25th May 2020
I first picked up this Honey Buzzard from Tresco over Bryher and when it did visit the former island, unfortunly it was always distant.
Day off, stunning day and and just after 12, I was kayaking to, well at first I had no idea, but ended on the south beach on Tresco. I flushed 21 Dunlin and 17 Ringed Plover and a Hobby fllew over as I dragged the kayak through the sand. At the Abbey Pool, the only birds of note were a pair of Pochard with 5 ducklings. Ideal! The Great Pool didn’t have a lot to offer except a Mediterranean Gull, 40+Swallow, 30+House and a single Sand Martin. I was at Cromwell’s Castle at Castle Down, I scanned Bryher to check for any raptors and I couldn’t believe it when I picked up a large raptor over Samson Hill. With the heat haze and it being distant, it made it hard work identifying it. I had an idea what it was but it was not until it decided to cross Tresco channel that I could see that it was a Honey Buzzard. The bird was still a long ways off over the north fields from the Great Pool. It continued east towards St Martins where I lost it.
There were 21 Dunlin feeding on the South Beach
Hobby
This Mediterrranean Gull was with a single Black-headed Gull on the Great Pool
And the Honey Buzzard was always a long ways off
I left the down and as I approached Borough Farm, I bumped into Tom who lives on Tresco and chatted for a good twenty minutes. He made his ways home and I scanned the first tree and watched a female Red-backed Shrike fly out. It continued to the bottom fields where I lost it as it flew deeper into the Elms. In the next 30 minutes I got single Spotted Flycatcher, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and a very briefly I observed the shrike touch the ground from a wall before flying off out of sight. I would of liked to of spent some more time waiting for it to return but time wasn’t on my side and I had a kayak to catch back home. At the heliport there were 5 Wheatear, a single Whimbrel on the South Beach and then I was back in the calm waters again returning to St Mary’s.
There were 3 Willow Warbler singing on Tresco including this individual at Borough Farm
And up to 4 Chiffchaff
There were good numbers of juvenile Stonechat scattered around Tresco with the parents busy feeding them
just before I pushed off in the kayak, I had this single Whimbrel nearby
This Silver Y was on Castle Down
Out of the 6 Golden Oriole that I’ve seen this spring, at last I got a record shot of one. This female ‘type’Golden Oriole flew over Maypole and just got it as it was dropping into Holy Vale three days ago
I last saw the Jackdaw from my window two days ago
I’ve named the pale juvenile Rose-coloured ‘looking’Starling ‘Rosie’ and she took the brave step of coming into my bedroom before settling down on the window sill.
Rosie is following the adult Starlings and ‘Bill’ the Song Thrush who come in and out throughout the day and only a few meters from me, I just carry on with whatever I’m doin. I have no idea why they come in as I don’t feed the birds in the house.
i’ve also got 2 juvenile Dunnock visiting
Only a single juvenile Blackbird so far
And 3 juvenile Song Thrush. I would probably have more visiting but the cats have taken care of them as twice just in the castle garden I’ve seen cats with juvenile Song Thrushes in their mouths.
SCILLYSPIDER 2 