North American passerines - whatever next?

[Brian S]

Well, the US and Canadian passerines continue to come to the UK and Ireland. To this list,

Yellow Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
Buff-bellied Pipit
Red-eyed Vireo
Blackpoll Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Alder Flycatcher
Grey-cheeked Thrush
[and you might add Hornemann's Redpoll, though they also breed in NW Greenland]
[Have I missed any?],

you can now add Bobolink and Swainson's Thrush.

What will be next? I'd like something in East Anglia (reminiscent of the Red-breasted Nuthatch), but how about Cape May Warbler or Pine Siskin?

Anyone else like to guess?

Brian S

[Hirundo]

well, assuming we've exhausted our ration of firsts, then yellow-billed cuckoo, american robin, hermit thrush, yellow-rumped warbler or baltimore oriole seem likely candidates. where in cornwall was the red-eyed vireo today?

if we want to guess the next first or blocker, then anything's possible but i'd go for:

black-throated blue warbler
kentucky warbler
bay-breasted warbler
palm warbler
chestnut-sided warbler
magnolia warbler
wood thrush
song sparrow

on the azores, dominic mitchell has had yellow-throated vireo and hooded warbler

[Dave Hawkins]

My vote would be for a 'Maggie'
:wideeyed: ...:swoon: ... :biggrin: ... :beer::beer:!!!

Dave

[Martin]

And what about the 1st winter American Redstart in Ireland Brian, and was there not a claim of YT Vireo a few days ago in Nanquidno - what's the story on that one.

I'd be interested to hear what others think (just in numbers terms) we might already have missed. Am I being generous or mean to birders if I suggested that:

on Scillies birders have probably only found between 50-75% of nearctic vagrants that actually made landfall

in Cornwall birders have probably only found between 20-40%

and in Ireland, well who knows perhaps as little as 1-5% ?

[MichaelF]

Wouldn't surprise me at all.

[Brian S]

Whatever next?

White-throated Sparrow , of course....

(Is that 12 or 13 species?)

Brian S

[Harry Hussey]

It's already the best year for species diversity of American passerines here since the legendary 1985, and it's only 13th Oct still, so this year could end up ahead yet. All but the American Redstart have proven truly twitchable also, which is helping a lot of us 'low listers' catch up with species that the 'big boys' saw years ago!
3 passerine ticks so far this month (all since Wednesday!), and also got the two Yanks on Cape in August. Barring firsts, my own wants list for the weeks ahead would include Yellow-rumped and Blackpoll Warblers, Bobolink, Common Nighthawk etc...

[Bobolink44]

does the yellowthroat on board the MV Aurora docked in southampton count?

[Joe stockwell]

if it did nobody was allowed to twitch it anyway!

[Steve Keen]

And Philly Vireo . . .

A Black-throated Blue or Cape May would be nice, about my only Yank warblers still needed, but preferably no further west than Portland.

[Brian S]

I don't know enough about the Common Yellowthroat - whether it was fed or not on board (though in a way what does it matter?).

Phil Vireo is nice, brings back memories of the D-day landings on Tresco in '87.....

Brian S

[AndyB]

In addition to the photos on the stop press, nice photos of the Philadelphia here too:
http://www.clarebirdwatching.com/scarce-rare-sightings.html

Philadelphia Vireo brings back unhappy memories after a long journey down to Scilly, missing it (seeing Brian's sketches) and then that painful return on the Scillonian during the hurricane - how long did that return crossing take - 12 hrs?? After docking at 2am, sleeping on a bench at Penzance station in the pouring rain.

After moving to the States, I always seemed to fail to connect with this species. Whenever I went back east during spring and autumn, I always missed them by a few minutes and then missed approximate 10 different vagrants in California over the years. Couldn't believe it, when I finally saw my first (a vagrant in california) a few years ago. Anyway, great bird and further kudos to the Irish birders who are having a terrific autumn.

[Josh Jones]

on Scillies birders have probably only found between 50-75% of nearctic vagrants that actually made landfall

I very much doubt it is anything like that. Probably less than 20%

[Graham Etherington]

After seeing what they saw on Corvo this year, I'd go for Hooded Warbler.

[alan lewis]

After seeing what they saw on Corvo this year, I'd go for Hooded Warbler.

Ain't is a bit late for a Hoodie? In fact getting pretty late for most of the ultra-rare Wood Warblers (at least the ones I need). Latest was the Prawle Chestnut-sided on 18/10. I still need Yellowthroat though but don't tell anyone.....

cheers, alan

[Brian S]

That journey on the Scillonian back to Penzance finally put me off the beast

....into an easterly gale, that took sooo long by the time we reached the harbour the tide had gone out, so the boat kept on bottoming. Having run aground and waited for the tide to come it, we finally docked at some god-awful time.....

Mind you we had seen Hermit, Swainson's and Eyebrowed Thrush, Phil Vireo and Blackpoll Warbler, Eastern Bonelli's, Grosbeak......Happy memories.

Brian S

[beltonbirder]

Well a Hermit Thrush sp was Possibly seen in Great Yarmouth Norfolk but on investigation it was found by a stringer.
With the amount of Sea watchers in Norfolk and Suffolk another Albatross must be out there one day