7th BLYTH'S PIPIT for Scilly

After finding a Olive-backed Pipit yesterday, I went and did one better by finding this BLYTH'S PIPIT in the next field from the OBP at Carn Friars! Unfortunately, no one else has seen this 7th for Scilly, if accepted, yet! 

  First thing this morning I had a quick look at the GREY-CHEEKED THRUSH at Porthloo and then continued onto Porth Hellick. Heard the Siberian Chiffchaff calling and on the pool there were only 1 Jack Snipe and 2 Snipe. Nothing really moving overhead and when I reached the ringing station Jim told me it was dead and it had already gone 09/00. I ventured into the Carn Friars fields and immediately found a 'Eastern' Lesser Whitethroat. Well that's new in and I watched it fly over towards the ringing station. A single Swallow and Brambling flew east but there was no sign of the Olive-backed Pipit, although other observers had already seen the dump allotment individual with 2 Yellow-browed Warbler in the area. I switched my attention to the whitethroat and found it at the ringing station. While trying to get photos of the sylvia, I heard distantly, what I thought was a Blyth's Pipit. Again it called, this time overhead. Bloody ell! It is a BLYTH'S PIPIT!! I scrambled out of the Sallows to try and see if I could see it but I was too late. It sounded as though it flew off west towards Porth Hellick. I put the news out that I just heard a Blyth's Pipit hoping that others would come up and help me search for it. I was just about to make a move when the Dusky Warbler started calling near to the orchard. Making my ways towards Porth Hellick, I flushed the pipit and watched it circle and disappear out of sight low over the Sallows to maybe Higher Moors/Porth Hellick direction. Through the ringing station and jumped over the electric fence and flushed the pipit again. It must of pitched down just over the Sallows and fortunately, instead of flying off, it dropped back down. I quickly took some photos and then retreated out of sight with the pipit still in the field. I had to walk a little before I got reception and then gave directions of which field the bird was in. However, those who turned up didn't see it as it had disappeared when returned to the field. For the next hour trying to relocate the pipit, we got the whitethroat and Dusky warbler but no sign of the Blyth's. Shite!!

Jack Snipe at Porth Hellick

'Eastern' Lesser Whitethroat at Carn Friars

I got this flight shot when I flushed it the first time just in case it was never seen again

This BLYTH'S PIPIT gave me the run around Carn Friars before settling in a cattle field on the east side of the Porth Hellick Pool. 

  Everyone left disappointed and went off kicking almost all the fields between Carn Friars and the airport and for my trouble I got a Lapwing and 15 Skylark flew NW. There were dark clouds coming in and I just made it to the airport when there was a heavy downpour. Had a late dinner and then returned to Porth Hellick and at the loop trail I heard a Yellow-browed Warbler and flushed 3 Woodcock. In the last hour of light I thought I would concentrate on the probable probable Siberian Lesser Whitethroat and found it in the same area. The Sallow it was feeding in were also shared by a vocal Dusky Warbler and a Siberian Chiffchaff  was chasing a Yellow-browed Warbler. Then I heard the BLYTH'S PIPIT in the top fields. Was I really in the UK? I left the warblers and went looking for and relocated it in a small paddock next to the main track with 6 Meadow Pipit. Another cracking day!!

I kicked out 3 woodcock on the Porth Hellick loop trail

Probable 'Siberian' Lesser Whitethroat, Blythi form. That's the recording it immediately responded to when I played it anyway but I could get a spread tail shot .

This Siberian Chiffchaff was chasing a Yellow-browed Warbler in the same Sallow as the Lesser Whitethroat

And the ringed Dusky Warbler put in appearance also in the same Sallow

BLYTH'S PIPIT at dusk at Carn Friars

Wood Pigeon