrush.
Also the odd Blackbird around, a handful of Redwings and a Raven. Checked out some quarries with nothing found. Britain's first Siberian Accentor was found in the largest quarry here in October 2016! Took lots of scenery pictures and then ended up at Spiggie and then onto Bakkasetter to try and see the Bluethroat, no sign of any birders or Bluethroat. Diverted for a change of scene through Boddam and then headed home.
Shetland Bird News, Latest Sightings:
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W H I T E ' S T H R U S H
Plantation at Gorie, Bressay, Shetland
Found By Gareth Clements – thank you!
After getting frustrated with ferries which should officially be running on the Winter Timetable, but are actually on the Summer Timetable – I made my first ever trip to Bressay this afternoon. I don't normally feel the cold, but it was very chilly here, more than probably because I was standing still for too long!
A seven minute ferry trip from Lerwick, along with a few other birders, including Dennis and John Coutts and we arrived on The Isle of Bressay. Approximately a 2-3 mile drive and then I parked up by a large loch. Followed the long track uphill to a Plantation, where there were approximately 15+ other birders – can you imagine this in Norfolk?!!! Nice to bump into Marcus Nash and Jill was here too (Rob had to sit it out in the car with snacks and coffee).
My first view of this monster bird was in flight from the plantation to a high walled garden. I joined other birders by a low stone wall, to wait for views of this striking thrush. In the darkness under the canopy the White's Thrush was surprisingly camouflaged at times and even when out in the open! It had a habit of appearing out of nowhere and would stand completely motionless for a nano second and then vanish as soon as your finger hit the shutter button – it repeated this several times and to be honest, I was lucky to get any shots at all! But my patience and time paid off to a degree.
Supporting cast of male and female Blackcaps, Goldcrests, good numbers of Bramblings, Wren, Blackbirds, Redwing, Hooded Crows. On a sunny and slightly warmer day, I could have sat here for several hours!
Shetland Bird News, Latest Sightings:
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There was a White's Thrush on Bressay and this is a bird I have always wanted to see, but for some strange reason, I felt something bigger was going to turn up on the mainland. I was completely wrong.
Started the day in the rain, looking for the Red-breasted Flycatcher at Seafield Park in Lerwick which someone had found earlier, no joy there. Bumped into some visiting birders. Continued walking along Sea Road and up to West Hall. Checked the garden and paddocks, waited, watched and hoped. Several Redwings and Blackbirds, which were lovely to see.
Spent a long time at Clickimin Loch, where best bird found was a Redpoll by Anderson High School and then spent a while chatting to a local man and his grandson about birds. I then returned and walked up to Helendale. Something yellow bounded across a garden, which turned out to be a beautiful Grey Wagtail – only managed to get a quick picture on a metal roof, before it flew off. Sun now out, which was a joy.
Headed to Wester Quarff and bumped into local birder Ann and we both had cracking views of the Barred Warbler and also the Eastern Subalpine Warbler 1w! Then drove to Bigton to see a probable Icterine Warbler – several birders here looking. Later on this turned out to be a Barred Warbler! A little different!
Shetland Bird News, Latest Sightings:
https://www.nature-shetland.co.uk/latest-sightings
Shetland Bird News, Latest Sightings:
https://www.nature-shetland.co.uk/latest-sightings
Shetland Bird News, Latest Sightings:
https://www.nature-shetland.co.uk/latest-sightings
Shetland Bird News, Latest Sightings:
https://www.nature-shetland.co.uk/latest-sightings
Shetland Bird News, Latest Sightings:
https://www.nature-shetland.co.uk/latest-sightings
Very exciting things going on, which is why I have not been out birding over the last few evenings after work, but can't divulge anything yet!
Shetland Bird News, Latest Sightings:
https://www.nature-shetland.co.uk/latest-sightings
Busy day, had very important things to do, so couldn't go birding for long, but did manage to see the fabulous Greenish Warbler at Grutness Garden.
Shetland Bird News, Latest Sightings:
https://www.nature-shetland.co.uk/latest-sightings
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