August 10, 2004
Autumn starts here
After a week of south-easterlies of varying intensities, am pleased to report autumn has officially started here (or at least on our island). Unfortunately renovation work to the crofthouse has got in the way of actually going out and finding my own birds, so have been relying on JL and B to produce the goods.
Sunday was a good start, with JL turning up a Cuckoo and a couple of Willow Warblers in the plantation, moving on to a couple of Ruff at the east loch. He let me know about all of this, but to no avail - I was stuck with concrete-work in the fireplace all day. Fortunately B stopped by to see how things were going, and coincided his visit with a flyover Ruff, so despite crappy distant views that one is on the garden list.
By the evening I'd stopped work, and was heading out for a late seawatch when JL arrived again to take me back to the plantation for a male Red-backed Shrike. Have seen plenty of R-bS in the UK, but never a male, so this was a long-anticipated bird. It didn't disappoint, perching in the sun on the plantation fence and occasionally flying sorties into the conifers or dropping down into the grass to return with something unfortunate and juicy. It's like all these things - seeing them in mainland Europe is never quite as good as in the UK, and especially not as good as on your local patch.
The seawatch was dire, but not entirely unexpected as by then it was 9pm and only a few Gannets and Fulmars moving offshore. JL turned up having decided to come and join me, but had been distracted en route by a warbler on the edge of a small loch on the golf course - after B had been wishing for an Aquatic Warbler, this seemed promising! JL was almost certain it was only an elusive Sedge, and sure enough that's all it was. But still a migrant warbler, and as yesterday showed, that was a good omen.
Got back on the island after work yesterday to find JL and his family checking out the croft above the plantation, having already turned up a Garden Warbler. I was strong, and after a brief stop for a chat headed on up the road to home and the fireplace. Almost immediately the phone was ringing - JL had a Barred Warbler in the plantation. I hurried back, and after five minutes working the bushes I'd had two extended flight views, and one reasonable look at it perched in a conifer. Then hurried back to my fireplace.
B came down the island to set up a mist net, and in no time my phone rang again - they'd caught a warbler, but not the Barred - this time an Icterine. B kindly brought the bird up to the house, as by then I was confined to my carpentry. An hour later JL arrived with the Barred Warbler, which he released in the dusk into my giant thistle patch, where it was still mooching around this morning when I left for work. All in all, a great couple of days.
(Oops, forgot to mention the Green Sandpiper yesterday on the flooded meadow by the harbour. Nice).
I don't think I can count in-the-hand birds on the garden list... and even though the Barred is still at large, it's an introduced bird, so am going to be strong and not count that either. What an agonising decision!