Isles of Scilly - 2010: Page 4
Red-flanked Bluetail, Middle Town, St. Martin's
THE highlight of the trip was the claw back bird that eventually gave itself up on St. Martin's, little cracker: more here
Pied Flycatcher, Parsonage, St. Agnes
Far more obliging than the Red-eyed Vireo that I was trying to photograph.
Lapland Buntings, Big Pool, Bryher
In the same place as one a couple of years ago and just as obliging, mere inches away and totally unconcerned about the birders present.
Snow Buntings, Airfield, St. Mary's
These two birds showed well along the coastal path just above Porth Minnick before flying towards the airfield where they subsequently seen by others at the turning circle.
Little Buntings, Carn Friars, St. Mary's
One of two birds seen, three present. A lot harder to get photos of as they tended to stay in longish grass.
Click on the main image to go to more images of these birds.
Sunset, Porthlow, St. Mary's
The perfect way to end a long days birding on Scilly.
I paid the magic islands three visits this year, in May, September and October. I visited in May as last year here was so good but this time round I had to contend with a Woodchat Shrike being the highlight, lots of commoner migrants though.
As with May I missed the best birds by a week in id September but still had plenty to look at, Buff-breasted, Pectoral and Spotted Sandpipers and finding my own Buff-breasted Sands and Ortolan Bunting.
Scillies October 2010 was not a classic but it was a vast improvement over last year with a number of quality birds seen through the two weeks I was there; Black-eared Wheatear, Pied Wheatear, Red-flanked Bluetail, Red-eyed Vireo, American Golden Plover, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Subalpine Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Melodious Warbler, Little Buntings and so on and not to mention the birds there that I missed; Blackpoll Warbler, Grey-cheeked Thrush, Olive-backed Pipit and Radde's Warbler plus a Black-headed Bunting just two days before I arrived.
It wasn't easy though with many oddities being claimed and a lack of migrants the second week but two additions to my Scillies list were greatly welcomed, especially the bluetail as I missed the one on here two years ago, claw back.
Wren, Peninnis Head, St. Mary's, May 2010
Plenty of songsters out in the spring
Woodchat Shrike, female Pelistry, St. Mary's Isles of Scilly 11th May 2010
A difficult bird to get close to, for other images click on the image above
Red-throated Diver
October
Little Egret
May
Red-legged Partridge
May
American Golden Plover
October
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
September
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
October
Spotted Sandpiper
September
Common Snipe
October
Jack Snipe
October
Pectoral Sandpiper
September
Sanderling
May
Dunlin
May
Greenshank
October
Turnstone
May
Wryneck
October
Turtle Dove
October
Swift
May
House Martin
May
Northern Wheatear
May
Black-eared Wheatear
October
Pied Wheatear
October
White Wagtail
May
Grey Wagtail
October
Swallow
May
Red-flanked Bluetail
October
Stonechat
May
Wren
May
Pied Flycatcher
October
Woodchat Shrike
May
Snow Bunting
October
Ortolan Bunting
September
Lapland Bunting
October
Little Bunting
October
Sunset
October
Ortolan Bunting, Star Castle, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly 21st September 2010
I found this bird as I walked up Garrison Lane just as I approached the Star Castle. It was unfortunately a very brief bird and was only seen for about 5 minutes during which time a rattled off only four images. Nice self find on the islands during a quiet spell.
