Scottish first as Northern Parula spotted on Tiree and glossy ibis in Dumfries

Northern Parula spotted in the Hebrides. Credit Lee Gregory

October 2010. The Inner Hebridean island of Tiree has recorded the first ever Scottish sighting of a tiny bird more usually seen in the United States. The northern parula, which is smaller than a blue tit, must have been blown thousands of miles off course by strong westerly winds during its migration to Central America.

This brightly coloured warbler has been recorded previously in England and Northern Ireland, but the Tiree bird is a first for Scotland. It appeared on September 25 in the garden of local RSPB Scotland officer John Bowler, who has planted native trees to attract such migrant birds.

75 twitchers
John said: "The Northern parula is such a beautiful bird, it's been a real treat to have it as a visitor on Tiree. It caused quite a stir among twitchers, and we've had about 75 people come to the island just to get a glimpse of it, which has been great for the local economy. It's actually the first major twitch we've ever had on Tiree, so we've had two firsts!"

Twitching is a specific type of birdwatching where people travel, sometimes long distances, to see rare birds, usually species that are non-native to the UK and which are here by accident. This autumn has proved a particularly good twitching season, with strong winds bringing many rare species to the UK.

Glossy ibis in Dumfries
Another unusual bird that's causing a stir is a glossy ibis, which is currently to be seen at Mersehead RSPB reserve in Dumfries and Galloway. These large waders, which have the body of a curlew and the legs of a flamingo, are more normally seen in Continental Europe, and sightings of them in Scotland are rare.