2nd September 2021
Two days ago, I stumbled upon the first Scilly record of SOUTHERN MIGRANT HAWKER at Lower Moors
A very busy start at work on the 1st day of the month but when I got the chance, after a call, I had ten minutes to check out a Lesser Yellowlegs at Lower Moors. No sign of the wader and had to get to the airport to meet a flight. I took the short cut through the juncus field immediately left of the hide. I started running when I was stopped in my tracks by a blinding large male azure blue dragonfly on the deck.! I bent down, thinking it was probably goin to be an Emperor but it lacked the central black line down it’s abdomen. I suspected that it was a Southern Migrant Hawker and quickly fired off some shots and just made it in time for the arrival at the airport. Shortly after, with guest in the wagon, I pulled over and showed the BOC shots of the dragonfly to others and said ‘I think I’ve got a Southern Migrant Hawker’ They had a look at the BOC shots and I was told that it was an Emperor. Throughout the day it was non-stop and I completely forgot about the dragonfly. Until that is, the next day. I saw Bobby ‘Dazzler’ Dawson walking down the street who made me remember about the dragonfly and again with guest in the back, I pulled over. He’s the main man when it comes to dragonflies and he also thought it was a Southern Migrant Hawker. As the pics weren’t so good on the BOC, he asked me to email them to him. The internet has been on and off for the last few days and it wasn’t until later that evening that I could email the pics to him with a message ‘It’s a SOUTHERN MIGRANT HAWKER!!! He confirmed it was one after seeing the pics and went into greater detail including the markings on the thora, segment 2 of the abdomen and the relatively long pterostigma and also confirmed it was the first sighting for Scilly!!!
The SOUTHERN MIGRANT HAWKER was settled in a Heathers footprint in the dry mud at Lower Moors. It’s been amazing week for flying insects. Darren Heart had a brief BEAUTIFUL DEMOISELLE, 26th, and the following day, Martin Goodey had it or another at Porth Hellick!! Another first for Scilly! The day before, Bobby ‘Dazzler’ Dawson found thev second Scilly record of a MAYFLY in his garden!! What’s next?
Yesterday, this Wryneck popped up in front of me while driving the wagon at the entrance to the golf course Just got this record shot through the dirty window before it flew into a Pittosporum hedge nearby.
Everywhere I seem to go, I’m hearing and coming across Tree Pipits including 7 birds at Lower Moors The lower pic was taken in the pine belt opposite my window where there were two birds
While this Whitethroat was photographed from the window as it fed on the deck at very close range
Pied Flycatcher in campsite garden
In the last week there have been double figures of Spotted Flycatcher on Scilly.
There were been good numbers of Willow Warbler including on the Garrison where I had over 30. Most days I’ve been getting up to three birds at a time bathing in the garden.
Snipe at Lower Moors
Where there has been up to 2 Green Sandpiper
Good numbers of Wheatear on all islands at the moment
And on 25th August, I twitched and managed to get a record shot of this vocal Hawfinch behind the changing rooms on the Garrison
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SCILLYSPIDER 2 