I was out shopping this morning when the Mega alert went off: “Red-winged Blackbird – North Ronaldsay.” Immediately, I called Simon Slade, and my place was booked on a scheduled flight for the following morning. Panic over! This was a truly historic sighting, the first Red-winged Blackbird ever recorded in Britain, and indeed on this side of the Atlantic. Normally, these birds are widespread across North America, from Canada down through the United States, but this individual had somehow crossed the ocean to reach the Orkneys. As I got organised for an early start, the first images began appearing on Twitter, giving an early glimpse of this remarkable vagrant.
Photographs shared by Simon Davies, the finder, captured the bird in vivid detail, intensifying the excitement.
The following morning, I met up with the usual crew, Fred Fearne, Malcolm Curtin, Simon Slade, and Mark Sutton, at Lymm Services, and we set off north to catch our flight from Thirsk. News soon confirmed the bird was still present, much to everyone’s relief. While waiting at the airport, a Lesser Whitethroat showed well near the car, seven Arctic Terns circled the airfield, and Swallows were arriving in force, with one sunning itself on a nearby building.
Swallow
The flight north was spectacular, with excellent visibility across the Orkneys. Two and a half hours later, North Ronaldsay came into view.
Plane sorted, we're off
Flying over the Orkneys
North Ronaldsay in the distance
After landing, we undertook a half-hour walk across the island to meet Simon Davies, who worked at the bird observatory and had located the bird the previous day. Simon explained that the bird was feeding in an iris bed and would need to be flushed to be seen. It wasn’t long before it took flight, landing on a telegraph wire, where I was able to scope it before it moved onto some red gas bottles. The bird then gave further excellent views on a roof before returning to the iris bed. The controlled flushes, organised carefully by Simon, ensured the birds’ welfare and avoided disturbing other breeding species on the island.
Scope views of the bird
That's better! Britain's first Red-winged blackbird!
The Iris bed where the bird was found
With quality views secured, we returned to the airfield, enjoying some additional birding along the way. Highlights included Golden Plover, Rock Dove, Common Gull, Fulmar, Twite, and both Arctic and Great Skuas. Soon enough, we met our pilot and headed home.
Golden Plover
Rock Dove
Common Gull
North Ronaldsay Airport
The day was unforgettable, and we landed back at Thirsk at 5.30 pm, eventually reaching Ellesmere Port just after 8 pm, another first for Britain added to my list. For a full account of how Simon Davies discovered the bird, see his detailed report
