Scillies 2017 - Day 5 ( well two hours of day 5 ) - Keep quiet in the roads

Always a sad day, the one when you are leaving Scilly …..

It could not have been more different to yday, not a breath of wind and a patchy blue sky, birds were everywhere, and the first bird I set eyes on was the male Black Redstart on the roof of the garage outside the house window. 1 Chiffchaff was in the Pittosporum hedges below the house, a quick check of the Bants Carn area revealed 2 Chaffinches, 2 Goldcrest’s, 1 Stonechat and 2 Meadow Pipits.

View of my home for last 3 nights - Standing Stones

A 1^st year Northern Wheatear shot past me as I walked out onto the golf course, but nothing else was doing up there.

A Mute Swan swimming in the roads (the patch of sea between St Mary’s and Tresco was unexpected and with that, I headed back to the house to wait for the taxi to the airport.

* Please note that this is the same bird that eventually moved to the Big Pool on Bryher - it was a tad more distant when i saw it :-) c Phil Lymbery

Phil and Helen are off to Bryher today and took a lift in the taxi, dropping me off to the Airport , although sad to say goodbye , sure I will be seeing them both again soon – Phil is the CEO of Compassion in World Farming and has written two ground breaking books , please read them. https://www.ciwf.org.uk/philip-lymbery/books/ Helen is a wonderful cook ( even if she tells you she isn’t ! ) and Duke is awesome. Phil's excellent pictures will also grace these log pages when i get home and upload them ! 

But it wasn’t all over for the birds, one last find before the plane, another Black Redstart on the roof of the Terminal building

So, not quite the American fest I had hoped it would be, but some great experiences, friendships renewed and the best scenery on the planet, and the Birds were not too bad either for a 4 day stopover J

Western Orphean Warbler

Isabelline Wheatear

“Probable” Wilsons Snipe  

American Golden Plover

Little Bunting

4 Hawfinches

3 Yellow Browed Warblers ( 2 found)

2 Firecrest’s

2 Spoonbill

2 Pale Bellied Brent Geese

Lapland Bunting

Storm Petrel

Leach’s Storm Petrel

2 Peregrine

4 Black Redstarts  

Cannot wait to get back next year! 

Scillies 2017 Day 4 - Quality , not quantity

Its been a strange day, the Storm Ophelia or rather the winds associated with the storm hit during the night and hit hard, it was tough birding today and the scenes on the quay were very reminiscent of ones over 17 years ago when Steve Blain and I stood and watched the massive breakers engulf the Mermaid, I again spent some tie down there late afternoon, not late enough to get the close views of Leach's Petrel, but I digress.....

When I say Quality , not quantity , I didn't actually see that many birds today , in fact, compared to yesterday , I think I would struggle to count on both hands Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs , but those I did see were good value in the Scilly sense ! Even if they were only in 1's and 2’s! 

I had to get the bike back to Porth Mellon by 3 pm - so the morning was two wheeled and the afternoon two legged, after a very blustery ride round the coast , I ended up at Innisidgen , where I stayed for nearly 1.5 hours. 1st piece of Scilly quality was the Skylark that came in off the sea calling , battling against the wind that was blowing offshore here , 4 white birds battling low over the waves eventually revealed themselves as 4 1st Winter Black Headed Gulls !, they headed off inland. 

Then a tuu had me looking up - a brilliant Lapland Bunting headed east just above head height, disappeared round the corner in the direction of Watermill cove 

Continued scanning the sea in the vague hope that the GND might put in a show, but then a small Black seabird appeared approx. 2-300 yds. out , quick check of lack of Carpal band and a few white flashes of underwing - a Storm Petrel ! First one I have seen from the land on Scillies - it batted past at a fairly good speed (it had a tail wind) and veered out towards Great Ganilly. Brilliant set of birds and all different and unexpected 

A Stonechat, 1 Curlew and 2 Meadow Pipits were the only other birds of note seen here 

Watermill Cove was very windy and bird free (the RBF was relocated late afternoon, but no sign first thing) the best conjured up here was a Chiffchaff, a Goldcrest and a Siskin.

