Saturday (24/04)
Despite the cold wind a lovely sunny day with several Mediterranean species seen on the islands.
Bee-eater – After its visit to Tresco yesterday, it was back between Carn Friars and Normandy House
Purple Heron – 1 flew over St. Agnes Cricket Pitch and then towards Annet
Little Bunting – 1 on St. Agnes Cricket Pitch and 1 St Agnes Troy Town
Cattle Egret – 4 in fields north of the Great Pool, Tresco
Hoopoe – 1 still at Tremelethen
Nightingale – 1 between Porth Minnick and Blue Carn
Golden Oriole – 1 in flight at the Garrison Campsite, also a possible female on the Golf Course
Greylag Goose – 1 in a field on Peninnis
Turtle Dove – 1 still in the garden behind Star Castle (photo), 1 on Tresco near the Borough Road/Racket Town Lane junction
Pintail – 1 Tresco
Pochard – 1 with 8 ducklings on the Great Pool, Tresco
Swift – 1 Salakee and 1 over Trewince
Cuckoo – 1 Trewince
Black-throated Diver – 1 Bull’s Porth, St. Martin’s
Little Egret – 1 Lawrance’s Bay, St. Martin’s, 1 Castle Down, Tresco
Marsh Harrier – 1 Lower Moors, a female over the vineyard on St. Martin’s
Grey Plover – 1 flew high northeast over New Grimsby, Tresco
Whimbrel – 5 Lawrance’s Bay & 2 Par Beach, St. Martin’s, 1 Little Porth
Bar-tailed Godwit – An amazing count of 130 birds flew high northeast over New Grimsby, Tresco, this more than twice the previous highest count. 4 Lawrance’s Bay & 5 Par Beach, St. Martin’s
Common Sandpiper – 2 on Porth Hellick Pool, 1 Porthloo
Green Sandpiper – 1 flew east over St. Agnes cricket pitch
Iceland Gull – 1 Porthloo, 1 Great Bay, St. Martin’s, 1 on Abbey Pool, Tresco
Swift – 1 over Bull’s Porth, St. Martin’s, 1 Salakee, 1 over Trewince
Short-eared Owl –
Merlin – 1 Castle Down, Tresco
Hobby – 1 in off the sea over the Garrison, then flew over the Lifeboat Station towards Lower Moors
Jackdaw – 2 Higher Town, St. Martin’s
Raven – A pair nesting near the Daymark, St. Martin’s
Grasshopper Warbler – 1 reeling by Golf Club entrance road
Garden Warbler – The first of the year was 1 at Carn Friars
Ring Ouzel – 1 King Charles’s Castle, Tresco
Redwing – 1 Salakee Farm
Spotted Flycatcher – The first of the year were 1 in a pine tree by the leat from Porth Hellick Pool to the bay, and 1 Castle Down, Tresco
Redstart – 1 in the garden behind Star Castle
Whinchat – 1 at the Garrison Campsite
Yellow Wagtail – 13 including 2 males and a female Blue-headed off Racket Town Road, Tresco, a Blue-headed bird at Porth Hellick
White Wagtail – 1 Lawrance’s Bay, St. Martin’s
Tree Pipit – 2 Tresco
Redpoll – 1 on feeders in a garden behind Star Castle