BARN OWL at Newford!

Yesterday, good numbers of Chiffchaff arrived on the island including this one on Porthloo Beach

  The strong SSE blow from a few days ago, changed to a bitter cold NNE and grounded a few migrants on the islands. It was good to see Chiffchaffs flycatching from rocks on the beaches in the warm sun with Wheatear and Black Redstart. Higgo had a Jackdaw over town that I had later at work. On the airfield there were 5 White Wagtail with 11 Pied Wagtail. Will made a visit to Porth Hellick where he got over 50 alba wagtails on the beach and 60+Meadow Pipit at Carn Friars. On the pool the pair of Pintail and 6 White-fronted Geese were still present and on the loop trail Tony and Ritchie came across 2 Firecrest.
  Two days ago I got a call from Higgo at about 17.30 to tell me that Julie Mawer has seen a BARN  OWL at Newford Duck Pond! In no time at all Ritchie was at Watermill, Big Al at Newford, Martin at Maypole Corner, will roaming around on his bike and myself shiving standing on top of a wall at Pungies Lane. For my effort I did get good views of a Short-eared Owl hunting over fields. As Barn Owl is a mega bird for Scilly, were not going to give up on this one and will keep on trying.

This evening, Max Rowe on Tresco, was very pleased when he observed 7 short-eared Owl leaving the roost in the Pentle Bay dunes. Now that's how it should be done and not purposely booted from the dunes during the day.

Jackdaw over Star Castle. I guess this is one of the three from Tresco

 

 

There were 2 male Wheatear and a pair of Black Redstart on the Garrison. Another male of the latter species was at Porthloo

27 Fieldfare were on the airfield

There were bonly a handful of Goldcrests

Up to 20 Chiffchaff were on the Garrison

Over 100 Chiffchaff were on St Mary's including 20 in the Old Town Church area where Bob Dawson managed to also get 3+ Siberian Chiffchaff with them. Nearby at the Dump Clump he got a male Reed Bunting.  

 

Scilly snow at work!

 

Snow on Bryher looking from the Garrison

There was a dusting of snow a few days ago. Here on me wagon. The last time we had snow was 4-5 years ago and it stopped me from driving!

 

Here's Ritchie standing on someone elses car trying to get a better look of the SEO! It was an old banger anyway. It was a good job Big Al didn't get on it!

 

The amazing Cat power covering a Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn song. Charlyn Marie Marshall (born January 21, 1972), also known as Chan Marshall or by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and occasional actress and model. Cat Power was originally the name of Marshall's first band, but has come to refer to her musical projects with various backing bands. In 2003 Marshall released You Are Free, her first album of original material in five years. The album, which featured guest musicians such as Eddie Vedder, Dave Grohl, and Warren Ellis, became the first charting Cat Power album, reaching 105 on the Billboard 200