I had thought I had updated my mobile so that it wouldn't automatically change the clock for the end of British Summer Time, so the pre-dawn alarm went off at the correct time. That didn't work and the phone's alarm went off as it was starting to get light. By the time I had finished my breakfast, I realised I wouldn't be able to cover the St Aldhelms patch as thoroughly as I had planned before my 13:00 WeBS count at Brands Bay. I decided on Plan B: to head to Durlston for a few hours in the hope of a stripy-warbler. My departure time changed rapidly when I got a text saying Red-eyed Vireo trapped at Durlston & will be released at 08:15. That was in fourteen minutes time. Fortunately, the Durlston car park is about eight minutes drive away from my house and the release point was by the old info centre, which is right next to the car park. I picked up my coat, bins & camera and arrived in time to see Poole Ringer, Ian Lewis, walking happily towards where the only local Birder, Rob Johnson, was standing. With no sign of the Durlston ex-warden and only other Birder on site, Hamish Murray, Ian produced my first Dorset Red-eyed Vireo.
This is only the sixth Dorset record of a Red-eyed Vireo and the commonest American Passerine seen in Dorset over the years:
- Portland Bill (23-24 Sep 23)
- Portland Bill (14 Oct 16)
- Littlesea, The Fleet (10 Oct 1995)
- Southwell, Portland (3-5 Oct 1988)
- Hengistbury Head (12 Oct 1987).
Ian released the Red-eyed Vireo in the bushes by the car park. We saw it briefly perched in one of the trees, before diving into cover. I expected that would be the last we would see of it. Trapped & released Birds tend to disappear after being released. Albeit they sometimes remain in the area, as they pop up again in mist nets a day or two later. After about fifteen minutes, I tried some pishing and saw a bird with a big creamy supercilium near the top of the nearest Sycamore. It was too brief a sighting to see any other features, as it was skulking well inside the leaves, but it looked promising. I put Rob onto the area. Another round of pishing & it popped up and gave a clear enough view to confirm it was the Red-eyed Vireo: phew. Fortunately, Rob also got onto it, but it was too concealed for a photo. Thirty minutes later, we saw some Blue Tits appear and while watching them, again picked up a very skulky Bird deep in the leaves. I saw it fly & then relocated it sitting right in the open on a bare branch. I quickly called the directions to the small group of locals present as I raised the camera. Fortunately, everybody in the small group there got onto it & it remained long enough for some photos.
Over the rest of the morning, it showed about eight times for the slowly increasing group of Birders. Finally, at lunchtime, I had to call it a day as I needed a quite bite before I headed off for my WeBS count. It had been a great morning, especially given the almost complete absence of American Passerines in the UK this Autumn.