The aftermath of the wind was beginning to show in the fallen branches and pine needles that were heaping up on the road, it was quite tough going riding into the wind sometimes, a quick stop at Newford found another 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Goldcrests and the Yellow Browed Warbler calling deep from the back of the pond, hung around a bit to see if the Grey Wagtail was going to visit – he didn’t!

I then decided to head round the south side of the island to Old town as it was getting near hide tide and they were expecting big rollers to come crashing in, on the corner of Maypole, a single Hawfinch was still in the Lichen covered hawthorn and a Redwing was sheltering from the gale in the corner of the field! This was to be the only bird I saw on the trip.

The rest of the ride down to Old Town was uneventful and the Flapjack and Jacket Potato when I arrived was excellent, was meeting Dave and his wife, who were over with the Sandwich Bay Bird group, lovely conversation about birding , the islands and diving – when I left the café, the waves were huge and they had shut off the road to Old Town Church, I took a detour through Lower Moors , again paying my respect to the empty area by the boardwalk that hosts the Spotted C rake every time I leave J

Bumped into Lloyd and his mum in the lower moors hide, 2 Teal and plenty of Mallard, but little else, continued to Shooters Pool where a cracking female Grey Wagtail was performing nicely and allowed me to finally get my camera out and take some pics.

All too soon I was back on the bike as I was due to drop off at 15:00, the bike duly dropped off ( by the way – St Mary’s Bike hire - https://www.stmarysbikehire.co.uk/ is awesome and def. worth using to whizz around the islands, great customer service and a great price.

Now back on two feet, I started to head towards the co-op as needed essentials for Phil and Helen, Red Wine and Bread – staple Scilly fareJ, whilst on route I took quite a few photos of the ever increasing swell bashing over the quay, thinking this would be a repeat of 2001 when Steve Blain and I got some great footage of waves crashing into the harbor, I headed down! It was equally as tremendous. A Rock Pipit fed around my feet as it clearly had been pushed off its beach, a Turnstone was also washed off his roost rocks! I then left (about 10 mins too early it turns out!) to walk back up to Bants Carn, a quick pop into Porthcressa showed that this side of the island was getting equally battered and the Sand from the beached was all over the grass and in the road.

Just as I was walking past Porthloo, Dick came on the radio with a Leaches Petrel off the Quay! I couldn’t quite see it from Porthloo so headed up onto Golf course via Juliet’s , after about 10 minutes scanning I finally picked out one of the 2 birds seen earlier struggling into the roads ! Who would have thought Leach’s Petrel and Storm Petrel both on the same day from St Mary’s!

On a bit of a high, I checked the Golf course on the way back, a cracking Peregrine was hanging in the wind over Bants Carn and a Raven cronked loudly as it battled with the wind and headed off north. A White Wagtail was sheltering in one of fairways and a few Goldcrests were calling in the pines as I walked back in the gale. I brought a new windproof coat from Rab before I left for the islands and it has been phenomenal! Will review in another blog post. Walking back and didn’t see anything, fantastic pasta bake and Cheese Bread. Conversation was brilliant and always and an easy couple of hours drifted by, shower and spoke to my very understanding wife, Kellie before hitting the sack.

Brilliant day with 7 trip ticks added  

Scillies 2017 Day 3 - all about the Crests and Warblers

Although it was a hard slog today with lots of walking and searching, it was rewarding for the sheer numbers of crests into St Marys - almost everywhere I stopped had birds calling, and I reckon easily 100 without trying ! Chiffchaffs were also on the up and a lot of birds seen and heard.

As i am now staying in the delightful Standing Stone cottage at Bants Carn, not only does this mean no beer at the Bishop , but also i am slap bang in the middle of decent habitat just by looking out the window , and within 2 minutes of having a look , a Black Redstart on the roof of the outbuilding, Male Blackcap and 2 Chiffchaffs were seen in the garden.

