Magnolia Warbler, Saint Govan's Head 24th September 2023

I travelled to Pembrokeshire yesterday to see just one of the unprecedented infux of American landbirds since 20th September. The Magnolia Warbler found by local birder Toby Phelps at Saint Govan's Head is the third record for the UK, one of fifteen (so far) different species recorded across UK & Ireland, with multiple sightings of some.

I arrived at Saint Govan's Head shortly after midday and made my way around the large hawthorn north of the car park. There was a path through the scrub with about twenty birders crammed into a small area. The toggers at the front were well placed! The Magnolia Warbler appeared almost immediately flitting about, but with branches frequently obscuring the views as well as negotiating other birders, my only views were a second or two as the bird zipped about. I crept around the edge of the glade to the vantage point in the photo above. Sitting patiently, waiting, the Magnolia Warbler appeared several times, but again only for a couple of seconds, until eventually it was out in the open in the middle of the glade for several seconds. Fantastic!

I was also hoping to see the Canada Warbler only a few miles away, amazingly also found by Toby Phelps on 23rd September. First for the UK, with one in Ireland in 2006. However, that wasn't seen. I learnt today that it has been seen again!

The third of the trio of vagrant American warblers in Pembrokeshire was a Bay-breasted Warbler on Ramsey Island RSPB, found by Assistant Warden Alys Perry. The second for the UK, after one in 1995. Again, not seen yesterday, but seen again today! With the next boat not until Saturday there could be a repeat of last Saturday when some saw all three warblers in a single day! That is if they stay...

Photo by Dave Hutton | Photo by Will Bowell

Previous records:
1981 Isles of Scilly - St Agnes, 27th to 28th September.
2012 Fair Isle, male, 23rd September.

BBC Morning Live - Roy Dennis White-tailed Eagle report

 

Living World - Hen Harrier

LIVING WORLD - HEN HARRIER (320kbs-m4a/50mb/22mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 23rd September 2018

Ghosts of the Moor are how the pale grey male hen harrier is sometimes referred to as it glides seemingly without effort across an upland landscape. To find out more and to revel in actually seeing a hen harrier on the wing, in this episode Brett Westwood & lolo Williams are on the Berwyn Moors in Wales in search of this enigmatic bird of prey. lolo has brought Brett to this particular spot as since seeing his first hen harrier here as a young boy, lolo has returned every year to study their ecology and biology. As the duo watch harriers on the moor, lolo expands his understanding of how harriers utilise this unique man made habitat, especially in early spring when the males perform their spectacular "sky dances" to attract the female. Not everyone is as pleased to have hen harriers on their moorland so discussion falls to how rare in England & Scotland they are due to loss of habitat to conifer plantations or sheep, as well as conflict on grouse moors.

Lindsey Chapman revisits this revised Living World from 2001 bringing the story up to date for today's listener.

Producer Andrew Dawes.

BBC North West Today - Neston Marsh Recovery report