26th August 2020
A kayak over to Tresco late this afternoon, thinking that maybe a yank wader might have dropped in after Hurricane Frances, paid off instead with the finding of this Citrine Wagtail from the east, on the Great Pool
Unusually with no flights to meet at the airport, I finished work early. The tail end of Hurricane Frances had moved through yesterday and overnight and I thought that a yank wader might have dropped into Tresco. Before I kayaked over to the latter island in the calm waters, I had a quick look at the Ruff at Porth Hellick and some 45 minutes later at about 15.15, I was on the South Beach of Tresco where there were up to 12 Mediterranean Gull after passing two juveniles at Porthloo. Not much else on the shore or the Abbey Pool. I think the time is up for seeing any birds on the Abbey Pool as the helicopter is in and out throughout the day. This will continue also through the winter. I have not seen a wader on the pool except for flyovers. Scanning Simpson’s Field from the far east side, I got on to a small duck for a few seconds a long ways off before it swam out of sight. I thought it was a Garganey and shortly afterwards I was showing the one BOC record shot I managed to get to both Geoff Robertson and Nick Skilbeck. By the photo I had, we couldn’t rule out Blue-winged Teal and Nick and I decided to try and see if we could see it from the Swarovski Hide and there, although on the far side, it proved to be a Garganey.
This Ruff has been at Porth Hellick for the last two days aftyer being first seen at the airfield, 23rd.
There were up to 12 Mediterranean Gull as I pulled into Tresco South Beach and this juvenile was not the least concerned about me being only meters away from it in my kayak
This the record shot that I got that suggested maybe a Blue-winged Teal but it was taken a long ways off
Even though it was at the far side, it proved to be a Garganey and the second so far of the year as I had an individual also on the Great Pool over two weeks ago
Nick had to return to St Martins where he was staying and I left the hide a few minutes after him. It was while walking on Pool Road that I heard a single call of a Citrine Wagtail that sounded like it was heading west over the Great Pool. I rushed back to the hide and there it was vocal on the right but out of sight behind the reeds. A few minutes later it came out into the open where it showed well but the light was not on my side with the sun blinding me from the reflection off the water. When Geoff arrived, the wagtail had disappeared but it wasn’t long until it returned to where I first saw it. Some 30 minutes later it walked deep into the reeds and I decided to make my ways back to the kayak. There were also a female Pochard and 7 Teal on the pool. There were a lot of folks on the beach but I still managed to see 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Dunlin and single Wheatear and White Wagtail. I set off from Tresco and 25 minutes later I flushed a Common Sandpiper off a platform near to Porth Mellon back on St Mary’s.
The Citrine Wagtail showed well to the right of the Swarovski Hide but the light just wasn’t on my side.
On the south, I was treated to these 2 Black-tailed Godwit
While Dunlin and Turnstone showed supurbly as I kayaked passed them.
This juvenile Peregrine was causing havoc over the beach and flushed off most of the birds including the godwits
Three days ago, 23rd, I kayaked over to Tresco where I had a personal record of 6 Knot on the South Beach. Also present were 100 each of Ringed Plover and Sanderling and a single Black-tailed Godwit All 6 Knot are in the above pic of a mixed flock of waders
On the 21st, after work, I seawatched from Deep Point but was cut short after an hour from a call for me to get back to work. I returned again for another half an hour. From 18.00-19.00 and 20.00-20.30, I observed all goin from east to west, 41 Great, 2 Balearic and 90 Shearwater and 15 Fulmar.
A few days ago I had this Hornet Hoverfly at Porth Hellick
“Migrants don’t buy influence and subvert democracy, that’s billionaires”
The Enemy of the Working Class Travels by Private Jet not Migrant Dinghy | Zarah Sultana MP
SCILLYSPIDER 2 