If one were to ask most people in the Northern Hemisphere what season we now had,they'd no doubt(correctly)reply that November is the first month of winter.From a birder's perspective,and increasingly so in recent years,it has become apparent that some "autumn" migration actaully continues well into the month(mostly involving Sibes and a few more regular species:it has long been known that "semi-residents" such as Skylark are on the move now).
After two days of near gale-force winds with rain,I decided to pay a visit to Knockadoon Head yesterday with a friend of mine(Iain Hill).(I had planned on getting the bus to the Old Head of Kinsale,but I missed this.)On going towards the "Holy Ground",Iain noticed some movement,and I picked the bird up with the naked eye:crown stripe,two wing-bars....After these few fleeting glimpses,I knew what the bird was,but seeing the pale yellow rump when it disappeared confirmed the ID:"That's a Pallas' Warbler!"
After what seemed like an eternity,it popped out again,and I walked up the road to put the news out.We then stayed with the bird,as others would be on their way.
When enough people had gathered there,we decided to check elsewhere on the head.There was nothing near the camp,or in the gardens on the way back,so we headed for the caravan park.Almost on arrival,a small Pylloscopus warbler was soon obvious,but the views obtained meant that we couldn't conclusively say whether it was a Yellow-browed or a Pallas':nevertheless,I felt that the rich yellow supercilium and prominent eyestripe pointed towards the latter.We phoned another local observer,who had come down to look at the first bird,and he joined us.Shortly afterwards,he pinned it down and confirmed it as a second Pallas'!
I visited the area again today,but neither bird was seen(DID have very poor views of what could well have been the second bird late this evening).3-4 Black Redstarts and 2 Blackcaps were the best:both are typical late autumn/winter birds.Found out later on that another friend of mine visited a different part of the headland from where we were this evening,and saw/found(?)2 Pallas',perhaps different birds?He also possibly heard a Firecrest(have found one in mid Nov before at the Old Head).
Seems to be more happening now than during late October,when the headlands seemed dead(obviously,conditions have improved).Other real possibilities for the weekend ahead would presumably include Dusky Warbler(have never seen one),Hume's Warbler(would be a first for Ireland!),Desert or Pied Wheatear(perhaps winds would need to come from deep to the SE for these?),Isabelline Shrike(one Irish record of a prob.nominate race bird in 2000,saw that one) etc.
Harry H