Scilly - 16.4.25

 Finally a dry and sunny day. Upon checking the boat times I saw that there was a special wildlife cruise around some of the outer islands being led by Rob Lambert and was then stopping off at St.Agnes which is where I wanted to go anyway.

On board I sat next to fellow Herts birder James Walsh  we travelled over to the islands of Mincarlo and Tean where we had good views of Grey Seals and Puffins and I noted only my second ever ‘Bridled’ Guillemot.

Hoopoe

After our fill of these we docked on St.Agnes and headed straight for the campsite here in a field on the opposite side of the track I immediately got onto the unmistakable shape of a Hoopoe  This was the last remaining bird from the ridiculous fall of the the previous week where on Scilly alone there were flocks of 6 and 8 in places! 

Redstart

It was while watching this I met Steve Williams of Hilbre Island fame who told us of a male Redstart in the neighbouring field. Rob and James gave it a few minutes before going off for lunch but I had mine with me so stuck around and as I was about to leave out it flew and landed on the grass in the middle of the field.

I then headed down Barnaby Lane and out onto Wingletang Down where along the southern coast I added a further 5 male Ring Ouzel and a female Black Redstart.

Ring Ouzel

Scilly - 15.4.25

It was another wet day but more showery and so I managed a full day in the field. At Parting Carn 2 Swallow were zooming in amongst cows and a Yellow Wagtail flew north.

I then visited an area that from memory I’d not been before. Pendrathen Quay just west of Bar Point looks like a place I’ll have to visit in the autumn as it could potentially hold something decent. But today it had a single Whimbrel and a personal Scilly record count of 26 Carrion Crows! 

Scilly - 14.4.25

A very wet day with just 90 minutes of birding achieved around Peninnis. 5 Wheatear and a Yellow-legged Gull were the only birds written in my notebook.

Scilly - 13.4.25

A quiet start with only Wheatears noted around the south side of the island perked up when I reached Porth Hellick. From the lovely new Stephen Sussex hide I had a female Merlin fly one way then the other a Jack Snipe was flying around then vanished but after 2 hours the hoped for bird hadn’t appeared so I left and started on the loop trail. After a few steps a shadow appeared in front of me and as I looked up the hoped for adult Purple Heron flew low over my head and landed in the reeds and vanished. It’d been accidentally flushed by a couple walking the other way around the trail. 

Cornwall + Scilly - 12.4.25

As somehow I turn half a century old in August I thought I’d treat myself to my first ever week on Scilly in the spring. I finished work and went home to pack and left for Penzance at 11pm. 7 hours and 3 short sleeps later I arrived at the Hayle Estuary where from the hide I noted 2 Common Sandpiper, Ruff and Grey Plover. 

It was then time to board the Scillonian 3 for the journey over. Sadly the heavens had opened and so I sat inside and looked out the window noting numerous Auks and 60+ Manx Shearwater.

Just over 2.5 hours later we docked on Scilly and I picked up my luggage and walked to my accommodation. Once unpacked I grabbed my optics and headed out. At Rosehill I spotted singles of  Mistle Thrush and Redwing. At Porth Hellick I racked up the year ticks but sadly the 2 Red-rumped Swallows that’d been found whilst I was on the boat had sadly vanished as the rain stopped.

My stomach soon began rumbling so I headed to Carn Vean tearoom for some food and had a Tree Pipit fly over calling. 

Ring Ouzel

With a Cornish pastie and beans filling my belly I walked up to the golf course where from the pine belt I picked out 2 of the 6 Ring Ouzels, had a GN Diver in the roads and a Peregrine over.

Norfolk - 23.3.25

Another day out with Brendon saw us head to Norfolk. The journey up was very foggy but as we approached the Brecks it cleared so we thought we’d try our luck at Cavenham Heath for Stone Curlews. We parked up and I set up my scope and as luck would have it straight onto one! I don’t think he believed me when I said there you go within 2 seconds. We could also hear a couple of Woodlark in the distance.

Driving through Langham I spotted a Yellowhammer for the year list.

We then stopped at CleySpy in Glandford so Brendon could get his new scope looked at as it’d blown over in the wind and broken. It couldn’t be fixed but Vortex said to give him a new one and send it back. In the field behind the shop were 2 Grey Partridge which were a year tick too.

Cley was the next stop. We parked up in the beach car park and walked over to the eye field where we distantly saw the flock of 9 Lesser White-fronted Geese. These are part of the ongoing Swedish reintroduction programme so not tickable (but good enough for the year list). 2 GW Egret were noted and from the car park a nice male Wheatear was a nice bonus.

A walk along the east bank added Bearded Tit and a nice female Black Redstart.

We then visited Weybourne where a quick seawatch produced 2 Sandwich Tern.