MEGA! EYEBROWED THRUSH At Gutcher, Yell!

 EYEBROWED THRUSH

Garden at crossroads, Gutcher, Yell!

 

Found By Christian Melgar

 

8TH FOR SHETLAND, LIFER FOR ME!

 

 

News broke of an Eyebrowed Thrush at Gutcher, Yell. OMG! I've always wanted to see one of these!Booked ferry for 3pm and arrived at Toft ferry terminal at around 2.30pm. A birder called Dave Wege bagged a lift over in my car (he returned with someone else). On the ferry with several birders including Hugh H., Paul H., Roger R. et al. Drove to the north of Yell to the Gutcher crossroads.

 

Short walk around the side of the garden and peering over the stone wall at the very richly planted garden with a good selection of mature trees. I fixed my gaze on the same area it had been seen briefly earlier. 2 or 3 Blackbirds were feeding on the lawn, a Willow Warbler seen and singing and suddenly we were watching an Icterine Warbler whilst we waited patiently for the Eyebrowed Thrush! We waited and we waited. Suddenly I saw it drop in to the right of a very large conifer 'there it is' I said and it then appeared on the grass in all its glory! WOW, what a bird, so striking! This was at about 4pm and it showed for just over 2 minutes, just long enough for everyone to enjoy watching and photographing this cracking bird – it then retreated to the undergrowth of the dense border between the trees and the far stone wall from where it first appeared from. There was no more than about 15 people here: Hugh H., Paul H., Roger R., Adrian K., Anne E., Jim N., Andy J., James S., David W., Robert & his wife and two more people I didn't know. A few birders had been earlier from Unst including Rebecca N. The Eyebrowed Thrush reappeared again briefly in the same spot with bluebells for backdrop at 4.43pm. Everyone left to catch the next ferry which I think was 5.30pm.

 EYEBROWED THRUSH

 

Record shot of the Icterine Warbler in the same garden!

 

 

I was the only person left. I had booked the 7.20pm ferry and looking on the App, the earlier ferry was all booked up. It started to rain and the wind was quite strong. I was drenched, but stuck it out until I was so cold, that I had to return to the car to warm up and have a coffee. I walked back to stand and look over the garden wall again, but didn't see it any more. Drove to the ferry terminal and only just got there in time at 7.16pm! The ride back was a little rough! Drove home and arrived back at around 8.40pm.