This story begins with a forecast of robust westerlies and a prediction of falls of American passerines. In my prior two years engaged on Skellig Michael the prediction of westerlies has not been useful. The impacts of transatlantic storms usually render the island inaccessible because of giant swells and excessive winds.
This can have a destructive impression on the targets on my work by doubtlessly lacking core phases of improvement of Manx Shearwater and European Storm Petrel chicks that I’m monitoring, in addition to conserving me off the island in the course of the core migration season. Fortunately, a choice this 12 months to return to the island on a Sunday paid dividends each from a scientific and birding perspective.
For these of you unfamiliar with the island, Skellig Michael is a World Heritage Site located some 12 km off the south-west of Ireland. The island comprises an historic monastic web site and three separate stone stairways to a monastery on the north peak. The island, together with the Little Skellig, kinds the Skelligs Special Protection Area (SPA), designated for its giant seabird colonies. This is the core purpose for my presence on the island, monitoring productiveness of seabird species for which the island is designated.
Come mid-September this implies monitoring European Storm Petrel and Manx Shearwater nests, in addition to basic biodiversity recording.
Messages from a number of associates and birding colleagues had me properly ready for the potential of American passerines and it was nice to be on the island when there was risk of something turning up. Migration actually is a captivating factor. That mentioned, it doesn’t take priority over the work I’m on the island to do, and with that in thoughts I set off early on the morning of 20 September with the purpose of finishing a spherical of shearwater monitoring.
The predicted westerlies had materialised, as had the cancellation of boats for the foreseeable future. It is price noting that roughly half of the nests in my monitoring routine had been vacated. This, mixed with the shortage of vacationers, allowed me to take a extra leisurely stroll to the monastery the place the remaining nests have been situated.
The path to the monastery was remarkably quiet till I approached the monastery entrance, at which level I flushed a juvenile Rosy Starling – not a chook I used to be anticipating on robust westerlies however a becoming location of a species of the genus Pastor, and a primary for the season.
I accomplished a loop across the monastery and to the north peak, discovering the realm to be comparatively quiet. At this level I collected my monitoring package from the storage hut and packed away my digicam. Usually at this level I depart the digicam and binoculars behind, as it may be a bit awkward dealing with every thing, although on at the present time I made a decision it greatest to maintain each with me. An hour or so later and I had completed my Manx monitoring. The final nest being situated close to the summit of the north peak, I retreated to strong floor and took a breather. After considering the following plan of action, I made a decision to depart my monitoring package and return to the height for a final go searching.
Two steps later and I caught a flash of yellow on a chook with darkish wings and white wing-bars because it dropped down from excessive and settled out of sight close to the summit. This led to a scramble for the as-yet unpacked digicam and a considered “which one?”. The mixture of white on a darkish wing and yellow physique robotically left me with a few choices, however Blackburnian Warbler was on the forefront of my thoughts. Camera unpacked and settings checked, the chook promptly reappeared on a decaying ragwort stem and proceeded to catch flies earlier than once more disappearing, this time behind some campion.
As I puzzled if I had sufficient element, the chook then casually strolled out right into a clutter-free surroundings giving pleasant views for one more 20 seconds or so earlier than flying up about 20 m and disappearing purposefully to the south.
The Blackburnian Warbler appeared to drop out of the sky after a session of Manx Shearwater monitoring (Brian Power).
With that I checked the pictures and surprisingly rapidly settled on my identification of Blackburnian Warbler. I popped off a few back-of-the-camera pictures to associates Niall and Tom. A near-instantaneous reply from Tom confirmed the ID but in addition contained the road “first Irish document”, which I had been utterly unaware of whereas observing the chook. This was adopted shortly after by an analogous reply from Niall.
Most of the migratory birds I encounter on Skellig usually disappear into inaccessible gullies and provides solely temporary views. To get such good views of this chook was magnificent, a chook that might stand out anyplace. With that in thoughts I put the information out: “Blackburnian Warbler briefly on Skellig Michael simply now, flew off excessive and south.”
Although the warbler – a primary for Ireland – flew off to the south, it made a second look later within the day (Brian Power).
I felt a bit of responsible realizing that even when the chook hung round for every week it will be out of attain for anybody else, given the ocean state and forecast. That night I used to be spoilt with a follow-up encounter throughout which I actually obtained to benefit from the full fantastic thing about this magnificent chook that had survived a transatlantic crossing. It gave good views when it appeared for a second time alongside the South Steps and within the monastery earlier than it disappeared down the East Steps and out of view.
Massive due to Niall Keogh and Tom Kelly, whose prompts had me memorising pictures of potential arrivals and had me alert to the potential for what was about to occur, and for the speedy replies concerning the chook’s identification.
