Andrew
Thursday 25th September 2003, 22:05
09-09-03
Location : Tresco & Bryher, Isles of Scilly. SV895150 & SV875150.
Today we did a two island trip starting with Tresco then hopping over to Bryher. The Great Pool and surrounding areas only produced Pied Flycatchers, Dunlins, Ringed Plovers, a Wigeon, some Eurasian Teals, Gadwalls, a female Goldcrest and a Willow Warbler. The western hide is the better of the two hides for ducks and waders. After a spot of lunch we could see many of them there. Altogether I counted 8 Common Redshanks, 13 Eurasian Teal, 9 Black Tailed Godwits, 2 Common Greenshanks, 2 Ruff, 4 Gadwall, a Common Sandpiper, 7 Dunlins, a Little Egret and a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper. One of the Ruff was a juvenile and it was in and out of the far side reeds. It had me flummoxed for quite a while before I finally identified it! On the way to New Grimsby for the transfer boat a friendly group of birders informed me of a Black Duck on the south east end of the Great Pool. I only had three quarters of an hour before the boat but that did not stop me from running as fast as I could to see it. I managed to clock the drake American Black Duck which was another great lifer on the back of last night’s Tawny Pipit. Things were beginning to look up. I had fifteen minutes to run back to New Grimsby and it took me twenty to get here to see the Black Duck, but I made it back somehow. Over on Bryher, I headed off once more to Shipman Head Down to look for the Dotterels again. I did not see any at all, only Sandwich Terns and White Wagtails. On the boat back to St Mary’s a birder said he saw them on the south end of Shipman Head Down along with a Lapland Bunting!
10-09-03
Location : St Martin‘s, Isles of Scilly. SV925160.
This morning we were on the first boat out to St Martin’s thus completing our list of inhabited islands we had visited. On the crossing a Grey Seal came to investigate us and before reaching St Martin’s we had seen 4 Grey Herons, a few Common Terns and lots of Sandwich Terns. It was hard trying to escape the two groups of guided walkers at first. After shaking them off I spotted my third Eurasian Wryneck of the holiday on The Plains. It was very close to us on a flattish boulder in the gorse along with a Willow Warbler. From here we walked along the whole island via Higher Town to the red and white Daymark (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=11531&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=1) with good views of Common Linnets, European Goldfinches, Pied Flycatchers, Whinchats, Common Stonechats and Northern Wheatears. At the Daymark end of the island I added Northern Gannets, Northern Fulmars, White Wagtails and Meadow Pipits. The walking on St Martin’s is quite gentle, no doubt helped by the level and soft grassy footpaths. As we were waiting for the return boat at New Quay a Yellow Wagtail flew overhead which was a British lifer for me. Back at St Mary’s we watched part of a Gig Race with some Fish and Chips then I enjoyed watching another fine England victory in the evening.
11-09-03
Location : Bryher & St Mary‘s, Isles of Scilly. SV915110 & SV875150.
My sanity was in serious question as I returned back to Bryher for the fourth time to have another look for the Dotterels. With the tide being low the Kingfisher took us to the southern most point of Bryher and we all had to wade ashore. Being dressed in green from head to foot and wading ashore holding a half extended tripod & scope must have had any locals thinking they were being invaded. Without hesitation I walked briskly towards Shipman Head Down. Upon reaching the top of the southern end of Shipman Down I spotted a plover only to find it was a lone Golden Plover. As I got nearer, it flew away towards Tresco. Feeling a bit dejected I went through the ritual of logging it in my notebook. Turning round to my left my eyes lit up at the sight of 3 Eurasian Dotterels crouching in the short heather only twenty yards away! At last I had managed to see my bogey birds, a huge weight lifted off me. These three juvenile birds were hard earned lifers for me and certainly the star birds of my holiday. I studied them for half an hour in which they accepted me and moved about feeding away. This sighting deserved the cool pint of a Murphy’s at the Fraggle Rock Inn. After a spot of lunch I explored the small field system in the middle of the island and the edges of the pool with no exceptional birds showing. I returned to St Mary’s as early as the boats allowed. After half a cup of coffee at the flat I headed off to the Golf Course to catch up with my second lifer of the day which was a Lapland Bunting. The bunting had been reported earlier in the day and I had joined forces with a Sheffield birder to find it. I really thought the bunting was a wonderful bird. It was very nimble, making short steps in the grass whilst feeding away. It did make a couple of mad hopping sprints and regularly stretched it’s wings. It’s feeding was thorough and methodical rather than the Linnets’ continuous pecking. It’s markings seemed to fit in with a juvenile bird and at a distance it simply looked like a bird with white underparts and dark brown upper parts. An evening stroll produced nothing new.
