Pallas's Warbler - Blast From The Past Finds

I've said it many times. 

You're nothing in birding if you've never found a Pallas's Warbler. Nothing I tells ya! 😉

There is no gem so iconic in birding, as Pallas's Warbler. Their image saturates every autumn round up you've ever seen. 

Just seeing one is a rare treat, but finding one, ahh.... that's the stuff!

13.11.2011

My first self found bird fell on the 13th of November at Power Head, Cork.

Power Head had been doing exceptionally well that autumn, with several scarce migrants, several rarities (Rose-colored Starling etc), and no less than 2 juv Pallid Harrier taking up residence in the harrier roost there.

As myself and Conor Foley settled in for the evening wait for these harriers, stood on a stone wall with Aidan Duggan, we were suddenly struck by a "chu-ing" call from the adjacent garden. 

Myself and Conor looked at each other in shock. "Did you hear that?" "That sounded like Pallas's " I said.

Aidan Duggan said he had heard nothing, but myself and Conor jumped off the wall at lightning speed and made our way to the garden.

A small warbler flitted across the gateway into the back hedge. It looked good. 

I made my way to the back of the hedge, standing on the hill above it, Conor stayed at the front of the hedge. 

No sooner than I was in place, a small warbler began to rise up through the branches.

We both locked on to the bird simultaneously and there was no doubt. "Pallas's!!!".

The bird gave superb views flitting around the top branches. Birders stood waiting for Pallid Harriers panicked and suddenly were forced to run. 

Two other birders were miles off down a lane, visible but out of earshot.

I took off towards them, whistling and shouting as loud as I could. One of them raised their bins to look back at me and I gave the internationally recognized gesture of jumping up and down like a mad hoor and waving my arms in the direction of the garden. 

They began to move in our direction, with a notable hop, skip, step motion. 😂

The bird performed very well, and stayed over a week to be enjoyed by twitchers from all over the country.

It was somewhat marred by one known south side Dublin nutcase (the one who thinks he's a wizard and casts spells in his garden shed...I kid ye not) chasing it from pillar to post the following weekend, entering the garden without permission and entering private fields, including close to the harrier roost, but otherwise a brilliant bird enjoyed by all.

20.11.2011

My second and third self found Pallas's fell just the following week. 

Having had an uncooperative Hume's Warbler in "the gully" at Knockadoon the previous evening, the following day I was failing to relocate it. 

I began checking other sites, and as I entered the caravan park, was treated to yet another Pallas's Warbler appearing in the entrance trees before me. 

It did a dive to a hedge on the far side of the compound (weird to see such a small warbler do such a long flight, it's rump shining the whole way). 

I put out the news, and made my way in to track it down. 

There's a small hill on the west side, with a vegetated lane going up it. I made my way up this, and about 3/4 the way up this, the Pallas's suddenly appeared in the low hedge beside me, giving point blank views at the very low limit of my binoculars focus range.

It made it's way past me, down the lane, me holding my breath the whole time. The views were just unbelievable!! I've never had so good since.

Denis O'Sullivan appeared at the bottom of the lane and was walking up to me. I pointed to the hedge on the right and as I did, the bird flew across the lane, to the low vegetation on the left and continued downwards, past Denis, giving him the same kind of views! Excellent timing on his part. 

The bird went back into the entrance trees/hedge, and I continued to work the rest of the compound. 

At the back hedge...I found another Pallas's!! Though this one was not so showy. It was also keeping company with a rather tasty Firecrest. 

Walking back out, the first Pallas's was still near the entrance, but now not showing nearly so easily. 

What a result! 😍

These birds stayed around several days and were twitched by several people. 

27.10.2012

My fourth and final (well...hooefully not) self found Pallas's Warbler came the following Autumn, again at Knockadoon, Cork.

A very frustrating individual, it was extremely skulking, aided by how horrendously well vegetated that garden has become.

I first saw the bird whilst inside the garden itself, obtaining a brief blip of a couple of wing bars in the tops of some trees.

Patience did not pay off. And 15 mins later standing at the same spot, produced no further views and no calls of any kind.

I moved to the driveway and the areas here. No joy. 

I moved out of the garden, checking the stream, checking the exterior. 

Nothing.

I then walked back up the road and up the slip road so that I was standing on the embankment overlooking the garden.

Finally it was here I obtained some reasonable views as the bird blipped around some dense ivy and branches. It popped it's stripey head out to look at me just once, and then dived down into the garden again.

I tried again inside the garden, but there was no sign. 

A further hour staking it out from the embankment failed.

This was a one of those Pallas's I had heard about when starting out birding. No, showy, tame individual here, but a venomous skulker, determined to remain anonymous.

Giving up, I walked back up to the crossroads to get phone signal and put news out. Maybe others would get luckier, but I wasn't prepared to give it more time. 

Sadly I don't think anyone got on to it subsequently. 

A bit of a downer relative to the showy gems from the year before, but a find is a find. 

And so I say it again. 😉 You're nothing in birding if you've never found a Pallas's. Nothing.