The Standlake Birder -

A brief spell of easterly winds this week brought a star-studded influx of migrants from the east. The standout was a stunning Siberian Robin, found by well-known local birder Hugh Harrop in his Shetland garden—an extraordinary addition to his garden list! In previous years, I would probably have been on Shetland at this time of year. However, Costa Rica showed me the delights of overseas birding, so instead I am going to The Gambia with Naturetrek in March. This will be my second visit to this African birding mecca; the first was with my then-girlfriend, just after I completed my PhD—a rather sobering 45 years ago! Among these eastern rarities, my choice was between a Sykes’s Warbler in Aberdeen and a probable Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler at Gibraltar Point. Both were found on Wednesday afternoon and remained until nightfall. The Sykes’s would have meant an 800-mile round trip and an overnight stay, so I foolishly opted for the Bonelli’s. Why foolishly? As readers of my previous blogs wi...