Red-eyed Vireo at Helvear

11th October 2022

I discovered this Red-eyed Vireo this afternoon, while having an hour off work, at Helvear

A cracker of a day! Dulcie and I had arranged to go and join the guys at the ringing station at Porth Hellick. It was like a late summers day, very warm with a slight breeze. Before we got to the station, they had trapped a Little Bunting and after seeing it close up in the hand, we watched it fly off into cover nearby when released. The rest of the day was spent at work while Dulcie took advantage of the calm conditions and went out kayaking. For the last week, common migrants have been scarce but throughout the first half the day it was obvious that things had changed with Firecrests, Black Redstarts, Redwings, Siskins, Bramblings all new in.

This is the second little Bunting that I seen in the hand at Porth Hellick

At 13.00 I had an hour to kill and made my way up to the NE of the island. Kicking the fields in the Borough Farm area and it was obvious there were an increase in Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Meadow Pipit. I didn’t have a lot time left before I had to return back to work and decided the last half an hour I would search in the Helviear area. I reached the tall sycamores, just north of the paddocks and feeding in the sun with small numbers of Chiffchaff were a single Willow and Yellow-browed Warbler. However, it was what I thought was a larger warbler that got me goin as I caught it tumble down in a gap of the Sycamores and thought I had got a hippo warbler. I put my bins up ‘Shit! it’s a bloody Red-eyed Vireo!!!’ I wasn’t expecting that on the books. It disappeared but was out in the open after I had only pished for a few seconds. I pished again and it flew directly for me, almost takin my head off and flew into cover in the hedgerow behind me. For the next two minutes I observed it at close range as it proved to be mobile moving south along the hedgerow towards Peaceheaven. The first person I contacted was my girlfriend but she was out kayaking out near Tean. I immediately put the news out and then ran like the devil as now I was late for work. As I rushed off, I kicked my first 2 Redwing of the autumn out of the Hawthorns and 3 Swallow flew through. Shortly afterwards of leaving the sight, the vireo was seen again by a few and only briefly, back in the Sycamores.

So delighted in finding this corker at Helvear My first Red-eyed Vireo that I ever saw, was at the Lizard in 91 and was my favourite bird that I had seen. That was until I saw my first Perula Warbler the following year on St Mary’s

Lots more Goldcrest in today

This Radde’s Warbler turned up at Old Town Church, 9th. It was almost dark when I saw it but it showed very well briefly. Just a shame that someone shouting like a fog horn, instructing everyone what to do, including members of the public, from the 30-40 crowd, upset everyone present.

Last week this Sparrowhawk took out one of the 30 Collard Doves visiting the garden and showed off meters away from the window

Whinchat

Whitethroat

Blue Tit

Whitespeck

Vestal

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