Another PG Tips on Mainland Shetland 7th October 2024

Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler c Cliff Smith

Both Mark and myself agreed that Shetland this autumn has, as it has for the last two years, been right up there with its continuing procession of rare birds.We could not complain if we saw no more this trip but Shetland and its birding gods had not finished with us yet.

This morning we drove slightly north to a place called Wadbister that gives its name to the large voe it lies beside and where three friends of ours were staying in a rented house for a week with a very attractive garden full of bushes and trees.They had already gone out birding so there was no one there when we arrived but we had full permission to bird the garden and its surroundings.

Almost immediately, on leaving the car I heard a Yellow browed Warbler calling its anxious tsuweet note from high in some sycamores in a walled area opposite the house and soon enough we saw it flitting energetically through the flickering leaves. No longer a rarity, in fact now common on Shetland, especially this year, they still give a thrill of discovery to such as myself who has the misfortune to live in an inland county in the middle of England.

I progressed to the back of the house where there were some likely looking small trees and bushes and a Redwing descended from the sky to land in them but that was it.Leaning on a gate I regarded some likely looking sallows and a large warbler popped up in them  working its way to the outside of the small trees and then flew up and away. It could only be one thing, judging by its size - a Barred Warbler.

We found nothing more and drove back down the road to park by the voe to look for a Slavonian Grebe and found it fairly close in and still partially in summer plumage. As we were looking at the grebe my phone rang. It was Andy L one of our friends whose garden we had been birding.

Where are you  he asked

Just left your garden and now scoping the Slavonian Grebe I replied

Can you both come over to us with your cameras and tell Mark to bring his thermal imager too

What have you found?

We have flushed a Locustella  in an iris bed  that we think is a PG Tips but need to get better images of the bird to be sure.It could just be a Gropper. It's definitely not a Lancy as it's too big

Whereabouts are you?

In an iris bed below Garth Cemetery near Nesting.You will see us when you come along the road

On our way, it will take us around twenty minutes

There are certain birds that instantly fire one with extreme desire and for me PG Tips is right alongside White's Thrush. Both are Siberian megas that most birders would give anything to see in Britain. PG Tips breed in the Altai Mountains, Mongolia and Transbaikalia east to northeast China, the Korean Peninsula and the islands of Sakhalin and Kuril in the Sea of Othotsk and winter in India eastwards to Indonesia. Just think of the distance this bird has flown to arrive on Shetland and it is no wonder it is so prized when found.

There are currently only 64 accepted records for Britain of this 'lord of the locos' as Brydon Thomason succinctly describes it, so you can imagine how Mark and myself were feeling despite having already seen one on the 24th September at Maywick 

We drove back to the main road and a few miles further north turned onto a much quieter road and eventually got to the hamlet of Garth and its Commonwealth Graves Cemetery

As Andy had said they were clearly visible from the road, standing some way off amongst fairly extensive iris beds by a burn. We found a suitable place to park that was off the narrow road and walked down to the wet fields in which the iris beds were located.Climbing a gate and crossing two fences we joined the others and held an impromptu consultation in the field.

The view from the road

Andy L told us they were pretty certain the bird was a PG Tips but they needed conclusive proof before putting the news out.This was where we came in, as Mark and myself would try to get images of the bird as it flew after the other three walked the irises to flush it  

It sounded so straightforward and despite the furtive nature of this species that habitually creeps unseen through thick riparian vegetation, the flushing part went as planned but it was almost impossible to get a decent flight image of the warbler, for when it flew it was so quick and fast it was beyond my camera's capabilities to focus on it, or so I thought. 

The bird remained faithful to the irises and was flushed several times bringing immense amounts of frustration at not getting anything conclusive. Andy M. finally managed to get a shot which showed the white tips to the tail and by some wonder of circumstance I got a shot of the flying bird showing the rusty rump, very dark rounded tail, creamy supercilium and white tips to the tertials.

The first image is from Andy M, the second my effort. Andy's image clearly
shows the white tips to the tail feathers and prominent supercilium while 
my image shows the same supercilium, rusty rump contrasting with a broad,
dark tail and white tips to the tertials.Based on these diagnostic features
the bird was called as a definite Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler

Another consultation commenced in the seggys (Shetland word for irises) and Andy L sent images to Sam Viles at Birdguides who responded that it was 100% a PG Tips.

Fair enough and Andy L told Sam to put the news out on Birdguides and notified the Shetland Rare Bird News Group. We knew that our rather pleasant interlude in the seggys  would soon morph into something very different as birders from far and wide on Shetland made for Garth. It would be chaotic, it always is, with cars driving too fast on the currently quiet road that runs through Garth and trying to find limited places to park.

We had about twenty minutes before the influx of birders arrived but you can do very little without other birders, also checking the area, noticing you and sure enough we were joined by two notable Shetland birders in the form of Paul Harvey (who found the first Eastern Crowned Warbler for Shetland and Scotland)see here and Phil Harris. We told them what we had found and together we walked the irises once more and duly flushed the bird which tather than dropping back into the irises settled onto a grass bank above the irises for a brief moment but enough to give a clear view of it. This confirmed it was indeed a PG Tips. It was there for seconds before once more seeking sanctuary in the irises.

All five of us left as we knew what was coming. Getting back to the car up on the road the first birder's cars were already arriving.We relinquished our prime parking space to a lady who in her haste promptly reversed her car into a large wooden rubbish bin. Oh dear!

Driving back down the road and away from Garth cars were constantly coming towards us, one driving ridiculously fast. It was all kicking off and we were glad we had been granted the opportunity to join our three colleagues and enjoy and share the excitement of establishing the PG Tips identity in relative peace.

Looking back as we got to our car we could see birders beginning to walk the iris beds to flush the bird  in order to get a sight of it. We did not return  for another view later in the day but in hindsight it might have been wise if we did, as later a controlled flush of the bird was made and it showed really well.

The above four images c Cliff Smith

Cliff Smith was one of those who went to see it later and has kindly allowed me to use his images.I confess to being gripped at how well it had been seen but when I had time to reflect I was just as pleased to have been in on the initial discovery and establishing its identity. 

What an amazing autumn. 

I have seen two Lanceolated Warblers and now two Pallas's Grasshopper Warblers.

I would like to express my gratitude to Cliff for allowing me to use his superb images and to the two Andy's and Martin for giving myself and Mark early news of their find and involving us in the process of its identification.

to be continued