13th November 2020
I kayaked over to Tresco today and it paid off in finding a Pallas’s and this Blyth’s Reed Warbler which will be the 9th Scilly record if accepted
I got in my Kayak at Little Porth early this morning and as I pulled away in the dull, choppy conditions, I still had not decided which island to visit. I thought about St Agnes but I found myself goin north towards Tresco. At the Abbey Pool, there were some 20 Chiffchaff moving through and a vocal Reed Bunting nearby. I made my way towards Simpon’s Field on the Great pool and from here of note there were 4 Greenshank, 9 Redshank, 3 Wigeon, 5 Pochard and 56 Coot.
My first Reed Bunting of the year was vocal at the south end of the Abbey Pool
Some 20 Chiffchaff were feeding in just a single large Sallow in the sun next to the Abbey Pool
It was not until I got onto the west end of Pool Road that I started coming across small groups of Chiffchaff and Goldcrests again and mixed in with them, were the odd Yellow-browed Warbler and Siberian Chiffchaff. I took my time and gave it a good two hours as I walked towards Rowesfields Crossroads. Towards Borough Farm, the 4 Cattle Egret were feeding in the Rowesfields. At the farm itself and the nearby area, there wasn’t much goin on. So, instead of continuing on up to Castle Down as planned, I thought, as it was alive with warblers and crests, it might just be worth returning to Pool Road starting from the north end. At 15.00, I was making my way back from the south end, when I heard a single note that at first, I thought maybe Hume’s Warbler. That soon changed to Pallas’s Warbler when shortly afterward, it continued to call deep inside the cover. It was some ten minutes later that the warbler decided to show itself but very brief hidden at the back behind the Sallow leaves before dropping back out of sight again and after another few minutes I gave up. How much I wanted to see the Pallas’s but time was not on my side and I had to give up. however, I did get a recording of it. when it was calling. For the last hour, the Great Spotted Woodpecker was very noisy on the other side of the pool. By the green shed, there was a lot of activity with Chiffs, crests and a single Siberian Chiffchaff. My forth of the latter species so far. Immediately, I picked up an acro warbler at the far back of the Sallows. It was mostly dark in where it was feeding and I went in to hopefully see it a lot better. From inside, under the Sallows, I could see the acro moving through and what I could see appeared to be good for a Blyth’s Reed Warbler. I needed to get a record shot at least and after observing the warbler for ten minutes, I was happy that it was a Blyth’s Reed Warbler and put the news out. The bird was always feeding at the top of the canopy and rarely came down and when it did, it was always obscured by twigs, leaves etc. The dull light didn’t help the situation either and it was now 16.15. It was time I was moving on. Where I had parked my kayak at Pentle Bay, there were over 250 Oystercatcher, 34 Curlew, 7 Little Egret and also on the beach, 50+Carrion Crow.
One of the 4 Cattle Egret at Rowesfields
No chance of getting a record shot of the elusive Pallas’s Warbler and although the Blyth’s Reed Warbler showed a lot better, mostly favouring the top canopy, the light let me down
Over 50 Carrion Crow were on Pentle Beach
So, there you go. Even though I spent some time birding Pool road, it was on the second visit that it was a lot more productive. Totals included in the Pool Road area, included Blyth’s Reed and Pallas’s Warbler, 1 Firecrest, 2 Yellow-browd Warbler, 4 Siberian Chiffchaff, 70+Chiffchaff, 50+Goldcrest, Great Spotted Woodpecker and 5 Woodcock. What else was on the rest of Tresco or the other islands that are not covered? On St Mary’s, two new Dusky Warbler turned up. Mick Scott had a single in his garden at Longstone’s and at the same time, Dick Filby had another at Holy Vale. The individual that I discovered at Porth Hellick over a week ago, was still present but no sign of the individual I had five days ago along Pool Road.
And what do they say about Friday 13th?
Yesterday at the Mermaid car park, there were 5 Black Redstart including a cracking male.
And a pair of Stonechat
I also had this Whinchat at Pelestry three days ago where I also had 2 Brambling, 120 Chaffinch and 12 Linnet.
And here’s ‘Billy’ the Iceland Gull hanging out with one of the pigs. This is what I wake up to every morning when I open my curtains. Great start to the day!
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SCILLYSPIDER 2 