ISLES OF SCILLY BIRDING HOILDAY DAY 5

I spent the final day of my holiday on Joe Pender’s boat, joined by Bob Flood and Higgo—and what a trip it turned out to be! We started our journey past St. Martin’s, where we quickly picked up two Common Scoters and two Grey Phalaropes, setting a promising tone for the day.

Grey Phalarope

Before long, the boat was surrounded by around 30 Common Dolphins, which stayed with us for ages. Witnessing these graceful animals so close was truly unforgettable.

Common Dolphins

As we approached the Severn Stones, chum was put into the sea, attracting a Sooty Shearwater and a Great Skua.

Great Skua

Excitement peaked when Joe spotted a small skua on the horizon, heading straight for us—it turned out to be a Long-tailed Skua, a personal tick for me in the Scilly Isles.

                                                 Juvenile Long-tailed skua

Reaching the Severn Stones, the unbelievable unfolded: 13 Grey Phalaropes flew past and landed on the water, with more continuously arriving. I could hardly believe my eyes; the tally must have exceeded 50 birds. Even Bob Flood, a veteran of pelagics worldwide, was visibly astonished.

                          I have never seen so many Grey Phalaropes.

The return journey remained spectacular, with good numbers of Manx Shearwaters and two additional Sooty Shearwaters spotted along the way.

Back on St. Mary’s, a rainbow stretched over the golf course—a perfect finale to a cracking few days in the Isles of Scilly, shared with good friends and unforgettable birds. Roll on 2017!

RARITY FINDERS-EASTERN KINGBIRD

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MEGA! FIRST FOR BRITAIN!EASTERN KINGBIRD!

MEGA!EASTERN KINGBIRD-Barra-Outer Hebrides-opposite churchyard this evening!
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ISLES OF SCILLY BIRDING HOILDAY DAY 4

I met Higgo bright and early at Porthcressa Beach at 8:00 am. While waiting, the Black-necked Grebe continued to show exceptionally well, providing a striking start to the day. On our way to the Garrison campsite to collect tools for a new screen at Higgo’s project pool, we passed the Duchy Office, where the Melodious Warbler was still in fine form.

Black-necked Grebe

Melodious Warbler

With tools in hand, we headed to Higgo’s pool. It was completely dried out, but as we set to work, a Snipe was flushed from the reeds, and a Grey Wagtail made a fleeting appearance. The pool, dug by Higgo a few years ago, has a history of attracting remarkable birds—past visitors have included Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper, and Northern Waterthrush. The new screen is now in place, and we’re hopeful it will draw more exciting species in the future.

Higgo's Project Pool

After a light lunch, we crossed to Bryher for an afternoon of birding. In the channel between Tresco and Bryher, nine Mediterranean Gulls were noted, though otherwise it was a quiet stretch. A more unusual find was three Lapland Buntings around Big Pool, a welcome highlight in an otherwise calm session.

 Meditteranean Gull

Lapland Bunting

On returning to St Mary’s, I walked up to the airfield where reports of an American Golden Plover and Buff-breasted Sandpiper had surfaced. While traversing Old Town, I also came across a Common Scoter just offshore. Both the American Golden Plover and Buff-breasted Sandpiper were exceptionally cooperative, allowing excellent views and capping off a truly memorable day of birding.

Common Scoter

 Buff-breasted Sandpiper with two Golden Plover.

American Golden Plover

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ISLES OF SCILLY BIRDING HOILDAY DAY 3

I spent the morning birding on St Mary’s, though thick sea mist made for challenging conditions. My first stop was with Martin Goodey, who had successfully hatched a Death’s-head Hawk-moth from a caterpillar found by Spider outside Star Castle on the Garrison. It had taken six weeks to emerge, and seeing this magnificent moth up close was a real treat—the first time I had ever seen the species.

Moving north across the island, birding was quiet, but I did manage to find a Redstart and a Pied Flycatcher. On the walk back towards the airfield, a Clouded Yellow butterfly brightened the path.

 Clouded Yellow 

During my lunch break, a call from Spider brought news of a Dotterel on the airfield. I hurried over and enjoyed excellent views before it was flushed by a plane—a perfect example of timing paying off.

Dotterel

Despite the quiet day and challenging weather, it was full of unique sightings, and I hoped for better conditions tomorrow.

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

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ISLES OF SCILLY BIRDING HOLIDAY DAY 2

I was up at 7 am this morning, relieved that the rain had finally stopped. The plan was to head over to the Garrison to track down the Melodious Warbler, discovered yesterday, followed by a morning’s birding on Bryher.

Walking up towards Buzza Tower, I had a close encounter with a Peregrine, which zipped past me just as I was photographing the town. The views from Buzza Hill over Hugh Town were stunning, and on the descent towards Porthcressa Beach, the Black-necked Grebe was still present in Porthcressa Bay, along with a juvenile Mediterranean Gull.

 Hugh Town from Buzza Hill

Walking down from Buzza Hill towards Porthcressa beach 

Black Necked Grebe

Meeting up with Higgo in town, we headed to the Garrison and soon connected with the Melodious Warbler, flitting happily around gardens in Sallyport.

 Melodious  Warbler

A real treat, as it had been a few years since I last saw one. A Pied Flycatcher and Reed Warbler were also present in the gardens, adding to the morning’s excitement. From there, we moved down to the harbour and took the boat over to Bryher for more birding.

On arrival, we went straight to the old post office, where a Common Rosefinch was basking in the sun.

Common Rosefinch

The campsite offered more than just birds, with plenty of butterflies on the wing, including Small Copper, Peacock, and Red Admiral, while seven Whinchats were noted around the area.

 Small Copper

 Peacock

Red Admiral

7 Whinchats were around the campsite

Moving on to Shipmanhead Down, a male Snow Bunting posed spectacularly on the top path, allowing views from just a few feet away. The views from Shipmanhead Down were breathtaking—Scilly’s tranquillity is truly unmatched.

Snow Bunting

 Higgo on his favourite island, Bryher

Looking over towards Tresco

After leaving Bryher and dropping Higgo back on St Mary’s, I caught the next boat to St Agnes for an evening’s birding. My target: two elusive Red-eyed Vireos at the parsonage. Sitting on the steps across from the parsonage, I soon glimpsed the first vireo, followed by the second. Both were incredibly active, but I managed a couple of decent record shots.

Red Eyed Vireo

Continuing around the island, I stopped at the coastguards for brilliant views of a Red-backed Shrike.

Red-backed Shrike

As the sun began to dip, I made my way to the big pool, where Lesser Yellowlegs and Curlew Sandpiper were showing exceptionally well.

Lesser Yellowlegs

Curlew Sandpiper

I couldn’t resist capturing a few island shots—St Agnes remains one of my favourite Scilly islands. The day drew to a close with a spectacular sunset, capping off a truly memorable day of birding.