8 Birdwatch•October 2017 http://www.birdguides.com/birdwatch
BIRD NEWS THE BIG STORIES
All the early autumn megas were from
across the Atlantic, and British birders had
waited since 1985 for the rarest of them all –
American Redstart.YVONNE BENTING (HEBRIDEAN IMAGING)MARK RAYMENTSIMON SLADERedstart headlines
Yank invasion
American Redstart: Barra, Outer Hebrides, from 7 September 2017FRUITLESSLY searching for
American waders on his home
island of Barra, after a long
day in the rain, Bruce Taylor
nally got around to checking
the churchyard, which holds a
few sycamores and a bramble
patch.
As he approached, a small
bird took off from the ground
into a sycamore, showing
bright yellow at the base of its
tail. The likes of Siskin and
Green nch were rapidly ruled
out, and the only other species
this could be was American
Redstart, which would be just
the sixth for Britain. Thus the
bird proved to be as it posed
on a branch, cocking its tail.
Bruce grabbed a record shot
before it disappeared.
It was time to put the news
out, but there was no phonereception, so Bruce had to run
up the road in full waterproofs
with all his birding equipment
swinging, yelling about the bird
to an incredulous tourist as he
jumped into his car.
Rain kept the bird in place
the next morning and the rst
boatload of birders appeared from
neighbouring islands.
At the time of writing, the
redstart was still present and had
entertained hordes of delighted
visitors. ■Top: despite its name, only adult male American Redstarts have red in
the tail, and this fi rst-winter female has a bright sherbet yellow instead;
the tail pattern is more reminiscent of Red-breasted Flycatcher.
Above: the fairly plain wing with just a hint of yellow at the base of the
secondaries ages the bird as a fi rst-winter, and much of the yellow-
tinged underparts will become grey, should the bird survive.
Below: the American Redstart forages on a local Hebridean dry stone
wall. The last British record was a fi rst-winter male in Winchester,
Hampshire, from 4-6 October 1985.FIRST FOR BIRD NEWSFIRST FOR BIRD NEWSFirst for bird newsFirst for bird newsacross the Atlantic, and British birders had
waited since 1985 for the rarest of them all –MARK RAYMENTAmerican Redstart: Barra, Outer Hebrides, from 7 September 2017STATS & FACTS
First recorded: Porthgwarra,
Cornwall, 18 September 1967.
Last recorded: Mizen Head, Co
Cork, 24-30 August 2008.
Previous British records: 5
Previous Irish records: 3
Mega rating: ★★★★★1710 p008-011 bigStories FIN.indd 8 22/09/2017 10: