Red-footed Falcon on the Garrison

21st April 2024

A week ago was good but today surpassed that and included this Richard’s Pipit on Bryher.

I woke up to a Sedge Warbler singing in the garden this morning but it was not until after breakfast that I decided to bird the Garrison. With SE the day before, now NE, there had to be new migrants in. It was obvious that small numbers of Wheatear, Blackcap and Chiffchaff had arrived with hirundines moving through. However, it was not until over an hour later while walking past the Woolpack accommodation, with no idea it was there, that I kicked a male Red-footed Falcon off a very low tree stump on the right of the path! It made a jerky flight and I thought it was goin to perch up in the pine next to the stump but it continued before pausing again at the top of the next pine. Unfortunately, it flew behind the pine and appeared to fly off towards the campsite/football pitch. A few minutes later I was on the other side of the pines in the campsite but there was no sign. After listening to my first Grasshopper Warbler reeling nearby, I made my ways towards the football pitch. Here a Red Kite flew from the south drifting north over the garden. Shorly afterwards, up to 7 Red Kite were seen on Tresco. In the horse paddocks there was the first Whinchat of the year but after an hour of searching, I thought that the golf course might be in for a chance as that’s where the last Red-foot hung out at. I picked up Higgo on the way but all we came across were a single Black Redstart and a cracking male Redstart. Returning back to town, I stopped off to have a look at the Purple Heron in the horse field next to the main road that had been there all morning.

There was a small arrival of Red Kite with maybe less than ten birds including this individual over the football pitch.

The first Whinchat of the year was in the horse paddocks, east of the football pitch, Garrison.

Chiffchaff

As Higgo had not gone to his beloved island today, Bryher, at 15.00, I was parked up at Rushy Bay. It was while kayaking past Samson to get to Bryher, that 2 Red Kite flew NE towards Tresco. It was not until I reached the flooded area, west of Samson Hill, that I came across my first species of note, Wood Sandpiper. On the pool, there were a single Black-tailed Godwit and Greenshank. Kicking the horse paddocks NW of the pool and a very vocal Richard’s Pipit got up and pitched down again. It proved very flighty, probably just arrived, but I managed to get a distant record shot before it flew off again. The Popplestone fields held single Tree Pipit, Whitethroat, Pied Flycatcher, Black Redstart and 3 Redwing. A male Ring Ouzel was at the campsite. Wheatear were pouring in on the NNW side of Bryher with hirundines streaming through north and by the time I had returned to Rushy Bay, there were up to 60 Wheatear and 100 Swallow, 30 House and Sand Martin and a single Swift. Just before I it Rushy Bay, a male Golden Oriole flashed by on the north side of Samson Hill. I left Bryher and made the short row over to Samson. Here on the east side were a single Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Curlew and 30 Whimbrel before making the long row back to St Mary’s.

This Wood Sandpiper was feeding with 3 White Wagtail in a flooded area just north of Samson Hill

Pied Flycatcher at the Popplestone fields

Where there was also the first Whitethroat of the year

Returning back to the kayak in the area to the NNW side of the pool, I was tripping over Wheatear.

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