Cedar waxwing on Scilly!?

1st summer Squacco Heron showing off at Porth hellick

  On the 2/6 at 07.30 I was playing football on the Garrison when 925 and his missus, Loopy Lucy were trying to get my attention. I knew it was goin to be a bird, but it came as a surprise when he told me that there has been a possible Cedar Waxwing at Rose Hill Studios. I've never stopped playing football for a bird. Not even when I played for the birders against the islanders for the Tresco Rose-breasted Grosebeak in '93 or a Corncrake just down the track in '94. Both birds that I needed at the time. However, I found myself picking everyone up and racing down to the studios, still in my football gear! Has anyone ever twitched a bird with their footy boots on? Unfortantly the waxwing was never seen again, despite birders searching in the area for the next few days.
  It was observed by a non-birder, having a bath, only 2-3 meters away from her. It was only there for a two minutes and the reason it flew off is because she threw some mealworms at it. she got everything spot on for a Cedar Waxwing. As she described it, the tuft, black across the eye, red on the wing, very bright yellow at the end of the tail, pale breast, size of a starling and green! Green? Maybe a big throw back, but we still believe that she had the first Cedar Waxwing for Scilly and she even heard the shrill call as it flew into the orchard nearby. If you take into account that at the same time, 3 catharus thrushes turned up, Grey-cheecked, Swainson's Thrush and Veery and we were out in the field looking for yanks, I think we can say that we all missed out on a Cedar Waxwing!

  Anyways, two days ago I was watching the Squacco Heron from out in front of the seaward hide at Porth Hellick, when it got up and flew off towards Normandy. An hour later I was at Lower Moors and just before the sun went down, in came the Squacco to join a Yellow, White wagtail and a Green Sandpiper on the scrape. Just after 22.00, one of the adult Night Heron flew over the squacco heading towards Porthcressa.

1st summer Squacco Heron showing at very close range at Porth Hellick

with the Green sandpiper

It was always being pushed around by the Grey Heron

The squacco arrived at Lower Moors just before dark

Male White Wagtail

This Green Sandpiper stuck around for a few days on the scrape and was a unusual record for this time of year

There were still over 80 swallow and 20 House Martin at Porth Hellick

For the last week this Whimbrel has been in the Porth hellick area. Here I got this record shot at Giants Castle. There were also up to 9 Wheatear nearby

Male Stonechat showing off a white rump

Rock Pipit are breeding in good numbers and not too far away were 3 Cuckoo

Male Linnet

Mallard duckling at Porth Hellick. For the first time on st Mary's, Canada Geese nested at the latter site and a few days they had 3 goslings. Today there was only one. Ren and I observed one of them upside down in the water drowning!

  The evening of the 4th saw SE and the following morning Paul St Pierre and Will Wagstaff came across Scillies third June record of a singing Greenish Warbler behind St Martins Hotel. The day before the adult Purple Heron and a Golden Oriole was seen. Meanwhile, also on the 4th, Higgo was on Bryher and scored with 2 Bee-eater singles of Garden warbler and Spotted Flycatcher. Then he went and found Scillies second record of a male SPANISH WAGTAIL! The first was a male that Bryan Thomas, Higgo and I found on the Tresco Abbey Pool while watching Nigel Wheatly's cracking Spotted Sandpiper, 31/5/06. The COMMON CRANE was relocated on Annet during a Shearwater SpecialToday, the Bee-eaters moved over to st Agnes where later in the day there were 4 Bee-eater


Ian Botham has had a go at the RSPB telling them that they 'FORGOT THE BIRDS' Watch this video and see what you think of the idiot. you can read more of what the plonger said here  http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/news/sir-ian-botham-threatens-to-sue-44001