ML613350189

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

After a quiet seawatch and with the evening drawing on I set out to have a wander around the headland. Aware the current system had the potential to produce American birds I walked the short grass clifftops hoping for a Buff-breasted Sandpiper (it feels like a perfect setting for one). I had heard about the events going on at Skokholm Island (with the appearance of an Empidonax Flycatcher) and my thoughts turn the possibility of finding an American passerine. I used to have a typical route I'd walk when I covered this location more regularly in my late teens/early 20s which took me from the headland and into the small valley that runs east away from the car park and towards a small cove. I took this route and at about 18.45 I dropped down the steep valley side near the seaward side and proceeded to the small section of blackthorn and hawthorn scrub further up the top of the valley. I stood still overlooking the cover and began 'pishing' in an attempt to bring birds out of the dense cover. A short while later and a small bird flew past me and dived into the blackthorn in front of me. It looked unusually bright yellow and in the flash of view I had I think I could make out a white wing-bar. Trying to keep level-headed and not jump to any crazy conclusions I waited at my current spot and continued looking, 'pishing' occasionally. The wind seemed to be getting into the valley now funnelling from the west and my vantage became increasingly blustery. The patch of blackthorn forms a small ridge and shelters and area of smaller bushes and bracken slightly towards the seaward side. Having no luck from my current position and determined to figure out what I had just seen I walked around to view this sheltered side of the scrub patch. Some tantalising flicks of a bird and occasional shakes of bracken got me excited, but I had seen a couple of Blue Tits at this point and no sign of my mystery bird! I remained patient and noted movement again. At about 19:00 I noticed a bird flick out of the vegetation and perch out in the open on a bracken stem, I managed to get my bins on it and wow it had bright yellow underparts and two white wing-bars!! I just couldn't believe what I was looking at! I knew it was an American wood-warbler, but the species didn't come immediately to me. I started shaking and my legs turned to jelly I was smiling but I couldn't even articulate any words to myself! My first though was I needed to get a photo of it! No one is going to believe this I thought! A few more flicking views and it perched up again and I got a few photos! Relief! I reviewed the photos and had a few more fleeting views, and it was at this point I was fairly sure I had a Magnolia Warbler in front of me!! I had to let people know this was here. St Govan's Head is a real signal black spot. There is nothing in the valley, so I had to leave the bird! I sprinted up the steep valley side and back up to the cliff top where I had signal previously. I was shaking I could barely type but I just about managed to get a coherent message together and a photo which felt like an age for it to send! But it did eventually! Pressure somewhat off I sprinted back into the valley and back to where the bird was and to my delight it was still flicking about in the same area where I had left it. It continued to show really well for the rest of the evening, and I was able to note all the features to confirm the identification as a Magnolia Warbler. Specifically, the faint dark streaking along the flanks. It called on several occasions as it flicked through bracken a high pitched slightly buzzy "tink". Such a superb bird to watch and enjoy. When it flicked up to catch flies it would fan its tail showing off the white centres to the feathers which formed a white band across the tail. A truly stunning bird and an incredible experience! The Magnolia Warbler showed well and was very active all evening but from about 19.20 it became much more elusive. I last saw it at 19.26 as it dived into a blackthorn bush presumably to roost. I stayed around the area until 19:45 but I did not see the bird again that evening. This represents the 3rd record of Magnolia Warbler for Britain and the 1st for Wales.

Technical information

Model

COOLPIX P950

ISO

1100

Focal length

116 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

1/30 sec

Dimensions

2851 pixels x 2142 pixels

Original file size

1.7 MB