Radde's Warbler at Borough Farm

Viv Stratton found this cracking Radde's Warbler at Borough Farm

  The SSE produced the goods today and this morning while at the fuel station at Porthcressa I heard Redwing overhead and looked up and saw 2 Hawfinch going east. At Higher Moors I could hear a Bullfinch nearby and between the latter site and Porth Hellick there were 6 Yellow-browed Warbler, 1 Siberian Chiffchaff,  4 Firecrest, 3 Hawfinch and 20+Chiffchaff. Chaffinches were moving out to sea overhead and in an hour some 300 birds went through with the odd Brambling heard. 130+Fieldfare also moved through. Did a Taxi up to the airport and flushed the Hawfinch off the road at Airport Lane.

Chaffinch

Fieldfare

I had up to 6 Yellow-browed Warbler

 Just after 13.00, Graham Gordon let me know that he had just found a Siberian Stonechat in fields at Tamarisk Farm on his beloved island, St Agnes where he had moved over to late this morning. He also had a single Hawfinch and Yellow-browed Warbler.
  At 14.30, I was picking guest up when Viv Stratton called 'Got a Radde's Warbler at Borough Farm Kris!' Ideal! I put the news out and with Ren and Big Al in me wagon, we arrived at the farm and the radde's showed very well but briefly. After this, it proved hard to get as it disappeared deep into the brambles inside a ruined barn but on occasions it popped up into the open for the small assembled crowd. Bramblings were also heard overhead.

Radde's Warbler showed well on and off

The area where the radde's hung out

While waiting for the warbler, this female Siskin landed a spitting distance from where we were all standing

I had this darker, heavily streaked, larger looking Icelandic Redwing at Pelistry

   Also seen on St Mary's, Graham Cunsdale had a Great-spotted Woodpecker at Trenowth, Mark Haliday had a Richard's Pipit over Peneinnis, a Little Bunting flew over Longstone, the Olive-backed Pipit was still in the Stranding Stones Field, the WILSON'S SNIPE still at Porth Hellick and including mine, there were a total of 15 Yellow-browed Warbler. Jim trapped a Pallas's Warbler at Porth Hellick but like 2 other Chiffchaff it was underweight and he released all of them unringed.

  The Surf Scoter was still in the Tresco Channel.

Record shot taken by the finder, Graham Gordon of the Siberian Stonechat on St Agnes 

Another great band under the radar. There not even on Wikipedia. 

Olive-backed Pipit at Lower Moors

Found this Olive-backed Pipit at the entrance of the Standing Stones Field. More than likely the bird that Graham Gordon heard two days ago a few fields away.

 This morning in the bright sunshine, I was at Porth Hellick and there were 3 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Lapwing, 2 Reed Bunting, 15+Chiffchaff, 2 Yellow-browed Warbler and overhead in small numbers, Fieldfare, Redwing, Chaffinch and Brambling. I was returning to work when Graham called to say he had just had a Olive-backed Pipit low over Star Castle. We kicked in the area where he thought it might of come down and the only pipit we got were over 25 Meadow Pipit.

These 3 Lesser Redpoll were at Higher Moors

Up to 25+Meadow Pipit were on the Garrison

  The Hawfinch, like two days ago, I was still flushing from the side of the road at Airport Lane as I drove to and from the airport. At 13.10 I was on the track next to the gate into the Standing Stones Field watching 2 Yellow-browed Warbler when to my left I heard only an Olive-backed Pipit. It sounded very close and I made my ways into the field. After ten minutes, it flew up from where I had just walked through, calling, onto the wires. Here it showed very well before disappearing back into the undergrowth a few meters away from me. I let it be and called everyone as I returned to work. After an hour i returned to the field to find everyone had gone. However, Graham and I kicked the fields in the area. Graham got onto a bird in a hedge and when it came out in the open, we were both totally baffled to what it was!! It flew across the field into some low branches and we noted that it was tailless! It proved very elusive keeping low but very briefly it came into the open and was identified as a Grasshopper Warbler!!

At last I had seen an OBP after only hearing one two ago at Parting Carn.

I saw over 200 Redwing and 40 Fieldfare scattered around St Mary's

   Other birds seen elsewhere on St Mary's by other observers included single Hawfinch over the Garrison with the individual still at Telegraph, only 1 Red-breasted Flycatcher at Rose Hill and a total of 8 Yellow-browed Warber.
   
   On St Agnes there were 5 Yellow-browed Warbler and single Spotted Flycatcher and Wheatear.

   Tresco, the Surf Scoter was in the channel and 2 Yellow-browed Warbler were on the island.

