6th ISABELLINE WHEATEAR for Scilly

ISABELLINE WHEATEAR showing well in the disappearing light at the south end of the airfield

  Except for Yellow-browed Warblers, Firecrests, the odd Wryneck and Richard's Pipit and 2 Pink-footed Geese and Garganey on Tresco Great Pool, it's damn pretty quit. That also includes common migrants. Today that all changed. Up at Pelistry I had a Ring Ouzel and a fly over Yellow Wagtail. Later I teamed up with Will Scott and it was only when we got to the airfield that things came alive. We went up to look for the Short-toed Lark that was found earlier in the day and after putting up over 100 Meadow Pipit we finally relocated it feeding on the east side of the runway towards the turning circle. I beckoned the other birders to come over and join us and as they were making there ways, Will said 'This wheatear looks pale?' It was a long ways off by the turning circle, but you could clearly see that it was a pale individual and we started making are ways towards it on the west side to get better views. Our second look and it was looking good and I found my arms waving to the birders watching the lark to get over ere. It was looking very bloody good and a few minutes later the identification was cliched as Scillies 6th ISABELLINE WHEATEAR! The sun was going down fast and there was only a handful of birders present as we all observed it being mobile on the coastal path before returning to the bottom of the turning circle. Here it was believed that it had gone to roost and we can hope that it will be showing tomorrow for everyone to see it.

Ian Grant took this pic showing how sandy coloured the bird was on the upperparts

  

This is only my second Issy wheatear for Scilly. In ten minutes on the 28th Oct '98 on Bryher, Ren and I observed firstly a Rose-breasted Grosebeak followed by a Pied-billed Grebe. With others we went to look at a wheatear nearby and it was identified at the time as Scillies 4th Isabelline Wheatear. We needed this mega that Will found today to get things goin again on the islands.

The Red-throated Diver had moved to Old Town Bay where it continued to show well.

The 2 Pink-footed Geese that have been on Tresco Great Pool for the last two days. Nearby there was a Red-breasted Mergenser

This Vestal was trapped at Pelistry overnight on the 5th. the following night I had a paler individual in my room

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