Serin at Star castle

Good to see and hear the first Willow Warblers of the year

  Yesterday I saw a kind of new species in the form of a male Ruff on the airfield! For the first time I saw my first Ruff with a ruff. I've seen Ruff without a ruff. However, I've never seen a Ruff with a ruff. This was very brief as it was flushed by dog walkers with a dog that just had to ruff. Woof! The woof, I mean Ruff, flew off into the rough weather towards Porth Hellick. Anyways, I saw it again this evening flushed by a Merlin and it flew off high NW.

Male Ruff at the airfield

Flushed off by this female Merlin

  Also yesterday morning in the rain we got are first 3 Sandwich Tern in The Roads and 6 Willow Warbler of the year. Today more phylloscs arrived and at Porth Hellick with the 2 Siberian Chiffchaff and 1 Firecrest, there were 30+Chiffchaff  and 6 Willow Warbler. A brief look at lower Moors produced 20+Chiffchaff and 10 Willow Warbler. A Sedge Warbler in full song and 2 House Martin were also firsts of the year. Only one of the juvenile Iceland Gulls was on the golf course. Earlier on I dipped on the first Redstart of the year at the pig fields, Garrison and yesterday I missed out on a male Lesser Redpoll feeding on feeders in Martin Goodey garden, Holy Vale.
  On the 2nd while walking with guests in the rain towards the entrance of Star Castle I could hear a male Serin on the slope towards the pottery. I pushed the putters into me wagon, threw their luggage in the boot and gazed over to where I could hear the Serin. It was singing out of sight at close range and I had to go. Despite some of us searching in the area, there was no sign of it throughout the rest of the day.


  Because of work, I also missed out on the 6th Scilly record of Scandinavian Rock Pipit at Pelistry found by Bob Dawson, 28th March. Photographs proved the pipit to be a different individual that was on St Agnes during March. The juvenile Glaucous Gull hung out for a few days also at Pelistry feeding on a carcass and the first Ring Ouzel of the year was a female on Tean, 30th March. The Water Pipit was still at Porth Killier, St Agnes, 2nd. 

  Everything seems to be happening at St Just, Cornwall. Yesterday Nigel Wheatly watched a white phase Gyr fly north past his house. Later in the day it was seen by other observers nearby. This morning, looking out of his window, he observed a male Snowy Owl fly by being mobbed by gulls!! The owl was pinned down just up road where it showed off for the crowds for the rest of the day. Send one this ways mate! 

Between Porth hellick and Lower Moors I had up to 16 willow Warbler

 

Also between the two sites I got over 50 chiffchaff with another 10 on the Garrison

Also had 7 Blackcap

While searching for the Scandinavian Rock Pipit at Pelistry I took some pics of the resident Rock Pipits

Male Stonechat just about to take a midge

If only the Lesser Redpoll came into Martins garden! However, these Goldfinch showed superbly. 

Male Chaffinch

Only saw 2 Wheatear yesterday

Nick Cave covering a Larry Gatlin song. I never saw that one coming! Cave sings it on 'True Detective' and does a better job of the sing than the original in my opinion.