A First for Shetland and Scotland 3rd October 2024

The Eastern crowned Warbler that I saw at Bempton in 2017.I did not manage to

photograph the Shetland bird but this image pretty much replicates the view I

finally got of it in the willows at Turriefield after a long and frustrating wait

Well satisfied with our visit to Aith and seeing the Golden Oriole we left there in the early afternoon to head home to Scalloway, stopping at a cake fridge by the side of the road.The first cake fridge  commenced in 2012 at Bixter and similar fridges have since proliferated over Shetland to sell all sorts of produce and not just cakes.They are a popular Shetland tourist attraction and rely on the honesty of passers by to leave money for the items they take from within the fridge. With shops only in the main towns and villages  they are also a handy souce of sustenance for the likes of us, out all hours of the day chasing birds in the wilder parts of Shetland!

Cake Fridge near Aith

When on Shetland I join the three birding WhatsApp groups that exist to constantly update visiting and local birders on bird sightings; one is for common birds, another for scarce birds and a final one for rarities  As per usual I checked my phone every time it pinged with an alert to keep up with the latest news.

We were not far down the road when a ping came from the Shetland Rare Bird News WhatsApp.This, as its name would imply, is the one that everyone takes notice of and checks immediately

What was it this time? I looked at my phone's screen and read out the message to Mark who was driving.

'Eastern Crowned Warbler at Turriefield, West Mainland. Feeding in willows along west side of large garden area. Access outside of the trees only'

This was a total mega as it was a first for Shetland and indeed Scotland and was only the fifth to be ever found in Britain.

Eastern crowned Warblers breed in eastern Asia, southeast Siberia, northern and central China, Korea and Japan. They winter in sub tropical areas of Assam, Bangladesh and South East Asia. 

So welcome to Shetland!

Where's Turriefield we both asked out loud and plugging in to Birdguides directions discovered it was near Sandness, a good forty five minute drive away on the west side of Mainland.We were currently on the east side. 

Sandness is fairly isolated and to get to it you drive on a mainly single track road with passing places. Desolate, uninhabited moorland undulates away on either side as the road winds tortuously through it  and to all extents and purposes you could be on the moon it is that deserted and featureless.A landscape populated by sheep, ravens, crows and little else

You cannot drive fast on such roads due to the many hidden bends and blind summits so we took it relatively easily which was sensible as we had to stop occasionally for oncoming cars.

I had already seen  two Eastern crowned Warblers in Britain and Mark three, so although this bird was a must see mega it did not quite have that edge that it would if it was a new species for us.

The big concern, as it always is, was about parking. Just about every birder within range would be heading for this bird including all the local Shetland birders as it was a new bird for them. Would there be space for all the cars in what is after all a small isolated village.

The road, a narrow grey ribbon continued snaking around the whale backed contours of the featureless moors as we headed ever westwards. Another birder's car driving too fast caught up with us but had to slow and follow us heading west

We eventually reached Turriefield which lies on the outskirts of Sandness and looked very much like a market garden wth poly tunnels and rows of vegetable plots. A Shetland version of civilisation after all the barren landscape we had passed through.

From the road we saw the line of willows and a lot of birders standing or sitting in a field on a high sloping bank which gave a panoramic view down the slope to the willows at the bottom.Remarkably, considering the crowd and number of cars we easily found a place to park as the road for some unaccountable reason widened so we would not be blocking any passing car by parking at the side of the road.

We were out of the car in double quick time. the adrenalin now kicking in.There was no time to lose.We followed many other birders walking up the road, then to cross a hazardous barbed wire fence, trying not to lose our balance and dignity encumbered as we were with cameras, lenses and bins, then climb up a slope to join the throng gathered there and looking down on the willows.I recognised some from the Golden Oriole this morning and most of the familiar Shetland birders had made the pilgrimage too

It was obvious that the bird was not currently on show and there was an expectant buzz of conversation in the crowd and constant movement as more and more birders arrived to swell the crowd, everyone with eyes trained on the willows below waiting, waiting for that shout of discovery when someone detected a movement in the trees that was not a wind stirred leaf. 

When it came it was not a shout but a concerted movement left that alerted us and rapidly turned into an undignified crosscountry run as birders ran round the end of the hedge where it turned at a right angle away from us.

Here the field was less hilly and more marshy but we all dutifully stood in a line as someone spoke instructions as to where the warbler was in the hedge.I was fairly near to where it was but just could not pick it out despite regular indications from other birders locating it moving in the trees and bushes.I just could not get onto it.

Eastern crowned Warblers or at least this one, unlike many other leaf warblers do not move constantly and rapidly in the usual hyperactive manner of leaf warblers and.you might think this would be an advantage to finding it but it was the opposite as when it perched motionless for some time unless you had detected it when it moved it was very hard to get onto.I failed comprehensively to locate it when it was stilL but managed a few brief views of it  silhouetted as it moved through the twigs.Most of the time it was at the back of the trees and bushes, obscured by a mass of twigs and leaves which did not help my cause.

No one got a decent photo and most of us initially only saw a flicker as it moved through the hedge. Now it was looking to be heading back to return around the corner of the hedge.

Various shouted confirmations of it being sighted verified this and eventually we were all back on the steep slope where we had started.There came convoluted directions from those who were on it. others with thermal imagers related where it was in the trees but I still had not seen it properly 

The crowd I would estimate as well in excess of a hundred, some said three hundred and sadly not everyone felt able to observe birding etiquette and allowed their anxiety, panic, you name it, to get the better of them by standing in front of others and being inconsiderate.

An eldery gentleman sat in front of me and I gently tapped him on the shoulder only to find it was the legendary Dennis Coutts, someone I am honoured to call a friend and who has seen more bird species than anyone else in his native Shetland.Dennis is now all of ninety but had still the energy and will to cross the fence and yomp across the field as good as the rest of us.

Dennis you are blocking my view.

Here sit next to me.

I  made room for him

Can you see it? he enquired

He gingerly sat down, remarking he might not be able to get up again and I supported his back with my hand.

A minute later revelation came as, at last I located the warbler on a branch mid way up a tree in front of me.As per usual it just perched there for a minute or more not moving at all.I had a clear view of the three broad buff lines on its dark head and snow white underparts contrasting with the green of its upperbody and wings

Another image from Bempton

I can see it!  I exclaimed and tried to get Dennis onto it but for one reason or another he could not find it.Then it dropped down much lower near to a tree stump and again perched quite still and fully visible.I could see it but many others could not.

What can you do? I gave Dennis more directions involving tree stumps and fence posts and finally he saw it. By now many others were viewing it too and so it went on as the bird disappeared and re-appeared.

I gave up on the camera as it insisted on focusiing on the leaves and twigs aound the warbler rather than on the bird itself. Too distant for my lens and for many others too.

And so we followed its progress through the trees and in the end I wearied of trying to constantly follow it. Then it all went quiet, the warbler had somehow absented itself without anyone noticing. If truth were told probably most had seen it well by now and settled for that. Others remained in the hope of re-finding it which I believe they did and Penny Clarke managed a really good photo after most had departed.

Mark and myself mutually agreed that it was as good a time as any to leave The early evening light was fading and  the land growing quiet and cold

Quite a day.