Hang on you’re probably thinking. Has this lad got his years wrong or what? Well autumn 2007 is now over. It hasn’t been too bad has it? For most thoughts now turn to next year but I’ve decided to have a bit of a light hearted look at what has been and what could have been.
True to form Scilly produced a usual spread of yanks- not enough in some people’s eyes. But if you look at Grey-cheeked Thrush, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and a couple of Buff-bellied Pipits and Blackpoll Warblers then I for one would say it wasn’t half bad. At the other end of the country Shetland scored highly with Siberian Thrush, Siberian Rubythroat, Swainson’s Thrush, White’s Thrush and Greater Yellowlegs recorded whilst the Outer Hebrides (I don’t like the term ‘Western Isles’ by the way) logged record numbers of Great Shearwaters in September, a Buff-bellied Pipit in October and then in November, the piece de resistance, a Mourning Dove. And I almost forgot… Flamborough scored big with what will presumably be the first accepted British record of Brown Flycatcher.
Ireland had a quiet September by recent standards as the trajectory of the lows hit further north than ideal, and the usual south-west wader fest didn’t happen as it was pretty much shorts and t-shirt weather believe you me. In October ‘The Cape’ was extremely quiet with a brief Grey-cheeked Thrush being the highlight though the first Blyth’s Reed Warblers and first twitchable Buff-bellied Pipits were well received on the nearby mainland. And then just as things seemed to have wound down, the perseverance of a certain Mr McGeehan paid off with the discovery of the country’s first Mourning Dove on Inishbofin Island just off the Galway coast. Then again you ‘BOU only boys’ couldn’t give a flying fuck as it’s a foreign land, isn’t it?
So there you have it, autumn 2007 in two paragraphs. But if you look at it in a wider sense then surely it’s a case of what the hell have we all missed. Admittedly I haven’t been to Shetland this year, I’ve only spent a couple of days on Scilly and despite spending a fair amount of time in Ireland in September my October birding has been largely limited to London and Kent with the odd twitch and scrap thrown in for good measure. And it wouldn’t surprise me that many have followed the Garry model and done sweet fuck all birding, gripped the pager and got in the car when need be. I suppose I’ve been guilty of the latter two at times.
So how can we get a bit more out of next autumn? Follow in the footsteps of the punks perhaps and be much maligned for treading on their pioneering toes? Go to Foula and get your head bashed in cos you’re not part of that crowd? Go to Scilly (photo below) and bleat about the good old days whilst your wallet gets the monetary equivalent of an arse raping? The list goes on…
It is glaringly obvious that in the last decade or so weather systems from the west have changed and are heading further north than in those mid 80s glory days for yanks. I’m sure one day we’ll get another system where coccyzus cuckoos drop out of the skies and onto Scilly but that’ll have to wait for now. Most of the time these days birders who are spending time in County Cork, Cornwall and Scilly need to realise that they are just getting the dribs and drabs of what have been direct hits further north.
Admittedly some of these ‘dribs and drabs’ aren’t too shoddy… Hermit Thrush and Northern Oriole on Cape last year and perhaps the Grosbeak on Scilly this year. By heading further north and west you’re not going to get your fill of fucking Short-toed Larks and Tawny Pipits but it’s more than likely that there’s more to score in the real rarity stakes.
