10th Red-flanked Bluetail for Scilly

9th November 2022

This autumn, I’ve been fortunate in finding very rare birds and one mega but there was one species that I always wanted to discover and this afternoon it happened, Red-flanked Bluetail! In less than ten seconds, I just got two record shots including this one above before it disappeared never to be seen again.

Graham’s Dusky Warbler that he turned up less than a week ago at Little Porth was still on show in the nearby gardens of Sallyport. Here, I relocated it on call on arrival and found it in thick hedge bordering the path. It showed well briefly out in the open where I managed to fire off some shots before it disappeared into the next garden out of sight. At 10.50, Dulcie and I were rushing to get down to Porth Hellick where Jim had trapped a Radde’s Warbler and made it in time to see it being released. At 11.20 I was meeting a flight coming in and while chatting to Mike, a vocal Richard’s Pipit flew south. Probably the same individual that Graham had a few days ago over Pungies Lane.

Despite discovering 6 Dusky Warbler in the last year, all of them behavouring like real skulkers only to catch glimpses, this mornings individual at Sallyport was the first one that I’ve observed out in the open probably in the last two to three years.

This is my second Radde’s Warbler that I’ve seen in the hand at Porth Hellick

I returned to Porth Hellick where I had 2 Siberian Chiffchaff, 2 Yellow-browed Warbler, single Willow Warbler and Reed Warbler, the Great Spotted Woodpecker and distant in front of the Sussex Hide, the long staying Wilson’s Snipe. Altogether there were over 30 Chiffchaff and at Higher Moors, a single Siberian Chiffchaff. At the stables there were up to 4 Black Redstart with ones and twos dotted elsewhere. Later on at 15.40, I was birding the Rose Hill end of Lower Moors where there was a good number of Chiffchaff with the odd Blackcap. It was when I reached the east side of the first wood into the north end of Lower moors that things started to heat up. A Robin sized bird flicked up in front of me, front on and as it was only some five meters away, I could clearly see what it was. No way! I had gone and found the one species that every birder dreams of finding. Red-flanked Bluetail!!! It turned to show off it’s bluetail before flying off into cover. I immediatly put the news out but after an hour of a few us searching for it, there was no sign. Fortunatly, in the less than ten seconds view that I observed it, I got two record shots to priove that I wasn’t dreaming.

This Northern ‘type’ Willow Warbler was hanging out with 2 Yellow-browed Warbler on the loop trail

There were up to 2 Siberian Chiffchaff at Porth Hellick with a single at Higher Moors.

In the last week there has been good numbers of Black Redstart including a few corking males like this one

Blackcap

This was the second record shot I got of the Red-flanked Bluetail at Lower Moors before it vanished and wasn’t seen again despite a few of us despertly trying to relocate it. It was also the fifth that I’ve seen on Scilly.

This Marsh Harrier was having a hard time at Content a few days ago

also this Willow Warbler was at Content in the same field where the Marsh Harrier was hunting.

Over two week ago, there were up to 40 Painted Lady feeding on Buddleia at Helvier

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