ISLES OF SCILLY BIRDING HOILDAY DAY 5

I spent the last day of my hoilday on Joe Penders boat with Bob flood and Higgo,What a trip it was!We started off by heading past St Martins where we picked up 2 Common Scoter's and 2 Grey Phalarope's.

GREY PHALAROPE

We were soon joined around the boat by 30 Common dolphins.They stayed around the boat for ages and it was an incredible site to witness these beautiful animals so close.

COMMON DOLPHINS

Moving on towards Severn stones the chum started to be put into the sea and we soon attracted a Sooty shearwater and a Great Skua.

GREAT SKUA

A shout then went up as Joe saw a small skua on the horizon which came right for us, it was a Long Tailed skua.I was made up as this was a Scilly tick for me.

                                                 JUVENILE LONG TAILED SKUA

As we reached Severn stones an unbelivable thing happened as we had 13 Grey Phalaropes fly past us and land on the sea.As we watched these more kept appearing I couldn't believe what I was witnessing even Bob flood who has done pelagics all over the world was in shock.We must have seen over 50 plus.

                          I HAVE NEVER WITNESSED SO MANY GREY PHALROPE 

The trip had been fantastic and we saw also saw good numbers of Manx shearwaters and 2 more Sooty shearwaters on the way back.

Getting back to to St Mary's a rainbow greeted us over the golf course.It had been a cracking few days on the Isles of Scilly with good friends and great birds.ROLL ON 2017!

RARITY FINDERS-EASTERN KINGBIRD

FINDING A FIRST FOR BRITAIN CLICK ON LINK

MEGA! FIRST FOR BRITAIN!EASTERN KINGBIRD!

MEGA!EASTERN KINGBIRD-Barra-Outer Hebrides-opposite churchyard this evening!
PICTURE HERE AND BIRDFORUM HERE

ISLES OF SCILLY BIRDING HOILDAY DAY 4

Arranged to meet Higgo this morning on Porthcressa beach at 8.00am and whilst waiting for him the Black necked grebe was still showing well.We had arranged to gather some tools from the Garrison campsite to put up a new screen at Higgo's project pool.Walking past the Duchy office on the way the Melodious warbler was still showing well.

BLACK NECKED GREBE

MELODIOUS WARBLER

After gathering the tools we needed we headed for the pool which was totally dryed out but as we started work a Snipe was flushed and a Grey wagtail landed for a while.

HIGGO'S PROJECT POOL

The pool was dug out by Higgo a few years ago and has attracted some great birds. I can remember a few years back where I had Lesser yellowegs,Solitary sandpiper and Northern Waterthrush in one sitting.Anyway the new screen was put up so fingers crossed it will attract some more great birds.

After a bit of lunch we headed down to the quay and headed across to Bryher for an afternoons birding.In the channel between Tresco and Bryher we had 9 Mediterranean Gulls but otherwise it was very quiet but we did find three Lapland buntings around Big pool.

 MEDITERRANEAN GULL

LAPLAND BUNTING

Heading back to St Mary's I walked up to the airfield again as a American golden plover had been found along with a Buff breasted sandpiper.As I was walking across Old town I found a Common scoter just off the rocks.

COMMON SCOTER

 BUFF BREASTED SANDPIPER WITH TWO GOLDEN PLOVER

AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER

The American Golden Plover and Buff breasted sandpiper showed really well and topped off a great days birding.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK 21ST-27TH SEPT 2016

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ISLES OF SCILLY BIRDING HOILDAY DAY 3

Spent the morning on St Marys birding today but the weather was terrible with thick sea mist.I called into see Martin goodey first who had hatched a Deaths head hawk moth from a caterpillar that Spider had found outside Star castle on the Garrison.It had taken six weeks to hatch and what a magnificent moth, this  was the first time I had seen this species before.

Moving on from Martin's I headed up to the north of the Island which was very quiet but did find a Restart and a Pied flycatcher.Walking back towards the airfield I spotted a Clouded yellow on the footpath.

 CLOUDED YELLOW BUTTERFLY

A call from Spider as I was having my sandwiches that a Dotterel had been found on the airfield got me moving.The bird showed really well before it was flushed by a plane,GOOD TIMING!

DOTTEREL

Very quiet day but hopefully the weather will improve tomorrow.

BIRDGUIDES REVIEW OF THE WEEK 21st-27th SEPTEMBER 2016

REVIEW OF THE WEEK CLICK ON THIS LINK
BY JOSH JONES

ISLES OF SCILLY BIRDING HOLIDAY DAY 2

Got up at 7am this morning and thankfully it had stopped raining.The plan was today to head over to the Garrison to try and see the Melodious warbler which was found yesterday and a mornings birding on Bryher.Walking up towards Buzza tower I had a close encounter with a Peregrine which just zipped over me as I was taking a photo of the town.

 HUGH TOWN FROM BUZZA HILL

WALKING DOWN FROM BUZZA HILL TOWARDS PORTHCRESSA BEACH

The Black necked grebe was still present in Porthcressa bay along with a juvenile Mediterranean gull

BLACK NECKED GREBE

Meeting up with Higgo in town we headed up to the Garrison where we soon connected with the Melodious warbler which was happily flitting around gardens in Sallyport.

 MELODIOUS WARBLER

Cracking birds these and a few years since I'd seen my last one.A Pied flycatcher and Reed Warbler were also present in the gardens.Moving on from here we headed down to the harbour where we got the boat over to Bryher for our mornings birding.
On arrival we headed straight for the old post office where we soon found the Common Rosefinch just sat out in the sun.

COMMON ROSEFINCH

There were plenty of Butterflies around as we walked across the campsite and 7 Whinchat were seen.

 SMALL COPPER

 PEACOCK

RED ADMIRAL

7 WHINCHAT'S WERE AROUND THE CAMPSITE

Moving on to Shipman head down we found a male Snow bunting on the top path which showed down to a few feet.

SNOW BUNTING

The views from Shiphead down were fantastic what a tranquil place the Scilly isles are.

 HIGGO ON HIS FAVORITE ISLAND BRYHER

LOOKING OVER TOWARDS TRESCO

Leaving Bryher behind and dropping Higgo off at St Marys I got the next boat to St Agnes for an evenings birding.On arrival I headed straight for the parsonage in hope of seeing two yes two Red eyed vireo's!I sat on the steps across from the personage and it wasn't long before I got my first glimpse of a vireo and then the second bird joined the other what a sight!They were so hard to photograph as they just didn't sit still they were both so active but I managed to get two reasonable record shots.

RED EYED VIREO

Leaving the Vireo's to it I called in at coastguards where i got cracking views of a Red backed shrike.

RED BACKED SHRIKE

The sun was now starting to go down on St agnes so I quickly got down to big pool where the Lesser yellowlegs and Curlew sandpiper showed really well.

LESSER YELLOWLEGS

CURLEW SANDPIPER

I couldn't resist a few island shots of St agnes as this is one of my favourite islands on Scilly.

The evening soon drew to close with a fantastic sunset after a quality days birding.

ROLL ON DAY 3!