Western Bonelli's Warbler

Firstly, a massive thank you to MYP for finding and releasing the news of this bird so promptly - even from a communications blackspot! Richard is right that there is no reception (certainly not Orange) in the valley - it therefore would have been helpful if some of the birders who left the site mid afternoon having seen it had put the news out (I am thankful to Wendy for calling me as soon as she had reception around 5.15pm - but in the absence of any news since 1pm I had decided to go anyway!). After the 5pm sighting referred to by Richard the bird was seen twice, at 6.20pm and 6.35pm in the uppermost (northern) patch of withies (i.e. further up the valley than earlier). It was not easy to see, but seen well enough, it was keeping generally to the tops of the withies and called a few times. Also here a 1st winter Redstart.

Following MYP's post, according to the online guide to rarer birds the 31st August 1948 Skokholm record is indeed the first record of Western, the 1991 Skokholm record (also 31st August) being recorded as Eastern/Western. Coincidentally the latest issue of British Birds arrived in the post today, covering the rare bird report for 2010, and the British totals to end 2010 are 97 Western, 75 Eastern/Western (presumably most Western) & 5 Eastern. (Hope this link works: http://www.birdguides.com/rbcd/species.asp?s=136290).