SCILLYSPIDER: Bullfinch at Maypole

Sunday 29 October 2017

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.