JRE
Guest
My long-awaited trip to the Isles of Scilly finally arrived.
On 29th August I boarded the Scillonian III with my family having driven down from Devon the previous day.
The crossing was relatively productive. 2 Manx Shearwaters, 11 Turnstone, a few Common Gulls, a Great Skua and 3 Storm Petrels (my first).
Upon arriving at St Mary's I headed off to Porthellick Pool. No sign of the reported Osprey, but 14 Greenshank, a Snipe, Redshank, 12 Dunlin and a handful of Sand Martins. Just as I arrived at the hide a female Marsh Harrier flew over, mobbed by crows.
The next day was spent again around the Porthellick area. It was low tide, and most of the waders were roosting on the beach. 2 Greenshank and a Common Sandpiper, a few Dunlin, Redshank, Ringed Plover and Turnstone with 2 Sanderling skittering along the wave line and a Kestrel overhead.
Returning from the beach to the hide, I was delighted to see the Osprey gliding in. It landed in a pine tree across the pool opposite the hide giving great scope views, but was soon chased off by crows.
The next day i took the 10.00 boat to Tresco.
My family headed off for a walk around the Island, and I was left with the Great Pool to myself. From the new Swarovski hide I had views of 32 Greenshank roosting at the town end of the pool along with couple of Redshank. c25 Sand Martins circled above the water, on which sat 30+ Gadwall. Leaving the hide, what was i presume a Reed Warbler came out to greet me. It was the same size, shape and colour as a Reed, but it had an unusually large-looking tail and a rather disturbingly prominent supercilium. I pondered on it for the next half hour, but I was left with nothing more than a few exotic names and a feeling of 'it couldn't have been'.
Getting on the four o'clock boat back to St Mary's, I was full of anticipation of the pelagic aboard the Kingfisher that i had planned to go on that evening.
Myself, my friend Christian Buckner (my age, birding for a year, also on holiday on Scilly) and local birder Allan were the only birders on the boat along with a few shark and mackerel anglers and the friendly skipper Alec.
After sailing out 6 miles, Alec cut the engine and we drifted. Throwing out bread scraps soon attracted a flock of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and after a short while a Great Skua flew over the boat and began harrying the gulls. Fulmars were numerous, and after we had put out 'chum' the Storm Petrels arrived. Around 20 were seen, and as it grew darker more arrived. The Manx Shearwater count reached just 6, although this was compensated for by an Arctic Skua and huge numbers of Gannets.
The next afternoon was the best of my stay. Walking down Peninnis head with Christopher, a birder staying on the Islands, we had Whinchat, 2 Yellow Wagtail (ad and juv), a few Stonechat, huge numbers of Linnet, Song Thrushes and Goldfinches, and 2 White Wagtails. Then, as we wandered down King Edward IV road, which runs down through the farmed area of Peninnis Head, we stopped at the edge of a field opposite Peninnis Farm. In the same instant, as we raised our bins, we said in the same voice "Ortolan!" There it was, my first Ortolan Bunting, an adult female, feeding in the weedy field just 20 yards away. It flew into the hedge and then off to another field. I stayed with it while Christopher went down to Hugh Town to put the news out. Within 10 minutes it returned, but soon went again, and no one else saw it that evening.
The next day, the 2nd September, I was up at 6am, and set off first to the Garrison. Although this area is apparently one of the best on Scilly for Red-backed Shrike, Wryneck etc, I saw nothing more than 12 Stonechats and a few Rock Pipits.
Reaching Porthcressa beach, a Kingfisher flew across the sea in front of me, and a Wheatear Popped up on the rocks to my left. After an unsuccessful couple of hours on Peninnis Head that yielded nothing more than a Whinchat and a few Linnet, I was surprised to suddenly have the Ortolan fly across the path ahead of me. I was unable to relocate it however, although it was seen again later in the day.
Back at 10.00 on the quay for the Will Wagstaff Birding Trip aboard the Sapphire. On this trip we saw 8 species of wader, including Sanderling, Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwit. We also had good views of the 'intermediate' morph juvenile Arctic Skua that had been hanging around the islands for the previous few days. A single Common Tern was also picked out, among 53 Sandwich Terns.
3rd September, my final day on Scilly, and again I got up at 6am hoping to re-find the Ortolan on Peninnis Head. Although I was unsuccessful, I was pleased to find a second winter Med Gull on Porthcressa beach with Black-headed Gulls, and 2 Whinchat and a Wheatear on Peninnis. Early in the afternoon I made a final trip to Porthellick, where upon entering the hide I was amazed to find a Curlew Sandpiper feeding 6 metres away on the mud. I watched it for half an hour before having to get back to the quay in time for the Scillonian. The only other notable species at Porthellick was a distant Green Sandpiper.
The trip back on the Scillonian held the greatest surprise. In between counting Manx Shearwaters (57), and watching a Guillemot and a Storm Petrel, I was thrilled to find a pair of Cory's Shearwaters. I watched them for about a minute and a half at relatively close range, and was able to confirm the ID. A good bird to end a good trip.
