The unprecedented arrival of New World warblers in Britain this autumn (see December’s Birdwatch) represented the head of an distinctive 12 months of experiences with this group of birds which, for us on Scilly at the least, started with the dazzling Blackburnian Warbler on Bryher in October 2022, and was adopted shortly after by the exceptional occasions which result in my spouse and I discovering a Myrtle Warbler on St Mary’s the next month! Personally, I did not see how this could possibly be topped.
Fast ahead to late September 2023 and it rapidly turned obvious that an unimaginable occasion was unfolding alongside the size of Britain and Ireland’s west coasts, with Pembrokeshire grabbing the headlines. It felt solely a matter of time earlier than Scilly mustered a response, which ultimately got here within the type of a Northern Parula on St Martin’s on twenty third. A handful of different Nearctic arrivals had been welcomed to islands in the identical week, which set the tone for what promised to be an October for Scilly’s historical past books – however that was by no means actually the case. Our small assemblage of transatlantic company quickly departed and had been changed by the standard assortment of mid-autumn scarcities. Overall, an excellent ‘Scilly season’ got here and went, however given what had unfolded additional north, there was a conflicting and regrettable feeling that Scilly had, possibly, been just a little short-changed.
Following two busy weeks of household and work commitments via early November, I used to be deeply craving a day within the area. On Monday sixth I set my sights on spending all of Friday birding on Bryher, supplied my working week went to plan. We’d seen a relentless conveyor belt of fast-moving Transatlantic depressions rip via the islands since late October, one in all which delivered a confiding Grey-cheeked Thrush to St Mary’s, nevertheless it felt like there was extra to be uncovered. I used to be additionally conscious that, by Friday, not a single birder would have set foot on Bryher for a whole week since Bob Flood’s go to there on the third. All of the above thought of, my anticipation was via the roof!
I boarded an 8 am jet boat on Friday 10 November in a 80-kph north-westerly wind and headed out of St Mary’s harbour right into a wall of white water and a heavy swell. The journey to Bryher was, no doubt, the liveliest inter-island crossing I’ve skilled in my practically six years on Scilly.
The Cape May Warbler is the second twitchable British chicken after one in Shetland in 2013 (Scott Reid).
Disembarking at Anneka’s Quay, I headed steadily south alongside the east facet of the island, paying shut consideration to any sheltered fields or hedgerows. Within 20 minutes I’d reached Green Bay and was drawn to 2 small clearings bordered by mature Pittosporum, tucked away in the back of Veronica Farm, 50 m or so inland. One clearing was absolutely sunlit, the opposite solely partially, and I opted for the shadier space to focus my consideration. After a number of minutes of seeing little or no, I started trialling numerous tones of ‘pishing’ within the hope of tempting some birds out, and it labored! I used to be quickly being investigated by a Goldcrest and a European Robin, shortly adopted by a Common Chiffchaff.
A couple of moments later, one other chicken popped out of the shadows which regarded just a little extra attention-grabbing – very pale beneath with an total chilly, gray look. Siberian Chiffchaff? Upon elevating my binoculars, nevertheless, I in a short time realised this wasn’t the case!
I used to be confronted with front-on views of a evenly streaked, chunky-billed warbler, which briefly turned to point out two delicate wing-bars. “An American warbler! Woah!”. The species wasn’t instantly apparent. My coronary heart charge elevated, and my mind went into overdrive, however earlier than I may begin to course of what I used to be seeing, the chicken turned and flicked out of view, flashing a yellowish rump because it did so. Another Myrtle Warbler? Given the occasions of final November, this appeared the doubtless conclusion. Some options did not sit proper so I wasn’t sure, and with fleeting views lasting not more than 5 seconds, I wanted to see this chicken once more.
Scrambling via my bag for my digicam, I glanced as much as see it again in view, and after tearing off my lens cap I managed to take only one shot earlier than the chicken flicked previous me. Looking instantly into the solar, I edged across the bushes to get higher gentle on the place the chicken had landed and, in doing so, inadvertently flushed it. The chicken flew throughout a area in the direction of a lone Pittosporum on the seashore edge, however that bush was additionally instantly into the solar, so I hung again to collect myself and never danger pushing the chicken any additional. I checked my picture, hoping it might present the proof required to clinch the ID, however no – it was horrendously out of focus!
