This yr marked my thirteenth autumn go to to Shetland and, together with Julian Allen, I hoped this ‘unfortunate’ quantity wasn’t going to show a foul omen! Arriving on 7 October, we shortly noticed a number of of the leftovers from the earlier week (White’s Thrush, Eastern Subalpine Warbler and so forth), however the much-desired Veery had sadly left.
The climate forecast was usually poor with a number of rain and winds from the west – discovering any migrants was going to be troublesome. I fancifully instructed an opportunity of some mega American passerines, however I’m not positive I believed it myself. However, on 10 October we survived some horrendous climate to see a White-crowned Sparrow on Fetlar. Perhaps ‘Yanks’ had been in play?
After a washout the day earlier than, Julian and I left our digs in Leebotten on the crack of 9 am on Thursday 12 October. An hour later we had been in Hoswick, ambling round, seeing completely nothing. Out of responsibility we went into the Orca Country Inn automotive park space, as that is usually the very best spot within the village.
I observed some motion within the bushes on the far finish and went to analyze – the three Goldcrests had been a small victory and confirmed there was a number of migrants round. Then it occurred. Out of the nook of my eye I noticed shiny yellow hen drop to the bottom from some willows within the backyard under the Orca Country Inn. ‘What was that?’ I contemplated. I gestured wildly for Julian to return and be part of me.
He arrived filled with the fun of spring however quickly had his sport face on once I recounted what had occurred. A minute or so later, Julian noticed a yellow flash return into the willow. And a number of seconds later, a shiny yellow warbler with a beady black eye was in my binoculars. We each thought it, however I used to be first to say: “That’s a flipping American Yellow Warbler!”
American Yellow Warbler, Hoswick, Mainland, Shetland (Penny Clarke).
I took a fast psychological description: very shiny yellow throughout, extra so on the underparts, with a black eye and a few black within the wings and tail; Common Chiffchaff-sized however sturdier with a heftier invoice. It may very well be nothing else, however I checked a number of pictures on the web. Confirmed – information launched!
The first birders arrived inside 5 minutes, however within the pleasure, we had misplaced the hen. The subsequent half hour was excruciating – we needed to refind the warbler for the building crowd, for reputations are constructed and misplaced on such issues. At 10.35 am, Hugh Harrop and myself noticed the hen once more within the high of a spruce tree and he managed to get a document shot. I may begin to chill out now. Julian, then again, was enjoying it very cool as at all times!
The hen was very cellular and shortly headed over to the opposite finish of the village. Eventually, at noon, the hen gave itself as much as the crowds in a stand of willowherb. It even began flycatching from a telegraph pole.
American Yellow Warbler, Hoswick, Mainland, Shetland (Bethan Clyne).
We obtained a number of congratulations and gives of alcohol, however the buzz of everybody seeing the hen was ok for me. There had been a lot of blissful faces all spherical.
The hen was nonetheless current once I left Shetland on 18 October and confirmed very properly at instances, significantly when the solar was out. This was the ninth American Yellow Warbler for Britain, together with three earlier birds in Shetland. One of our buddies dubbed us the ‘Heroes of Hoswick’ – we’ll take that!
American Yellow Warbler twitch, Hoswick, Mainland, Shetland (Tom Perrins).
