Red-rumped Swallow

I was cycling to Hatston to look for whimbrels when I noticed a lot of hirundines over the Peedie Sea. I stopped to check in case there was a red-rumped swallow among the sand martins, house martins and swallows. A woman passing-by asked if there was a rarity there and I told her what I was looking for. Five minutes later I spotted this red-rumped swallow! There have been a couple or records around Orkney in the last week, but it was still nice to get it. I have seen one before- also at the Peedie Sea. It winters in tropical Africa and breeds around the Med. Maybe that is what explains its rather bedraggled appearance with a damaged tail streamer and ragged wings- its flown much further than it meant to do. Not the best photo obviously, but it was raining and very difficult to track.

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