An Almost Perfect Day: From Marsh Warbler to Golden Eagle
There are days in birding that feel charmed from the start—and this was one of them.
Work brought me to Aberdeen, Scotland’s famed granite city, and I found myself near the coast, around the South Pier at the Port. The area had been drawing attention in recent days, with two locally rare species reported by fellow birders. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to follow in their footsteps.
At Greyhope, a Marsh Warbler was singing its heart out – unmistakably. It was only my second ever in the UK, the first being a personal find on my local patch back in Buckinghamshire. I lingered, enjoying its masterful mimicry: hints of Garden Warbler, echoes of Common Nightingale, and a few unfamiliar notes that may have belonged to African residents it encountered during wintering.
From there, I made my way back toward the coast to search for the second rarity of the day: a second-summer Iceland Gull. It didn’t keep me waiting long. Just a few minutes later, it appeared among a group of European Herring Gulls near the North Pier. There’s always something striking about seeing an Arctic gull on European waters – each encounter feels like a quiet and private privilege.
By evening, work had taken me further south, but I made time to stop for a PatchBird survey in a remote area of southern Scotland. The Common Sandpiper’s song echoed over the water when I looked up to witness a moment of high drama overhead: an adult Golden Eagle soaring above, pursued by an unhappy escort. First a Common Raven took chase, then a pair of agitated Common Buzzards joined the fray, and finally two Carrion Crows brought up the rear. The eagle, regal and unbothered, continued its flight and soared over the hills during the entire survey period.
Spotting a Golden Eagle is always special, but seeing one this far south is particularly uncommon – I though so until I read about their range expansion. Since the species is listed as 'sensitive' on eBird, I won’t disclose the exact location – but it’s a memory I’ll carry with me and the record is there for further conservation use.
From a mimic-singing warbler by the North Sea to an eagle mobbed by a cast of corvids – days like this are rare. Almost perfect.
