A Red-footed Booby, usually found widely in the Tropics, was discovered during a pelagic trip off the Isles of Scilly in early August. Quite a remarkable bird to find, and only the second time one has been recorded in Britain, but little did anyone know at the time, that this bird would be seen again.
On another pelagic, the Red-footed Booby was discovered roosting on the heliport railings on the Bishop Rock Lighthouse, and it seemed very settled. My wife and I just happened to be spending a few days in Falmouth, watching the Tall Ships, at the time. I quickly made arrangements with some fellow birders to meet up at Penzance on Sunday 20th August, and so the Big Twitch was on. Upon our arrival at the quayside on St.Mary’s, several boats were mored alongside, waiting to take around 100 odd birders out to the Bishop, and by mid morning we were looking at a Red-footed Booby.
We had to be back at St.Mary’s by 2pm in readiness to board the Scillonian, for the trip back to Penzance. After viewing the Booby, we made a slow journey back, taking advantage of viewing some large rafts of Cory’s Shearwater, and a single Wilson’s Petrel. During the outbound and inbound sailings on the Scillonian, we saw a variety of seabirds, including a flock of 6 Sabine’s Gull, 5 species of Shearwater, Storm Petrel, Grey Phalarope, Common Dolphins and a Sunfish. Quite an incredible adventure, and a Twitch I’ll never forget.
