Adam Hutt discovered this Western Subalpine Warbler yesterday at Content where it was still performing well today
Despite work, It proved to be another good day and I managed to see all the good birds that have been present on St Mary’s for the last few days. It started off with the Olive-backed Pipit in the Nowhere fields with 3 Brambling. By the end of the morning, I had clocked up a total of 5 Siberian Chiffchaff at two areas, Porth Hellick and Standing Stone Field where there was also a single Yellow-browed Warbler at the latter site. Also at the airport car park were the single Black Redstart, Wheatear and Whinchat.
This Olive-backed Pipit has been favouring the same small field for the last six days at Nowhere
In the neighboring field from the pipit were 3 Brambling and a mixture of Goldfinch and 8 Siskin
Altogether I had up to 5 Siberian Chiffchaff including this cracking individual at Standing Stones Field
And this beauty at Porth Hellick
This Black Redstart has been showing well at the airport car park for over a week now
During the morning, news came out that the Western Subalpine Warbler and Richard’s Pipit at Content, were both giving close-range views. Later on in the afternoon, after seeing the Pink-footed Goose at Normandy, I made my ways up to Content and both the warbler and pipit were not showing as good as they were when I observed them yesterday. After seeing both species, I made the short walk to the north fields next to Pungies Lane where there were 4 Swallow, 3 Skylark, 40 Chaffinch and 20 Brambling. I returned to my wagon to find Robin searching for the Subalp. I told him about the Brambling, left him to it and returned to work. An hour later I got a call from Robin to tell me that he also had a Little Bunting in the Brambling field. After work, just before dark, I was back in the weedy field and there was no sign of the bunting but I did count 27 Brambling.
For the last two days, this Pink-footed Goose has been hanging out in this field at Normandy
This afternoon, I spent thirty minutes with this vocal Western Subalpine Warbler in the Content fields It’s only been heard to give the ‘tak’ call and pics of the tail pattern all point to Western.
When I arrived at Content, the Richard’s Pipit was at the back end of the field but yesterday morning in a heavy downpour, it was close to the road and was soaked to the bone!
I had over 30 Brambling today including 27 in the weedy field south of Pungies Lane where there were also small numbers of Siskin
It was over two weeks ago when this Spotted Sandpiper first arrived at Porthloo where I got to see it. The following day, it was relocated at Watermill cove and two days ago I managed to get these pics in the dull light conditions
Six days ago I had a Hawfinch fly north over Content. The following day I found it stuffing it’s face with Hawthorn berries also at Content and showed well for everyone for the next two days.
Former UKIP Brexiteer George Eustice “Quite Happy” With Brexit Consequences! Is now your Environment Secretary
This Olive-backed Pipit in the Nowhere fields at Old Town performed well briefly and was seen by many through out the day
Yesterday, Scott Reid had a vocal pipit over the school field flying towards the Standing Stones field and thought that it was probably an Olive-backed Pipit. Later on in the afternoon, on my way home from my last taxi at the airport, I stopped off at the latter field and heard a pipit call twice and like Scott, strongly suspected that it was an OBP. But could I find the bloody thing before dark? First thing this morning, after enjoying 2 Grey Wagtail from my window, in a SW breeze, I was kicking the Old Town fields, south of the beach and the church yard fields in search for of the OBP. Siskin, Chaffinch with the odd Brambling were moving west in small numbers and there were 2 Siberian Chiffchaff, one singing, at Trench Lane. It was while trudging through the Nowhere fields that at last, after an hour, I stumbled up on the Olive-backed Pipit. It flew into the Elms and showed well in the sun and was seen on and off throughout the day by other birders.
Siskin were feeding in the Standing Stone field while overhead there were small numbers moving through
Olive-backed Pipit at Nowhere fields
Siskin and Chaffinch were still moving through when I reached the airfield where I had the single Whinchat and Black Redstart at the car park. I was approaching the turning circle, when I heard what sounded like a harsh ‘type’ Tree Pipit call. It was still vocal when I turned around to see a large pipit with a short tail flying west. Blyth’s Pipit! I followed the pipit until I lost it over towards Old Town. I found the last Blyth’s Pipit on Scilly, 3 years ago over Carn Friars, also by call, without seeing it. Thirty minutes later I had relocated it in nearby fields. I had just put the news out of the airfield individual when I heard the loud explosive sparrow like call of a Richard’s Pipit! I soon picked it up on the deck by the turning circle. I left it alone as my mind was on somethin else and went and kicked the west side of the airfield. After flushing up 8 Skylark, I heard what sounded like a weak sparrow/Yellow Wagtail call and above me was the Blyth’s Pipit with a handful of Meadow Pipit. ide by side, it appeared slightly larger than the latter species. I was trying to unsuccessfully focus on the Blyth’s while it was in the air but it dropped down towards the Porth Minnick fields, still calling, where I lost it. Unlike the Carn Friars individual, after searching in the Porth Minnick area, there was no sign of it. I decided to go and kick the fields on Peninnis and for my effort there were 6 Skylark, 40 Meadow Pipit and I misidentified a Tree Pipit as a Olive-backed Pipit and not a sniff of the Blyth’s Pipit.