Cheers B
Jyothi
On 29th August I boarded the Scillonian III with my family having driven down from Devon the previous day.
The crossing was relatively productive. 2 Manx Shearwaters, 11 Turnstone, a few Common Gulls, a Great Skua and 3 Storm Petrels (my first).
Upon arriving at St Mary's I headed off to Porthellick Pool. No sign of the reported Osprey, but 14 Greenshank, a Snipe, Redshank, 12 Dunlin and a handful of Sand Martins. Just as I arrived at the hide a female Marsh Harrier flew over, mobbed by crows.
The next day was spent again around the Porthellick area. It was low tide, and most of the waders were roosting on the beach. 2 Greenshank and a Common Sandpiper, a few Dunlin, Redshank, Ringed Plover and Turnstone with 2 Sanderling skittering along the wave line and a Kestrel overhead.
Returning from the beach to the hide, I was delighted to see the Osprey gliding in. It landed in a pine tree across the pool opposite the hide giving great scope views, but was soon chased off by crows.
The next day i took the 10.00 boat to Tresco.
My family headed off for a walk around the Island, and I was left with the Great Pool to myself. From the new Swarovski hide I had views of 32 Greenshank roosting at the town end of the pool along with couple of Redshank. c25 Sand Martins circled above the water, on which sat 30+ Gadwall. Leaving the hide, what was i presume a Reed Warbler came out to greet me. It was the same size, shape and colour as a Reed, but it had an unusually large-looking tail and a rather disturbingly prominent supercilium. I pondered on it for the next half hour, but I was left with nothing more than a few exotic names and a feeling of 'it couldn't have been'.
Getting on the four o'clock boat back to St Mary's, I was full of anticipation of the pelagic aboard the Kingfisher that i had planned to go on that evening.
Myself, my friend Christian Buckner (my age, birding for a year, also on holiday on Scilly) and local birder Allan were the only birders on the boat along with a few shark and mackerel anglers and the friendly skipper Alec.
After sailing out 6 miles, Alec cut the engine and we drifted. Throwing out bread scraps soon attracted a flock of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and after a short while a Great Skua flew over the boat and began harrying the gulls. Fulmars were numerous, and after we had put out 'chum' the Storm Petrels arrived. Around 20 were seen, and as it grew darker more arrived. The Manx Shearwater count reached just 6, although this was compensated for by an Arctic Skua and huge numbers of Gannets.
The next afternoon was the best of my stay. Walking down Peninnis head with Christopher, a birder staying on the Islands, we had Whinchat, 2 Yellow Wagtail (ad and juv), a few Stonechat, huge numbers of Linnet, Song Thrushes and Goldfinches, and 2 White Wagtails. Then, as we wandered down King Edward IV road, which runs down through the farmed area of Peninnis Head, we stopped at the edge of a field opposite Peninnis Farm. In the same instant, as we raised our bins, we said in the same voice "Ortolan!" There it was, my first Ortolan Bunting, an adult female, feeding in the weedy field just 20 yards away. It flew into the hedge and then off to another field. I stayed with it while Christopher went down to Hugh Town to put the news out. Within 10 minutes it returned, but soon went again, and no one else saw it that evening.
The next day, the 2nd September, I was up at 6am, and set off first to the Garrison. Although this area is apparently one of the best on Scilly for Red-backed Shrike, Wryneck etc, I saw nothing more than 12 Stonechats and a few Rock Pipits.
Reaching Porthcressa beach, a Kingfisher flew across the sea in front of me, and a Wheatear Popped up on the rocks to my left. After an unsuccessful couple of hours on Peninnis Head that yielded nothing more than a Whinchat and a few Linnet, I was surprised to suddenly have the Ortolan fly across the path ahead of me. I was unable to relocate it however, although it was seen again later in the day.
Back at 10.00 on the quay for the Will Wagstaff Birding Trip aboard the Sapphire. On this trip we saw 8 species of wader, including Sanderling, Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwit. We also had good views of the 'intermediate' morph juvenile Arctic Skua that had been hanging around the islands for the previous few days. A single Common Tern was also picked out, among 53 Sandwich Terns.
3rd September, my final day on Scilly, and again I got up at 6am hoping to re-find the Ortolan on Peninnis Head. Although I was unsuccessful, I was pleased to find a second winter Med Gull on Porthcressa beach with Black-headed Gulls, and 2 Whinchat and a Wheatear on Peninnis. Early in the afternoon I made a final trip to Porthellick, where upon entering the hide I was amazed to find a Curlew Sandpiper feeding 6 metres away on the mud. I watched it for half an hour before having to get back to the quay in time for the Scillonian. The only other notable species at Porthellick was a distant Green Sandpiper.
The trip back on the Scillonian held the greatest surprise. In between counting Manx Shearwaters (57), and watching a Guillemot and a Storm Petrel, I was thrilled to find a pair of Cory's Shearwaters. I watched them for about a minute and a half at relatively close range, and was able to confirm the ID. A good bird to end a good trip.
Cheers B
Jyothi