12-09-03
Location : St Mary‘s, Isles of Scilly. SV875150.
Today was to be another easy day starting at Longstone Centre where we were treated to a Clifden Nonpareil moth that had been trapped overnight. It was stunningly huge and the first in Cornwall for forty eight years. Around the Longstone area we could see Pied Flycatchers, Common Linnets, Whinchats and a Spotted Flycatcher. We picked up some fine sandwiches at Carn Vean and ate them on Toll Island. On the small island there was an interesting stone lined pit which we later discovered to be a kelp pit. Kelp was burnt in these and the by product taken to Bristol for glass production. There was a Grey Seal in the water and it seemed quite interested in us. Two Rock Pipits foraged on the stony shore. On the steep climb back up to the main road a pair of Goldcrests showed in the fir trees. Early in the evening I took the bus to Porth Hellick (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=11533&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=1) pool and saw a few birds including Common Snipe, Common Greenshank, Gadwalls and one or two Wigeon. From the seaward hide I opened the hatch to see some tiny waders right in front of the hide. I could not believe how small these 4 Dunlins (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=11532&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=1) were and misidentified them as Little Stints causing a few people to come to look at them. I was on the bus to Hugh Town to show Bryan the pictures then had to race back to Porth Hellick on his bike to see what others thought of the birds and then back again to return the bike. I had never been so embarrassed for a long time.
13-09-03
Location : St Mary‘s, Isles of Scilly. SV875150.
The Scillonian sailed at four in the afternoon so we had a considerable part of the day to spend on the island with a leisurely stroll round the town. I studied all the birds on display at the museum and it was shocking the amount of rare birds that had been shot a long time ago simply to identify them. The stuffed birds also fascinated me as you could compare the sizes of them all next to each other. There were some Little Stints and they are a lot smaller even than the Dunlins I saw at close range last night. I completed my coverage of St Mary’s by having a brief look up Buzza Hill. For the majority of the return sea crossing I scanned for birds and picked up 2 Northern Fulmars, Northern Gannets, a Manx Shearwater and an European Storm Petrel. The best bird was seen half an hour after leaving Hugh Town which was a large yet graceful Sooty Shearwater. This was another lifer for me. I had enjoyed my first Scilly holiday with ninety four ticks and eleven of them new lifers for me. It was also useful to learn all the places for my next birding trip to an archipelago and a way of life that I have fallen in love with.
Location : Tresco & Bryher, Isles of Scilly. SV895150 & SV875150.
Today we did a two island trip starting with Tresco then hopping over to Bryher. The Great Pool and surrounding areas only produced Pied Flycatchers, Dunlins, Ringed Plovers, a Wigeon, some Eurasian Teals, Gadwalls, a female Goldcrest and a Willow Warbler. The western hide is the better of the two hides for ducks and waders. After a spot of lunch we could see many of them there. Altogether I counted 8 Common Redshanks, 13 Eurasian Teal, 9 Black Tailed Godwits, 2 Common Greenshanks, 2 Ruff, 4 Gadwall, a Common Sandpiper, 7 Dunlins, a Little Egret and a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper. One of the Ruff was a juvenile and it was in and out of the far side reeds. It had me flummoxed for quite a while before I finally identified it! On the way to New Grimsby for the transfer boat a friendly group of birders informed me of a Black Duck on the south east end of the Great Pool. I only had three quarters of an hour before the boat but that did not stop me from running as fast as I could to see it. I managed to clock the drake American Black Duck which was another great lifer on the back of last night’s Tawny Pipit. Things were beginning to look up. I had fifteen minutes to run back to New Grimsby and it took me twenty to get here to see the Black Duck, but I made it back somehow. Over on Bryher, I headed off once more to Shipman Head Down to look for the Dotterels again. I did not see any at all, only Sandwich Terns and White Wagtails. On the boat back to St Mary’s a birder said he saw them on the south end of Shipman Head Down along with a Lapland Bunting!
10-09-03
Location : St Martin‘s, Isles of Scilly. SV925160.
This morning we were on the first boat out to St Martin’s thus completing our list of inhabited islands we had visited. On the crossing a Grey Seal came to investigate us and before reaching St Martin’s we had seen 4 Grey Herons, a few Common Terns and lots of Sandwich Terns. It was hard trying to escape the two groups of guided walkers at first. After shaking them off I spotted my third Eurasian Wryneck of the holiday on The Plains. It was very close to us on a flattish boulder in the gorse along with a Willow Warbler. From here we walked along the whole island via Higher Town to the red and white Daymark (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=11531&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=1) with good views of Common Linnets, European Goldfinches, Pied Flycatchers, Whinchats, Common Stonechats and Northern Wheatears. At the Daymark end of the island I added Northern Gannets, Northern Fulmars, White Wagtails and Meadow Pipits. The walking on St Martin’s is quite gentle, no doubt helped by the level and soft grassy footpaths. As we were waiting for the return boat at New Quay a Yellow Wagtail flew overhead which was a British lifer for me. Back at St Mary’s we watched part of a Gig Race with some Fish and Chips then I enjoyed watching another fine England victory in the evening.
