Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th September 2018 IoS Bird Sightings

Wednesday’s birds were:

St. Mary’s – A Tawny Pipit was found on the airfield, an adult Woodchat Shrike flew from the vegetation on Porth Hellick bank towards Salakee farm. The Ortolan Bunting was still on Peninnis, the Bar-tailed Godwit was still on Porthcressa beach and the Yellow-browed Warbler & the Pied Flycatcher were still at Newford Duck Pond. The Merlin currently present was seen at several different locations. A Firecrest was on the Garrison and 4 Spotted Flycatchers were in an orchard on Carn Friars Farm.

Bryher – Another Tawny Pipit.

At sea – 39 Great Shearwaters and a Grey Phalarope were reported from the Scillonian III on the morning crossing from Penzance to Hugh Town.

INSECT NEWS: 2 Large Coneheads were found on Bryher, these constituted only the 3rd and 4th records for the UK  (more…)

Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th September 2018 IoS Bird Sightings

ar-tailed Godwit. Porthcressa, Martin Goodey, 25.09.18

Monday’s birds were:

St. Mary’s – One of the Common Rosefinches was seen at Newford Duck Pond and a Wryneck was on the Garrison. The very obliging Bar-tailed Godwit was still on Porthcressa Beach, a Merlin was seen around Hugh Town and the Common Sandpiper was still at Porth Hellick. A Spotted Flycatcher & a Whinchat were in Lower Moors and a Whinchat, a Common Redstart, a Common Whitethroat & a Redpoll were on Peninnis.

Tresco – A Pectoral Sandpiper, a Wood Sandpiper and 2 Pied Flycatchers.

St. Agnes – A Grey Phalarope, a Merlin, a Whinchat, 6 Pied Flycatchers a Garden Warbler and a Common Rosefinch.

At sea – The evening pelagic trip produced 6 Great & 2 Sooty Shearwaters, 6 European Storm-petrels, 4 Grey Phalaropes, 3 Great Skuas, 3 late Puffins, a Minke Whale, 20 Common Dolphins and 15 Atlantic Blue-finned Tuna. (more…)

Wednesday 19th to Friday 21st September 2018 IoS Bird Sightings

Wednesday’s birds were:

St. Mary’s – The Citrine Wagtail, 2 Common Snipe and a Common Sandpiper were on Porth Hellick Pool and nearby a Wryneck & 2 Whinchats were on Carn Friars Farm. A Melodious Warbler was in Lower Moors and 2 Pied Flycatchers & a Common Redstart were at Lower Broome on the Garrison.

Tresco – A juvenile Rose-coloured Starling was in a field near the Swarovski hide and a Wood & 2 Pectoral Sandpipers were on the Great Pool. The Baird’s Sandpiper & Knot were on Abbey Pool and 2 Yellow Wagtails were near the New Inn.

At sea – 30 Great, 8 Sooty and 12 Balearic Shearwaters were seen from the Scillonian III between Wolf Rock and St. Mary’s on the morning crossing from Penzance.

400 Great, 10 Sooty and 10 Balearic Shearwaters were seen from the Scillonian III on the crossing from St. Mary’s to Penzance.

Thursday’s birds were:

St. Mary’s – The Citrine Wagtail, 3 Common Snipe and a Common Sandpiper were on Porth Hellick Pool. A Sparrowhawk, a Whinchat and a Spotted Flycatcher were on Carn Friars Farm, with  another Spotted Flycatcher near Watermill House. 60 Great Shearwaters, 10 Sooty Shearwaters, 2 Great Skuas, an Arctic Skua and an Arctic Tern flew past Peninnis Head.

St. Agnes – A phenomenal seawatch of Horse Point produced 2500 Manx, 2400 Great, 60 Sooty and 2 Cory’s Shearwaters! (more…)

Friday 14th to Tuesday 18th September 2018 IoS Bird Sightings

Friday’s birds were:

St. Mary’s – After not been seen on Thursday, the 2 Buff-breasted Sandpipers were again on the airfield. A Green Sandpiper, the Pectoral Sandpiper and another Citrine Wagtail were on Porth Hellick Pool. This the 3rd Citrine Wagtail of the autumn and was there until dusk when it roosted with 50 White Wagtails. A Kingfisher was at Watermill, a Merlin & a Lesser whitethroat were on Porthloo Lane and a Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Whinchats & a Grasshopper Warbler were in Lower Moors.

Tresco – The Baird’s Sandpiper, the Pectoral Sandpiper, 2 Black-tailed Godwits and 22 Greenshanks.

Bryher – A Baird’s Sandpiper was with 2 Ringed Plovers and a Dunlin on Great Porth. If this proves to be a different bird to the Tresco individual, there will also have been 3 Baird’s Sandpipers this autumn.

Saturday’s birds were:

St. Mary’s – A Common Sandpiper and the Citrine Wagtail were again on Porth Hellick Pool, the latter again roosting with 50 White Wagtails at dusk. A Wryneck was on the Garrison near the Steval, a Lesser Whitethroat was at Borough Farm, a Bar-tailed Godwit was on Porthcressa Beach and a Spotted Flycatcher & a Whinchat were at Carn Friars.

