A Devonian Goes To The Scillies (Part 2 of 3)

[Andrew]

04-09-03
Location : St Mary‘s & St Agnes, Isles of Scilly. SV915110 & SV880082.

I was off at first light to the Garrison hoping to see the reported Icterine Warbler. Around Porthmellon there were 5 White Wagtails, several Linnets and Goldfinches. On the beach there were 5 Eurasian Oystercatchers and 6 Sanderlings. The only rewards at the Garrison were a Pied Flycatcher and 2 Common Stonechats. Bryan Thomas was there and could not see the Icterine either. Soon he left and I continued for an hour with no luck. On the way back to the Log Board a birder said Bryan had seen a Red-backed Shrike at Steval and it flew up to where we were standing. I looked for it for a while without any success. We were on the first boat to St Agnes where we did an anti-clockwise circular walk visiting Middle Town too. There were some wonderful opportunities to photograph some Dunlins, Sanderlings (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=11478) and Ringed Plovers (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=11477) on the beaches in good sunshine. As we approached the lighthouse (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=11479) in the middle of the island we found my second Eurasian Wryneck of the holiday. It was sunning itself on the stone perimeter wall of the lighthouse. I was only a minute away from a good photo and it flew off! Other notables from St Agnes were Whinchats, Ruddy Turnstones, Common Linnets, Eurasian Oystercatchers, Northern Wheatears, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Willow Warbler, a few Common Terns and several Sandwich Terns. We were fascinated at Beady Pool as a Great Cormorant struggled to swallow a large eel and swam off with a huge twisted bulge in it’s neck. Two Rock Pipits saw us off at the quay. After tea in the evening I went on a walk to Newford duck pond and back via Telegraph without seeing the Black Duck.

05-09-03
Location : Bryher, Isles of Scilly. SV875150.

Today we took the first boat to Bryher hoping to catch up with the Dotterels. On the crossing we could see 8 Little Egrets on the rocks between Bryher and Tresco along with one Grey Heron. As soon as we got off the boat at Church Quay we headed straight for Shipman Head Down which is a low growing heather moor. I could see Northern Wheatears, a Whinchat, Meadow Pipits and a Common Stonechat but no Dotterels. I even went right up to the very end of Shipman Head with nothing showing except some Gulls and European Shags. After a spot of lunch we walked round to the pool and found many waders but no new holiday ticks. We had a rejuvenating paddle in the sea before catching the return boat. On the way to the quay I spotted the resident pair of Western Jackdaws on a boulder near the hotel. The return crossing was illuminated by Sandwich Terns crashing into the water near the boat. No bird sightings came in on my mobile so it was a poor day. The weather was predicted to be wet and windy this evening so I hoped for a good fall tomorrow.

06-09-03
Location : St Mary‘s & Bryher, Isles of Scilly. SV915110 & SV875150.

As usual I went out to the Garrison early this morning and checked the sightings on the log board at the Pilot’s Gig. The Garrison only provided more Pied Flycatchers. I saw that the Dotterel were still on Bryher. After some advice from Will Wagstaff, I raced back to the flat and got ready to catch the first boat to Bryher. The crossing was very choppy in strong winds. Bryan Thomas was on the boat heading for Tresco and gave me some good advice. As soon as the boat reached Bryher I headed straight for Shipman Head and watched patiently for any Dotterels. I moved onto the very end of Shipman Head after noticing a good seabird passage. In two hours I counted close to 600 Manx Shearwaters passing south west continuously. I was really hoping for a special Shearwater like a Cory’s but no such luck for me. I also recorded Northern Gannets, Northern Fulmars and a Great Skua. Walking round the rest of the island did not produce any Dotterels or much else either. I did spot some Clouded Yellows though. On the return boat Bryan said he was very close to a Pectoral Sandpiper on Abbey Pool and got some good photographs. The sight of the Manx Shearwaters passing by was some consolation but the day did end on a good note with England winning in the evening.

