26th April 2020
After only hearing this Red-throated Pipit over the garden this afternoon, I really was not expecting to relocate it shortly afterwards in the nearby horse paddocks
For the last two nights into the early hours of the morning, I’ve been hanging my head out of the bedroom window listening to the waders moving through over my garden, Garrison. Scott alerted me at mid-night of the waders over town and I opened the window wide to find it was bloody freezing! Immediately I could hear small flocks of Whimbrel, Dunlin and Turnstone followed by a single Grey Plover. Scott and I continued to commmunacate with each other for the next hour and there was a constant sound of waders in the evening sky. I added Bar-tailed Godwit and the highlight being a Spotted Redshank that called three times above the garden. The latter two species Scott didn’t get as he was senbly tucked up in bed. The following night it kicked off again after 22.00 with the sound of Whimbrel, Dunlin and this time small flocked of Bar-tailed Godwit. Both nights, I could also hear Manx Shearwater nearby. While I’m writing this, I’m sat next to the window, that’s wide open, it’s nearly 24.00 and so far I’ve heard so Whimbrel, Dunlin, Bar-tailed Godwit and to add to the other garden ticks of waders, small flocks of Sanderling. A Collared Dove briefly joined in as well and Scott has also had Little-ringed Plover and Water Rail. No matter how much I leaned out the window to listen, I could not hear the latter two species when Scott imediatly alerted me.
As a result of all the activty keeping me awake until 01-02.00, I couldn’t get up this morning when the alarm went of at 08.00. Window still open, I could hear a Sedge Warbler singing and lept out the bed but couldn’t see it. At 09.30, I decided to get up and it was mid-day when I spotted the 3 Black Swan out in The Roads. The only birds of note when I returned home an hour later, after walking the Garrison, were 9 Great Northern Diver. Even though I had just eaten, I needed to get some crub down my neck. I was in Kitchen and was just about to put some music on when I stoped in my tracks in what I was doin. I had just heard a Red-throated Pipit go through and ran to the window to see if I could see it. It sounded as though it was goin south and within seconds I was out of the door and scanning the football field just around the corner from my digs. I could hear the Sedge Warbler giving it welly while searching through the horse paddocks on the west slope of the Garrison. All the time I was thinking that the pipit was long gone and I’m never gona see it again. However, when I got to the last paddock of the three, I could see a pipit on the fence and strongly suspected it to be the Meadow Pipit that I’ve heard in the last ten minutes. It was back on and all I could see were promiment white tram lines. I couldn’t believe that I had relocated the Red-throated Pipit and as I took a record shot, it turned it’s head around to show a buffy/orange supercillium. I immediatly put the news out and for the next hour everyone got cracking views as it was on view for most of the time and occasionally at close range.
The image above is the record shot of when I first saw Red-throated Pipit further down the field, back on with it’s head turned away from me. This is also only my third spring sighting on scilly
There were 2 Meadow Pipit feeding in the same paddock
And also this male White Wagtail
Ren filled his boots with the pipit, went around the corner and bumped into a male Pied Flycatcher! There was only Higgo and I still observing the pipit and we both joined Ren to find the Pied Flycatcher showing very well as it fed activly doin a circult around the Woolpack Fort. The pipit was still in the same area and when I returned home there was male Greenland Wheatear just outside the bedroom window. I got stuck into a vegertian roost that the cheif had made and it was spot on! With my belly half full, I made my ways to golf course where Johnny Bird had seen a Hoopoe for the last two days. No sign of it but there was a single Golden Plover with the Lapwing and 20 Wheatear. At Trenowth there were a single Whitethroat and 4 Tree Pipit and I ended the day with a single Black Redstart, Common Sandpiper and 7 Whimbrel at Porthloo.
This 1st summer male Pied Flycatcher gave crippling views as it spent most of it’s time feeding in the gorse doin a circult around Woolpack Fort
This male Greenland Wheatear was waiting for me just outside the bedroom window when I returned home
On the night of the 24th into the early hours of the 25th, Scott alerted everyone that he could hear a lot of Whimbrel, sizeable flocks of Dunlin, 2 Common Sandpiper over town at mid-night. This was shortly followed afterwards by a single Grey Plover.Scott alerted everyone that wasthere was a constant passage of waders over St Mary’s involving up to six species of wader. Small flocks were heard over the garden on the Garrison of Dunlin, Turnstone and Whimbrel with single Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover and the highlight, heard to call three times,Spotted Redshank. It’s difficult to say whether the flocks were birds circling the island or new birds arriving in off the sea. It was Scott who alerted everyone that he could hear a lot of Whimbrel, sizeable flocks of Dunlin, 2 Common Sandpiper over town at mid-night. This was shortly followed afterwards by a single Grey Plover. On the first message I had my head out of window listening carefully. Immediately I could hear good numbers of Whimbrel, Dunlin and a small flock of Turnstone move through from the south. There was so much activity going on up in the night sky and it wasn’t long until I heard the Grey Plover. After this, we stopped putting the news out and continued communicating between each other privately, as everyone else it seemed had gone to sleep. While this was all goin on, there was low cloud visibility difficult for the waders
This Golden Plover was feeding with the Lapwing on the golf course
At Trenowth I had up to 4 Tree Pipit including this individual
There were up to 7 Whimbrel on Porthloo Beach
I also had this yellow legged/footed Great black-backed Gull on the beach
The LESSER KESTREL was dstill present today at the east end of the airfield but the last time I saw it was three days ago where I took this record shot at Salkee.
SCILLYSPIDER 2 