I then spent the next hour taking a very slow walk around the Bants Carn area , stopping for quite a while at the Carn itself to indulge in a spot of viz migging

although not earth shattering numbers, it was nice to see the following - all were coming from the direction of Tresco

5 Siskin
2 Snipe
1 White Wagtail
Blackcap
1 Chaffinch

around the Carn itself were 2 Stonechats and 5 Meadow Pipits

I carried on walking up the path that runs alongside the Golf course , a quick pish and Bang ! Yellow Browed Warbler always brilliant to self find one of these eastern gems ! got great views for about 30 seconds before it dived off round a bush , which suddenly Phil and Helen appeared from :-) Phil managed to get some good photos !

I then walked slowly up the path before stopping again , big pish and another Bang ! this time an Excellent Firecrest  this one allowed me to actually get my camera out of my bag and actually photograph it ! I actually got some that i like, 4 Goldcrests accompanied it

Another slow wander down Telegraph road resulted in another Black Redstart behind the water tanks, 4 more Chaffinch over , another "Alba" Wagtail and another Siskin. Sunken garden for lunch - only 2 Goldcrests here

I had by now reached Trewince, where a Dragonfly was flying around an enclosed field , i dont know any of these species well but this was very light brown if that aids ID , it or another one was called over the radio as a possible Vagrant Emperor, but no idea !

then onto the crop fields before Carrag Dhu , a quick 5 minute watch netted 2 Blackcaps, 2 Goldcrests, 2 Goldfinch, 2 Linnet , 6 Song Thrush , 4 Blackbird , 5 Wren and 10 Dunnock !

a Chiffchaff back on the road was calling loudly

decided to have a 10 minute stop in Carrag Dhu gardens and while having a quick snack , i was joined by this Blackbird with a broken wing

Later found out from Will Scott that he has survived over a year ! , not much else in the Gardens other than 2 Chiffchaffs and 4 Goldcrest

walked towards Porthellick - the new boardwalk is coming on nicely !

Nothing much doing from the Steven Sussex hide other than a brief flypast of a Kingfisher , 2 Teal and 1 Snipe

1 Chiffchaff and 2 Goldcrests were between the hides , the Seaward hide held Ian B and a really nice guy called Lloyd who i chatted with for about 20 mins whilst "enjoying" the putative Wilsons Snipe ( very bad shots ! ) 6 Greenshank and another 10 Snipe in the far roost.

said goodbye to Lloyd and headed round the Porthellick loop, lots of pishing later and the tally was 1 Firecrest , 10 Goldcrests and 2 Chiffchaffs

No sign of the earlier Spotted Crake , but 2 Chiffchaff and 8 Goldcrest here , another 12 Goldcrest and 3 Chiffchaff were nearer Holy Vale , but best of all was my 2nd self find Yellow Browed Warbler of the day calling and showing really well ( allowed some terrible photos :-) ) just at the entrance to Holy Vale.

10 Goldcrest, 3 Chiffchaff and 2 Water Rails were the best Holy vale had to offer and then a male Siskin as I climbed the long hill upto Maypole

A couple of friendly birders pointed out the correct Hawthorn bush and two cracking Hawfinches were feeding and showing well - my photos might give you some idea of how far away i was though !

2 more Siskin buzzing over and 3 Goldcrest as we approached Newford Duckpond , despite my best efforts, could not increase on my YBW tally ( 2 were reported from there today ) and only 3 Chiffchaff gave themselves up

it was then a misty walk home .... but all was not quite over as Phils diligence paid off at 18:36 when the Short Eared Owl that was seen earlier over the Golf course began quartering Bants Carn as we viewed it from the the balcony a brilliant addition to the trip list which currently stands at 76 !

its Hurricane arrival tomorrow and having stepped outside , you can feel the wind getting up !

the biggee will be found tomorrow ......

Scillies 2017 Day 2 - thrown a Wobbler ....

