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.
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!