BAY BREASTED WARBLER-RAMSEY ISLAND-CANADA WARBLER-GOVAN'S HEAD-PEMBROKESHIRE-23RD SEPTEMBER 2023

The excitement of the previous days surrounding the Magnolia Warbler had quickly given way to apprehension. For those afflicted with compulsive twitching, success is rarely savoured for long; attention swiftly turns to the next possibility—or the one that might yet slip away. The Bay-breasted Warbler had remained on Ramsey Island throughout Friday, 22 September, showing well, and with a midday boat booked, the prospect of an American warbler double now felt very real. This was set against a backdrop of an unprecedented influx of Nearctic landbirds across western Britain and Ireland.

With the boat departing at 12.00, I arranged to collect Sean Cole en route, where he had been camping a few miles from the island. While travelling south, further remarkable news broke: a Canada Warbler had been discovered close to St Govan’s Head, near the still-present Magnolia Warbler, and by the same observer. Canada Warbler is a North American species, breeding in the boreal and mixed forests of eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, and wintering primarily in northern South America.

I reached Sean’s just after 9.30 a.m., where Trudy had breakfast ready—most welcome after a long drive. 

                                            Happy days

After eating, we made our way to the departure point and joined the familiar gathering of birders. While waiting, a Wryneck was located along the coastal footpath and showed well, providing a fine prelude to the day.

Wryneck 

The crossing to Ramsey Island was straightforward, and on arrival, we were briefed by the wardens before making our way uphill to overlook the farmhouse garden.

All aboard!
    

After a short wait, the Bay-breasted Warbler appeared, first in the garden and later showing exceptionally well on a stone wall.

It was a particularly fine individual, brighter and cleaner than many, and afforded prolonged views as it fed in willows and bracken alongside Goldcrests, a female Blackcap and several Chiffchaffs. The setting was superb, and the atmosphere relaxed, with only a brief distraction when a Peregrine passed overhead. The organisation of the visit was exemplary, and the assistance of the RSPB wardens was much appreciated. A police presence related to an incident the previous day involving unauthorised access by kayak, posing risks to seals and biosecurity.

This was only the second British record of Bay-breasted Warbler, the first having occurred at Land’s End, Cornwall, on 1 October 1995.

Birders are waiting for the first glimpse of the Bay-breasted warbler

As we stood in the sunshine, news of further American arrivals continued to filter through: Northern Parula on Scilly, Philadelphia Vireo on Barra, Ovenbird on Rùm, Tennessee Warbler in Ireland, along with multiple Red-eyed Vireos, Baltimore Oriole, Black-and-white Warblers in Gwynedd and others. Nearctic migrants seemed to be appearing almost continuously.

We left the island on the 14.00 boat and were back at the car shortly afterwards. Despite the short distance, the drive back to St Govan’s Head took over an hour along narrow, winding roads. On arrival, the contrast with Ramsey could not have been greater. Cars lined the verges, and large numbers of birders were packed into the willow scrub. The Canada Warbler had been elusive, and the atmosphere was tense.

We joined the crowd just as the bird made a brief appearance for a small number of observers, prompting a surge. Moving to the far end with Sam Viles, I eventually picked up the Canada Warbler moving high in the bushes before it dropped into view and then flew further along the scrub. Views were brief but diagnostic. Many present were less fortunate, managing only flight views or none at all, and frustration was evident.

Three Yanks in a week? Unbelievable!

With Sean having seen the bird well, we returned to the car. I dropped him back at his camper van and then headed north, arriving home shortly after 8.00 p.m.

YANKMAGEDDON:AMERICAN WARBLERS IN THE WAKE OF HURRICANE LEE

The arrival of American landbirds this week has been on an extraordinary scale. Many birders had been watching the progress of Hurricane Lee as it tracked along the eastern seaboard of the United States, clearly a system of some significance. Even so, few anticipated the magnitude of what was to follow. In many respects, we found ourselves in uncharted territory. Birdguides’ weekly summary arguably captures the scale of events far better than any individual account, and their term ‘Yankmageddon’ seems an apt one.

Hurricane Lee is on its way to hit the UK mainland 

The first indication of what was to come appeared on the morning of 20 September, with the discovery of a Blackburnian Warbler on a remote and inaccessible Irish island. Later that morning, a photograph circulated on my WhatsApp group bearing the caption “Magnolia Warbler”. A species breeding across boreal and temperate forests of eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, and wintering mainly in Central America and the Caribbean, it is a bird that only a handful of British birders have encountered.

Moments later, the details followed: mainland Britain, near Pembroke in South Wales. Plans were hastily made to travel overnight and return the following morning.

I picked up Sean Cole on the M5, and we arrived at the St Govan’s Head car park at around 10.00 a.m. From there, it was a brisk 500-metre walk into the valley. Almost immediately, the bird showed. Few additions to a British list feel as satisfying as an American wood-warbler, and this individual did not disappoint, showing intermittently but well over the next hour and a half.

Magnolia Warbler

As we were watching the Magnolia Warbler, news broke of yet another discovery: a Bay-breasted Warbler on Ramsey Island, some 20 miles away. This species breeds in the boreal forests of Canada and the northern United States and winters primarily in northern South America, making it an even scarcer vagrant to Britain. Unsurprisingly, excitement among those present was immediate, but it was quickly tempered by reality. With heavy swell lingering after the storm, there was no prospect of boats running that day or the next.

Nevertheless, hope remained. While standing in the crowd, Adrian Webb managed to secure boat places for Sean and me on the Saturday morning. It would mean another return journey to South Wales and a 48-hour wait, but if the bird lingered, the opportunity would still be there.

Roll on Saturday.