Saturday 14th October - 2017

Today started nice and early from the Riveria , as i needed to pack and get the early boat to St Agnes, Said goodbye to the boys and cycled down to the Quay ( after hiding my bags under the stairs before i moved to Phil and Helen's later )

There was bout 20 of us heading across to St Agnes , it was good to back on the Inter island boats , but £9.00 is getting on the expensive side now !

We docked and headed round to Porth Killier and then up past the Chapel to stand overlooking the fields south of the Chapel - i had a strange sense of deja vu as i stood chatting next to Dick Filby as it was at the exact spot 18 years ago that i saw the Whites Thrush ! Dick was present that day as well !

Anyway, an hour went by , and then another one and then 2 Hawfinches were found behind us ! brilliant - Scillies tick at last ! These birds were seen perched in a Tamerisk and had great views of them both

Then it was back to the vigil - no birds had moved in the hedge , a text came through - Boat cancelled on Monday :-( after 20 minutes changing plans , i have finally got a flight off on Tuesday morning ! Luckily a quick text up the road to Phil means I have somewhere to stay o the Monday night ! More looking at a hedgerow .... Movement - a Female Blackcap .... more movement ... a male Blackcap ...... more people have arrived and must be about 120 people looking now .. then shout goes up ! people have seen it , flying left and finally , the Western Orphean Warbler is finally seen well , watched for over 15 minutes as it fed and moved lazily through the bushes and brambles. Excellent Scillies tick and the first one on here since 1981

I then decided to see what else i could find and started ambling off towards Troy town farm , a Male Peregrine was great to see as it sped past , we were flushing lots of thrushes off the paths and it was evident that birds were in ! a flock of 6 Greenfinch fed in brambles as did 2 Chiffchaffs.

Then had a great piece of luck, stood talking to a lovely couple that i met on the boat on their first trip to Scillies when Graham and Spider came walking down through the bracken of Castella down , Spier shouts did we see the bunting , as they suspect its a Rustic , i start to move down the track but then see a flash of white and a bunting flies up 10 yds from where we were and perches on top of a bracken - Little Bunting I shout ! was great to see it so close and so unexpectedly, even better when i found out that Graham had been trying to track it down for at least an hour after it flew over him calling - incredible skills ! The bird flew off towards the chapel ( it was later seen near Porth Killier and was also seen on Sunday )

Then started a great vis mig Session , with news coming in from Marys of large finch flocks being seen including record breaking flock of 50 Hawfinches heading out towards Garrison saw me standing on the Lighthouse track and looking skywards , my totals for the 45 minutes were

1 Sparrowhawk
32 Chaffinches in flocks of 13, 3 ,4 , 2, 2 and 8
5 Greenfinches high over in tight flock

it was with the flock of 8 that i had a finch that may well have been the Common Rosefinch that was seen later - my only views of it were that it was very dull and nondescript ! but not enough on it !

Then headed to the Parsonage to see if anything down there - Great views of a 1st winter Spotted Flycatcher catching Red Admirals , 15 Swallow , 4 Chiffchaffs and 1 male Blackcap - a flock of 20 Linnet were flying around

the only other birds of note on St Agnes were the 2 Stonechat on Porth Killier

Caught the 15:30 boat back and after waving goodbye to the Turks head , it wasn't long before we were back in Hugh Town

with a Blyths Reed Warbler beckoning, 300 yds from my new accommodation, I decided that i would carry all my stuff on the bike ..... What a huge mistake - its a long way to Bants Carn .... and i was quite sweaty when I turned up ! Quick drop off and said Hi to Helen, Phil and I headed down towards Pendrathan Boat yard - where after 15 mins wait in pleasant company in the late afternoon sunshine a harsh tzaccking heralded the arrival of .... what was re-identified over night as a Reed Warbler , up until that point we all thought we were watching a Blyths Reed - very good learning bird !

I then decided to yomp all the way over to the airfield ( well cycled ! )  and eventually found the Isabelline Wheatear feeding and perching on the numbered signs in front of the terminal , a Peregrine also flew through towards Hugh Town

Cycled back through Old Town ( nothing on the beach ) and then had a look at Lower Moors - no sign of Spotted Crake , but Water Rail showed well in front of Shooters pool as well as 4 Chiffchaff and 3 Goldcrest.

