4th BLACK-TAILED SKIMMER for Scilly

22nd July 2022

Turned up this 4th Scilly male Black-tailed Skimmer settled on the dune path from Pentle Bay towards the wood pile

In the last six days after work, I’ve kayaked four times, 17th, 19th, 21st and today, to check out Tresco. The highlight was this evening when walking along the dune path from Pentle Bay towards the Wood Pile, I came across a male BLACK-TAILED SKIMMER. It proved mobile but always returned to settle on the path in the hot sun. Unlike, what I believe is probably a different male, the individual that I observed all the time only in flight at the Great Pool two week ago.

Maybe Black-tailed Skimmer is goin to be a regular visitor to Scilly with the second record only last year and I had a male at the Great Pool two week ago!

On the former date, 17th, there were large numbers of gulls bathing at the Abbey Pool before moving on. Altogether 6 juvenile Yellow-legged, 35+Mediterrean, over 200 Black-headed and a single Common Gull were at the pool. However, the Yellow-legged Gulls were moving in and out and made it difficult to make out how many there real were and it was higher than six. Two days later, I returned and was two short of the Scilly record of Yellow-legged Gull. Seven individuals at the Abbey Pool including, 6 juveniles, 3rd summer and on the South Beach, an adult. On the Abbey Pool there were a single Common Sandpiper, an early returning Wood Sandpiper and my first Kingfisher of the year. The Great Pool produced a single male Tufted Duck with the 6 Pochard and an impressive count of 12 Shoveler. The first returning 2 Teal and on Pool Road, 4 Willow Warbler. The South Beach produced, 10 Dunlin, 30 Sanderling, 50 Turnstone, 10 Whimbrel, 14 Curlew and with 6 Sandwich Tern, a single Common Tern.

4 juvenile Yellow-legged Gull together at the Abbey pool while at the same time there were two more juveniles just to their left.

3rd summer Yellow-legged Gull on the left with a juvenile at the Abbey Pool

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls at the Abbey pool with another individual below it

On the 17th, some 35 Mediterranean Gull, more than half of them being juveniles, moved through the Abbey Pool including 23 bathing together

This Common Gull was only my second July record

A high count of over 200 Black-headed Gull were also present

The day after a thunder storm had moved through with ESE, I was expecting somethin might of dropped in and sure enough at the Abbey Pool was this Wood Sandpiper

The first returning Willow Warbler included four at Pool Road, 19th

Reed Warbler still in song

Yesterday on the 20th, I drifted east with the tide close inshore to the South Beach of Tresco and got cracking views of Mediterranean Gulls and a single Knot feeding with 35 Sanderling. Overhead a single Common Tern was fishing with 27 Sandwich Tern. On dry land, the Abbey Pool had a fly over juvenile Cuckoo, the Wood Sandpiper and for the first time, I observed the alba wagtails on the deck instead of flyovers and I could see that they were an adult and 2 juvenile White Wagtail. Local breeders somewhere on Tresco. Also, the Grey Heron had increased from 18 a few days ago to 22. Along Pool Road there was a notable arrival of Willow Warbler as they appeared to be calling all over the shop. Bright yellow juveniles showed well in the Sallows with also good numbers of Reed Warbler. Altogether there were a total of 35+Willow, 25+Reed, 2 Sedge Warbler and 3 juvenile Goldcrest. On the Great Pool, waders included 7 Common Sandpiper, 6 Green and 6 Redshank.

This Knot allowed me to almost grab it from my kayak on the South Shore

And like the Knot, the Mediterranean Gulls also letting me to almost run them over with my kayak

In the NW corner of the Abbey Pool there were this adult White Wagtail with 2 juveniles that have been present in the area for the last two weeks but this was the first time that I have observed them on the deck instead as fly overs.

The high count of 12 Shoveler on the Great Pool could be a Scilly record

Willow Warblers already on the move with a high total of over 35 individuals just on Pool Road

Most of the 25 Reed Warbler that I counted were probably resident breeders and juveniles

I had at least 6 juvenile Robin in areas around the north side of the Great Pool

This evening after leaving the BLACK-TAILED SKIMMER at the south end of Pentle Bay, the Wood Sandpiper was still in the NE corner of the Abbey Pool with 2 Common Sandpiper. 3 juvenile Yellow-legged Gull dropped in to bath including a new small individual. Of note on the Great Pool there were 60+Swallow, now 6 Little Egret and still 12 Shoveler. A male Pochard had replaced the 6 juveniles from two days ago that have appeared to have disappeared. Along Pool Road, the Willow and Reed Warbler had also moved out from yesterday with only 5 of the former species.

In the four times that I visited Tresco, I identified at least 11 Yellow-legged Gulls in total although it’s probably a lot higher count.

There are now 6 Little Egret and this individual was spending it’s time in the near centre of the Great Pool where it was feeding very well

27 Sandwich Tern on the South Beach is the largest number so far this year

Also on the South Beach I had this Ringed Plover showing off a white ring on it’s left leg, H9. Goin search when I have time to see where this has been ringed as a chick.

Where there was this Lesser Black-backed Gull also bearing a ring proving that it was from the Spanish scheme.

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