Spotted Sandpiper at Porthloo

14th October 2021

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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