After picking up my "rent" (Red Wine :-) ) in Hugh Town , i then cycled back to Standing Stone where Phil and Helen had prepared a fantastic Quiche and salad , quick glass of red, many old stories with Phil ( whom i have known for over 30 years )  and then to bed , ready for a day of Bird finding on the Sunday .....

( I will illustrate with photos when uploaded )

Scillies 2017 Day 1 - Part 2

And we are off .... on the bike , down through Salakee Farm to Porthellick, with a few more random stops and more Goldcrest, i am soon overlooking the beach near Sir Cloudesley Shovell's final resting place and immediately the American Golden Plover is located and shows very well for a few pics.

also present on the beach were a Ringed Plover and 2 Greenshank. Porthellick pool held 3 Teal and at least 6 Moorhen, but little else, some concerted pishing and checking of the lone pine at the end of Porthellick bay resulted in at least 3 classic "Black Billed"  continental Blackbirds and an amazing 9 Song thrush erupting out of a seemingly empty bush, the usual ubiquitous Goldcrest was also represented by 2 birds. Cycling on over the top of Porthellick down and past Mount Todden farm , spent a bit of time at Pelistry , but apart from a lone Curlew, Grey Heron and a Chaffinch ( and 2 Goldcrest ! ) not much about. Watermill Cove held 1 Goldcrest and not much else 

My final stop up north was Newford Duck pond , a Water Rail Calling, 1 Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrest and again quite a lot of Song Thrushes and Blackbirds. a Yellow Browed Warbler also called quite a few times but didn't show itself :-( 

it was now getting dark and dinner at the Atlantic beckoned, so a last stop check at Porthloo revealed 2 Pale Bellied Brent Geese and 2 Gadwell for the Trip list ! 

Dinner was excellent , however my new zest for a healthier life meant that i rationed myself to one Pint of Tribute !! - Sober Scilly is a first for me ! 

after a brilliant night at the Riveria with Neil , Tony and Colin , i will be upping sticks and moving to Bants Carm tomorrow with Phil and Helen ! cannot wait 

another day beckons tomorrow ... Yanks anyone ?? 

Scillies 2017 Day 1 - Part 1

Oh it is so great to be back on the Islands

The crossing was a little "up and down" but spent most of it Sea watching with the following totals

Sooty Shearwater - 2 ( 3 were seen in total )
Manx Shearwater - 1
Great Skua - 1, poss 2
Arctic Skua - 2 (3 were seen in total )
Guillemot - 30+
Razorbill - 2
Kittiwakes - 40+
Gannets - plentiful !

Only the Great Skua came reasonably close , the Sooty's were quite close to the top end of St Martins.

An Adult Med Gull was in the roads as we docked

After dumping my gear at Neils digs opp the Scillionian Club , i called the bike hire place to go and pick up my Mountain bike for the 4 days as from tomorrow, i am moving to the Bants Carn area , which anyone who knows Scilly , knows its miles away ! , i also plan to bird mostly on my own and thought the speed to get to places first / early may pay off !

Once all packed up for the day ahead i cycled to my first port of call - Porthcressa Beach

Oystercatchers and Herring Gulls were the most obvious thing on view , but careful scanning and the Sandwich Tern was seen fishing out into the bay, another Ad Med Gull was also present

No sign of the Common Redstart by dibble and Grub , but it was interesting to see a few Portuguese Man of War which after googling i found out the following interesting fact buster !

"Anyone unfamiliar with the biology of the venomous Portuguese man-of-war would likely mistake it for a jellyfish. Not only is it not a jellyfish, it's not even an "it," but a "they." The Portuguese man-of-war is a siphonophore, an animal made up of a colony of organisms working together." 

So not a jellyfish ! always learning !

