Day 1 - 6/10/13
One can either fly direct to Ouessant in a rickety little plane, or take a ferry from Brest. We always take the latter option as it allows for a bit of birding, it's cheaper, and it's less likely to be cancelled due to the weather. It might also be because there are members of our party who wouldn't go anywhere near a rickety little plane, but if it was, I wouldn't be allowed to say so...
This ferry crossing yielded much the same as other crossings bird wise, with a flock of 50+ shearwaters rafting on a flat calm sea being the highlight. The vast majority were Balearic shearwaters, but there could have been others involved I guess. Other species seen were Mediterranean gull, common scoter, razorbill and Sandwich tern, with Arctic skua and little egret picked up around I'le de Molene while the boat stopped there.
On arrival at Ouessant we were picked up and whisked away for the first three course meal of far too many, so it was mid afternoon before I got out birding.
Most birding on Ouessant is done by bike - but this afternoon I decided there was plenty to keep me busy on foot around Lampaul, the islands 'main' and only town. Things started in a positive light at Kerhuel, a small patch of bushes just south of Lampaul, with a common redstart, pied flycatcher, and a vocal and active yellow-browed warbler.
I then headed north via the reservoirs, picking up the only coot of the trip, and the first of several sparrowhawk and water rail. I ended up at Poull Brac, where among the hedgerows and gardens there were 2 further yellow-broweds, along with other migrants such as firecrest, blackcap, common redstart, and yellow wagtail (neither in a garden or a hedgerow of course) and my first taste of the resident choughs, and healthy numbers of migrant chiffchaffs and song thrush.
I'd have been happy with that as a start but while sitting in the garden enjoying a glass of malt, a quick scan of the church tower produced a juvenile rosy starling. I had known there was one on the island, and past experience suggested the tower was the place to look. Any day that ends with an excellent malt and a rosy starling is a good day.