SCOPOLI’S SHEARWATER up to Monday (21/08) the total seen (all photographed) from the MV Sapphire this pelagic season is 14.
Considering that there were only 3 British records before this year, and 2 of those were also seen from the Sapphire, this is totally astounding, what else is out there waiting to be found?!
Tuesday (15/08)
RED-FOOTED BOOBY – It was still sat on the Bishop Rock Lighthouse all day and was seen flying and calling around the lighthouse from the evening pelagic trip (photo).
Fea’s/Desertas – 1 flew alongside the Scillonian III, before flying off north at about 6 km from Sy. Mary’s.
Wilson’s Storm-petrel – 3 on the evening fishing/birding pelagic trip 5 km southwest of the Bishop Rock.
Cory’s Shearwater – 400 on the evening fishing/birding pelagic trip 5 km southwest of the Bishop Rock and 2 south of Annet.
Great Shearwater – 30 on the evening fishing/birding pelagic trip 5 km southwest of the Bishop Rock.
Sooty Shearwater – 4 on the evening fishing/birding pelagic trip 5 km southwest of the Bishop Rock.
Arctic Skua – 1 on the evening fishing/birding pelagic trip 5 km southwest of the Bishop Rock.
Green Sandpiper – 4 flew over the sports centre on St. Mary’s.
Black-tailed Godwit – 1 on South Beach, Tresco.
Whimbrel – 1 between Halangy Point and Bar Point.
Wheatear – 2 on Gugh and 1 on Annet.
Short-beaked Common Dolphin – 30 on the evening fishing/birding pelagic trip 5 km southwest of the Bishop Rock.
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna – 20 on the evening fishing/birding pelagic trip 5 km southwest of the Bishop Rock.
Wednesday (16/08)
**** BAROLO SHEARWATER **** – 1 flew east past Peninnis at 16:05. If this record is accepted this will be only the second record for Scilly. The first was 1 that flew past Horse Point, St. Agnes on 30th April 1974.
RED-FOOTED BOOBY – It was still sat on the Bishop Rock.
Cory’s Shearwater – 50+ past Peninnis and 300 in Scillonian waters seen from the Scillonian III on the crossing from St. Mary’s to Penzance.
Great Shearwater – 2 in Scillonian waters seen from the Scillonian III on the crossing from St. Mary’s to Penzance.
Sooty Shearwater – 1 in Scillonian waters seen from the Scillonian III on the crossing from St. Mary’s to Penzance.
Sabine’s Gull – 2 together past Peninnis.
Little Stint – A “probable” briefly on Porth Cressa Beach.
Green Sandpiper – 4 on Lower Moors Pool, 1 on Porth Hellick Pool and 2 flew west over St. Agnes Quay.
Whimbrel – 4 at Toll’s Porth (photo) and 1 on Annet.
Hobby – 1 over Hugh Town and Juliet’s Garden Café.
Little Egret – 6 on the Great Pool, Tresco.
Common Swift – 5 over Porth Hellick bank.
Grasshopper Warbler – 1 trapped, ringed and released at Porth Hellick Ringing Station.
White Wagtail – 2 on Porthloo Beach.
Thursday (17/08)
Red-footed Booby –Still on and around the Bishop rock Lighthouse.
Scopoli’s Shearwater – 1 identified from photographs taken on the evening pelagic trip 5 km south of Bishop Rock.
Cory’s Shearwater – 400 off Peninnis and 500 on the evening pelagic trip 5 km south of Bishop Rock.
Great Shearwater – 80 on the evening pelagic trip 5 km south of Bishop Rock.
Sooty Shearwater – 5 on the evening pelagic trip 5 km south of Bishop Rock.
European Storm-petrel – 1 on the evening pelagic trip 5 km south of Bishop Rock.
Yellow-legged Gull – A first-winter bird flew over Parting Carn and then over Porth Hellick.
Mediterranean Gull – 5 at Toll’s Porth.