TrescoBaird’s Sandpiper, now 2 Pectoral Sandpipers, a Knot, a Black-tailed Godwit, 12 Dunlins and a Shoveler.

Bryher – No sign of yesterday’s Baird’s Sandpiper but there was a count of 98 Oystercatchers, 57 Ringed Plovers, 32 Curlews, a Whimbrel and a Common Sandpiper. Also seen were 3 White Wagtails, a Whinchat and a Sedge Warbler.

Inter-island waters – 9 Little Egrets & 3 Mediterranean Gulls were in Tresco Channel and another Mediterranean Gull was in the Roads.

At sea – 2 Great Skuas, 10 Great and a Sooty Shearwater were seen from the Scillonian III between St. Mary’s and the wolf Rock, i.e. within the Scilly recording area. (more…)

Saturday 8th to Thursday 13th September 2018 IoS Bird Sightings

Saturdays birds were:

St. Mary’s – A Barred Warbler was in the sallows where Holy Vale meets Higher Moors and 2 Spotted Flycatchers  where in Holy Vale itself. A Common Sandpiper was on Porth Hellick Pool and nearby 3 Spotted Flycatchers  where at Carn Friars. 3 Whinchats were in Lower Moors, 3 Common Scoter flew past Porth Hellick Down and 3 Mediterranean Gulls were in Porthcressa Bay.

Bryher – A Wryneck and a Spotted Flycatcher were at the campsite.

St. Agnes – 5 Whinchats and 3 Spotted Flycatchers.

Tresco Channel – 4 Mediterranean Gulls.

Sunday’s birds were:

St. Mary’s –  A Buff-breasted Sandpiper was seen briefly flying over Peninnis before being located on the Airfield. An Icterine Warbler was in a hedge near Newford Duck Pond and a Grey Wagtail, a Whinchat & 2 Spotted Flycatchers were in Lower Moors.

Tresco – A Pectoral Sandpiper and the second Baird’s Sandpiper of the year were found on the Abbey Pool. Also seen on the island were a juvenile Knot, a Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Dunlin, a Yellow-legged Gull, 4 White Wagtails, 6 Yellow Wagtails an a Whinchat.

St. Agnes – 7 Dunlin were on the pool.

Bryher – 2 Whinchats. (more…)

Wednesday 5th to Friday 7th September 2018 IoS Bird Sightings

Wednesday’s birds were:

St. Mary’s – The Citrine Wagtail was seen again in Lower Moors, where there were also 4 Common Snipe and a Teal, nearby 2 Whinchats and a Common Whitethroat were in the Standing Stones Field. A Wryneck was on the Garrison and a Water Rail was at Longstone. A Common Sandpiper, 2 Common Snipe, 2 Teal, a Grey Heron & a Water Rail were on Porth Hellick Pool and 2 Tree Pipits, a Spotted Flycatcher & a Pied Flycatcher were along the Carn Friars Farm track.

St. Martin’s – 2 Spotted Flycatchers.

St. Agnes – A Barred Warbler.

At sea – 5 Great & 10 Sooty Shearwaters, a European Storm-petrel and 2 Great Skuas were seen from the Scillonian III between St. Mary’s and the Wolf Lighthouse. (more…)

Wednesday 29th August to 1st September 2018 IoS Bird Sightings

Wednesday’s birds were:

St. Mary’s – A Pied Flycatcher was in Rosehill Gardens and a Wood Warbler, 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Tree Pipits, 4 Pied Flycatchers & a Spotted Flycatchers were in the pines near the sunken garden at the junction of Telegraph Road and Porthloo Lane.

St. Martin’s – A Melodious Warbler was in fields behind Tobaccoman’s Point.

Bryher – A Wryneck, a Whinchat and 2 Tree Pipits.

Thursday’s birds were:

St. Mary’s – Up to 15 Pied and 11 Spotted Flycatchers were on the island. 5 Whimbrels were on Peninnis & 2 were in Lower Moors and 2  Green Sandpipers were on Porth Hellick Pool. Also reported from various locations arounf the island were 20+ Willow Warblers, 12 Tree Pipits, a Common Whitethroat, 3 White Wagtails, 6 Wheatears and a a female Merlin.

At sea – Seen on the evening Sharrking/birding trip were

https://twitter.com/i/status/1035283694095872001

Fridays birds were:

St. Mary’s -11 Pied Flycatchers  & 12 Tree Pipits were reported from around the island. Single Wrynecks were at Normandy & outside Porthloo Farmhouse, the summering female Merlin & a Spotted Flycatcher were at Pelistry Farm and another Spotted Flycatcher & a Common Whitethroat were at the junction of Porthloo Lane & Telegraph Road. A Garden Warbler & a Whinchat were in Lower Moors and 2 more Whinchats were on High Lanes. (more…)