So, on a dark night after freezing my bollocks off during the perennial Caspian Gull November wank fest, perhaps the following places and ideas may get the old juices flowing for something a bit different in 2008. And for those who have been there, live there or have done that then good for you – you’ve already lived the dream. Leave us mere morsels to have sweet dreams. So here goes: -
Outer Hebrides – when are we all going to cotton on to the fact that this is the place that’s currently taking direct hits? It’s not a groundbreaking suggestion admittedly and I’m not going to guide you through all the places to search for rare (I do know of a few but the locals know better). Abandon Scilly and the south-west, get a few car loads of birders on Lewis, Harris, North and South Uist and Benbecula and let’s do some real monster damage (we’ll leave the Barra boys to continue doing their share). In the last decade or so the plantations of Snishival, Skipport, Clachan and Grogarry have all scored with yanks (Blackpoll Warbler, Swainson’s Thrush, Veery and Yellow-rumped Warbler respectively) that have been found by a dedicated, hardcore resident few. And then throw in a couple of Mourning Doves, a Purple Martin, a Long-tailed Shrike, a Buff-bellied Pipit as well as a number of waders and Snowy Owls… come on boys and girls, it doesn’t take a genius to work out that this is the fucking boy. It’s a big place so a concerted effort would be needed and a few teams would have to coordinate their visits. Looking at a map and trying to stray away from known sites then surely Gallan Head and Great Bernera on Lewis would be a place to target for that monster? But if you appreciate, as the punks put it, ‘standard scarce’ then you’ll be bitterly disappointed – forget those Richard’s Pipits and Short-toed Larks here, it’ll be biggy or bust here.
North Rona – immense potential but one rather large issue being actually getting there and getting off. It’s uninhabited though lying in the Atlantic 40 miles or so off The Butt of Lewis, with the right system it’ll score from the west but there doesn’t seem to be too much cover to keep things. Track record wise, it hasn’t got one in autumn though if my memory serves me correctly there may well have been a Black-eared Wheatear one spring. Good luck to anyone going here… they truly deserve it.
Cape Wrath, Highland – the area around Cape Wrath at the northern end of the Scottish mainland is severely underwatched and oozes potential. To give you an example, when everyone dipped the Daurian Starling at Balnakeil in 1998, the gathered crowd spread out and came up with a Yellow-breasted Bunting, Dotterel and Greenland Redpoll. With a spring record of Trumpeter Finch it already has a track record but I’d be very surprised if a team of birders have made a concerted effort in autumn. Going to Cape Wrath itself involves a ferry and then a bus and this is seasonal but probably futile due to the lack of cover and habitat. The croft areas to the north of Balnakeil and Durness would be the area to focus on based on limited past records but it’s unlikely to take any direct hits from the west due to it being in the shadow of Cape Wrath and Faraid Head. For something a little different the road leading out from Kinlochbervie on the southern side of the headland could be worth a shot – there’s been a Lesser Grey Shrike here in the last decade and checking the crofts and gardens of Droman, Oldshore Beg, Oldshoremore and Balchrick could produce the odd surprise or two. Note that this area is on the same latitude as the Butt of Lewis and isn’t in the shadow of the Hebs so, if you’re extremely lucky, a yank may not be wholly out of the equation.
Duncansby Head to Helmsdale, Highland – most active birders will have been up to Scrabster to get the ferry to Orkney at some point. That last hour of driving through tired eyes takes you through some wicked coastal habitat completely untouched by birders. With a White’s Thrush just to the south at Brora in the early 90s and a Rufous Turtle Dove a couple of years ago near Dunnet Head, there’s evidently a few birds to be found for the hardy birder. Obvious headlands such as Noss Head are areas to start at but vegetated ravines at Latheronwheel and Berriedale would definitely be worth giving a bash. And though the same could probably be said for the whole of the East Coast, surely there’s some of the Northern Isle specialities are to be found lurking here from time to time.
