PALLAS'S GRASSHOPPER WARBLER
Maywick Burn, Shetland
Found by Dan Owen, Dan Beadle & Jack Morris
After finding a Lanceolated Warbler at Levenwick, congratulations all!
I was just on my way to see my first Lanceolated Warbler and was last to the party, which is extremely poor, being as I have never seen one, when I switched direction at the Bigton turn off, when the 'Rare' WhatsApp bleeped off with Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler at Maywick, found by the same finders of the Lanceolated Warbler - OMG! I indicated left just in time and was third on scene. A tour group got there seconds after me, but they legged it ahead me, because I mislaid my car keys!
After walking down the field and crossing dykes and burns I joined a few others and eventually had good views for around 30 seconds by a fence across a dyke, just long enough to get one half decent picture. It showed well again a bit later, but by then there were too many people and most considerably taller than me in front and not a hope of seeing it again.
I left and headed to Levenwick and of course there wasn't a single person here now. I walked through the irises all around the pumping station near the beach and as expected I didn't find it. 4 Swallows overhead, a Blackbird, one Common Snipe, 1 Curlew. I suddenly spotted a small bird flush from the dyke by the road into an iris patch – I didn't take my eye off where it landed and walked towards it. Another birder turned up and walked through the patch I was watching to try and flush whatever was there, but sadly nothing.
The business end of birding has started today, no more decorating, no more messing about, out first thing in the morning! Shetland birding commences!
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