After last year's unsuccessful pelagic trips to see the South Polar Skua, it was time to revisit the Isles of Scilly. Dan Pointon and I booked eight pelagic trips in our quest to try and observe this species. The weather for the week didn't look very promising, with strong easterly winds predicted, but it’s better to be out there searching than sitting at home.
Thursday 14th August
I met with Dan this afternoon, and we went birding, seeing a Wood Sandpiper at Marazion and a Firecrest at Helston Boating Lake.
The crossing was uneventful bird-wise, with five Storm Petrels observed on the crossing.
Evening Pelagic news
Ten miles Southwest of St. Mary's, wind 18 knots from the Northeast.
Seabird sightings:
Wilson’s Storm Petrel 8
European Storm Petrel 50
Cory’s Shearwater 2
Sooty Shearwater 1
Cetacean sightings:
Short-beaked Common Dolphins 20
Saturday 16th August
Seabird Sightings:
Wilson’s Storm Petrel 9
European Storm Petrel 80
Cory’s Shearwater 4
Sooty Shearwater 1
Cetacean sightings:
Short-beaked Common Dolphins 20
News broke of a Saker falcon on St Mary's while we were returning from the pelagic. After great views of the bird, unfortunately, it was a ringed bird!
Sunday 17th August
Despite testing conditions - with 30-knot Southeasterly winds and a 2.5m swell
Pelagic News
11 miles North-west of St Mary’s
Seabird sightings:
Wilson’s Storm Petrel – 12
European Storm Petrel c.150
Great Skua (Bonxie) – 1
Cetacean sightings:
SB Common Dolphins – 10
Returning from the pelagic trip, we had great views of a Western Bonelli's warbler on the Garrison.
Yellow-legged Gull -1
Tuesday 19th August
This morning, Mick Scott, who lives on Scilly, invited us up to his house at Longstones to see the moths he had trapped overnight. While we were sitting there chatting, a bird caught our attention as it dropped into the birdbath. After getting a good view of the bird, we couldn't believe it, an Icterine Warbler!
The morning got even better when Mick appeared out of his house with a Convulvulus hawk moth and four Striped hawk moths. Unbelievable! What a morning!
Convulvulus hawk-moth
Striped hawk-mothEvening Pelagic news
9 miles Southwest of St Mary’s
North-easterly, 10 knots
Seabird sightings:
Wilson’s Storm Petrel – 2
European Storm Petrel – 30
Great Shearwater – 1
Cory’s Shearwater – 2
Sooty Shearwater – 2
Arctic Skua – 1
Yellow-legged Gull – 1
Black Tern – 1
Short-B Common Dolphins – ~30
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna – 50
Blue Shark -1
Wednesday 20th August
This morning was spent on St. Mary’s as there was no pelagic trip scheduled. Late morning, we visited the Garrison to search for an elusive female Subalpine Warbler sp, which eventually made a brief appearance—an excellent find by Chris Gooddie.
Subalpine Warbler spThe evening was spent around Lower Moors, where we connected with a Wood sandpiper and a Water rail.
Thursday 21st August
Pelagic News
Location: 7 miles SE of St Mary’s
Conditions: North wind, 7 knots
Seabird sightings:
Great Shearwater – 3
Cory’s Shearwater – 1
European Storm Petrel – 20
Cetacean sightings:
Ocean Sunfish -2
Blue Shark - 5
Evening Pelagic news
10 miles Southwest of St Mary’s
Seabird sightings:
Wilson’s Petrel – 1
European Storm Petrels 10
Great Shearwaters – 8
Sooty Shearwater – 1
Manx Shearwaters – c.400 (following baitfish)
Sabine’s Gull – 1
Arctic Terns – 3
Cetacean sightings:
Fin Whale – 1
Humpback Whale – 1
Risso’s Dolphins – 8
Common Dolphins – c.100
Ocean Sunfish – 1
Saturday 23rd August
Pelagic News
17 Miles Southwest Of St Mary’s
Seabird sightings:
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel – 5
Great Shearwater – 60
Cory’s Shearwater – 4
Manx Shearwater – ~3,000 (noted feeding on baitfish)
Sooty Shearwater – 10
Balearic Shearwater – 2
Sabine’s Gull – 3
Great Skua (Bonxie) – 1
Arctic Tern – 12
Purple Sandpiper-3
Cetacean sightings:
Blue Shark – 1
Common Dolphin – ~300
Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola) – 2
Pelagic Trip
18.5 miles Southwest of St. Mary’s
Seabird sightings:
Wilson’s Storm Petrel – 1
European Storm Petrel – 15
Great Shearwater – 60
Cory’s Shearwater – 25
Sooty Shearwater – 14
Manx Shearwater – 500
Sabine’s Gull – 3
Arctic Skua – 1
Great Skua – 1
Black Tern – 1
Cetacean sightings:
Common Dolphin – 150
Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be this year again in my pursuit of seeing the South Polar Skua, due to the unfavourable wind direction and low seabird numbers. However, it was still a great trip, and I saw some quality birds. A big thank you to Joe Pender and Bob Flood, who organise these trips at https://www.scillypelagics.com/. If you haven't experienced one of these pelagic trips, I highly recommend booking yourself on one—they're fantastic!