Orkney – With such cripplers as Siberian Blue Robin, Veery, Siberian Thrush and Yellow-browed Bunting it’s no surprise that North Ronaldsay registers on the consciousness of birders. By all accounts though, it’s incredibly underwatched these days with the observatory rather quiet even in peak autumn migration. Sanday looks decent on a map but it is in the shadow of North Ron to the north and Stronsay to the south. A couple of teams have given it a bash in recent years – I think Lanceolated Warbler is the best to be mustered up to date though one team’s best find within a week’s work was a Red-backed Shrike! Papa Westray is a small and conceivably the most manageable island to cover but with a westerly location. And if anybody’s struggling for Christmas presents this year, then how’s about asking for ‘Stronsay’s Garden Birds’ by John Holloway? With ‘photographic evidence’ of Great Blue Heron, Semipalmated Plover, Short-billed Dowitcher, Pin-tailed Snipe, Syke’s Warbler, Siberian Flycatcher and Taiga Flycatcher as well as illustrations of Eleonora’s Falcon, Slender-billed Curlew, Oriental Skylark, Crag Martin and Buff-bellied Pipit this is indeed food for thought. Some may want to look no further than Stronsay whilst others may pass on the opportunity though…
Papa Stour, Shetland – when I googled this place to find out a little more about it, one of the first sites for me to look at was a Christian rehab centre for men with alcohol and drug problems. But why place yourself here right next to the mainland when, if you’re wanting to do a Shetland island, the likes of Foula, Fair Isle and Out Skerries are probably far more appealing. And you’d envisage getting more birds on these other islands… but if the perceived increase in numbers of birders in future autumns at places such as Sumburgh, Spiggie and Virkie piss you off, why not give this a shot for a couple of days?
Shetland Mainland – some of Britain’s finest birders live here. They obviously have to work from time to time to eek a living but they haven’t done too badly historically with records of Pallas’ Sandgrouse, Caspian Plover, Sandhill Crane, Brown Shrike and Olive-tree Warbler illustrating this. No groundbreaking suggestions here as it’s been done for years, just spread out and suffer a couple of days of hardship away from South Mainland as there’s rare to be scored in the north and west as well. It’s bloody hard work though by all accounts away from the usual sites; get the boots and waterproofs on and get stuck in those iris beds. Shetland Mainland (well, South Mainland at least) will probably appeal to more and more people over the coming years – I’d hazard a guess that next year it’ll be swamped due to this year’s good form. Even Garry’s meant to be going next year so it must have some potential.
Tiree, Argyll - The furthest west of the Inner Hebrides and already developing a bit of a track record with finds as diverse as American Herring Gull, Eleonora’s Falcon (probably) and Booted Warbler in recent years. Mind you anything must be possible as the Ascension Frigatebird here goes to prove.
Colonsay, Argyll - Again in the Inner Hebrides and pretty much untouched. With a Semipalmated Plover reported here this autumn many were probably grabbing a map to see where it was. With both Brown-headed Cowbird and American Redstart recorded on the nearby island of Islay, you’d imagine an assault on this place may be worth a go by the brave.
And for all you BOU boys, don’t bother reading on as I’m talking about a foreign land now. You might as well go jerk your gherkin and join the crowds on Lesbos. But for all those die hard Britain and Ireland birders, the further west you go perhaps the most exciting finds lay in wait. If you go to Shetland and you’re lucky or diligent you may find a Pechora Pipit, Bluetail or White’s Thrush – all nice birds admittedly – but for that real monster from the west look no further than the emerald isle. For some reason (I think it’s probably the craic) everybody flocks to the Cape and a few visit Tory Island (which remarkably to my knowledge has yet to record a yank passerine), but there’s a whole load of coast and islands left remarkably underwatched. And by underwatched I mean not watched at all in most cases. So here goes: -
Inishbofin, County Galway – fairly topical suggestion as it’s been put on the map this autumn with the finding of Ireland’s first Mourning Dove. Well, that is, unless you were very observant a couple of years ago when a Red-eyed Vireo was found by pioneering English birder Steve Dodgson. From first hand experience this place has immense potential (see photos below).
The furthest south-west of the Galway/Mayo islands, Inishbofin should get direct hits from the Atlantic as well as a bit of trickle from further north. There’s wader bays at the east end of the island, a nice load of relatively mature vegetation along the sheltered south side whilst short turf near the school will inevitably attract American Golden Plover and Buff-breasted Sands from time to time. This is the boy. Easily accessible with daily sailings from Cleggan Pier to the north of Clifden. And you could also give the smaller, nearby island of Inishturk a go as well.
Valentia Island, County Kerry – A fairly large island at the extreme south-western tip of The Iveragh Peninsular (that’s the one to the south of Dingle for those of you who don’t know). It’s connected to the mainland by a bridge at Portmagee so access is straightforward. There’s a rather daunting amount of cover in the valley to the south of Knightstown but as you head further south and west on the island habitat becomes a lot more manageable to cover (see photo below).
