24th October 2019
This is my forth Scilly ISABELINE WHEATEAR and third in the four years. My first individual was on Bryher on 29th Oct ’98 after observing Rose-breasted Grosebeak and Pied-Billed Grebe a few minutes before with Ren. The day before we both saw a American Robin on St Agnes!
First thing this morning, on my ways to the airport, I had a look at the Whooper Swan that had been on St Agnes that roosted at Porthloo Beach last night. After working non stop at work, I got on the 10.15 boat to Tresco with handful of birders that had not seen the ISABELINE WHEATEAR yet that was discovered two days ago. First stop, was to go and see the Waxwing that proved at first to be mobile before settling down in the apple trees behind the New Inn where it has been for the last few days. Here it gave crippling views as it got stuck into an apple. There was also a single Wheatear on the beach nearby.
The Whooper Swan was in the south end of Porthloo Bay and later on it moved to Lower Moors
The Waxwing was a little Flighty at first perched on wires with Starlings.
However, it soon settled down and didn’t waste anytime getting stuck into the apples
Very happy with the Waxwing, Paul Gale and I made our ways up to Castle Down and joined the small crowd who put us on the Isabeline Wheatear. It spent most of it’s time in the sun sheltering behind a rock from the wind. After a good 30 minutes it flew off towards the Cromwells Castle where I managed to get closer views but it proved to be very flighty. I left the wheatear and at Gibble Porth there were 2 Brambling with some 70 Chaffinch. Around the corner at the school on the fence line bordering the football pitch, were up to 10+Black Redstart and over 500 Starling.
The small crowed scoping the ISABELINE WHEATEAR at Castle Down
The wheatear itself spent most of it’s time in the sun sheltering from the wind
While observing the Isabeline earlier on, Marcus Nash, who found the wheatear, turned up a Ring-necked Duck at the Abbey Pool. When I arrived at the latter site, it was in the north corner at close range with a Tufted Duck but both ducks were in the sun making it hard for photography. At the same time I could hear a Yellow-browed Warbler at Abbey Crossroads with two other vocal birds by the Rosefields Crossroads. It was now 15.30 and I only had an hour to catch the return boat back to St Mary’s. I started to pish 20 meters before the David Hunt Hide and put my bins up to the first bird that I attracted. I could only see the head of the phyllosic showing off a yellow super. Pallas’s Warbler! But I needed to see it again and more on it but in the next ten minutes of pishing out came 6+Chiffchaff, 10+Goldcrest, 2 Yellow-browed Warbler and a all to brief probable Eastern Lesser Whitethroat but no sign of the Pallas’s. I had to get a move on and near to New Grimbsy I caught up with Mick Turton. Adam Hutt also joined us, who I had spent the first three hours with and on his bike, Louis Cross who is staying on Tresco. I let Louis know about the Pallas’s Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat and to make the others aware of both birds who are also staying on the island.
No sign of the Citrine Wagtail at Salkee but the Blyth’s Reed Warbler was still at Rose Hill. On St Agnes, Graham Gordon had a very brief Palla’s Warbler early this morning in the Parsonage and it was never seen again until later in the afternoon down Barnby Lane only to return to the Parsonage again.
As you can see, photographing the Ring-necked Duck on the abbey Pool proved difficult not helped by the sun.
This is all I could get on the probable Eastern Lesser Whitethroat as it moved straight through on Pool road
SCILLYSPIDER 2 