6th October 2019
Not many, if anyone, got a pic of the YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO at Rose Hill end of Lower Moors like Scott Reid did This was my third for Scilly after seeing my first in ’95 a few fields away from this individual
Shortly after 07.00, news came on that the Nightjar that was seen at dusk last night over the campsite, Garrison, was again briefly over the latter site. By the time I got out, the sun was almost up and there was no further sign of the bird. After an hour of birding the east side of the Garrison and made my ways to the airfield where I saw of note, 5 Golden Plover, 16 White and 3 Pied Wagtail, 15 Wheatear and a single Whinchat. I also had a single Whinchat and heard 2 Yellow-browed Warbler at the airport/Old Town junction SE end of Lower Moors.
Sunrise from the Garrison
Up to 3 Pied wagtail were on the airfield
And there were also 15 Wheatear
But nothing hanging out with the 5 Golden Plover
I had 2 Whinchat including this individual at Lower Moors
By now it was 10.30 and at the Shooters Pool, Lower Moors, I found a Northern ‘type’ Willow Warbler with 2 Reed Warbler and then had a quick look at the Spotted Crake at Rose Hill end of Lower Moors. Like yesterday evening when it was first found, it was showing down to a meter as it fed in a flooding area almost on the path! However, half an hour later, it was when things really kicked off. Jake Event observed a YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO at Shooters Pool! Like others I rushed to the site but it had disappeared into a tall Sallow out of sight nearby. I made my ways into the Black and White Wood and Will Scott had the same idea. Over 30 minutes later, Will had crippling views deep in the wood very briefly before flying off and lost again. Bobby ‘Dazzler’ Dawson, Richie Aston and myself joined Will in the area where he last saw it. To cut a long story short, I flushed the cuckoo out of the wood that was immediately observed flying back towards shooters Pool by the crowd of birders on the Lower Moors trail. Throughout the rest of the day, the yank was seen on and off in the Rose Hill wood of Lower Moors but each time briefly. It was 17.30 and I had spent almost all my time in the Rose Hill end of Lower Moors and for my effort all I got was a single Pied Flycatcher. While on the Telegraph Road, trying to get a glimpse of the cuckoo that had been seen not long ago, everyone started running down road. Thinking they had the cuckoo, I was moving like a train only to find out that it was a Honey Buzzard drifting north distantly over Parting Carn. It had been first seen over St Agnes and for the next hour it toured St Mary’s and we connected with it again being mobbed by Carrion Crows over Trenoweth. While we were away the cuckoo was seen again but we decided to leave it and try for the Nightjar on the Garrison. No sign of the latter species but there was a vocal Yellow-browed Warbler in the campsite garden.
This Northern ‘type’ Willow Warbler moved slower than a hippolais warbler and as usual, very confiding.
This Spotted Crake was showing superbly at Lower Moors. The two top images were taken last night when it was first found and it walked under the bridge that we werre all standing on!
Distant Honey Buzzard flying north over Parting Carn
While chasing the Honey Buzzard, we got the possible female Green-winged Teal at Newford Duckpond
Another image by Scott of the cuckoo
Cuckoo crowd on Telegraph Road at Rose Hill
SCILLYSPIDER 2 