*Magnolia Warbler, St Govan’s Head, Pembrokeshire*

WE HAD A SWEEPSTAKE IN THE OFFICE A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, I CHOSE MAGNOLIA WARBLER AS THE NEXT NEW FOR AUTUMN 2023 MEGA but after a day I thought this was a ridiculous choice so I think I changed it to nighthawk or something. I should have stuck with it, as this morning I was watching the little cracker on Trevallen Downs, St Govan’s Head in lovely Pembrokeshire! Easy to see but surprisingly difficult to see well, it was several hours before I got a nice close view like the one above. It was mostly parts of the bird as it flitted around in fairly deep cover in bushes in a way not dissimilar to how Pallas’s Warbler can disappear into bare hawthorns. As the third UK record and the first on the mainland it drew a big crowd, with lots of familiar faces, only we all look like old people now! There was a steady passage of hirundines, mostly swallows, and Meadow Pipits and Sky Larks overhead but the bushes frequented by the Magnolia Warbler were rather quiet, with only a couple of Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and a Sedge Warbler of note on a lovely sunny day, after the early showers had passed through. A Clouded Yellow butterfly also skipped by as we were watching the Magnolia. Almost 10 years ago to the day I was watching Magnolia Warblers at Magee Marsh in Ohio, this is one of the earlier migrating wood warblers after all. The past two days have probably seen the biggest arrival of Nearctic passerines ever recorded in the UK and in Pembrokeshire alone there are Bay-breasted and Black-and-white Warblers, Bobolink and a likely Alder Flycatcher in addition to the Magnolia. It is all the result of an unusually large, fast moving warm front crossing the Atlantic giving these birds a ride. Edenwatcher on birdforum.neet made a good comment ‘There is nothing unlikely about being swept up in a weather event. It happens to millions of birds every autumn. What is unlikely is multiple American passerines leaping off a flurry of ships across the length of the west of Britain and Ireland within a 24 hour period associated with perfect conditions to lead to their natural arrival, Rob’. Thanks to Diedert for driving today!

MAGNOLIA WARBLER AT ST GOVAN'S HEAD