The weather was dreadful today with a strong northerly wind and torrential rain. News broke that a Bluethroat had been found at Channerwick, so we headed there and had good views.
I spent the morning in the accommodation because I had a Microsoft Teams interview online, while the others headed out. During my interview, news broke that a Common Nighthawk had been spotted by the side of the road on the island of Yell. Panic set in because I needed this bird for my British list. After my interview, I quickly went to the airport to rent a car for the day and headed north. When I arrived at the ferry terminal in Toft, I learnt that the bird was actually a Nightjar! Unbelievable! Earlier in the day, a Pallas's Warbler had also been found, so I decided to go there and was rewarded with great views of the bird.
Pallas's Leaf Warbler
Late afternoon was spent at the Loch of Spiggie, where I connected with a Scaup and a Slavonian grebe.
This morning was spent on the west side of the mainland. A few migrant birds were seen after a full day's birding: 6 blackcaps, 8 yellow-browed warblers, and a Siberian chiffchaff.
The wind has really picked up this afternoon, making it challenging to find birds. However, before dusk, we connected with a returning juvenile White-fronted Goose and observed Pink-footed Geese at Loch of Spiggie.
Today was spent at the south end of the mainland, where we connected with eleven yellow-browed warblers and a red-breasted flycatcher. A quiet day, really, but we put the miles and steps in.
Migrants were scarce, but we did have sightings of Blackcap and Lesser Whitethroat.
2 Great Northern Divers were also seen at Scousburgh.
Just after 7.30am, John Pegden, Neil Bostock, and I arrived in Lerwick. We immediately picked up the weekly rental car and drove directly to Clickimin Loch, which is just outside of Lerwick, where we were able to see a Barred Warbler up close.
Further down the road, we had crippling views of a Little Bunting.
After hearing that a Paddyfield Warbler had been discovered on Unst, we picked up Dan Pointon, who was already waiting for us on the island, and set out. After a few quick views of it foraging low, the paddyfield finally appeared after a good hour.
I set the alarm early this morning as I wanted to get up to Aberdeen and do some birding before I got on the ferry to Lerwick on my annual pilgrimage to Shetland. I left the Wirral at 4.00am and made good progress north and arrived at Cameron Reservoir in Fife just after 11.30am, where I was hoping to see a Spotted sandpiper that had been present for the last couple of days. The juvenile showed well on arrival at the north end of the dam and was a good addition to my Scottish list.
Leaving Aberdeen on the overnight ferry to LerwickAn elusive Phylloscopus warbler had been present at Bempton Cliffs RSPB, East Yorkshire, since Wednesday, initially identified as an Arctic Warbler. As observations continued, opinion shifted towards a possible Eastern Crowned Warbler. Further careful fieldwork by local observers, most notably the collection and analysis of sound recordings, eventually confirmed the bird’s true identity as a Pale-legged Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus tenellipes).
News of the confirmed identification broke too late for immediate travel, so plans were made for an early start the following morning. Owen, Jenna, and I left at 05:30, arriving on site shortly before 09:00, where a sizeable crowd had already gathered. We joined the line of observers peering into low vegetation, a challenging prospect given the bird’s skulking behaviour and the density of cover.
After a brief initial appearance in the hedgerow, the warbler moved steadily to the right before lifting into a nearby tree, showing momentarily, and then dropping into the Dell. A quick relocation followed, and after a tense wait, the Pale-legged Leaf Warbler finally emerged, giving prolonged and excellent views that allowed many present to connect fully with this exceptional bird.
The Pale-legged Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus tenellipes) is an Old World warbler in the family Phylloscopidae, first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1860. It breeds in Manchuria and winters in South-East Asia.
Adults measure approximately 12 cm in length. Upperparts are brownish, with a contrasting greyish-brown crown and nape. The whitish supercilium is striking, extending well behind the eye but not reaching the forehead. The dark brown eye-stripe broadens behind the eye, while the cheeks are pale brown and mottled. The throat is whitish, with white undertail coverts contrasting against paler olive-brown rump and uppertail coverts, notably lacking any greenish tones. The underparts are whitish, washed pale brown across the breast and belly.
The Bempton bird constitutes the second British record. The first involved a bird found dead after striking a lighthouse window on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly, on 21 October 2016; its identity was confirmed by DNA analysis.
A further claim from Portland, Dorset, on 22 October 2012 could not be fully substantiated, as the bird remained silent and Sakhalin Leaf Warbler could not be conclusively ruled out. A full discussion of both records was subsequently published in British Birds.
