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.