Three or 4 minutes handed with no additional signal, earlier than one other spell of ‘pishing’ tempted it again to the identical cluster of branches. I grabbed a number of extra images and, assured that some had been in focus, I went to work on the identification. With binoculars locked on as soon as extra, I needed to get my mind into gear, and with the chicken sitting side-on, my thought course of was as follows: “OK, yellow rump, you are going to be a Myrtle Warbler. But no! You’re not! This is not proper for Myrtle. Think. Think! What are you? What am I lacking?”. A slight change of angle revealed faint greenish-yellow sides to the neck and, after my cogs turned for a pair extra seconds, the penny dropped. “Cape May Warbler! There’s nothing else it may be! It’s a Cape May Warbler! Wow!”
Rafts of seaweed supplied loads of foraging alternatives (Scott Reid).
With images obtained, identification confirmed, and adrenaline pumping like by no means earlier than, I advised myself to only watch the chicken, absorb as a lot of it as I may, and benefit from the second, so that is what I did for the following couple of minutes earlier than it dissolved away into the vegetation.
I took a second to compose myself. I knew the size of the discover. I’d by no means discovered something this uncommon, and I won’t ever once more. I’d remembered wanting on from afar in amazement as Britain’s second Cape May Warbler was discovered on Unst 10 years in the past and was subsequently twitched by many, and right here I used to be having simply discovered the third. For a number of unusual moments, I used to be the one person within the nation who knew this mega chicken existed.
I despatched the required messages to the Scilly birding information teams (livened up with some involuntary expletives) which I knew, all too nicely, would ship the 20 or so birders on St Mary’s into meltdown! With my telephone now pinging away to itself as folks responded to the information, my job was a easy one – discover the Cape May Warbler and stick with it.
By now it was 9.15 am and I acquired phrase that the primary boatload must be arriving at 10.30 am. The solely downside – nonetheless no chicken. The stand-and-wait strategy proved fruitless, a few ‘pishing’ spells had misplaced their desired impact, and I stared up at 20 m of impenetrable Pittosporum and pines ascending the hill behind the clearing pondering “that is going to be a nightmare!” More than half an hour handed, and I made a decision to step away from the scene and take a walk alongside the seashore – after all of the chicken had briefly flown that manner earlier.
My first 10 minutes on the seashore provided little hope, regardless of being out of the wind with the warming solar creating a lovely microclimate beneath the tamarisks which half a dozen chiffchaffs had been making the most of. About to return to the fields, and on the telephone to Ren Hathway who was anxiously ready on St Mary’s Quay, I took a remaining look across the lone Pittosporum and there it was, flycatching! “I’ve received it, Ren! It’s on the seashore, I’ve received to go!”.
The first-winter feminine Cape May Warbler would usually flycatch from a lone Pittosporum and succulents on the prime of the seashore (Scott Reid).
The subsequent half hour was uncomfortably tense as I stood some 10 m from the chicken, making an attempt to take pleasure in it, however partly terrified it was going to flick again to the unique fields earlier than everybody arrived. Thankfully, it did not, and earlier than I knew it a jet boat tore previous Green Bay and I used to be quickly greeted with the welcome sight of Kris Webb operating alongside the sand. In the tip, I needed to inform him to cease hugging me and truly have a look at the chicken!
The following couple of hours had been immensely fulfilling. More hugs, handshakes and excitable conversations had been shared as I stood alongside the glistening water’s edge with a dozen or so mates revelling within the marvel of Scilly’s first Cape May Warbler, which placed on an distinctive show because it expertly diminished the Green Bay fly inhabitants.
One of my absolute favorite points of residing on Scilly is the incidence of particular birds outdoors of the everyday Scilly season. The pleasure of an enormous October twitch may be very good, as can the related celebrations, however these mid-November megas are particular. As with the St Mary’s Hermit Thrush in 2019, and the Myrtle Warbler final yr, by late afternoon I used to be there alone as soon as once more, sat on a rock with the Cape May Warbler looking as shut as 2 m away!
The days that adopted introduced logistical challenges for these wishing to journey from the mainland, with restricted flights and diminished inter-island boating resulting from tides, however a handful of individuals every day continued to efficiently make the journey, nonetheless. I ultimately returned to Bryher the next Wednesday and loved one other afternoon watching this Nearctic gem within the firm of nice mates.
If Cape May Warbler proves to be the final American wooden warbler to grace our shores in 2023, it might be a becoming technique to deliver the curtain down on the best autumn of transatlantic vagrancy in British birding historical past – on a tranquil seashore within the delicate November sunshine. This is Scilly birding at its easiest!
Cape May Warbler, Bryher, Isles of Scilly (Scott Reid).
