Tree Pipit in the grape vine field at Holy Vale Joe Pender
I had just been watching a very confiding Tree Pipit in one of the grape vine fields with Joe at Holy Vale and thought that I would go and look for Golden Oriole in the trees below. With no luck, I ventured into the fields nearby, where in the past, I have seen four together! As I entered one of the flower fields, I immediately saw a brown dragonfly dancing around just above the field. VAGRANT EMPEROR!!!! This was the first Scilly record of this North African hawker and is part of the large invasion that has hit the UK, mainly in the south west, since the first was recording last year in October. This individual was hawking at close range where I was able to see the bright blue segment at the base of the abdomen making it a male as on the female it is absent. It hung around for a good three minutes, but I lost it when I was calling Ren. I searched in the nearby fields for nearly an hour when I had to return to work.
Also in the area there were 2 Swift, 15+House Martin and 4 male Blackcap singing.
While looking for the Male VAGRANT EMPEROR I found this beautiful Blue-tailed Damselfly
Tree Pipit at Holy Vale
In the last few days people have been taking advantage of the cheap boats, £3, normally £6, to visit a different island each night. As it was the last evening, with Conrad, I hopped onto the Surprise to go to St Martins. It was the wrong decision and at 19.25, I got a call from Mick, who was on the mainland, to tell me that his mate John had just found 3 SHORT-TOED LARK on the airfield! I called Robin and in turn he got in touch with the others. They all got the birds, but as the boat arrived at St Mary's just before 21.30, myself and Conrad will hope that there still present in the morning.
On St Martins all we got of note was, 1 Whitethroat, 4 Whimbrel, 5 Sanderling, 8 Wheatear and a male Kestrel.
5 Sanderling at Higher Town Bay, St Martins
Hopefully these 3 SHORT-TOED LARK will still be around tomorrow
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