11-09-03
Location : Bryher & St Mary‘s, Isles of Scilly. SV915110 & SV875150.
My sanity was in serious question as I returned back to Bryher for the fourth time to have another look for the Dotterels. With the tide being low the Kingfisher took us to the southern most point of Bryher and we all had to wade ashore. Being dressed in green from head to foot and wading ashore holding a half extended tripod & scope must have had any locals thinking they were being invaded. Without hesitation I walked briskly towards Shipman Head Down. Upon reaching the top of the southern end of Shipman Down I spotted a plover only to find it was a lone Golden Plover. As I got nearer, it flew away towards Tresco. Feeling a bit dejected I went through the ritual of logging it in my notebook. Turning round to my left my eyes lit up at the sight of 3 Eurasian Dotterels crouching in the short heather only twenty yards away! At last I had managed to see my bogey birds, a huge weight lifted off me. These three juvenile birds were hard earned lifers for me and certainly the star birds of my holiday. I studied them for half an hour in which they accepted me and moved about feeding away. This sighting deserved the cool pint of a Murphy’s at the Fraggle Rock Inn. After a spot of lunch I explored the small field system in the middle of the island and the edges of the pool with no exceptional birds showing. I returned to St Mary’s as early as the boats allowed. After half a cup of coffee at the flat I headed off to the Golf Course to catch up with my second lifer of the day which was a Lapland Bunting. The bunting had been reported earlier in the day and I had joined forces with a Sheffield birder to find it. I really thought the bunting was a wonderful bird. It was very nimble, making short steps in the grass whilst feeding away. It did make a couple of mad hopping sprints and regularly stretched it’s wings. It’s feeding was thorough and methodical rather than the Linnets’ continuous pecking. It’s markings seemed to fit in with a juvenile bird and at a distance it simply looked like a bird with white underparts and dark brown upper parts. An evening stroll produced nothing new.
12-09-03
Location : St Mary‘s, Isles of Scilly. SV875150.
Today was to be another easy day starting at Longstone Centre where we were treated to a Clifden Nonpareil moth that had been trapped overnight. It was stunningly huge and the first in Cornwall for forty eight years. Around the Longstone area we could see Pied Flycatchers, Common Linnets, Whinchats and a Spotted Flycatcher. We picked up some fine sandwiches at Carn Vean and ate them on Toll Island. On the small island there was an interesting stone lined pit which we later discovered to be a kelp pit. Kelp was burnt in these and the by product taken to Bristol for glass production. There was a Grey Seal in the water and it seemed quite interested in us. Two Rock Pipits foraged on the stony shore. On the steep climb back up to the main road a pair of Goldcrests showed in the fir trees. Early in the evening I took the bus to Porth Hellick (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=11533&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=1) pool and saw a few birds including Common Snipe, Common Greenshank, Gadwalls and one or two Wigeon. From the seaward hide I opened the hatch to see some tiny waders right in front of the hide. I could not believe how small these 4 Dunlins (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=11532&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=1) were and misidentified them as Little Stints causing a few people to come to look at them. I was on the bus to Hugh Town to show Bryan the pictures then had to race back to Porth Hellick on his bike to see what others thought of the birds and then back again to return the bike. I had never been so embarrassed for a long time.
13-09-03
Location : St Mary‘s, Isles of Scilly. SV875150.
The Scillonian sailed at four in the afternoon so we had a considerable part of the day to spend on the island with a leisurely stroll round the town. I studied all the birds on display at the museum and it was shocking the amount of rare birds that had been shot a long time ago simply to identify them. The stuffed birds also fascinated me as you could compare the sizes of them all next to each other. There were some Little Stints and they are a lot smaller even than the Dunlins I saw at close range last night. I completed my coverage of St Mary’s by having a brief look up Buzza Hill. For the majority of the return sea crossing I scanned for birds and picked up 2 Northern Fulmars, Northern Gannets, a Manx Shearwater and an European Storm Petrel. The best bird was seen half an hour after leaving Hugh Town which was a large yet graceful Sooty Shearwater. This was another lifer for me. I had enjoyed my first Scilly holiday with ninety four ticks and eleven of them new lifers for me. It was also useful to learn all the places for my next birding trip to an archipelago and a way of life that I have fallen in love with.