13th April 2020
I returned home, looked out the window that was already wide open and there was the adult male LESSER KESTREL over mt garden!!
Set off this morning with Ren, keeping our distances from each other, in the strong easterly wind. We had no idea where we were goin but ended up at the Dump Clump. Here we got cracking brief views of the Cetti’s Warbler singing on the edge of the allotments. At Porth Minnick, we had our first Common Sandpiper of the year and a scan out into the rough seas produced good numbers of mixed auks, 100s of Manx Shearwater and 7 Whimbrel came in off the sea. We decided to get out of the wind and observed the adult male LESSER KESTREL fly off towards Porth Hellick from the airfield. At Salkee there were a single Yellow and White Wagtail and 8 Redwing.
7 Whimbrel arriving from the south in off the sea
This Shag succesfully caught a flat fish. Great black-backed Gulls don’t miss a thing and two brutes came sweeping down on it and forced it to give up it’s prize.
Standing at the end of the east runway and we observed the LESSER KESTREL heading off towards Porth Hellick
A single White and this Yellow Wagtail were never far from the cows at Salkee.
Nothing going at Porth Hellick except 3 Sand Martin but at the top paddocks of Kittidown we flushed the Hoopoe not knowing it was there. On the north side of the island, it was pretty warm sheltered out of the wind. At Bants Carn, the Hooded Crow that was seen on St Martins a few days ago, flew past us towards the golf course where we relocated it again. There were also the Common Gull and on the coastal path, 11 Wheatear. Down the hill at Porthloo there was a stunning brick red Bar-tailed Godwit with a single Common Sandpiper.
A record shot of the Hooded Crow flying towards the golf course over Bants Carn
This 1st summer Common Gull seems to be favouring the golf course in the last four days
The only Wheatear that saw were 11 along the coastal path below the golf course
A stunning brick red summer plumage Bar-tailed Godwit at Porthloo
An hour later I returned home. I dropped everyhin and then looked out of the window to see if yesterdays 2 Ring Ouzel might have returned. No sign but I spotted a kestrel battling against the wind back on. I lifted my bins up and could see it was a male and thought, it looks like the Lesser Kestrel from below. I then realised that I was in fact looking at the adult male LESSER KESTREL from my bedroom window!! Shite!! Where’s my camera? I quickly rattled off some shots with the falcon still back on slowly moving north all the time until it headed off NE towards the harbor where I lost it as it dipped down behind the pines. I immediately called Ren, so he could hopefully get it from his window but unfortunly he didn’t see it. With Lesser Kestrel on my garden list, after dinner I went for a look on the Garrison in the last hour of light. Nothin of note but at Morning Point there was a 2nd summer Yellow-legged Gull hanging out with 60-70 Herring Gull.
After seeing sharks, whales and 100+Common Dolphin from the bedroom window yesterday, I really wasn’t expecting to see this. a mega window tick, the adult male LESSER KESTREL, over the garden! It’s the first time it has been seen away from the SSE of the island in the six weeks it has been present. Unfortunately it was always facing into the wind, back on.
This 2nd summer Yellow-legged Gull arrived to join the 60-70 gulls already present at Morning Point just before dark
Lesser black-backed Gull
Herring Gull
Also seen today were 3 Ring Ouzel and the first Golden Oriole of the year on Peninnis, The Ring Ouzel at the golf course was still present where there was also a Cuckoo. A possible Subalpine Warbler was at Trinty Cottages.
Last week, the fog came rolling in and covered Samson and Bryher. This awesome image was taken by Marillia Laukkanen from Star Castle on the Garrison. I was on the otherside of the island at the time and my photos that I took didn’t give it the effect that this shot does
SCILLYSPIDER 2 