News broke on Tuesday morning that a Tengmalm's Owl had been spotted in a garden on Shetland, between Bixter and Tumblin. The homeowners photographed the bird roosting in a spruce tree just meters from their kitchen window. A few local birdwatchers visited the site to confirm the identification before the news was released. This marks the first twitchable Tengmalm's Owl since the one at Spurn, which was suppressed in 1983. See below:
TENGMALM'S OWL THAT WAS SUPPRESSED AT SPURN OBSERVATORY IN 1983
Arrangements were made for the next day with Sean Cole, Chris Bromley, and Neil Hunt to travel to Aberdeen and catch the overnight ferry. There was no news about the bird during our journey to Scotland; many birders had turned back south, but I decided to keep driving. I believed that no news was good news!
Once we arrived at the ferry, I tried to get some rest, but I couldn't stop thinking about reaching the site. As morning broke, we received news that the bird was still present. We picked up our hire car and made our way to the site. Upon arrival, we saw birders taking turns to catch a glimpse of this little beauty as it roosted in the plantation.
WHAT A BIRD
What a gamble and it had paid off I was so happy!The owl continued to show well why we were there.
PREVIOUS RECORDS:
1983-East Yorkshire-Spurn, 6th to 27th March,trapped 7th and 16th March,possibly present since 28th January, photo
1981-Durham-Fishburn,dead (leg only),10th January,ringed as nestling,Greften,near Vang,Hedmark, Norway, 10th June 1980
1980-Orkney-Finstown, Mainland, adult, 13th to at least 20th October, trapped 14th October.
1980-Orkney-Finstown, Mainland, adult, trapped, 18th November, later found dead.
1961-Orkney-Stromness, Mainland, 1st May.
1959-Orkney-Cruan, Firth, Mainland, 26th and 27th December and 1st January 1960.
After good views of the bird we headed south to the Loch of Spiggie where we connected with the Pied billed grebe which has been around a few months.
ALWAYS DISTANT BUT MY SECOND PIED BILLED GREBE FOR BRITAIN AND A SHETLAND TICK
Moving on from here we headed back to the ferry and called in at Lerwick fish quay where we connected with a 1st winter Iceland gull,Kittiwake,Fulmar,8 Long tailed ducks and good numbers of Eider.
A great days birding that ended with a few beers on the ferry to celebrate on the way home!
WHAT A TWITCH!