AMERICAN CLIFF SWALLOW-ISLES OF SCILLY

I had just finished a 12-hour night shift and was pulling up the drive at home, shattered at 8.30am when the MEGA alert went off "CLIFF SWALLOW St Mary's, Isles Of Scilly". I rang Malc Curtin straight away to see if he was up for going, but he was busy with family commitments, so I gathered some gear together, got changed, and I was off on the long journey south. I left Dianne sorting a flight out for me on Skybus and just drove. Dan Pointon was soon on the phone, and Stewart Piner after a flight as well, but Dianne couldn't book us on one as they were all booked up from Newquay, Exeter and Land's End! I just carried on driving, so I was down there in case anything else was sorted on route. Dan phoned me back and said that a charter boat had been arranged from Penzance, and it was leaving at 3.00pm. Then Higgo phoned me to say the bird was still showing and he had sorted me a room out at Al's. Everything was sorted, now for the bird. The journey south was clear all the way down, and I arrived in Penzance just after 2.00pm and grabbed some food. I soon met up with the other lads on the quay, and we were off!

Charter Sorted

Twitch on

The journey across was quite smooth at the speed we were going, and we connected with a few Manx shearwaters, Fulmar, 4 Common dolphins and 2 Porpoise. On arrival, the news wasn't good; the bird had flown and hadn't been seen for over an hour!

Arriving at St Mary's - Hugh Town

We soon arrived by taxi at Porth Hellick, and I met up with Higgo, who gave me the bad news that the bird had flown high about an hour ago and there was no further sign. I was absolutely gutted deep down after all the effort I had put in; I was shattered after no sleep, but I continued to look for the bird. The pool at Porth Hellick held a stunning Temminck's stint, which was so close to the hide and a Lesser Yellowlegs.

Temminck's Stint

Lesser Yellowlegs

Another hour passed by, of looking around, when I said to Higgo, Let's head back towards the boardwalk, a few House martins are gathering. On walking down, Higgo picked up the Cliff swallow heading straight for us. It flew low over are heads, did a loop behind us and over again before flying behind some pines! Deflation to elation after all the effort I had put in, I had seen it. The Cliff swallow continued to show well up until dusk, just flying around in front of us.

Cliff Swallow

After great views of the bird, I headed back to my digs and went out for a few celebratory beers.

Catching up with the lads in the Scillionian club 

The next day was spent chilling before the boat in the afternoon and saying my goodbyes before I left on the Scillionian. The crossing was spent asleep before the long journey home. We docked at Penzance at 7.15, just in time for me to nip to Marazion to have a look at the Buff-breasted sandpiper. I soon found the bird on the beach, which was showing down to a few feet.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

After good views of the bird, I headed north and got home at 1.45am. A fantastic two days of birding, and everything went to plan in the end!

 

There are 10 previous Cliff Swallow records

2001 Oct 26 to Oct 30
Isles of Scilly-St Agnes, first winter, 26th October, photo; same, St Martin's, 26th to 27th October; same, St Mary's, 28th to 30th October, photo.

2000 Oct 1
Hants-Titchfield Haven, 1st October; possibly same as Portland, Dorset, 29th to 30th September.

2000 Sep 29 to Sep 30
Dorset-The Verne, Portland, 29th to 30th September, photo.

2000 Sep 28 to Sep 30
Isles of Scilly-St Mary's, 28th to 30th September, photo.

1996 Oct 1
Sussex-Church Norton, juvenile, 1st October.

1995 Dec 4 to Dec 5
Isles of Scilly-Tresco, juvenile, 4th to 5th December, photo.

1995 Nov 16
Co.Kerry-Dunmore Head, 16th November.

1995 Oct 22 to Oct 28
Yorks-Spurn, juvenile, 22nd to 23rd, 28th October, photo.

1988 Oct 23
Cleveland-South Gare, juvenile, 23rd October.

1983 Oct 10 to Oct 27
Isles of Scilly-St Agnes, juvenile, 10th October; same, St Mary's, 10th to 27th October, photo.