Scilly - 2.10.21

 The day got off to an annoying start. We arrived at Land End airport to be told our flight would more than likely not be going due to an incoming storm and that if we liked we could be transferred to the Scillonian boat. I’m not a great fan of boats but in preparation I’d taken some Stugeron sea sick tablets and thought better to get there than not at all. We left Penzance harbour and what should flyover us soon after but our 9.20 flight that seemed to have no problem 🤬! Thankfully my stomach held its contents and we arrived on the island and headed straight to Porthcressa beach where John Judge was kind enough to get me onto my first Scilly tick of the week. A Great-crested Grebe!! 

From here we wandered down to Porth Hellick Pool. A Whinchat in a field adjacent to the path down to the pool was a year tick and from the seaward hide 2 juvenile Pectoral Sandpipers we’re showing ridiculously well. From the other hide a Spotted Crake was showing less well from the side window but eventually gave itself up. As there was no sign of the Glossy Ibis we headed to Helvear which despite all my visits I’d never been to before.

Pectoral Sandpiper

From the footpath here I eventually laid eyes on my second Scilly tick of the day and also a subspecies tick to boot. A 1st winter male Balearic Woodchat Shrike showed well but just a tad too far for crisp photos of it. This was jut my third Woodchat in the UK. We then heard that the Ibis was back so off we went and 20 minutes later we were watching my third Scilly tick of the day as the Glossy Ibis was feeding partially obscured by the reds at the back of the pool

Balearic Woodchat Shrike

Glossy Ibis