Scilly 26/09-17/10/2020
Week 3
St Marys Saturday and Sunday, Monday (12/10) I went to Bryher, Alison stayed on St Marys, Tuesday (13/10) Tresco, Wednesday St Marys, Thursday St Agnes pm only, Friday St Marys
Weather: Sunshine and showers with a moderate mainly northerly wind all week except Thursday which was glorious
Birds: Swainsons Thrush and Raddes Warbler on Bryher, American Buff-bellied Pipit on St Agnes; big fall of Yellow-browed Warblers on Sunday - we saw 10. A Lesser Whitethroat deemed to be race blythi would be a UK ✔️for this race if that identification could be confirmed
Moths: nothing new and nothing rare in continued distinctly poor conditions for mothing.
St Marys Saturday and Sunday, Monday (12/10) I went to Bryher, Alison stayed on St Marys, Tuesday (13/10) Tresco, Wednesday St Marys, Thursday St Agnes pm only, Friday St Marys
Weather: Sunshine and showers with a moderate mainly northerly wind all week except Thursday which was glorious
Birds: Swainsons Thrush and Raddes Warbler on Bryher, American Buff-bellied Pipit on St Agnes; big fall of Yellow-browed Warblers on Sunday - we saw 10. A Lesser Whitethroat deemed to be race blythi would be a UK ✔️for this race if that identification could be confirmed
Moths: nothing new and nothing rare in continued distinctly poor conditions for mothing.
There are two subspecies of Buff-bellied Pipit (Anthus rubescens) - rubescens (American) and japonicus (Japanese).
Compared with Meadow Pipit the American form has little mantle streaking, a warmer buffy wash to the underparts and usually dark legs. Water Pipit is also similar but has pure white underparts with black streaks. The Japanese form has whitish underparts with heavier black streaking and reddish-brown legs - it lacks the "buff-belly" that gives the species its English name. It is has a strong black lateral throat patch and so is similar to Olive-backed Pipit (which has a buffy-orange wash to the breast and a characteristic light and dark patch to the rear of the ear coverts). |