American Robin   Turdus migratorius

Very rare North American vagrant

 

·         1966   One male, found by Jim and Sheila Gear in front of their house at Magdala, Ham, on the 11th November. The bird was seen down to a few metres from their window before it flew to a potato patch to feed. It disappeared after about half an hour, but was seen again on the 16th feeding with other thrushes (RG pers. comm., BB 61: 349).

1982   One, Ham Post office (Magdala), 3rd - 16th November, was also found by Jim and Sheila Gear and was seen from the same window! Jim recounts the bird being ‘somersaulted’ by the blasts of westerlies coming off Hamnafield (RG pers. comm. BB 76: 509). The two birds represent the only records for Shetland.