PELAGIC NEWS: A review of all photographs taken off Scilly of claimed Scopoli’s Shearwaters has revealed that the total of confirmed Scopoli’s was 28! Considering thar there were only 3 British Records (2 of which were from Scilly) before July 2023, this an astounding figure. All bar 1 were in the period July 28th to August 30th. There was 1 record on September 14th.
Late news: Another Scopoli’s photographed on a pelagic on October 15th, has just come to light, this takes the total to 29.
Thursday (19/10)
GREEN DARNER – Not a bird but headline news. 1 of this North American Dragonfly was seen and photographed in Popplestone Fields Bryher (photo). This is the only the 7th record for Britain and the 4th for Scilly. The previous 6 records (3 on Scilly & 3 in southwest Cornwall) were all found in September 1998. A “probable” was also seen on Pelistry Lane.
Surf Scoter – A juvenile off Bar Point moving round St. Mary’s coast and eventually settling in Porthloo in the evening (photo)
Little Bunting – 1 still in a weedy field opposite the track to Trewince and 1 still in the field at Normandy Corner.
Richard’s Pipit – 2 on Tresco Cricket Pitch flew towards Gimble Porth.
Rose- coloured Starling – 1 on Peninnis near Buzza and also seen in the garden of the hotel staff accommod0ation on the Garrison.
Lapland Bunting – 1 still in a field on Peninnis Farm Trail (photo).
Wryneck – 1 in a field between Helvear &Trenoweth and 1 on the southeast side Samson Hill, Bryher.
Great Spotted Woodpecker – 1 flew north from Samson Hill, Bryher and probably the same bird on Pool Road, Tresco.
Glossy Ibis – 1 again in the plastic covered field between Carreg Dhu and Parting Carn.
Cattle Egret – 1 in a field behind the Turk’s Head Pub, St. Agnes.
Spoonbill – 1 flew over St, Mary’s, landed briefly at Shark’s Pit and then was reported from several locations on St. Mary’s.
Great Northern Diver – 2 off Bar Point.
Black-throated Diver – 1 between Peninnis and St. Agnes.
Pink-footed Go0ose – 1 in the fields southeast of Carn Vean Tearooms.
Pintail – 1 in the Standing Stones Field and a drake on the Great Pool, Tresco.
Shoveler – 1 on the Great Pool, Tresco.
Pochard – 3 on the Great Pool, Tresco.
Golden Plover – 12 on the airfield.
Jack Snipe – 1 Porth Hellick Pool.
Curlew Sandpiper – 1 on Periglis Beach, St. Agnes.
Black-tailed Godwit – 1 on the Great Pool, Tresco.
Whimbrel – 1 on rocks on the west side of the Garrison and 2 Bar Point.
Common Tern – 13 on St. Martin’s
Marsh Harrier – A “cream crown” circled over Lower Moors.
Common Buzzard – 1 in the area of Borough Farm, St. Mary’s.
Merlin – At least 1 around St. Mary’s and 1 feast of higher Town, St. Martin’s.
Skylark – 24 in a field north of Carn Friars Road, Normandy, 5 flew southwest over the Garrison and 20 were in fields above Little Arthur Farm, St. Martin’s.
Firecrest – 1 at Content Farm, 1 singing by Rosehill Studio and 1 in the Standing Stones Field.
Yellow-browed Warbler – 1 at the entrance to the Garrison Campsite, 1 at the road end of the path to Porth Hellick, 1 at the Rosehill end of Lower Moors, 1 between Bar Point &Pendrathen Quarry, 1 still in Appletree Glade, Bryher. 1 at Middle Town, St. Agnes and 1 by the toilet block at Higher Town Quay, St. Martin’s.
Lesser Whitethroat – 3 on the Garrison in the playpark/tennis court area and 1 on the west side of Watch Hill, Bryher.
Ring Ouzel – 1 flew over the Garrison, 1 Borough Farm, St. Marys, 1 Porth Mellon, 1 on in a field on Porthloo Lane, 4 on St. Agnes and 1 at Watch Hill, Bryher,
Redwing – A noticeable increse in numbers.
Fieldfare – As for Redwing a noticeable increase.
Mistle Thrush – 1 on the coastal path beyond Juliet’s Garden Café.
Black Redstart – 12 on St. Mary’s, 2 on Tresco, 2 on St. Martin’s and 3 on St. Agnes
Whinchat – 1 at Newman, Garrison and 1 in Appletree Glade, Bryher.
Pied Flycatcher – 1 in the Dead Pine Walk, Garrison, 1 on Sunnyside Farm Trail and 1 the Parsonage Garden, St. Agnes.
