Day 3 The Scilly Isles–A Great Start to the Holiday

What a night! It never stopped raining, and the moth trap didn't catch a Common Forest Looper, suggesting they may have already finished flying for the year. However, I did trap my first Flounced Chestnut and a Merveille du Jour, and to my total disbelief, at around 5am, in the pouring rain, two- yes, two Slender Burnished Brass moths came to the pheromone lure! I was totally made up, having already tried for this species twice in Cornwall earlier in the year without success. To finally get two in one night was a brilliant result and a great start to the holiday.

Flounced Chestnut 

Merveille du Jour, translating from French as the "Wonder of the Day".

 Slender Burnished Brass-What a moth!

After that excitement, I met up with Marc Hughes, Owen Parsons, and Neil Howes, and the holiday officially began as we gathered at the quay in Penzance to catch the boat to the Isles of Scilly.

Penzance Quay

The Scillionian ship 

The Boys

The crossing was excellent, with some great views of tuna jumping out of the sea and dolphins alongside the boat. The seabirds also put on a good show, with two Sabine’s Gulls, a Sooty Shearwater and a Grey Phalarope among the highlights.

It was great to be back on the islands, and with the moths already providing a memorable start, I was looking forward to what the coming week might produce.

Here are the highlights from the day:

Rose-coloured Starling

(c) Colin Schofield

Yellow-browed Warbler

(c) Spider

Wilson's Snipe-My third for Scilly after seeing the 2007 and 2011 birds
(c) Marc Hughes