Isles of Scilly - 8th October 2020

Well.  What a day it turned out to be.  It all started quite sedately actually.  A wander round the Garrison in the morning but seeing very little apart from a Wheatear and a few Goldcrest flitting around the pines.  Heading down towards Pottery took two attempts (because of the limited viewing area) to see the Lesser Whitethroat showing features of blythii.  It did look very brown on the mantle as it flicked low into the sycamores.

The Swainson's Thrush was reported again, this time in paddocks within the vicinity of the dump clump.  There was a lot of birders there so decided to stay away and look for the reported and continuing Nightingale.  A short wait and the bird popped out and settled on the metal fenceline.  Another crazy Scilly sighting of what is usually a skulking migrant.   

Then the messages started appearing.  A totally underwhelming message of a Black-and-White Warbler on Tresco had all birders charging for the quay.  Thankfully there were two boats heading off Mary's.  Opting to take the less crowded option of the later boat followed a 20 minute walk to the site where the assembled crowd were fixated on the treeline where the warbler had been associating with a tit-flock.  It only took five minutes before seeing this truly stunning american passerine flitting toward the back of the dense foliage.  Managing just two sightings but enough to provide the joy and satisfaction of seeing such a fantastic bird.

A photo would have been nice but here instead is one of another lovely Scilly view.