Spotted Flycatcher – 1 in the Dead Pine Walk, Garrison, 1 on St. Martin’s and 1 on Gugh.
Yellow Wagtail – 1 at Pelistry.
Grey Wagtail – 1 at Pelistry.
Siskin – 20 Rosehill Gardens.
Lesser Redpoll – 1 with the Siskin flock at Carn Friars.
Friday (20/10)
Surf Scoter – 1 again off Bar Point and adjacent headlands.
Cattle Egret – 3 on the Great Pool, Tresco and later seen with cattle in field of Racket Town Road.
Spoonbill – 1 flew over Giant’s Castle towards Porth Hellick.
Lapland Bunting – 1 on the rocks immediately south of Peninnis Lighthouse.
Wryneck – 1 at Giant’s Castle.
Cory’s Shearwater – 35+ on a daytime pelagic trip 15 km northeast of St. Mary’s, 4 off Giant’s Castle, 300 off Kettle Point, Tresco and 22 in Scilly waters seen from Scillonian III on the return crossing from St. Mary’s to Penzance.
Great Shearwater – 8 on a daytime pelagic trip 15 km northeast of St. Mary’s, 10 off Kettle Point, Tresco and 5 in Scilly waters seen from Scillonian III on the return crossing from St. Mary’s to Penzance.
Sooty Shearwater – 6 on a daytime pelagic trip 15 km northeast of St. Mary’s, 2 off Kettle Point, Tresco and 3 in Scilly waters seen from Scillonian III on the return crossing from St. Mary’s to Penzance.
Manx Shearwater – 3 on a daytime pelagic trip 15 km northeast of St. Mary’s, 1 off Kettle Point, Tresco and 1 in Scilly waters seen from Scillonian III on the return crossing from St. Mary’s to Penzance.
European Storm-petrel – 1 on a daytime pelagic trip 15 km northeast of St. Mary’s and 1 in Scilly waters seen from Scillonian III on the return crossing from St. Mary’s to Penzance.
Great Skua – 1 on a daytime pelagic trip 15 km northeast of St. Mary’s and 1 in Scilly waters seen from Scillonian III on the return crossing from St. Mary’s to Penzance.
Great Northern Diver – 1 off Innisidgen and 2 in Scilly waters seen from Scillonian III on the return crossing from St. Mary’s to Penzance.
Red-breasted Merganser – 3 off Higher Town Quay, St. Martin’s.
Common Scoter – 3 off Kettle Point, Tresco.
Pochard – 2 on the Great Pool, Tresco.
Golden Plover – 18 on the airfield.
Jack Snipe – 1 still at Porth Hellick Pool and 1 flushed on Gugh.
Curlew Sandpiper – 1 still on Periglis Beach, St. Agnes.
Short-eared Owl – 1 flew round Morning Point on the Garrison towards Hugh Town
Merlin – 2+ around the islands.
Skylark – 2 in a field on the coastal path past Juliet’s Garden Café.
Firecrest – 1 Carreg Dhu Gardens and 1 in the fields behind St. Martin’s cricket pitch.
Cetti’s Warbler – 2 trapped at Porth Hellick ringing Station and 1 singing by the Stephen Sussex hide there.
Yellow-browed Warbler – 1 still at the entrance to the Garrison Campsite, 1 by the road on the track to Porth Hellick Pool, still in Appletree Glade, Bryher and 1 in the fields behind St.Martin’s cricket pitch.
Lesser Whitethroat –2 in the hedge north of the play park on the Garrison.
Common Whitethroat – 1 in the fields behind St.Martin’s cricket pitch.
Garden Warbler – 1 in Appletree Glade, Bryher.
Ring Ouzel – 1 Borough Farm, St. Marys, 1 Old Town Beach and 1 at the top of the Peninnis Farm Trail.
Black Redstart – 10 on St. Mary’s.
Common Redstart – 1 Porthloo boatyard.
Whinchat – 1 on the Tremelethen Trail and 1 Watch Hill, Bryher.
Pied Flycatcher – 1 at the start of the Holy Vale trail and 1 in the Parsonage Garden, St. Agnes.
Minke Whale – 1 on a daytime pelagic trip 15 km northeast of St. Mary’s.
Short-beaked Common Dolphin – 5 on a daytime pelagic trip 15 km northeast of St. Mary’s.
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna – 3 on a daytime pelagic trip 15 km northeast of St. Mary’s.
Saturday (21/10)
Surf Scoter – 1 off Bar Point/ Innisidgen and another off Gugh Bar which then flew to Porth Cressa and then towards Peninnis Head.
