Hoopoe at Kittidown

12th April 2020

This Hoopoe that I had at Kittidown is more than likely the individual that was last seen three days ago a few fields away at Carn Friars

A cracking day started off at 09.00 when I was getting good views of the adult male LESSER KESTREL at Porth Hellick Down before it flew off towards the airfield. At Porth Hellick there were 5 Snipe, 3 Teal, 10 Redwing, 7 Sand Martin, 5 Swallow, 5 Willow Warbler and the first of the year, 2 Reed Warbler singing. While walking up the slope of Kittidown, I was chatting to Ren on the mobile who was telling me that Viv Jackson had found a Hoopoe on St Martins. As he almost said Hoopoe to me, I shouted at him ‘Hoopoe!!’ He didn’t say anythin as I think he went deaf for a few seconds and was banging his ears with his hands trying to hear agai.. ‘Yes, Viv had a Hoopoe on the Plains’ I interrupted ‘No, I just flushed one off the deck in front of me. I went in search of it and found it in the Lunnan Farm fields where I can’t reasonbly close to it. It returned to the paddock where I first flushed it and left there for other birders to see it.

The adult ma;e LESSER KESTREL performed well briefly at Porth Hellick Down before flying off to the airfield

This Hoopoe was more approachable than when it was at Carn Friars

Last year this mother duck lost all her ducklings last year at Porth Hellick. They only just hatched, but hopefully a few of them will survive

It wasn’t until I got to the golf course that I saw anythin of note in the form of a single Common Gull and White Wagtail, 5 Redwing and the male Ring Ouzel on the SE side. Throughout the day there were a Basking Shark, Minke Whale and stretching from Deep Point to St Agnes, over 200 Common Dolphin on the south side of St Mary’s. I was always on the otherside of the island. When I returned home at 16.15, I immediately erected the scope up in front of the window. ‘Nothin!’ I scanned for a good ten minutes and gave up. I looked again and the only thing moving out there moving was the Minke Whale. It wasn’t long until a steam of Manx Shearwater and pods of Common Dolphin appeared. The conditions were perfect with the light and it being so calm out there and as a result, much further out, there was a dark phase Arctic Skua taking on a raft of 100 Manx Shearwater. Ren just lives below me, a little down the hill from me, at Sallyport and we were now communicating to each other on our mobiles pointing out to what was out there. He got onto the skua that was a lot closer lingering off Pennnis now. I started making dinner and then returned to the scope and in the viewfinder was the Basking Shark! I called Ren immediately as he had never seen one from his window but only Scott Reid connected with it from Porthcressa. I was desperately trying to relocate the shark for Ren when I could smell burning ‘Shite!’ It was my dinner but I just managed to save it. I got my dinner down my neck, scrapping the burnt bits aside, as I couldn’t wait to see what else was out at sea. I was getting addicted to scanning out SSW of Peninnis from the window in the comfort of my home. Even the next-door neighbour was now getting involved in looking at some 100 Common Dolphin. With in two hours I had observed 550+Manx Shearwater, 30+Guillemot, 20+Kittiwake, 20+Gannet, single Sandwich Tern and Sand Martin and Arctic Skua. And not forgetting single Basking Shark and Minke Whale and over 100 Common Dolphin.

altogether I had 15 Redwing scattered around

The male Ring Ouzel was still on the golf course

As well as this Common Gull

As there was a single Chiffchaff in the garden with a Swallow flying around, I decided that I do the Garrison in the last hour of light. I counted a total of 28 Great Northern Diver scanning from Carn Near, Tresco to Gugh including a flock of 10 birds together. However, there was nothin else sighted until I returned home. I kicked a Water Rail over the house and in front of the window was a single Snipe and a pair of Ring Ouzel. All garden ticks. It was almost dark but Ren successfully twitched the ouzels.

I counted 28 Great Northern Diver between Carn Near, Tresco and Gugh just before dark including this flock of 10 bird off Gugh

This Chiffchaff was in the garden

I had three garden ticks in a few minutes including Water Rail, Snipe and a pair of Ring Ouzel including this female just in front of my window. It was dark almost but Ren made the short walk up the hill and connected with the female. somehow, that don’t sound right.

I had this Merlin through the garden today and yesterday when I took this photo

Dandelion in seed

‘It’s a deep profound insult to the humanistic spirit which is at the core of Judaism” Well worth watching the video below..