This Whinchat has been hanging out at the airport car park for the last week
Where there has also been this Black Redstart
Record shot of the Richard’s Pipit on the airfield and like the Blyth’s Pipit, it was not seen by anyone else throughout the rest of the day after my observations.
Only a handful of Meadow Pipit on the airfield but on Peninnis there were over 40 with 6 Skylark
Siskin on the runway
Tree Pipit at Peninnis
Small numbers of Siskin were also on Peninnis
Later on, I was at Content and I could hear a Hawfinch and looked high into the blue skies only to realise that it was so low that it nearly took my head off!! Presumably the individual seen earlier by Julian Branscombe over Watermill. The weedy field at Pungies Lane produced 9 Skylark, 9 Brambling, 20 Linnet, 30 Goldfinch and some 400 Chaffinch. Nearby, I saw my first flock of Redwing of the day with 80 birds NE with others feeding in Hawthorns and at the stables was a single Brambling. I returned home and almost dark and I could hear Redwings moving through but still haven’t seen my first Fieldfare of the autumn.
This Hawfinch with it’s precious cargo, flew south over Content
Brambling at the stables. My first Brambling of the year were 2 north over the garden two days ago
Only small numbers of Chiffchaff around at moment
Redwing at Maypole
Also large numbers of butterflies enjoyed the hot sunny weather including 60-70 Red Admiral, 15 Speckled Wood and including the one above 9 Painted Lady
This Wood Lark spent a few days at Pungies Lane, 20th-22nd
A Water Pipit was always distant at Parting Carn in the short time that I was there, 23rd
This male Siberian Chiffchaff gave itself away when I could hear it singing while scanning Porthloo Beach. I turned around to find it on the wires near to the Terrance’s, 21st
A vocal Siberian Chiffchaff was at Higher Moors, 22nd
In the last week or two, there has been a large arrival of Siskin including small flocks over the garden daily with up to 5 in the garden
Small numbers of Goldfinch coming into bath in the pig pool in front of my window
Makes a change to see a cat with a rat instead of a bird. Over a week age I found a freshly dead Nightingale at Mount Todden killed by a cat
Remainers Were Right – Brexit Means Weaker Environmental Protections!
This Red-breasted Flycatcher showed superbly in the pines at the back of the changing rooms on the Garrison
As the daylight was breaking, I could hear Siskin, while getting breakfast down my neck, twitting in the bushes next to the window and observed some vocal 70 Redwing fly out west from the pine belt. I saw my first Redwing yesterday with small numbers present with Continetal Song Thrush. For the last week, the weather has been settled with blue skies, warm sunshine and a NEE to this morning when it changed to SE breeze. However, the south west of Cornwall was covered in fog first thing and as a result I didn’t have many pickups to do giving me time to get out in the field. At Porth Hellick the 2 Jack Snipe were feeding on the pool with yesterday’s Black-tailed Godwit. Mid-morning and Matthew Naylor discovered a Spotted Sandpiper at Porthloo and with in ten minutes of Matthew putting the news out, three us were watching the sandpiper at the north end of the beach. I left the growing crowd as I had to return to work.
At Porth Hellick there were 2 Jack Snipe
and this Black-tailed Godwit that turned up yesterday
Also in the area were only 2 Willow Warbler
but double figures of Chiffchaff
In the last ten years, Spotted Sandpiper has become an almost annual visitor with this individual at Porthloo which was admired by the birders before being relocated at the other side of the island at Tolls Island.
