Scilly - 9.10.16

I visited 20 different site on St.Mary's today!

3 Swallow over Porthcressa beach were the first of the week.

Lower Moors held 3 Jack Snipe, 23 Redwing, Reed Warbler and 2 more Yellow-Browed Warbler.

Old Town Bay had 5 Ringed Plover roosting.

Up at the windsock by the airport runway I added 2 Ruff to my Scilly list.

Porth Hellick had 5 Greenshank and another Jack Snipe from the hide.

In Higher Moors I had my first Fieldfare of the Autumn.

On entering Holy Vale I found a brief pale looking Chiffchaff and a Yellow-Browed Warbler.

At the riding stables there was no sign of the 2 Cattle Egret but there was a Whinchat.

Cattle Egret

At Four Lanes End I finally caught up with the 2 Cattle Egret. Scilly tick number 5 and met up with Steve.

4 Swallow were at Carreg Dhu garden.

Off of Porthloo beach was a female Common Scoter.

Town Beach had 5 Sandwich Tern.

Newford Duckpond was very productive with another YB Warbler, Firecrest and 3 species of flycatcher. Red-Breasted, Pied and Spotted. The strangest site though was of a 4x4 Capri!

At Watermill we had a brief Common Sandpiper and I found a YB Warbler.

Spot The Wryneck!

As we passed Borough Farm we had half decent views of the Wryneck. We then stopped off at the German eatery for Apple Strudel and that's when the mega alert went off telling us that it'd finally happened and that a Siberian Accentor had reached our shores albeit typically on Shetland! Our friends up there were in for a treat!

A quick pop in at Trewince had us pick up the Osprey again as it flew over the north of the island.

Turtle Dove

In Hugh Town we finally connected with the Turtle Dove in the salubrious surroundings of the alleyway behind the museum! My first in the UK for 3 years.

Just as I'd sat down with a cuppa back at the digs news crackled over the radio of a Redstart on Porthcressa Beach. As it was a minute walk away I went to look for it but still managed to dip it! But as I was chatting to the Rugby lads a Wryneck was found by the quarry at the end of the beach. After looking at that I was just about to turn for home when the radio burst into life again with news of a Subalpine Warbler just round the corner! We legged it there only to have just missed it but after a 20 minute wait we had good views by the old school. This was my 3rd attempt at a Subalp on Scilly. A great day and about 10 miles walked!