News broke last week of a Siberian Thrush and a Tennessee Warbler in Scotland, and luckily, due to work commitments, both birds were still there to go and get! I picked Malc Curtin up at 2.00am on Sunday morning and we headed to Kilminning in Fife. We arrived just after 7.30am and had to wait a good two hours to get a quick glimpse of the bird. At 12.30, the bird appeared in some rowans and showed well before dropping down into the wooded area. I had dipped three of these birds previously on Shetland over the years, so this was a long-awaited bird to see. Other birds of note were a Common rosefinch, Yellowhammer, Brambling and a Yellow-browed warbler.
Siberian Thrush
Common Rosefinch
After enjoying good views of the thrush, we continued north and boarded the 5:00 PM ferry from Aberdeen to Shetland. John Pegden also joined us on the ferry. The Tennessee warbler had gone to roost and had been visible throughout the day, so we were hopeful for the morning!
We arrived in Lerwick and picked up the hire car at 7:30 AM, heading straight to Yell. We spent the entire day on-site but saw no sign of the bird; it appeared to be gone. After returning to our hotel for a meal and a few beers, we decided to try for the bird again in the morning, as it had gone missing on previous days.
We woke up at 8:00 AM and took the ferry back to Yell, giving it until 1:00 PM, but still no sign of the bird. All of us were under the impression that it had left until we returned to the mainland and received a phone call from Dan Pointon, informing us that the bird had been relocated 15 miles north at a place called Breckon.
We quickly got back in the car and returned to Yell. Upon arrival, we stood and waited. Suddenly, the Tennessee warbler popped up, showing itself in the grass for a minute and then flew high before flying off. WHAT A BIRD!
Tennessee Warbler
We were so lucky to see this bird as it had just been found feeding in a nettle bed in a small valley!
There have been four previous records of this species in Britain:
1995-Hirta,St Kilda,20th September-Outer Hebrides
1982-Holm,Mainland,first-year,5th to 7th September, trapped 7th September-Orkney
1975-Finniquoy,Double Dyke and Upper Stoneybrake,first-winter, 6th to 20th September, trapped,Field,18th September-Fair Isle
1975-Observatory and Buness,first-winter, trapped,24th September-Fair Isle
After a day and a half of standing around searching and thinking the bird had gone, we had seen it! HAPPY DAYS!
The evening was spent back in Lerwick, celebrating with a curry and a pint.
We decided, whilst we were out having a meal, that we would try for the Eyebrowed thrush tomorrow on North Ronaldsay, as it was still present.
We got up early in the morning and booked are flights to Orkney and then birded the mainland before departing Shetland.
These are a few of the birds we managed to connect with:
Fulmar
Great Grey Shrike
There were a good number of Goldcrests around
Red-breasted Flycatcher
Arctic Warbler
No Orcas this year!
View from Sumburgh Head
The morning soon passed by, and we got news that the thrush was still present. We boarded are flight to Orkney and then got the next connected flight to North Ronaldsay
Me and Malc enjoying the views
We soon landed at North Ronaldsay airport and made the short walk to where the bird had spent the last few days. It didn't take long to find the Eyebrowed thrush as it perched up on a wall and showed really well.
Eyebrowed Thrush
Malc was happy he had connected
Other birds of note were a couple of Redstarts flitting around on the stone walls
Me and Malc in Kirkwall celebrating are 3 lifers
What an incredible four days of birding! We spent the evening enjoying a few beers in Kirkwall and caught the ferry at 11:00 PM, arriving in Aberdeen at 7:30 AM. We eventually made it back to Cheshire by early afternoon. Shattered, but what a trip!
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