There’s an extremely promising garden, at the end of the track signed ‘Candles for Sale’, with a fair bit of cover and next stop America. Though Greenish Warbler is the only noteworthy record to date (again found by Steve Dodgson), yank potential is immense here. The scattered crofts and dry stone walls will inevitably hold a load of surprises. Despite Dingle becoming slightly more watched these days, this really is still new territory even with resident Kerry birders. Nearby on the mainland Bolus Head at the mouth of Ballinskelligs could also be worth a shout (the photo below depicts Bolus Head in the background looking from Ballinskelligs).
Clare Island, County Mayo – lying due south of Achill and at the entrance to Clew Bay this is the largest island and furthest north-east in the chain that includes Inishturk and Inishbofin. Access is easy with daily sailings throughout the year from Roonagh Quay to the west of Westport. Though very little birding has been done there is certainly potential, though in my opinion Achill to the north-west and the more manageable and probably slightly better positioned islands of Inishturk and Inishbofin have better potential. The island seems to be fairly barren though there are the obvious bushes that are associated with habitation.
Great Blasket Island, County Kerry – location wise this island is pretty much as good as it gets if you think about those old school fast moving depressions that come up from the south-west. It’s a pretty barren landscape though with little vegetation and a fair few dry stone walls birds aren’t inclined to hang around too long. Testament to this is that one of the only residents (if not the only resident) on the island has recorded both Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Yellow-rumped Warbler- both being found in inclement weather in her garden and not being seen once the weather perked up. Photo of Great Blasket looking from Dunquin: -
To get there, you’ll need to take a boat from either Dingle or Dunquin but inevitably the best birds are likely to turn up when the boats are unable to get there due to rough weather. Nearby Dunquin and the ravine at Coumeenoule are alternative spots to check, with the former already having recorded a couple of Red-eyed Vireos. A good deal of vegetation surrounding The Blaskets visitor centre (in Dunquin) could be worth checking whilst the area of trees by the red barn (photo below) and adjacent to the small stream are where efforts are probably most likely to be rewarded.
Achill Island, County Mayo – easy access as it’s connected to the mainland via a road. Being one of the furthest westerly points in Ireland, it surely gets direct hits from the west and reverse migrants from the east will see this as the last bit of land before the vast expanse of The Atlantic. Just look at its nearest neighbour to the north – The Mullet – as an example where recent efforts by a sole observer have produced species such as Red-eyed Vireo, Booted Warbler and a host of yank gulls and waders. Achill may well benefit from trickle from The Mullet and further north as it’s the last landfall before the vast expanse of Clew Bay. Though I’ve only visited the place in September, where waders were the priority, as well as a winter trip to see a Black Duck the place just heaves potential. One of the reasons is that the western end of the island, focused around the small village of Dooagh, seems to be a little bit like Loop Head (Kilbaha to be precise). The high cliffs of Achill Head drop down channelling tired migrants into this small village that could be covered fairly thoroughly by a small team of birders. With a lighthouse located on the south side marking the entrance to Clew Bay as well, the rewards are undoubtedly there to be discovered. And if you don’t score here, nearby I’m sure that Mr Suddaby wouldn’t mind the odd visitor to The Mullet now and again.
And finally please don’t take any offence to any of my thoughts or expletives. But if any of you decide to go to these wild places on the back of this load of dribble, then good luck and remember where you got some of the idea from.
Further reading:
- A Map (stare at one and see what you think)
- Google (do an image search on these locations to visualise where you’ll strike with the monster – Google Earth is a pretty useful bit of kit as well)
- Finding Birds in Ireland by Eric Dempsey and Michael O’Clery
- Autumn Migration in westernmost Donegal by DIM Wallace, Anthony McGeehan and Dave Allen in British Birds Volume 94: 103-120
- Pioneering Spirit by DIM Wallace and Stuart Rivers in Birding Scotland Volume 5: 167-171
