Retrospective on Shetland - Barred Warbler- 10th October 2025

It would be hard to not see a Barred Warbler on any extended birding stay on Shetland in autumn.This year I saw at least four or five. They can and do appear virtually anywhere usually when you least expect to see them. For example whilst waiting for a sight of a Siberian Thrush at Scatsta one suddenly appeared hopping along a hedge below some conifers. I have also seen them in almost the centre of Lerwick and then in the middle of nowhere on Yell. You just never know.

They are one of the largest warblers almost sparrow sized. and their movements are very unwarbler like being slow and ponderous and at times they can look clumsy as they balance haphazardly on twigs that seem too ragile to take their weight.

Although they can appear randomly, there are certain places on Shetland where you can almost be guaranteed to encounter one or more in autumn. Such a place is the popular public footpath that runs along the east side of Clickimin Loch from Sound to Lerwick High School.

Lined by trees and bushes on either side, almost without fail one will find a Barred Warbler feeding here.Often their stay is protracted and even favouring one particluar bush or tree above all others. For a large bird they can be frustratingly elusive, often feeding low down or in deep cover and requiring a long wait before they reveal their presence but some birds can be very confiding and will gravitate out into the open. A favourite move is to ascend to the top of a tree or bush to look around and then fly to another area that takes their fancy.

All appear to be first year birds in a virtually featureless grey plumage, slightly paler below with a contrasting whitish throat. There are pale fringes to the tertials and wing coverts and white on the outermost tail feather. To look for any bars on their plumage is futile apart from the undertail coverts which can show strong barring. The base of the lower mandible is noticeably pink.

Barred Warblers are a regular scarce visitor to the Northern Isles in autumn especially following an easterly airflow.They breed across eastern Europe as far as central and southern Siberia and winter in East Africa.

The bird at Clickimin remained for at least seven days and always appeared in the same small area of trees and bushes although requiring some patience when not immediately viewable.Another long staying individual was several hundred metres further along the path near to the school but again could be frustratingly elusive