Later on in the early afternoon, It was while in the garden, that I had a ticking bunting flying from the north towards me and immediately identified it as a Little Bunting. It flew very low overhead but continued to fly south. More than likely the individual that was seen two days ago just across the road at the cadet hut. Earlier on in the morning a Red-breasted Flycatcher was found nearby at the tennis courts, Garrison. When I got there just before 14,00, it was in the pines behind the changing rooms where it showed off at very close range giving everyone present, crippling views. Too close at times! It was while observing the flycatcher that the Little Bunting was picked up again briefly from the horse paddocks on the east side of the Garrison. I kicked the latter area but there was no sign of the bunting. As a Red-rumped Swallow was new in on Tresco this afternoon, before switching islands to St Martins, a few of us made our ways to Porth Helick in the hope that the swallow might come into roost in the reed bed there. It didn’t but we heard a vocal Great Spotted Woodpecker on the other side, NE of the pool close to the large pines. Again, another species that’s becoming an annual visitor with two birds overwintering just gone. Three days ago, a Rustic Bunting was at Longstones and I managed to catch up with it the following day. Also caught up with the Serin close by at Parting Carn which is still present today.
The Red-breasted Flycatcher showed off but in the twenty minutes that I was there it spent most of it’s time n the shade and when out in the light, I was on the wrong side
This Whitethroat spent most of it’s time out in the light in a nearby Elm from the flycatcher
In the last few days there has been a mini influx of Siskin. My highest number was today with 27 at Porth Hellick
This is all I could get on one of the 2 Siberian Chiffchaff at Lower Moors two days ago
Stonechat
The weather has been ideal for butterflies with good numbers on the wing including Peacock
Small Tortoiseshell
Only singles of Small Copper
And the highlight was this Clouded Yellow at Salkee
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Twitching Jamie Partridge’s Buff-bellied Pipit at St Warna’s Cove, St Agnes, was like a new bird for me as the only one I’ve ever seen was in 1996 on Tresco.
On Sunday, 3rd Oct, Jamie Partridge discovered an American Buff-Bellied Pipit at St Warna’s Gove, St Agnes. I worked out that the only individual that I’ve ever seen, was at Borough Farm, way back in Oct’96! It would be like seeing a new species if I twitched it. As I had the afrernoon off from work, I decided to continue birding on St Mary’s and it paid off. It was very quiet and hard work but after seeing a single Spotted Flycatcher, Willow Warbler and few Chiffchaff and at Helvier, the long staying BALEARIC WOODCHAT SHRIKE, I found a probable Red-backed Shrike off Airport Lane in the late afternoon. I only had it in flight and trying to relocate it, saw a single Whinchat in nearby fields. It was not confirmed until the following morning by others, that it was a Red-backed Shrike.
The BALEARIC WOODCHAT SHRIKE has been present at Helvier for 28 days to the delight of the visiting October birders.
This was all I got on this Red-backed Shrike as it flew off towards Lower Moors from Airport Lane
This Whinchat was in nearby fields
Fortunately the American Buff-bellied Pipit decided to stick around on St Agnes and I caught up with it two days later. I had the afternoon off and at 13.00 I was observing the pipit at very close range feeding on short turf with a handful of Rock Pipit at St Warna’s Cove. It was a well marked individual and showed off for the small crowd present. I left the pipit and with a few hours to kill, I kicked Fran’s fields, but like two days ago on St Mary’s, it was dead! However, I did have a Grey Phalarope on the boat over earlier on from St Mary’s just off the Stevel, Garrison.
The Tresco American Buff-bellied Pipit from 1996, was as I remember, scope views in with a large flock of Meadow Pipit and everyone was soaked to the bone. At the time it was a British mega and only the second record for Scilly. There has now been eleven Scilly sightings including one last year. first it was on Bryher before ending up on the St Agnes.
There were also 6 Rock Pipit feeding with the star bird
Returned home and got a single Skylark on the Garrison
On the 2nd Oct, I finally connected with this Glossy Ibis at Porth Hellick
And there were now 2 Pectoral Sandpiper feeding together from the Sussex Hide
I worked on a farm for 10 years before living on Scilly. This is very upsetting to know that this is happening because of Brexit. Now your going to suffer with low standard and cheap meat in supermarkets. If it gets on the shelves that is, because again of Brexit. Our farmers are having to cull stock on farms thanks to Johnson’s Brexit crises
Boris Johnsons Response To Pig Farmers Culling Animals Due To Brexit is…repeated ‘Have you ever had a bacon Sandwich?’
SCILLYSPIDER 2 