Last night at around 10pm, news was broadcast of an EASTERN CROWNED WARBLER at South Shields in County Durham. This has been a bird that always captured my imagination, always expecting that the first record would be on the Shetlands.

 A car crew was quickly arranged and at 5.30am we were on our way. At 7.43am the good news was put out that the bird was still present. We arrived at 9.25pm to find that the bird was favouring a clump of small sycamores in a sheltered quarry. After a small wait the bird performed very well to the several hundred admirers. The bird showed a distinctive dark green crown with a pale creamy central crown stripe and a broad creamy supercilium. The mantle was greyish contrasting with the brighter green wings with two indistinct wing bars. The undertail had a distinct yellow wash. The lower mandible was all pale lacking any dark tip. The bird was sharing these trees with a Yellow-browed Warbler, 3 Blackcap and a Robin.

This eastern gem had come a very long way, originating from China or south east Russia. It should be wintering in Malaysia or West Indonesia. I think this is the 5th record for Europe.