Isles of Scilly 8th - 10th Oct

Hello

On Saturday 8th Oct we finally bit the bullet and took a boat to the island of Tresco, and it wasn't too long before we were watching the juvenile Sora Rail that has been present for perhaps a couple of weeks now. Like all such birds it was skulking but on occasions did exit the reeds of the Great Pool albeit at some distance.

On another warm and sunny day we took a wander around the island and saw an Osprey, a Woodcock, a female Peregrine, a flock of six Pale-bellied Brent Geese, a Back Redstart and half a dozen Yellow-browed Warblers. Insects were out in force with particularly large numbers of Red Admiral butterflies and several Hummingbird Hawk-moths amongst others.

On our return to St Mary's at about 5pm we bumped in to a late Turtle Dove, a couple of Wrynecks, a Black Redstart, a male Lapland Bunting, another Yellow-browed Warbler, the long-staying Black-necked Grebe and five Jack Snipe. Whinchats and Stonechats were everywhere.

Yesterday (Sunday), an early wander around St Mary's successfully located three Ring Ouzels, plenty of Redwings and a Red-throated Diver. By way of a change we then took a four and half hour boat trip around the islands birding the shoreline and islets. Five adult Peregrines were atop their respective rocks in very calm conditions and we encountered an adult Great Northern Diver, a Common Scoter, several Mediterranean Gulls, lots of waders including three Purple Sandpipers, a couple of Puffins, the Brent Geese again and pods of Harbour Porpoises and both Common and Grey Seals.

Today (Monday) and after some early morning Firecrests and a brief view of a Subalpine Warbler, we took a boat to St Martins, possibly our favourite island. Here we found another Firecrest, a Ring Ouzel, a Merlin, a Mediterranean Gull, a Yellow-browed Warbler and a Garden Warbler in slightly cooler but still sunny conditions. The male Subalpine Warbler was still showing on our return to St Mary's, pretty good for a species known to be a major skulker!

Regards

Neil M

Jack Snipe

Redshank

Yellow-browed Warbler



Pale-bellied Brent Geese

Stonechat

Sora Rail



Peregrine

Common Seal

Grey Seal

Grey Plover

Purple Sandpiper