Monthly Bird Review – November 2009

The Olive-backed Pipit remained at Sunnyside trail on the 1^st of the month and the Bluethroat was reported from the Rosehill end of the Lower Moors trail. Yellow-browed warblers were at Porth Hellick Loop and Shooters Pool and the Siberian Chiffchaff was at Higher Moors. The four Spoonbills were seen throughout the month in the Tresco channel. Black Redstarts were present at various locations during the month and three were together at Little Porth on the 4^th. A Med Gull was also at Little Porth and two Firecrests were at Lower Moors. A Merlin was seen over most of St Mary’s and was over the Golf Course on the 4^th. Elsewhere, six Black Redstarts were on St Agnes and a Firecrest was in the Parsonage. A Richard’s Pipit was at Borough Farm, St Mary’s on the 9^th. A Dusky Warbler was seen briefly at Helsvear on the 10^th and other birds on St Mary’s included a Yellow-browed warbler at Content Farm, a Jack Snipe again at Porth Hellick Pool and a Med Gull was in The Roads. Abbey Pool hosted a Long-tailed Duck and Tresco also had a Yellow-browed Warbler and a very late Reed Warbler.

A Juvenile Sabine’s gull showed extremely well in Old Town Bay on the 14^th allowing for some excellent photo opportunities. It was joined that day by a Little Gull. Elsewhere two late Swallows were at Old Town, a Yellow-browed Warbler was at Porth Hellick Loop and a Richard’s Pipit was in fields between Salakee and Porth Hellick. The Sabine’s Gull had a change of scenery on the 18^th when it spent time on St Martin’s. Tresco had eleven Whooper Swans and a Med Gull at Great Pool. The following day saw the Sabine’s Gull back on St Mary’s and a Black-necked Grebe was off New Grimsby, Tresco. Three Great-northern Divers and a Red-breasted Merganser were on the sea off Tresco. The Yellow-browed Warbler remained at Porth Hellick Loop on the 20^th and was joined by two Firecrests. A late Whinchat was at Porth Mellon on 22^nd and a Grey Phalarope joined the Sabine’s Gull at Porthcressa. Elsewhere on St Mary’s, two Med Gulls and three Whimbrel were at Porthloo.

A drake Green-winged Teal appeared at Lower Moors on the 23^rd and remianed at the months end. A Little Auk was on the sea off Toll’s Island, St Mary’s on the 25^th and the same or possibly another was off English Island Point the following Day. Elsewhere on St Martin’s a Snow Bunting was near the Daymark and a Sandwich Tern was offshore. A Yellow-browed Warbler was at Jac-a-Bar feeding station on St Mary’s. A Richard’s Pipit was on St Agnes on the 28^th but probably the best bird of the month was the Rustic Bunting which occurred on the 30^th at the junction of Old Town Lane and Airport Lane but was only identified from photographs taken on a mobile phone at a later date.

Paul Freestone © ISBG 2009