SNOWY OWL on St Martins

I finally caught up with the 1st winter SNOWY OWL on the NW side of St Martins thanks to Joe Pender! This the third Snowy Owl I've seen on Scilly since my first in Oct,  2008!

  08.00 this morning Joe Pender took myself and 925 to St Martins in his punt. An hour later we  joined up with Martin Goodey, who had stayed overnight at his sisters on St Martins, and we were all enjoying cracking views of the 1st winter SNOWY OWL sheltering in among the boulders at Pernaggie near to Plumb Island. This is the area where it has favoured since it first turned up. Now proved to be the 1st Jan from photographs taken by some locals on a morning stroll. It was over a week later that they saw the owl in the backgroud of a picture they took near to the rocky beach. It's like a ghost standing behind them on the boulders!
  After forty minutes, the sun was shining in the owls eyes, and it steadly walked out of sight behind a large boulder. This was the time that we left Martin I made our ways back to the punt.

The area where the Snowy Owl hangs out

The first sighting of the Snowy Owl hidden away in the boulders

The owl attracted some attention but both the GBBG and Raven soon moved on and left it along

 

  

  

I know there is a lot of pics of the owl but it makes a change from 100's of photos of gulls

  On our ways home, Joe dropped me off at Pentle Bay, Tresco. I had a few hours in the warm spring like sun and on the Abbey Pool there were still the pair of Pintail, female Goldeneye and I heard a redpoll in the same area as last time I was here. The Pochard had increased to 7. Nearby at Well there was a male Bullfinch and all of note on the Great Pool were the 2 female Shoveler and 9 Wigeon. The Buzzard was being mobbed above pool Road where I had 6 Chiffchaff, female Blackcap and a single Firecrest. On the west side of the island, the 6 Pink-footed Geese were feeding in the coastal fields.
  Later in the afternoon, the rib pulled into the harbour where I got yesterdays Black-throated Diver and the 2 Black-necked Grebe.

Joe and 925 with Bella, returning back to st Mary's

Male House Sparrow

There were 6 Grey Heron in total

The 6 Pink-footed Geese were still in the west fields

Up to 12 Little Egret were fishing in the shallows

  Also seen today, 925 got the 3rd winter Kumlien's Gull at Morning Point and the Water Pipit at Porth Hellick. On St Agnes, Graham Gorden finally saw the 2 Bullfinch that he has been hearing for the last five weeks! I think you need to go to Specsavors mate!

  Yesterday afternoon, Bobby 'Dazzler' Dawson let me know that there was an adult Black-throated Diver showing well in the harbour from the shelter. It's been a long time since I've seen one of these divers on Scilly and despite waiting around for twentty minutes, it didn't come all that close but not as far away as the 2 Black-necked Grebe also in the harbour. A Black Redstart was on the beach with also a single on the otherside at Porthcressa beach.

  Also yesterday, Darren Mason had a Great-spotted Woodpecker at Newford and  Higgo got the Red-throated Diver from Star Castle off Tresco with the 6 Pink-footed Geese on the same island in the fields below the monument. The day brfore, Higgo also had a Short-eared Owl just before dark at Lower moors.

Hopefully this adult Black-throated Diver will stick around

At Porthloo there were 2 Common Gull and this 1st winter Herring Gull

  I finished work and had a walk around the Garrison and spent my time at Morning Point in the fading light where the juvenile Iceland Gull was hanging out. 

It was not until it was almost dark when the 3rd winter Kumlin's Gull briefly showed up before flying out towards Porthcressa.

A few kittiwake flew past

1st winter Great-black-backed Gull

Near adult Herring Gull

This fully grown Atlantic Grey Seal pup was not in good shape but made itself across the boulders back into the sea at Morning Point

I think this song kind of sums up both the Trumps Government and the Tory scum! Todd Snider performs "Conservative Christian, Right Wing, Republic, Straight, White American Male"