Scilly - 10.10.13

 

 

Whinchat, Golden Pheasant and Garganey.

 

During yesterdays pelagic the mega alert went off with the news that Tresco had finally come up with a bird worth seeing in the shape of a Sora. I'd already seen the one in Notts a few years ago so I wasn't too worried with trying to squeeze in a viewing of it so the decision was made to go the next day and spend a longer time on the island. The morning broke and another early boat trip thankfully less stomach churning than the day before! In the Tresco channel I counted 21 Little Egret which is the highest count for me. Upon landing we headed straight for the Great Pool but decided to view from Simpson's Field on the far size apart from Steve who power walked to get prime viewing from the hide as he still needed the bird for his list. After a brief wait news came over the radio that it was on view from the hide but not quite from where we were. Luckily it decided to hop onto the rocks and my second UK Sora showed well for around a minute before heading into some brambles. We had a couple more views as it ventured out of the reeds but remained elusive. We walked off and immediately came across a nice Whinchat perched on the fence. Down on the southern end of the pool a Black-Tailed Godwit was seen and 4 Swallow flew overhead. News of a Woodcock by the old blockhouse saw us heading that way but as we had expected there was no further sign. But undeterred we walked off back towards the pools and saw a very showy Golden Pheasant and a Common Gull was seen in a ploughed field. Just then news broke of a juvenile Red-Backed Shrike by the old blockhouse! but as the last boat off the island was only 50 minutes away and the fact I'd seen one on Tresco before I chose to go and have a look at the juvenile Garganey instead as it would be a Scilly tick. We had good views of it in the end so we wandered back to catch the boat noting 3 Skylark on the heliport field. Once back on St.Mary's I chose to walk up to Telegraph for a Richard's Pipit but what I didn't know was that it had flown off even before I had got off the boat! Instead I had another walk through Lower Moors. This turned out to be a good choice as just before the shooters pool I flushed a Spotted Crake from the ditch right next to the path! So Sora and Spotted Crake in the same day. I doubt I'll do that again!