7th American Wigeon for Scilly!

Pair of American Wigeon on the Great Pool.

  At 0915, Big Al, Higgo, Chris and I were on the rib to Tresco to twitch Scillies 12th Red-necked Phalarope! It was first discovered at mid-day yesterday, being pushed around by Redshank on the Great Pool, by a visiting birder. We all first checked the Abbey Pool and got the 4 adult Whooper Swan that arrived at the beginning of October. Nearby, a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull flew through, there were 2 male and female Reed Bunting feeding on one of the tracks, 8 Siskin were in Abbey Wood and a single Skylark was on Heliport.

4 adult Whooper Swan

4 Reed Bunting together was the highest number that I've seen on Scilly

This female Siskin was busy looking for aphids under the Sycamore leaves

  We searched in vain for the phalarope on the Great Pool, but after two hours it was obvious that the bird had moved on. There were up to 50 Teal and feeding off Simpsons Field was the male Green-winged Teal that arrived on the 20th of last month. Three days later a pair of AMERICAN WIGEON also turned up and we found them first off Simpson's Field, but later they showed well in front of the David Hunt hide with a single Eurasian Wigeon. There were also 2 male Shoveler, 3 Little Grebe, Kingfisher, Buzzard, 12 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, 25 Little Egret and one of the three Spoonbill flew over towards Bryher.

Record shot of the male Green-winged Teal off Simpson's Field

A large number of 36 Greenshank were roosting on the Great Pool.

These pair of American wigeon were only the 7th record for Scilly and the first time that more than two have been observed on the islands. The last one to turn up on Scilly, was a female that I found, also on the Great Pool, feb, 2002. 

  We were in the hide for a good hour observing the wigeon and sheltering from the heavy downpours. Higgo was getting board and started telling Chris about when I call and wake him up early in the morning, after he's had a night shift at the COOP, to tell him to get out in the field. The reason, because there has been a fall of birds. He tried to do a impression of me, which sounded like a small kid that can't wait any longer for Christmas day to come. This is Higgo on me 'Get out in the field Higgo! Yes, yes, get out quick' and apparently I start getting more excited 'Yes, I just had ten Chiffchaff and I'm sure I've just had one fly over' By now. I'm on the hide floor in tears and Chris is laughing out loud. I carry on 'Yes Higgo, get yourself prepared to go out and bird' Get yourself prepared to go out and bird? As if I would say that. Chris made a comment about how when you used to pull the cord from the back of Action Man and he would come out with 'Prepare yourself to fight' or 'Prepare yourself to shoot'or 'volunteer needed for special mission'  Imagine if he said 'Prepare yourself to bird' By now my ribs were hurting, but it made me think. So Christmas day comes and you get the talking commando Action Man with all the gadgets, including bins, that you always wanted. You go and show him off to your mate and just as your about to go into battle against his army of Action Man, you pull that cord and out comes 'Prepare yourself to bird' You think, did I hear that right? You press the commando firmly against your ear and pull the cord again  'Prepare yourself  to lift your bins' What!? 'Volunteer needed to flush White's Thrush' By now your mates Action Men has blown you up to smithereens as you realize that you've got a dudd Action Man. You pull the cord once more 'You dipped!' As they say, you had to be there. If Action Man really did say all of this, then the world might of been a better place, but I think the sales would of been pretty low. If your still reading this, you probably think I'm crazy.


'Don't move Scotty, don't even blink, but I'm sure there's a Wood Thrush just in front us!' 'Prepare yourself to bird'

  anyways, yesterday, Graham and I arrived at Pelistry to find the Subalp showing well in the sun with now, 3 Yellow-browed Warbler. There were also over 100 Chaffinch and 30 Linnet in the same fields and 2 Lapwing flew over. After 45 minutes we did not hear it call or get anytin more on the tail. So we decided to return later. A few fields away at Green Farm, there were the 2 Yellow-browed warbler I had a few days ago, with a new bird heard at Borough Farm. At Lower Moors we got another Yellow-browed Warbler, calling Siberian Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Swallow, 20+Chiffchaff, Jack Snipe and heard the Short-toed Lark fly over. When we made our ways up to the airfield there were only 24 Skylark and 2 Wheatear. We discovered later that the Short-toed was seen up here. Graham had not seen the Red-backed Shrike at Porth Hellick and we found it drying itself off in it's favoured field after a heavy shower.

  We returned to Pelistry and for the next hour we had our best views of the Subalp. It was on show at all times and at very close range, 10ft on a few occasions! It moved down towards the Elms and here we heard it, 'Tac' That was enough for us to come away happy with it being a Western Subalpine Warbler.  Just in this area of fields, I have now seen up to 6 different Subalpine Warblers and two of those I found myself, including a cracking male.

The light can change it's appearance in a instant.

What a stunning bird!

Emily Jane White is a songwriter, pianist and guitarist from California who released her first album in 2007. White was raised in the seaside town of Fort Bragg, California. She began experimenting with and creating her singing style in the early 2000s at UC Santa Cruz. White's first musical explorations came as a member of punk and metal bands in college. She later branched off with her own group called Diamond Star Halos. After college and spending time in France, she moved to San Franciscoto perform.