It was in the autumn of 2019 that I last visited the archipelago and the time felt ripe to make another visit ...
I joined a BirdGuides tour as a way of getting accommodation and birding in a group can be quite fun ... depending on the group of course ...
We met our leader Neil Glenn on the quay at St Mary's ... well we actually walked past him to start with thinking 'that can't be him' ... but it was (memo to BirdGuides to make leaders identifiable) ...
I knew of two tempting species that were on the island in advance of my visit, these being Sora and Wilson's Snipe ...
We waited until day 2 to go for the Sora to allow pressure on the hides to subside but the snipe was an early target ... as we approached Lower Moors we were told that the bird had just flown, but undeterred we entered the hide and soon found our target bird conveniently next to a Snipe ...
... partly behind some reed stems the views were still good and the narrow and parallel loral stripe, broad fore-supercilium along with narrow rear-supercilium, dark greater coverts, bold flank barring and narrow white scapular edges were all easily visible ... Quite a bird to see !
As we walked around the island a few other birds showed well as did this female Stonechat, one of many around the islands ...
... ... on the second day it was off to Porth Hellick Pool in search of the Sora ... the forecast was rain but we'd seen worse ... the hides were full so it was scanning from the screen, all long distance views while Water Rail dashed by and it all seemed rather difficult ... then after an hour or so the news came that the Sora was showing from the other hide ... so off we dashed and crammed into the crowded hide ... it was behind the island ... luckily this turned out to be a very close patch of reeds only 30m or so away ... there was movement ...
... and out it walked to give wonderful views ...
... an unbelievable result !
And then the real rain came and that was it ...
We attended the Log Call in the Scillonian Club on most evenings ... an entertaining affair with a good sprinkling of humour ...
... our group was a lovely bunch and we all gelled well ... when we needed a name for our team on the two pub quizzes Mike Pollard came up with The Petrel Heads .. an inspired choice ... thanks to Mike too for the use of some of his images of the islands ...
Then it was off to Tresco, a new island for me ... an adult Greenshank showed nicely as it waded in the shallows ...
... and distantly among the Lesser Black-backed Gulls there was an adult Yellow-legged Gull ...
... an ID that could only be secured in a rgion such as this where the species is relatively frequent ... in Cumbria where hybrids are more common, a view such as this would not progress through the validation process ... not without a good photo of p5 !
... the occasional Whimbrel was to be found too ...
... the idea of a pelagic sounded fun ... but with over 70 on board the Sapphire it was far from fun ...
... pretty rocky too and Grey Phalaropes were about the best there was ...
... although a second-winter Caspian Gull showed just about well enough to get a couple of photos ...
... thanks Jamie for confirming the ID and age ...
... almost back and Shags were on a shelterd rock ...
... and we staggered ashore ...
... news of a shrike had us re-motivated and we taxied to Porth Hellick where the bird gave us quire a run around before settling on gorse ...
... this was reported as an Isabelline / Red-tailed Shrike which for British name users translates as Daurian / Turkestan Shrike.
Strangely this pair is now regarded as inseparable as first-winter individuals ... in my friend the late Martin Garner's 2014 Birding Frontiers volume there are pointers to each species ... on the basis of these, this would undoubtedly be a Daurian Shrike but today it's an 'either or' ...
... then as we walked by a small beach a White-rumped Sandpiper paused briefly befor flying off ...
... then to St Agnes where a Red-eyed Vireo and pretty much everything else evaded us although the beaches had some nice waders including two alpina Dunlins and a single schinzii and some nice 'tundra-type' Ringed Plovers ...
... a Grey Plover was nice too ...
... it was good to bump into Jamie Partridge - ever helpful to me on Caspian Gulls ...
... we rounded off the 'Aggie' visit with a pint in the southernmost pub in the UK, the Turk's Head ...
... House Sparrows were part of the entertainment one lunchtime ...
... a Greedshank flock of ten was good to see ...
... as was our only Wheatear ...
... and as I ate lunch before the crossing back to Penzance an adult Mediterranean Gull lingered on the harbour rocks ...