Little Bunting – 2 in a field on Troy Town Farm, St. Agnes,
Purple Heron – 1 was seen in flight from several locations on St. Mary’s (photo),
Glossy Ibis – 1 in the horse paddock opposite the lane to Pelistry/Green Farm.
Spoonbill – 1 flew over Holy Vale before landing on rocks in Porth Hellick Bay.
Dotterel – 1 on the eastern side of Wingletang, St. Agnes,
Lapland Bunting – 1 on rocks west of Peninnis Lighthouse, 1 flew over Innisidgen and 1 was flying around Little Arthur Farm, St. Martin’s.
Great Northern Diver – 2 of Bar Point, 1 in Porth Cressa, 1 off Carn Near, Tresco and 1 seen in Scilly waters from the Scillonian III on the return trip from St. Mary’s to Penzance.
Red-breasted Merganser – 3 still off Higher Town Quay, St. Martin’s.
Wigeon – 1 on the Great Pool, Tresco.
Pochard – 3 on the Great Pool, Tresco.
Tufted Duck – 1 on the Great Pool, Tresco.
Cory’s Shearwater – 6 off the northern end of Tresco.
Sooty Shearwater – 2 seen in Scilly waters from the Scillonian III on the return trip from St. Mary’s to Penzance and 1 off the northern end of Tresco.
Manx Shearwater – 1 seen in Scilly waters from the Scillonian III on the return trip from St. Mary’s to Penzance and 2 off the northern end of Tresco.
European Storm-petrel – 4 seen in Scilly waters from the Scillonian III on the return trip from St. Mary’s to Penzance.
Pomarine Skua – 1 off the northern end of Tresco.
Arctic Skua – 1 off the northern end of Tresco.
Grey Phalarope – 2 seen in Scilly waters from the Scillonian III on the return trip from St. Mary’s to Penzance.
Woodcock – 1 flushed from path through the Garrison campsite and 1 flushed on the Peninnis Farm Trail,
Bar-tailed Godwit – 1 Porth Cressa and 1 seen in Scilly waters from the Scillonian III on the return trip from St. Mary’s to Penzance.
Black-tailed Godwit – 1 on the Great Pool, Tresco.
Whimbrel – 1 at Porth Wreck and 2 at Giant’s Castle.
Curlew Sandpiper – 1 still on Periglis Beach, St. Agnes.
Short-eared Owl – 1 flew over Peninnis towards the airfield.
Osprey – 1flew over Town Beach and then over Peninnis.
Hobby – A juvenile flew over Porth Cressa.
Merlin– 1 possibly 2 around St. Mary’s.
Wryneck – 1 between Giant’s Castle and Porth Hellick.
Great Spotted Woodpecker – 1 heard on the south side of the Great Pool, Tresco.
Kingfisher – 1 in Porth Hellick Bay
Skylark – 10 on the airfield north of the terminal and 6 at Normandy.
Firecrest – 1 in Carreg Dhu, 1 near the Standing Stones Field and 1 behind ST. Martin’s cricket Pitch.
Cetti’s Warbler – 1 at Higher Moors.
Yellow-browed Warbler – 1 at Higher Moors, 1 at the Rosehill end of Lower Moors, 1 at Rowesfield Crossroads, Tresco, and 1 Borough Farm, Tresco.
Lesser Whitethroat – 1 still in the hedge by the Garrison playpark and 1 Trench Lane, Old Town.
Garden Warbler 1 by the Peninnis House entrance gate,
Ring Ouzel – 1 on the Garrison walls at Redan ‘C, 2 in a field at Borough Farm (photo), St. Mary’s, 2 on Peninnis and 1 at Normandy
Fieldfare– 20 at Normandy, 9 flew over Lower Moors and 45 over Little Arthur Farm, St. Martin’s.
Redwing – 20 over Little Arthur Farm, St. Martin’s.
Black Redstart – 2 on St. Mary’s and 1 on Tresco.
Common Redstart – 1 on Porthloo Beach.
Pied Flycatcher – 1 on Porth Hellick Loop and 1 on St. Agnes.
Spotted Flycatcher – 1 behind St. Martin’s cricket pitch.
Brambling – 1 flew over the airport terminal building and 1 on the Peninnis Farm Trail.
Redpoll – 1 flew over Lower Moors and 1 at Little Arthur Farm, St. Martin’s.
Siskin – 20 at Trenoweth
Minke Whale – 1 seen in Scilly waters from the Scillonian III on the return trip from St. Mary’s to Penzance.