Still Corners are a London-based dream pop/synthpop musical project consisting of songwriter/producer Greg Hughes and vocalist Tessa Murray.

Bullfinch at Maypole

Found this female Bullfinch at Maypole yesterday. It been three years ago since I've seen one on Scilly and today 2 Bullfinch were on Tresco coinciding with the 29 birds that were at Porthgwarra., Cornwall. Many of which were reported flying out to sea. 

  Yesterday morning I was observing winter thrushes arriving in off the sea from south to north at Pelistry. In total I had over 300 Redwing with 30 Fieldfare in thirty minutes. very small numbers of Chaffinch and Siskin were also moving through with Bramblings also heard. I cracked on towards Maypole where I thought I could hear a Bullfinch. Then on the wires, still calling, was a female Bullfinch! The finch flew off into the Borough Farm fields where it continued to call and showed a lot better. I also got a Whinchat at Trewince.

First thing yesterday morning looking from Pelistry you could see Cornwall as clear as a bell!

Redwing and Fieldfare in off the sea

The last Bullfinch I saw on Scilly was three years ago on Tresco.

  I returned to work and shortly afterwards I was back out again. This time I teamed up with Graham and at Content there were a single Yellow-browed Warbler and Firecrest. We moved onto Lower Moors and while I was taking pics of Bramblings, there was a shout from Graham who was in the next field. I knew he had somethin and rushed out from under the trees and made my ways towards him. He had heard an Olive-backed Pipit nearby but despite us kicking fields there was no sign of it. We had to make do with 5 Yellow-browed Warbler, 1 Siberian Chiffchaff, 1 Firecrest, 4 swallow and 5 Brambling. 

  Over Peninnis we had 3 Hawfinch going towards the Garrison. While doin taxes to the airport earlier on, I flushed a Hawfinch from the side of the road driving up Airport Lane. I mean I was driving the wagon not the Hawfinch! As we were close by, we had a quick look and found it searching for fallen berries in a field bordering the road. Another Hawfinch flew overhead. Just up road, we at Parting Carn, and this time we both heard a Olive-backed Pipit call! We made our ways to where we thought we heard it and again, no sign after kicking 100s of fields! Very frusting! 

  

This Firecrest was a show off at Content

However, the Yellow-browed Warbler in the same Elms as the Firecrest, didn't show all that well.

Hawfinch at Airport Lane

There were up to 4 Swallow at Lower Moors

  This morning in the grey northly, Graham and I had a 1st winter Common Gull at Porthcressa. At the airport, Graham went looking for the OBP we had yesterday and I kicked the airfield where I got 2 Golden Plover and a single Whinchat. At Salkee we were together again, we don't like being apart, and booted a Short-eared Owl out of one of the fields. The Spotted Flycatcher was still in the area and at Porth Hellick there were 2 Yellow-browed Warbler 1 Lesser Redpoll, 5 Brambling, 10+Chiffchaff and 3 firecrest. I went off on me own and at the beach, the Water Pipit was showing well and 3 Brambling flew in off the sea. Just around the corner, I got the 2 Reed Bunting on the track up to Porth Hellick Down. I did Carn Friars fields and found a flock of  20+Brambling with 100 Chaffinch.  

Short-eared Owl at Salkee

By far this is the latest Spotted Flycatcher that I recorded on Scilly

 

Chiffchaff

Water Pipit still at Porth Hellick

Jim had already trapped 17 Siskin at Porth Hellick when I turned up

  Mid-afternoon and I got a call from Martin Goodey about the Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint and possible Siberian Oystercatcher at Porthloo. I got to the latter site and both Ren and Martin put me on the Curlew Sandpiper but there was no sign of the stint. 2 Whimbrel and 135 Sanderling were also on the shoreline. Later another call, this time from Ren, about 6 Brambling in the Sunnyside fields. When I got there, there were some 30 Brambling with over 40 Siskin, 500 Chaffinch and 3 Skylark. In the evening sun at Rose Hill I was hoping to see the 2 Red-breasted Flycatcher but instead got a single Yellow-browed Warbler with 2 more at Lower moors. Throughout the day, Brambling could be heard in the sky and there were small numbers of Redwing in most fields or flying overhead.

Possible Siberian Oystercatcher

And a Oystercatcher for comparison

The Siberian taking on the Mediterranean!

Then the Med Gull turned on an Oystercatcher.

Oystercatcher 

1st winter Meditterranean Gull

2 whimbrel were nearby on the rocks.

I finished the day off with 3 Yellow-browed Warbler

A lesser known band that you will not find on Wiki but a cracking song from Dusted