Whilst working on Tuesday evening, I switched on my phone just after 18:30 and was greeted with the news: a Varied Thrush had been found on Papa Westray, Orkney.
WOW. I couldn’t wait to finish work. That night, I met up with Malc Curtin, Fred Fearn, and Mark Sutton just after 22:30, and the epic journey north began. We arrived at Scabster just after 6:00 a.m., boarded the Northlink ferry, and drove on to Kirkwall to meet our charter boat.
All aboard! We're off!
An hour later, we arrived on Papa Westray and were picked up at the quay by David Roche, the finder of this extraordinary bird. A sprint down the track, and there it was—right in the middle of the lawn.
We all stood in awe, a small group mesmerised by the vivid slate-blue and deep orange plumage of this transatlantic visitor. It was impossible to believe that such a bird had travelled thousands of miles from the Pacific Northwest coast of North America to grace a remote Scottish island.
The Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius) breeds across the dense coniferous forests of western North America, from Alaska down through the Pacific Northwest to California. It winters mainly in the southern parts of its range, feeding on insects, berries, and small invertebrates. In Britain, this species is an extreme vagrant: the Papa Westray bird was only the second record ever, following a single individual at Nanquidno, St Just, Cornwall, from 14–23 November 1982. Its rarity and striking appearance make it an instant magnet for birders, with each sighting creating a buzz of excitement.
After incredible views, we headed back to the charter boat, then raced to meet the ferry for the journey south. By the early hours of Friday morning, I was finally home—exhausted, exhilarated, and already reliving the epic twitch in my mind. A birding adventure like this doesn’t come along often; it’s a memory to treasure forever.