There were about 6-7 along the beach

I then headed up Buzza Hill , checking the Starlings in case the juv Rose Coloured was still hanging around - it wasn't, Goldfinch and House Sparrow added to day list. Best bird was the young male Sparrowhawk that swept through Hugh Town 

a quick check of the Health centre fields only produced Collared Doves and the op of Carn Gwarvel lane held 3 Blue Tit, Great Tit and a 2 Goldcrest , little did i realise that Goldcrest was going to be quite plentiful

The field opp Nowhere ( insider Scilly joke ) seemed to be empty at first , but pishing for a few minutes and 7 Goldcrest were scolding me and a Robin was new for the day list

A quick stop in Old Town bay and i was very lucky to see a Kingfisher perched
on the old jetty , a few Rock Pipits and Starlings were feeding in the tide wrack, a Common Snipe flew over and out into the Bay 

The boys had alerted me ia the Watts App group thatthe Isabelline Wheatear was showing form the Hangers at the Airfield ...... It wasn't, 6 Linnets, a Kestrel and a Peregrine were the highlights

I then headed down to Porthellick seeing another 7 or 8 Goldcrest at various stop points and another Kestrel, this time a female that had caught a mouse ! it was struggling to take off with it but managed in the end

My trip to Porthellick and the rest of the days tour to follow in Part 2

Simon

13th October 2017   

And so it begins

Peregrine blasting past the Harbour and Gannets over the breakwater - going to be a good crossing - it’s also appears that as Google hates Apple I can’t upload pictures from my phone - imagine it Grey and drizzly and ripe for Feas :-)

and imagine no longer - here is the grey !

a good seawatch followed

Westward Ho! On the Cornish version of the Orient Express

It’s currently 01.44 in Friday 12th October and I am sitting in what can only be described as the brightest train carriage known to man ! How you are supposed to sleep on this train , I don’t know - anyway - I digress.

I ( Simon ) of the intrepid fantastic 4 that make up “The Weakest List” am on my way for 4 idyllic days on the Isles of Scilly , my reason for being in the train carriage nearest the sun is simple - as I was flying back from a work trip to Basel , I thought it would be a great idea to wait 4 hours at Paddington train station and then endure 7.5 hours of sleep deprivation on the “Night Rivera” woo - don’t let me have great ideas again ....

But it’s about the journey and the craic and I can’t wait to get back on the fortunate Isles , although they appear to be a bit quiet at the moment , an Orphean Warbler on St Agnes sounds intriguing and is the only Scilly tick on there at the moment if ID is proven

I will update from the islands tomorrow , assuming the Silly Onion crossing goes well ( why !! )

Si

A good day - BUT Ash takes the lead - WTF !

It all started out so well ;-) Leaving the house for a school run meant that I was able to do a couple of drive by birding situations - first up the Flood Plains , where nothing moving , then the road alongside the lake for a scan - as usual - bugger all on the lake apart from GC Grebe , Mallard, Coot and Moorhen ! , just about to leave and two ducks come flying in from the north - FAST ! I jump out of the car in time to see 2 GOOSANDERS heading south ! 2nd and 3rd records for the Patch ! a Kestrel on the way home makes it 55 for the year ;-)

I have lots to do today , so can't accompany Ash round his 3 hour patch walk - big mistake - he has already gripped back Common Gull , He calls to say he has a Little Egret flying over and luckily it lands near car park - so I head out and easily get number 56 on the list , while watching it and talking to ash a GREY WAGTAIL flies over calling - nice and number 57 - meanwhile ash is languishing on 51 - no chance of a catch up .... I go back to work .....

Just text after text , Jay , Coal Tit , MEADOW PIPIT ! and then the big one the crushing blow - RED KITE - these are notoriously difficult to catch up with on the patch - i have not seen one for 3 years :-( you have to be out there to win it ! Ash then hits blow after blow on his walk home , with Jay and Little Grebe finishing me off ... he is now on 59 and I on 57 - i have Goosander on Ash , but he has Red Kite , BRAMBLING and Green Woodpecker on me , I can't see me catching up anytime soon :-(

Si