I arrived on Shetland late afternoon on 25 September 2023. I all the time keep at Bigton and, for some years, have adopted Geosetter as an area patch. So, on the morning of twenty sixth, at about 9.30 am, I set off up the burn. Goldcrests have been calling and flitting about and, as I climbed the slope, a Redwing flew over. I all the time cease on the prime to look into the willows beneath as I’ve discovered that they supply extra shelter than the bushes decrease down the burn. Today was no exception and it was comparatively sheltered from a robust southerly wind.
As I reached the final of the willows, I flushed a small chook which flew into deeper cowl. I noticed almost nothing of it aside from what appeared to be an terrible lot of white within the tail. I used to be intrigued however didn’t count on the chook to be notably uncommon. I sat and waited. Four or 5 occasions what was clearly the identical chook flew throughout the bushes. Each time I used to be solely capable of decide up the white within the tail feathers.
After about 5 minutes it bored with this recreation and perched in view for maybe 20 seconds, nonetheless throughout the willows. I discovered it laborious to consider what I used to be taking a look at. A vivid yellow chin and supercilium with a black eye stripe, yellow throat and higher breast, darkish upperparts with apparent streaking to the flanks and two stonking nice wing-bars. It was clearly an American wooden warbler – however which one?
Will could not consider his eyes when he first glimpsed the Blackburnian Warbler at Geosetter (Penny Clarke).
I’ve by no means been a twitcher and have restricted data of the American warblers. I would love to have the ability to declare that I maintained my composure and calmly started to notice the salient options which might build as much as a complete identification. In truth, I almost went to items, preventing rising panic. I do not carry a digital camera and there’s no telephone sign at Geosetter. All I had was my pocket book. I scribbled a couple of notes on the spot. My handwriting went utterly to pot and people first notes are almost illegible.
The chook appeared as soon as extra in entrance of me. This time I did not hassle with notes and tried to carry my binoculars regular as I once more took within the chook. It was very good. I started to look the reminiscence financial institution for inspiration and recalled the images of final 12 months’s Blackburnian Warbler on Scilly and have become assured that this chook was of that species.
I realised that I had a alternative. I may both keep alone with the chook and my pocket book and pencil, praying that another person turned up, or I may get myself someplace with an web connection and put the information out on the Shetland WhatsApp group. It was a no brainer and I left the chook, which appeared settled the place it was. I drove again to Bigton and checked some photographs on-line, which confirmed my ideas as to identification and despatched the message: “American wooden warbler at Geosetter, seems like Blackburnian.”
I used to be again at Geosetter inside 5 minutes. A tour group led, I now know, by Dave Fairhurst and Judd Hunt, had simply arrived. I informed Dave that there was an American warbler within the willows, which I believed was Blackburnian. His reply was monosyllabic, unscientific, and utterly acceptable.
I used to be first again to the willows. The relaxation weren’t far behind. The watch for the chook to reappear appeared to final an eternity. It was truly about 5 minutes earlier than it was seen. To my immense reduction it didn’t take lengthy for the identification to be confirmed. After that I may truly begin to benefit from the chook. What a gem – not simply very uncommon but in addition one of the crucial stunning birds I’ve ever seen.
Shetland’s solely earlier report was on Fair Isle on 7 October 1988 (David Cooper).
By 11 am there was a crowd of maybe 100 birders. The prime of Geosetter kinds almost a pure amphitheatre. The chook might be considered from each side and everybody noticed it effectively. It appeared to place apart any preliminary shyness and now gave a correct efficiency, typically at very shut vary. At about 11.30 am it immediately flew strongly all the way down to the underside of the burn. I feel that many people thought it had gone and I left the location. However, it reappeared someday later.
I returned at about 4 pm to have one other look. I final noticed it sitting on the wire fence within the firm of a Yellow-browed Warbler. I couldn’t assist questioning how usually these two species might need been in one another’s firm. The chook stayed till nightfall however couldn’t be discovered the next day.
I do not count on to repeat this expertise any time quickly and possibly not ever. It appears like actual once-in-a-lifetime stuff. It was notably pleasing that the chook was new to lots of the native birders. They have been greater than useful to me over the years, and it was nice to have the ability to repay them for that.
