randombirder

Leaving Scilly is always a sombre moment.  It's been another great trip with undoubted highlights being the black-and-white warbler and Swainson's Thrush.  But it's never always about the sightings, to concentrate solely on the birdlife diminishes the visceral experience of spending time on the Isles.  As always, it's also refreshing that it won't be too long before I set foot back on these venerated shores. A quick walk out onto Porthcressa, where a  black redstart flicked through while waiting for the Nightingale to appear at Little Porth which didn't actually appear despite a couple of attempts.  I guess one was enough for the trip. The flight back was as exhilarating as always. Until next year.

It was sad to leave.  A week never feels like long enough on the Scillies.  At the airport after a check-in, I took a final wander toward the hangars. Flying through were four Cattle Egret that circled before heading further inland.  It never stops here and a great way to end the week.  Four Northern Wheatear were feeding on the airfield.

So some words about this trip.  The Isles of Scilly are magical and it was a joy to be back.  Someone did actually comment that I was there two months early.  Well my friend, I was bang on time because the place looked pristine in the radiant summer sun unadulterated by urban smog and the distemper of city life.  The highlight was a sun-soaked walk all the way round St Mary's with a convenient stop at Pelistry Bay to lie out on the golden sands and to remind myself that this was indeed the UK. This time we opted to sail to the Isles as this time of year there are possibilities for rare seabirds and marine life.  The crossing was appreciably calm, and despite the overcast conditions, the sun was never totally hidden behind the thin veils of grey cloud.  It was a pleasant passage across, livened up with a pod of around 15 Common Dolphin flirting recklessly with the wake churned up from the boat.  A couple of Harbour Porpoise surfaced somewhere in ...