LITTLE BUNTING at the airfield

The first LITTLE BUNTING of the year

 
  Whilst at a friends house this morning, we noticed a small dragonfly in his garden. Closer inspection identified it as a male RED-VAINED DARTER. This was a new species for me and we managed to get a few photos in the morning sun, before it disappeared.

A good feature for identifying Red-vained Darter is the red and blue eyes.

 
  I picked up Smoothy mid-morning and we went off to the airfield to twitch a LITTLE BUNTING. When we arrived, we found it feeding with the SHORT-TOED LARK and the 4 juvenile BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER and only two other observers! All birds performed very well and with in twenty minutes, there were over 40 observers in the center of the airfield. It was good to see so many birders instead of the 20+ that were here throughout last week. As a result of more birders looking around, it turned out to be a good day.

SHORT-TOED LARK

Both the LITTLE BUNTING, you can just see the head on the left and in the center, the SHORT-TOED LARK, were feeding together. 

2 of the 4 juvenile BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER

 I dropped off Smoothy and while watching 3 Whinchat and a Clouded Yellow at Maypole Triangle, the BLACK KITE was overhead drifting towards Holy Vale. At Newford Duckpond, I found a WRYNECK on top of the wall, although this could be the bird that was seen earlier flying over me bloody house! Then Smoothy called and we went to have a look at a juvenile COMMON ROSEFINCH discovered at Porthloo Beach. The rosefinch we managed to see through Tim's scope briefly and then we went off to Trenowth. Here, as soon as we opened me wagon door, we could hear FIRECREST and found 4! All birds were at close range and in the same area there were 2 Pied and 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 4 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap and 2 Goldcrest. In the fields nearby, after seeing my first one ever this morning, I went and found a female RED-VAINED DARTER! When we returned to Porthloo, the rosefinch had been replaced by a WRYNECK.

BLACK KITE over Maypole Triangle

WRYNECK at Newford Duckpond

There were 4 FIRECREST at Trenowth

Female RED-VAINED DARTER at Trenowth.

The WRYNECK at Porthloo didn't show as well as the individual at Newford

A Diasemiopsis ramburialis was trapped overnight in Martins garden, Holy Vale. I went to have a look at it and discovered that Mick had also trapped one in his garden on the same night.The last Scilly record was when Mick trapped over 20 in 2006

  Also lots of Silver Y and Rusty-dot Pearl were kicked out of number of fields today.