Common Sandpiper – 1 on Porth Hellick Beach & 1 on the Pool, 5 below Tregarthen’s Car Park and 2 at Bant’s Carn.
Green Sandpiper – 1 on Porth Hellick Beach & 2 on the Pool and 6 in Lower Moors.
Whimbrel – 2 at Porth Hellick, 1 Porth Cressa and 1 at Bant’s Carn.
Little Egret – 3 in Tresco channel.
Hobby – 1 flew north over the Garrison and it or another was later seen over Porth Hellick.
Common Swift – 10 over Longstone.
Kingfisher – 1 on the Great Pool, Tresco.
Yellow Wagtail – 1 Lower Moors
White Wagtail – 1 Bant’s Carn.
Wheatear – 1 Bant’s Carn.
Bottlenose Dolphin – 20 on the evening pelagic trip 5 km south of Bishop Rock20
Short-beaked Common Dolphin – 30 on the evening pelagic trip 5 km south of Bishop Rock.
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna – 10 on the evening pelagic trip 5 km south of Bishop Rock.
Blue Shark – 1 caught tagged and released on the evening pelagic trip 5 km south of Bishop Rock.
Friday (18/08)
Cory’s Shearwater – 40-50 off Porth Hellick Down, 305 west past Deep Point in a 4.5-hour seawatch and 60 on the evening pelagic trip.
Great Shearwater – 15 west past Deep Point in a 4.5-hour seawatch.
Sooty Shearwater – 6 west past Deep Point in a 4.5-hour seawatch.
Arctic Skua – 1 west past Deep Point in a 4.5-hour seawatch.
Black Tern – A juvenile west past Deep Point in a 4.5-hour seawatch.
Green Sandpiper – 1 in Lower Moors.
Whimbrel – 1 on the Garrison playing field.
Common Whitethroat – 1 above Redan ‘C’ on the Garrison and 3 at Carn Friars Farm.
Pied Flycatcher – 2 in Carreg Dhu Gardens, 2 in the Dead Pine Walk on the Garrison and at the lower end of Holy Vale.
Tree Pipit – 1 flew over Longstone.
Common Crossbill – 1 flew east over the Garrison and 1 calling at Carreg Dhu Gardens.
Saturday (19/08)
Scopoli’s Shearwater –1 on the daytime pelagic trip 8 Km south of St. Mary’s.
Wilson’s Storm-petrel – 6 on the daytime pelagic trip 8 Km south of St. Mary’s.
Cory’s Shearwater – 250 on the daytime pelagic trip 8 Km south of St. Mary’s and 60 off Peninnis in an early morning seawatch.
Great Shearwater – 25 on the daytime pelagic trip 8 Km south of St. Mary’s and 1 off Peninnis in an early morning seawatch.
Sooty Shearwater – 2 on the daytime pelagic trip 8 Km south of St. Mary’s and 1 off Peninnis in an early morning seawatch.
European Storm-petrel – 50 on the daytime pelagic trip 8 Km south of St. Mary’s.
Yellow-legged Gull – 2 on the daytime pelagic trip 8 Km south of St. Mary’s.
Green Sandpiper – 2 in Lower Moors.
Whimbrel – 10 flew ENE over Helvear and 1 was on Porthloo Beach.
Common Whitethroat –1 in the Dead Pine Walk on the Garrison.
Pied Flycatcher – On the Garrison 2 were still in the Dead Pine Walk & 1 was at Lower Broom, 1 along the track above Carreg Dhu, another was at Middle Town, St. Martins and 1 was at Borough Farm, Tresco in the evening.
Short-beaked Common Dolphin – 15 on the daytime pelagic trip 8 Km south of St. Mary’s.
Sunday (20/08)
RED-FOOTED BOOBY – After 2 anxious days because of no access to the Bishop because if the weather, it was still showing on the lighthouse, much to delight of a boat load of happy birders.
