It took me 45 years to finally visit the British racecourses, so when a Myrtle Warbler was spotted in Ayr, the only course I hadn't been to yet, a plan was quickly put into motion. The Squire was enthusiastic about the idea of heading up on Thursday to catch a glimpse of the warbler and a Black Guillemot (which he needed for his lifelist), then staying overnight for the races the following day. Any chance to see an American Warbler was not to be missed. I'm not certain we would have gone when it was first spotted, as it would have been challenging to arrange at that time and neither of us like the crowds.
The alarm was set for a 5:30 am departure with an estimated journey time of 5 1/2 hours, although we did take a break for coffee and a stretch of the legs at Teebay. The Warbler sighting was in the garden of a resident in the small town of Kilwinning, eighteen miles north of Ayr. After parking safely, we took a short walk to number 32 and passed through the house to the garden, where Jimmy, the bird's finder, greeted us.
We managed to spot the bird very quickly, but the views were fleeting. Throughout the ninety minutes we spent there, a maximum of five other birders joined us in the garden. With patience, the bird appeared intermittently, although there was a period of twenty minutes when it wasn't visible. Watching it catch insects high in the trees was fascinating, and it occasionally landed briefly in the garden. It was quite unusual to birdwatch in a garden with wheelie bins, neighbors enjoying a smoke, and DIY activities taking place.
The Myrtle Warbler used to be referred to as a Yellow-rumped Warbler before it was split into east and west coast species. It's likely that this individual migrated with other American warblers last October. Its plumage clearly indicated it was a first-year male, with the yellow rump being very prominent.
After satisfying our Warbler fix, we headed to Ardrossan Harbour where we spotted three Black Guillemots, much to the delight of the Squire, along with a good number of Eiders. We didn't need much rocking after our evening meal, and we had a slow start the next day before doing some birdwatching around Greenan Castle, where we recorded sightings of Red-breasted Merganser, Eider, Black-throated Diver, Curlew, Rock Pipit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Greenfinch, and Redshank. We also spotted another 14 Black Guillemots in Ayr harbour.
The afternoon was spent at Ayr Races before the long journey home. Great trip.
