Scilly part 2 (28th September - 5th October)
Thursday 28th September: Alison and I strolled down to the quay at Hugh Town to meet the midday arrival of the Scillonian III containing our lovely daughter Emma. After a light lunch back at Peacehaven we treated her and ourselves to the fine selection of waders to be found at Porth Hellick that afternoon - Pectoral Sandpiper, Little Stint and the long-staying American Golden Plover
Friday 29th September: We set of for the quay with the intention of going to Tresco for the day - but Scilly mega-alert §1, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak - and we diverted to St Agnes. This would have been my 3rd British record of this species had we waited around for it to put in an appearance, but it was elusive in dense foliage and inaccessible parts of the island, and when it did eventually turn up we were on the far side of Gugh - so we dipped. We didn't see much else either but we did have a nice walk around the island.
Saturday 30th September: In fine sunshine and ignoring an adverse weather forecast we made the voyage to Tresco today. We made it most of the way around Castle Down before the rain started and by the time we reached Old Grimsby it had set in - so we had a relaxed early lunch in Ruin Beach cafe. We then had a very wet walk around part of Tresco and decided on the early (2:30) boat back to St Marys. Not only was it raining but the sea was rough and every wave brought a bucket load of seawater for each passenger to enjoy. Nevertheless, Emma and I entertained everyone to a stirring and much-appreciated rendition of "Singing in the rain".
Sunday 1st October: Had a stroll around St Marys (while the Grosbeak and a Red-eyed Vireo were being seen well on St Agnes)
Monday 2nd October: Alison and Emma had a shopping morning and I went back to St Agnes to have another go at the Grosbeak. But first I went to the airport and managed a 20 second viewing of an Isabelline Wheatear that had turned up the previous evening. It then flew away and I moved on to the quay. Spent a large part of the day looking at a clump of bramble where the Grosbeak had been seen well the previous day. Alas the bird had flown and I had dipped again. The weather closed in again and I caught the mid-afternoon boat back to St Marys. Scilly mega-alert §2 - a late afternoon Cliff Swallow on Tresco - 16 quick birders made it to the jet-boat in time to see the bird in the late afternoon pouring rain.
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Tuesday 3rd October: No sign of the Cliff Swallow early morning and we left for the quay with the intention of spending the day on Bryher. Miscalculated slightly as the Bryher boat was leaving an hour late due to very low tides at the usual 10:15 departure time. By 11:00 the Swallow had been relocated. Alison and Emma stuck to the plan of going to Bryher - but I got off at Tresco. Inconveniently the Tresco drop off at Carn Near was on the opposite end of the island to where the bird was at Old Grimsby. While I was on the the way - mega-alert §3 - a Cedar Waxwing had been found on St Agnes - this was like old-style Scillies with a glut of rarities leaving you wondering where to go next. A boat was swiftly arranged to take birders from Tresco to St Agnes at 12:45 - leaving me 1 hour to locate and view the swallow if I wanted to get both birds today. Neither bird was a new UK bird for me (having seen a Cliff Swallow on St Martins in xxxx and a Cedar Waxwing in Nottingham in xxxx) so I wasn't unduly concerned - but fortune was with me today and the swallow gave itself up easily and I made it to the boat with time to spare. My 3rd trip to St Agnes this season looked set to be as disappointing as the previous two - the word on arrival was that the bird had not been seen since its original observation. After a little search I took myself off to the Turks Head for a fishermans platter and a pint. Much refreshed I returned to the fray and eventually the bird showed sat up on a distant Pittosporum and just about identifiable through binoculars at that range. I noted where it flew and, along with a handful of others, found the hedge it had settled in and managed to achieve a more satisfactory view. 4:20 pm and the boat back to St Marys leaves at 4:30. A rapid walk to the quay - but I needn't have worried, there were so many birders on St Agnes they had to send a second boat to get us all back to St Marys.
Wednesday 4th October: A fine sunny day for a stroll around St Marys. First we went to the airport for another look at the Isabelline Wheatear. This far eastern Asian species is quite similar to Northern Wheatear - so much so that, even though I had seen the bird before (albeit briefly and at range) I walked past it dismissing it as a Northern Wheatear*. We soon got to grips with the subtleties of the identification, which are said to be as follows: 1) slightly larger with proportionately shorter wings and tail (we didn't really notice a size difference, but the bird did appear short-tailed; 2) longer more vertical tarsi / more upright posture (we didn't really notice this); 3) broader black tail band (there was an impression of this in flight, but hard to confirm); 4) paler wings (this can be seen in the images below - but Northern Wheatear is very variable); 5) broad buff fringes to upperwing coverts, so that coverts as a whole appear closer to upperparts than to primaries in colour (coverts closer to primaries in colour in Northern Wheatear); 6) alula (bend of wing) stands out as black compared with paler coverts; 7) supercilium whitest in front of eye, buff and narrower behind (whitest and broadest behind the eye in Northern Wheatear).
* Subsequent conversations suggest that I may not have been wrong to dismiss it as a Northern Wheatear - others have questioned the ID.
* Subsequent conversations suggest that I may not have been wrong to dismiss it as a Northern Wheatear - others have questioned the ID.
Then we went to the Tolman cafe, which has changed ownership and has been renamed Coastal View Kitchen - but I think it will be a long time before we call it that. Whilst sitting outside drinking tea and coffee, the Cliff Swallow flew past - a new UK bird for Alison. Had a little look around the Old Town churchyard and then went around Penninis, where we found a Wryneck. Had lunch al fresco at Porthcressa Beach. Then we did the long coastal stretch around the west and north of St Marys arriving back at Peacehaven late afternoon.
Thursday 4th October: We waited for the early morning drizzle to cease and for the sun to poke through the clouds before leaving for a stroll around St Marys on Emma's last day with us. No sooner had we started walking than the rain started falling again. We headed for the nearest cafe - the Bavarian Kaffeehaus. As soon as we got our wet wet weather gear off and ordered our coffee / tea / hot chocolate the sun decided to come out again. We walked via Holy Vale, Higher Moors and Salakee to Longstones - where we had lunch. En route from there to town news came of a Vagrant Emperor nearby. I whizzed off to see this, and although I did see it well it was difficult to photograph in flight - not least because I didn't have my camera with me. I rejoined the ladies on the quay and we saw Emma off on the Scillonian III.
Friday 5th October: A clear blue sky day, warm and still - perfect conditions for seeing dragonflies. Will Scott, Alison and I walked through the weedy field where the Vagrant Emperor had been in yesterday until we flushed it. It didn't fly far and Will had seen where it landed - it stayed in place long enough for us to obtain photos. This insect was new for me. It is a long-distance vagrant from sub-Saharan Africa that very rarely reaches the UK. Brown with brown eyes and a long pterostigma. The male has a blue saddle. One of the remarkable features of the Isles of Scilly in autumn is that we have birds and insects arriving from eastern Asia (Isabelline Wheatear), North America (Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red-eyed Vireo, Cliff Swallow, Cedar Waxwing) and the Mediterranean (and sometimes further south) (Bee-eater) all at the same time and at the same time as the more expected southward movement of north European species.