4+Little Bunting on St Mary's

And I got to see 3 Little Bunting today including this individual at Porth Mellon

   This morning felt promising and it turned out to be a good day for scarcities and in total I saw 9 Yellow-browed Warbler, 2 Richard's Pipit, 1 Siberian Chiffchaff, 3 Little Bunting and the rarest being a Cetti's Warbler . However, it was the sea that got my attention first thing as I walked down the south runway on the airfield. I could see lots of Gannets diving very close in and raising my bins there were Common Dolphins.  There was something a lot larger and on closer inspection revealed a Minke Whale hunting with them. Near to the terminal building I was joined by James Lidster, who had just had a Little Bunting over Trench Lane, and I put him on the Richard's Pipit that I found on the airfield yesterday. Or, could this be the bird that Jim had two days ago over Pungies Lane? There were also 5 Skylark and a Lapwing at the NE end of the airfield. We split and I made my ways to Lower Moors. At Trench Lane, the 2 Yellow-browed Warbler were still around but there was no sign of the 'Eastern' Lesser Whitethroat. I was just listening to a Yellow-browed Warbler at the ISBG hide when Jim Askin put out on the Scilly Bird News WhatsApp group, that he had trapped a Little Bunting! With Brad Dallas, from Southfork, Texas, Cornwall, we picked up Big Al and got to see our first Little Bunting in the hand. Jim also ringed 3 Yellow-browed Warbler this morning but later on, the individual that I saw at nearby Carn friars was unringed. I also flushed my first Woodcock of the autumn and returning to Porth Hellick, a Siberian Chiffchaff was found in the Sallows next to the Seaward Hide and showed well. At the same time, the Cetti's Warbler was singing on and off and a female Merlin flew overhead.

The mist first thing this morning looking towards town and the airport from Star Castle

The sun just rising from the east

The Minke Whale and 30+Common Dolphin were working together in gathering up the mackerel 

And it payed off as you can see from this image as the whale goes for the plunge

To give you an idea of how close to shore the certations were off the south end of the airfield

The Lapwing at the NE end of the airfield before flying off NE

Jim trapped and ringed this Little Bunting at Porth Hellick. On release it seemed to come down at the east end of  the beach but was never seen again

My first Siberian Chiffchaff of the autumn was next to the Seaward Hide at Porth hellick

Also had this Common Darter at Porth Hellick

 Just before 14.00 I went and got somethin down my neck and as most birders had caught the 14.00 boat to Bryher for the Red-eyed Vireo that was found two days ago on Bryher or had gone earlier in the morning for the GREY-CHEEKED THRUSH that's still present but proving very hard to see at Cove Vean, St Agnes, I thought no one would be waiting for the Porth Mellon Little Bunting. I was right and I got out me wagon, walked into the roadside weedy field and got cracking views of the bunting! The bird returned to the field and I returned to me wagon. Done and dusted in ten minutes and back at Porth Hellick I saw 2 Yellow-browed Warbler next to the road. Nearby there was another Yellow-browed Warbler at Holy Vale with 2 Reed Warbler calling to each other at Higher Moors.
  At about 15.00 it turned cloudy and in the next hour, small numbers of Chaffinch were dropping in and at Pelistry I decided to kick the last weedy field on the left of Pelistry Lane before you hit the beach. Over 100 Chaffinch got up and I could hear a ticking bunting. The flock were flying to my right while to my left on it's own was a Little Bunting! It circled before settling in a Sallow out of sight. A few minutes later it circled again and then flew off west towards the farm. After seeing a Black Redstart at Borough Farm and at Yellow-browed Warbler at Parting Carn, I returned to the airfield at 17.30. I had only been on there for ten minutes, when James Lidster came on WhatsApp group that he had a Dusky Warbler in between the two hides at Lower Moors. I turned around and heard Richard's Pipit. On the tarmac in front of the terminal building were 2 Richard's Pipit together and a Black Redstart. I then raced down to Lower Moors and joined the small crowd and we managed to hear the Dusky Warbler on and off near the hides on the main track in the fading light with a Yellow-browed Warbler calling just behind us.

This Little Bunting performed really well at close range at Porth Mellon on it's second day

Altogether I had up to 9 Yellow-browed Warbler including this one at Porth Hellick where there were 4 seen by other observers in the area

  

As the drizzle was approaching, Chaffinch started dropping in small numbers including over 100 at Pelistry

2 Richard's Pipit on the airfield. The Richard's Pipit at the airfield this morning was joined by, I guess, the individual that was also seen this morning on the football pitch, garrison, before flying off NW

This GREY-CHEEKED THRUSH is proving to be elusive at Cove Vean, St Agnes and a handful of birders have seen it now in it's forth day! However, Steve Rowe managed to get this record shot just before dark this evening

  Yesterday there was a SEE breeze on a very warm sunny day and I found myself at Peninnis at first light. In an hour over 150 Chaffinch came in off the sea and there were a vocal  Yellow-browed Warbler next to the millstone and 2 Black Redstart on the lighthouse. There were 3 Brambling with 120+Chaffinch on the trail before I made my ways to work. At 10.30, I drove the lane to the hangers at the airfield to drop some guests off at their plane. As I rounded the NE end, I could see a Richard's Pipit close to the perimeter fence. The guests got in their plane and using me wagon as a hide, I got close views of the pipit. However, the sun was in the wrong direction for taking photos. Before all this happened, Will Scott had a Red Kite over his house at Longstones. It did a tour of the islands and an over an hour later, it returned to St Mary's where I caught up with it over Sunnyside distantly from Lower Moors.

Sunrise yesterday morning looking east from Peninnis where I had 150 Chaffinch come in off the sea and a Yellow-browed Warbler next to the millstone

I took these photos of the Richard's Pipit at the NE end of the airfield from me wagon yesterday when taking some guests to their private plane

This Red Kite distantly from Lower Moors over Sunnyside was the second individual this year after one turned up in spring

 Mid-after at Harry's Walls I had a Reed Bunting and while watching a Yellow-browed Warbler in the Elms, I could hear another one down below at Rose Hill. The Red Kite made a low pass heading towards Longstones with 3 Carrion Crow giving it some jipp.
  There had been a Little Bunting in the roadside weedy field at Porth Mellon and I had been driving passed it all day and at 18.00, I decided to pop in and have a look. I did see it perched in some Elms briefly before returning to the field. Just around the corner were 2 Black Redstart at Bayview Terrience in the evening light.

Yellow-browed Warbler at Harry's Wall

I had 2 Humming-bird Hawkmoth including this individual at Rose Hill

Little Bunting at Porth Mellon

There were 2 Black Redstart at Bayview Terrience 

Two days ago there was a arrival of winter thrushes. Over Higher Moors I had 230 Redwing, including a flock of 70, 25 Fieldfare, 13 Skylark, 8 Siskin and 30+Chaffinch in an hour from 08.30. There were also 4 Yellow-browed Warbler in the area. Later in the day, Will Scott had a Red-throated Pipit over Longstones. A few hours later, It or another was over the Big Pool, St Agnes. Just before dark I was on the airfield when I heard a Red-throated Pipit drop in. It was too dark to even look for it and with my mobile on record, I walked forward. It wasn't long before it was up and I managed to see it fly off SE and got a recording of it's wings as it flew passed me!  

Great song by great talent!