8th TAWNY OWL for Scilly

This Short-toed Lark showed down to a less than 10 meters on the airfield

  Day off and in the warm sunshine at Lower Moors I came across the Northern Willow Warbler that I first had at Newford some two weeks ago, then later at Content and now at Lower Moors. There were also single Yellow-browed Warbler, Jack Snipe, flyover redpoll and 30+Chiffchaff in the area. The Short-toed Lark was reported on the airfield yesterday and so I thought I would give it a shot. At the terminal building there were 2 Black Redstart and a single Golden Plover was on the airfield. Just opposite  the windsock I relocated the lark feeding in company with a single Meadow Pipit. I lay down as both birds started grovelling towards me and just continued coming closer and closer, until I could almost touch them! After 20 minutes, I crawled away backwards and behind me was Paul Freestone waiting for me to get out of the way so he could take his turn.

Note the displaced narrow white feather on the left wing identifying the Northern Willow Warbler as the Newford/Content individual.  

The Northern Willow Warbler that's moved from content up road to Lower Moors. Note the white underparts and undertail coverts reaching half the length of the tail. 

Jack Snipe at Lower Moors

This crazy Short-toed Lark showed ridiculously well!

It was Paul's turn to try the lark. He's got such lovely soles on his boots!

2 Black Redstart were around the terminal building. 

  While on the airfield news came out of a Hawfinch at Green Lane. Just before I left to make my ways to the finch, Robin called to say that he had 2 Hawfinch. Ideal! But when we got to the site, distantly there was a female at the far end of the field in a line of Hawthorns. I continued to kick the fields nearby, but all I got were 80+Chaffinch and 3 Siskin. I text Darren Mason with the news of what birds are around at the moment. His reply was 'Cheers Kris Had TAWNY OWL calling this morning outside our house' It's only the 8th Scilly record with the last being a bird heard in the Abbey Woods in '95. He didn't realize how rare this owl was over here and I immediately contacted him. He told me that he heard it for an hour just outside his house at dawn. I wasn't far away from where Darren lived and thought I'll go and have a look in the trees nearby. No joy and there was no sight or sound of it later this evening when a few of us went to have a listen. Higgo, who was with us, was the only person that's seen a Tawny Owl on Scilly back in '84 at Bar Point. I ain't goin to tell you how he saw it.

There were 2 Hawfinch at Green Lane, but I could only find was this female getting stuck into the Hawthorn berries

  Earlier, Pete Morris showed me pics of the 3 Firecrest he had at Sharks Pit this morning and a superb shot of a Siberian Chiffchaff at Newford Duckpond. However when I got to the latter site all I could find were a single Yellow-browed Warbler, Woodcock and 3 Firecrest. Close by at Trenowth, I had another 2 Yellow-browed Warbler and 2 Firecrest and in the fields a male Ring Ouzel.
  As the BLYTH'S PIPIT was showing well in the coastal fields west of Peninnis, I decided to go and see it. However, when I got there though, it was 10 miles at the top of the field! Well at least I saw it and it ended on what was a cracking day!

I saw up to 7 Firecrest today including this one at Trenowth

This male Ring Ouzel was also at Trenowth

I managed to see up to 60+Chiffchaff today

  The only new birds found today were 2 Palla's Warbler with singles on St Agnes and Bryher. Up to 4 Yellow-browed Warbler were on Tresco with 2, including one trapped and ringed, on St Agnes.


Lovísa Elísabet Sigrúnardóttir (born September 10, 1982 in London, England), better known by her stage name, Lay Low, is an Icelandic artist and singer. Just a few months after her discovery she released her debut album, Please Don't Hate Me, which went gold only two months after its release. The following year she was nominated for four of the 2006 Icelandic Music Awards, winning two; Best female singer and best album cover. She was also voted by the nation through phone election as the most popular artist of 2006.