[Andrew]

07-09-03
Location : St Mary‘s, Isles of Scilly. SV915110.

Early in the morning I headed out to Penninis Head via Lower Moors to look for an Ortolan Bunting. The Common Kestrel showed at Sunnyside and Pied Flycatchers were appearing all the way. At Lower Moors I only managed to see 2 Grey Herons, 4 Common Snipe, a Common Greenshank and a few Sedge Warblers. At Old Town there was a strange sight of a Willow Warbler feeding on the road with some House Sparrows. The beach provided 3 Eurasian Oystercatchers, an Eurasian Curlew, 2 Ringed Plovers (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=11480) and the second Greenshank of the day. At the start of the path I wasted a lot of time trying to make something out of a partially white Common Linnet. The highlights on Penninis Head were 3 Golden Plovers in partial summer plumage as well as 2 White Wagtails. Back at the flat I discovered that the Ortolan was seen ten minutes after I left. After breakfast we went over to the Longstone Centre and onto Porth Hellick Pool. Here a Common Kingfisher zoomed across the pool providing a new holiday tick. At Porth Hellick were some Common Greenshanks, Dunlins, Sedge Warblers and a Willow Warbler. The bus dropped us off near the Hospital so I could check out Penninis Head again. We walked to the beacon and back seeing no Ortolan Buntings but I finally managed to tick off 2 European Greenfinches for the holiday list. The pick of the bunch were White Wagtails, Common Stonechats, Whinchats and a Northern Wheatear. Small Copper and Meadow Browns also showed well. We went down towards Porthcressa and came across a Tern roost made up of 15 Sandwich Terns and 3 Common Terns accompanied by 18 Eurasian Oystercatchers. A late lunch was consumed at the Dibble & Grub café before some shopping and a bus back home. Waiting for the bus at Town Beach I counted a flock of 9 Ruddy Turnstones with one Ringed Plover.

08-09-03
Location : St Mary‘s, Isles of Scilly. SV915110.

Today I only took my binoculars, leaving my scope behind. We went up to Telegraph and down to the coast below the golf course to proceed round the island to Carn Vean for a delicious cream tea. The strong winds buffeted the coast (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=11481) all the way and birds were very thin on the ground. The notables were 3 Whinchats, 5 White Wagtails on the golf course, a couple of Eurasian Curlews, some Little Egrets and a Common Sandpiper at Block House Point. From Carn Vean we headed over to Porth Hellick fighting our way through a densely overgrown path. There were 2 Pied Flycatchers around the pumping station with an European Greenfinch. The high tide had not had the effect I desired as there were not many birds at Porth Hellick. The best on show were 9 Common Greenshanks, 4 Dunlins, a Grey Wagtail, a Little Egret, a Grey Heron, 13 Gadwalls, 4 Common Redshanks and a single Common Snipe. Heading back via Holy Vale and past some fields we were rewarded with a sight of 6 Red-legged Partridges in a ploughed bulb field. As we got back I checked my mobile and found a Tawny Pipit had been seen all day on the airfield yards away from Porth Hellick and was still showing well. I spurned my tea and grabbed my bins and dashed off to the airport via Old Town like a shot. I was there in quarter of an hour albeit quite breathless only to find no one else around, I hoped it had not gone. I could not find it at all and my hopes were raised falsely by a distant Meadow Pipit After a good search I finally found the bird on the western slope off the turning circle. It hid from the wind in the tufts of short heather. Soon a passer by flushed it onto the airfield and I carried on watching it there. All the obvious features were noted in my notebook. The sunset had made the bird appear to have orangey underparts. It was crouching as low as it could get into the grass and soon flew off towards Penninis Head. This pipit was a wonderful lifer for me.

[kingfisher]

Very enjoyable read Andrew, enjoyed the photos as well esp the Sanderling with the grains of sand on its bill, getting a good photo of a Ringed Plover is very difficult.

Looking forward to part 3.

[Andrew]

I am glad someone is looking forward to the conclusion!!!!