Scopoli’s Shearwater –Yet another on the daytime pelagic trip 5 Km southwest of Bishop Rock.
Wilson’s Storm-petrel – 3 on the daytime pelagic trip 5 Km southwest of Bishop Rock.
Cory’s Shearwater – c350 on the daytime pelagic trip 5 Km southwest of Bishop Rock.
Great Shearwater – c40 on the daytime pelagic trip 5 Km southwest of Bishop Rock.
Sooty Shearwater – 2 on the daytime pelagic trip 5 Km southwest of Bishop Rock.
European Storm-petrel – 40 on the daytime pelagic trip 5 Km southwest of Bishop Rock.
Sabin’s Gull – 4 adults on the daytime pelagic trip 5 Km southwest of Bishop Rock.
Yellow-legged Gull – 1 on Tresco.
Mediterranean Gull – 9 Porthloo.
Arctic Skua – 1 on the daytime pelagic trip 5 Km southwest of Bishop Rock.
Great Skua – 1 on the daytime pelagic trip 5 Km southwest of Bishop Rock.
Black Tern – 1 on the daytime pelagic trip 5 Km southwest of Bishop Rock.
Puffin – 1 on the daytime pelagic trip 5 Km southwest of Bishop Rock.
Grey Phalarope – 1 on the daytime pelagic trip 5 Km southwest of Bishop Rock.
Red-backed Shrike – A male at the corner pf the road to Longstone and Telegraph Road (photo).
Little Egret – 5 in Tresco Channel and 10 on the Great Pool, Tresco.
Ruff – 1 on Samson.
Common Sandpiper – 8 on Samson.
Green Sandpiper –2 in Lower Moors
Whimbrel – 3 Pelistry and 12 on Samson.
Great Spotted Woodpecker – 1 Trewince.
Pied Flycatcher – On the Garrison, 2 were still along the Dead Pine Walk and 1 was by the campsite entrance. 1 Trewince, 1 at south end of Mount Todden, 3 in the pines at Pelistry Bay and 3 in the pines between Carreg Dhu and Csrn Friars Lane.
Ocean Sunfish – 2 on the daytime pelagic trip 5 Km southwest of Bishop Rock.
Monday (21/08)
RED-FOOTED BOOBY – Still sat on Bishop Rock Lighthouse.
Wilson’s Storm-petrel – 2 on the evening pelagic trip 5 Km southwest of Bishop Rock.
Cory’s Shearwater – 13 in one scan left to right from Porth Hellick Down, 45 flew past Giant’s Castle between 09:15 & 09:40, 200 seen on the “Scilly side” from the Scillonian III on the return crossing from St. Mary’s to Penzance and 250 on the evening pelagic trip 5 Km southwest of Bishop Rock.
Great Shearwater – 4 flew past Giant’s Castle between 09:15 & 09:40, 1 seen on the “Scilly side” from the Scillonian III on the return crossing from St. Mary’s to Penzance and 0 on the evening pelagic trip 5 Km southwest of Bishop Rock.
European Storm-petrel – 3 seen on the “Scilly side” from the Scillonian III on the return crossing from St. Mary’s to Penzance and 150 on the evening pelagic trip 5 Km southwest of Bishop Rock.
Sabine’s Gull – An adult evening pelagic trip 5 Km southwest of Bishop Rock.
Long-tailed Skua – 1 seen on the “Scilly side” from the Scillonian III on the return crossing from St. Mary’s to Penzance.
Common Sandpiper – 4 Porthloo.
Red-backed Shrike – The male was still in the same general area as Sunday.
Kingfisher – 1 flew over Lower Moors.
Common Whitethroat – 1 at Longstone and 1 in the Dead Pine Walk on the Garrison.
Pied Flycatcher – 10 at various locations around St. Mary’s.
Short-beaked Common Dolphin – 20 on the evening pelagic trip 5 Km southwest of Bishop Rock.
