(locustella fluviatilis)
The River Warbler is a rare visitor to Scotland with only 16 sightings ever having been recorded. Only one of these was on the mainland (in Fife) and the rest on the northern isles of Shetland and Orkney, mostly on Fair Isle. The usual breeding range of this bird is from eastern Germany and Austria eastwards across central Europe to western Siberia. It has been gradually expanding its breeding range westwards. It winters in eastern tropical Africa.
The bird in the first set of photographs here was the 17th sighting and was located in the remote Applecross peninsula in Wester Ross. This bird was remarkably obliging and sat up singing for over two hours in the early morning.
The second set is of a bird which was found in a little stream bed with small iris patches on Unst in Shetland.