I managed to re-locate the rare hybrid Whinchat- Redstart down at Grutness this morning. Having seen in on two other days this was by far the best views
The other views had been in deep vegetation in Grutness garden. Today it was west of Grutness House close to the beach in a weedy patch to the right.
It first popped up close to the sea wall and landed and started to feed on some weeds about 20 feet away. After this it settled and showed well on a fence post then it moved a few yards to a thicker post
It posed well again before flying towards the beach
Having just watched the Greenish Warbler at Sumburgh Gardens i was walking back to the carpark and saw it again in the same spot. Just as John Coutts arrived it flew down to the beach and started feeding near the back on the ground.
After a few mins it flew up briefly onto the wall before disappearing behind the house.
This is the first ever record of this type of Hybrid, another one was recorded in Norway back in 2013. It looked more like a Whinchat from the front, while Common Redstart from the back.
It had the behaviour of a Whinchat, feeding on the ground before flitting up onto a post.
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