2nd October 2019
I had this probable AMERICAN HERRING GULL just before dark on the airfield briefly before flying off to roost with other gulls
Yesterday the yanks had arrived!! Greg Bond observed a YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO fly across Porth Mellon Beach from Sandy Lanes end towards the lifeboat station. Here it was was seen by handful of people as it flew away over the top of the carn never to be seen again. A BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER spent the morning at St Martins vineyard, even getting trapped in the nets before being safely released but news only surfaced last night on Facebook. Also yesterday, the BLUE ROCK THRUSH was now mobile, flying from Peninnis to Porth Minnick but there was no sign of it today.
The BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER yesterday at St Martins vineyard before it was trapped and released Photo by Mick Knight Although I’ve seen three on Scilly and many in the states and south America, I still would of loved to of seen this individual.
However, the rarest bird to turn up was not from across the Atlantic. A Black Tern was reported on Tresco Great Pool just before 16.00. I had no idea who had seen this tern but American Black Tern was goin around in my mind and maybe if I got in my kayak I could be there watching it within 45 minutes! That wasn’t goin to happen as Jo and I had the ducklings walking all over the shop on Porthloo Beach. When a Peregrine is hanging in the air above them, they move like lighting and jump on top of you for protection. When it’s time to go home, then you will find Jo and I running over the shop on the beach trying to catch them. Instead I called Geoff Dent, who is staying over there, to get some pics of the tern. When he sent me the images that night, I wished those ducks could bloody fly and I would of kayaked over as I immediately identified it as the 4th Scilly WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN! Today, only the warbler was seen very briefly at Higher Town, St Martins but Samaya Reid observed the second YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO in two days fly in off the sea on the west side of Peninnis!
Record shots by Geoff Dent of the WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN on Tresco Great Pool yesterday evening but no sign today
Yesterday, birds were not the only megas in town. Will Wagstaff took a pic of this striking moth on the golf course and it only turned out to be the 4th UK record of GEOMETRICIAN!
So this morning I was itching to get out but work stopped play and it wasn’t until gone 15.30 that I made my ways to Lower Moors. In the Shooters Pool area I got 15 House Martin, 5 Chiffchaff, 2 Reed and a vocal Yellow-browed Warbler. I returned to work and then did the Dead Pine Walk where there were single Pied and Spotted Flycatcher and my first Merlin of the autumn.
It had been drizzling most the afternoon and shortly after 18.00 it had cleared and Jo and I walked the airfield. We had 2 Lapland Bunting here yesterday but we could only find a single with the flock of 50+Meadow Pipit, 40+White and single Pied and Yellow Wagtail and a Skylark. 4 Golden Plover dropped in from the NE while we were on the east runway. As we returned back on the opposite side of the east runway approaching the crossroads, there together were a Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Dotterel. No sooner had I put my bins down, a dog at full pelt was almost on top of them and and we both watched the waders disappear off high east. I decided to stick around, thinking they would return and join up with the plovers that were down by the south turning circle. Jo returned to the wagon. I scanned the 7 Herring Gull that were on the tarmac front on. What I thought was a first winter turned it’s head to the side to show off a Glaucous Gull bill. Even though I could only see the front part of the gull, my thought was a possible Smiths! No way!! It;s just gone September but with these ideal conditions? I found a 3rd winter on October 24th two years ago just down road. I’ve got to stick to this individual like glue. It immediately made a short hop on to the grass and it looked bloody good for a 2nd winter AMERICAN HERRING GULL. The waders were left aside as I had to get as much detail as I could in the light that was fading fast. In the few minutes that I observed it, it made brief flights before flying off north with other gulls to roost. When I came off the airfield, two black Labrador were running all over the shop and flushed the plovers off as well.
I reckon it’s a Smiths but with the light and views I had I can’t be 100%. Hopefully it will be relocated tomorrow and nailed! Almost the last shot I took just before it went off to roost (bottom pic) The light wasn’t on my side. When I first saw it, my IOS was on 1600 on the first few shots but this soon had to be pumped up from 3200 to 6400 and then 12800 when the heavy clouds arrived and it started to lash down.
Yesterday at Trenowth we saw this Yellow-browed Warbler in Graham Cunsdale with a Migrant Hawker nearby
On this ivy covered pine at Trenowth there were 20+Red Admiral, 2 Peacock and single Comma Holly Blue.
I also had 3 Firecrest feeding together at Rose Hill including this individual The day before I had 3 Firecrest at Carreg due Gardens
Ivy Bees are quickly spreading across ST Mary’s from their strong hold of the Garrison. This individual I took at Porthloo Lane near to Rose Hill where there were at 10 in the area.
This Wryneck showed well at Old Town Church yard
Finished the day off with these 2 Lapland Bunting at the airfield
Later on last night for an hour, Jo and I went ivy bashing around my home next to the tennis courts, Garrison, for moths and was rewarded with Jo finding this scarce Purple Marbled. Other moths we came across included…
7 Whitespeck
2 Turnip Moth
4 Lunar Underwing
3 Square-spot Rustic We also had 2 Rusty-dot Pearl, 2 Large Yellow Underwing, 1 Dark Swordgrass and 1 Diamond Back Moth and Willow Beauty
Last year Will Scott found a Rustic Bunting in a field next to his house at Longstones. Four days ago he went and found another Rustic Bunting in the same field and on the last day it was seen, 1st Oct, Jo and I went to have a look at it.
The Rustic Bunting showed a lot better for Chris and Juliet Moore who took the top two images
SCILLYSPIDER 2 