Our annual birding trip to the Isles of Scilly commenced on the evening of the 19th October. An overnight drive down to St. Just to catch our Skybus flight to St.Mary;’s on Saturday 20th October. This was to be my 26th consecutive year and our hopes were high as the weather forecast was predicting easterly winds all week. Although turning out to be a rather “Tame” week, we did see some good birds, even finding our own Olive-backed Pipit and Water Pipit. I had two Isles of Scilly ticks, taking my personal list to 290.
St.Agnes from The Garrison, St.Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
Booted Warbler – Covean, St. Agnes – Photo – Tony Davison© – simply a record shot.
Yellow-browed Warbler – The Parsonage, St.Agnes – Photo – Tony Davison©
Coal Tit – One of the "Yellow-faced birds from the Irish population – The Parsonage, St. Agnes – Photo – Tony Davison©
October 21st, St. Mary's – Spotted Crake; 3 Ring-necked Duck; a herd of 11 Whooper Swans arrived on the island; only 1 Black Redstart; 2 Spoonbill.
Black Redstart – 1st winter – Porth Hellick, St.Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
Spotted Crake – Lower Moors, St. Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
Ring-necked Duck – 1st winter drake and two 1st winter females – Porth Hellick, St. Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
Ring-necked Duck – The two 1st winter females – Porth Hellick, St. Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
October 22nd – St. Mary’s – A very quiet day – Spotted Crake; 1 Black Redstart; 1 Snow Bunting; 1 Sandwich Tern:
Snow Bunting – Porthloo Beach, St. Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
October 23rd – Bryher – Buff-bellied Pipit; Found our own Olive-backed Pipit; 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose; – Tresco – Red-breasted Flycatcher; Penduline Tit; 6 Whooper Swan; 1 Yellow-browed Warbler; 1 Hooded Crow and a spectacular male Golden Pheasant.
Pale-bellied Brent Goose – Bryher – Photo Tony Davison©
October 24th – St.Agnes – Rose- coloured Starling; Firecrest; Red-breasted Flycatcher; Coal Tit; 2 Yellow-browed Warbler; Richard’s Pipit; 5 Black Redstart; 1 Lapwing and large numebrs of thrushes and finches arrived on the islands.
Red-breasted Flycatcher – 1st winter – The Parsonage, St. Agnes – Photo – Tony Davison©
Red-breasted Flycatcher – 1st winter – The Parsonage, St. Agnes – Photo – Tony Davison©
Pied Flycatcher – Female – The Parsonage, St. Agnes – Photo – Tony Davison©
Yellow-browed Warbler – The Parsonage, St. Agnes – Photo – Tony Davison©
October 25th – St. Mary’s – 1 Great White Egret; 1 Water Pipit ; 14 Black Redstart; 1 Common Redstart; 3 Common Scoter; Spotted Crake; 3 Ring-necked Duck; 11 Whooper Swan; Whimbrel; Snow Bunting; still large numbers of thrushes and finches arriving throughout the day.
Great White Egret – Pothloo, St. Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
Great White Egret – Pothloo, St. Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
Ring-necked Duck – 1st winter female – Porth Hellick, St. Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
Rock Pipit – Pothloo Beach, St. Mary's – Photo Tony Davison©
Rock Pipit – Pothloo Beach, St. Mary's – Photo Tony Davison©
Rock Pipit – Pothloo Beach, St. Mary's – Photo Tony Davison©
Rock Pipit – Pothloo Beach, St. Mary's – Photo Tony Davison©
Oystercatcher – Old Town Beach, St. Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
October 26th – St. Mary’s – a pretty poor day – 1st winter Mediterranean Gull; 1 Common Gull; 1 Kingfisher; 6 Black Redstart; 2 Swallow.
Common Snipe – Lower Moors, St. Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
Common Snipe – Lower Moors, St. Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
Greenshank – Lower Moors, St. Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
Greenshank – Lower Moors, St. Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
Herring Gull – Hugh Town, St. mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
House Sparrow – male – Telegraph, St. Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
House Sparrow – male – Telegraph, St. Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
Moorhen – Newford Duck Pond, St. Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
Whooper Swan – Porth Hellick, St. Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
Song Thrush – Holy Vale, St. Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
Northern Wheatear – Porthloo Beach, St. Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
Northern Wheatear – Porthloo Beach, St. Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
Northern Wheatear – Porthloo Beach, St. Mary's – Photo – Tony Davison©
Also seen during the week were a number of butterflies – Red Admiral; Peacock; Large White; Speckled Wood – A Bloxworth Snout moth was a tick for me. Disappointingly, no dead Ostrich or Locusts or bags of Onions !!
We tallied 103 species for the week and my year list moves on to 245