Ruff and Bar-tailed Godwit in the garden!

30th August 2022

A Ruff turned up at Porth Hellick this morning but I was out kayaking and wouldn’t be back until almost dark. Got home and there it was with a Bar-tailed Godwit only meters away in front of the window only to discover that there was still a Ruff at Porth Hellick !!!

As there were only two taxis, I was given the day off. After seeing the Red-backed Shrike at very close range at Carn Friars, while havin me breakfast, a vocal flava wagtail flew east over the garden. At 10.00, I arrived at Tresco and parked the kayak up at South Beach. Yesterday new in on the island there were 4 Little Stint, Citrine Wagtail and now 2 Pectoral Sandpiper. Some twenty minutes later, news came on that the Citrine flew past the David Hunt hide. An hour later, I had counted some 10 White Wagtail between the Abbey and SE end of the Great Pool but no sign of the target species. By mid-day, all I had seen were 1 Wood, 4 Green and 2 Common Sandpiper and 7 Black-tailed Godwit. From the Swarovski Hide the 2 Pectoral Sandpiper were distant throughout with just a single Little Stint. A Wood Sandpiper was performing well and over an hour later, so was the Little Stint. It was nearly two hours later that I alerted others in the hide that I just heard the Citrine Wagtail call once distantly to the right but nothin after a scan along the muddy edges. It was while trying to approve on getting better pics, because of the light, of the stint, that I heard the Citrine Wagtail again and we observed it fly up very close to the right of the hide and fly off towards Simpson’s Field, still very vocal, where we lost it. How long had the wagtail been there? After hearing the wagtail, I thought it sounded harsher and more raspier than that of Citrine Wagtail but despite scanning all over the shop, there was no sign of it.

The Red-backed Shrike showed very well this morning at Carn Friars.

The 2 Pectoral Sandpiper always stayed distant from the Swarovski hide

Only this single Little Stint remained from yesterdays four birds

Wood Sandpiper showing well but light was not on my side

Some 20 White Wagtail were spread out on both pools.

An hour passed and all we could add onto what we had already seen, were more White Wagtail and a single Whinchat. I made my ways to the David Hunt hide and was rewarded with a Spotted Crake out in the open opposite the hide with 2 Water Rail and a single Wood Sandpiper. It wasn’t long until the hide was full and everyone present enjoyed good views of the crake. You could clearly see it was a different bird from the individual(s) that were present over two weeks ago by a brighter looking bill. Returning to the Abbey Pool and there were single Spotted and Pied Flycatcher and Whinchat, 6 Little Egret, 4 Mediterranean Gull and new in maybe, 2 Little Stint. Perhaps I overlooked them earlier on. While I was on Tresco, news came that there was a Ruff at Porth Hellick. Would it stick around until tomorrow? However, I returned home and the first thing I did was feed the pigs only to see a Bar-tailed Godwit fly off from the wader scrape and out SE as I climbed over the fence to get into the field! Shite! But I could see another wader in the field and shot indoors. When I looked out from the window, the wader turned out to be a Ruff that was now feeding in the wader scrape at very close range. Two species I never thought I would get on the scrape. The Ruff was still present when it was almost dark. Maybe a Pectoral Sandpiper this week on the scrape!

You can clearly see that this Spotted Crake is a different bird from the individual(s) that were present over two week ago by a brighter looking bill.

Only a single Pied Flycatcher

and Spotted Flycatcher

There were 2 Little Stint on the Abbey Pool

Also on Tresco there were 2 Migrant Hawker and including this individual, 2 Common Darter

Only a single Painted Lady

Although I had just seen 2 Pectoral Sandpiper, 3 Little Stint and found a Spotted Crake on Tresco, this Ruff in the garden was the highlight of the day this evening

Yesterday up to three Wryneck were discovered and I found this individual at Borough Farm. I also had 4 Tree Pipit, 2 Pied and Spotted Flycatcher and a single Whitethroat on the golf course.

Johnson’s legacy: he got the big calls wrong

What a brilliant summary of Johnsons total failure as our Prime Minister and the Conservative members love him???? Speaks volumes about their standards for public life.

Boris Johnson wants to talk about his legacy. Okay, let’s talk about his legacy.

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Sep 2, 2022

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Boris Johnson wants to talk about his legacy. Okay, let’s talk about his legacy.