randombirder

A truly bonkers day that will go down as one of my best Scilly experiences, and probably one of my best birding experiences. Expect the unexpected is the way things go on these Isles. Feeling energised after a cheeky lie-in, the rosy starling was present, after a brief attempt yesterday, sitting up on residential dwellings at Little Porth. Feeling buoyed by this, I headed for the quay. A few hours on Agnes was the plan on another warm, glorious sunny day. The buff-breasted sandpiper was typically confiding, scampering around the assembled crowd. Not particularly desperate to see anything in particular, I watched the sea for a bit and then walked the coast path toward Coastguards. This is when the fun started. A morning boat had already set off for Bishops Rock, a speculative visit to the lighthouse with the hope of some interesting seabirds and the outside chance of something a little more scarce. And then the news came through that it was there. The red-footed booby was there!! I l...

A much better day today but it was blowing a gale despite the bright conditions.  First stop was for the juvenile Rosy Starling that finally showed itself in a hedge by the cottages on Hull Road. The Red-breasted Flycatcher in the Crown and Anchor car park was typically elusive but two clear views of the bird was really satisfying with the Pied Flycatcher still present there. There was interest at Kilnsea Wetlands with the two continuing Little Stint there along with two transitional plumaged Knot , five Ruff , 2 Black-tailed Godwit , and a first and second winter Mediterranean Gull . Birds were moving through and a distant Short-eared Owl in-off the sea was a welcome sight.  The walk back to the car park produced a first year male Common Redstart that showed nicely in the solitary bush there. Sea-watching from the hide too delivered interest particularly in the form of a ring-tailed Hen Harrier that battled the breeze in the company of a  Marsh Harrier ...