BOBOLINK at Trenowth

The possible EASTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL was finally pinned down at Pelistry stables this morning and showed very well 

  By 08.30 I had been up to airport four times taxing and while waiting for a plane to come in, my first 4 Redwing of the autumn flew over north. An hour later Hugh Pulsford had a Cetti's Warbler at Pelistry and with Marc Reid and Jim Almond, we made ours ways up there. I had just got out of me wagon when Gary Bellingham came on the radio saying that he had the interesting flava wagtail in the field that's sloping down towards Hoy Vale behind the stables. I ran like the devil and in the forty minutes I was there, a small crowd of birders had formed and we all heard the rasping call and 2 Redwing flew out NE. However, the wagtail appeared to not have a pale base to the bill and the hind claw was playing games with different birders who were saying from looking at photos on the backs of cameras, that it's the right lengh hind claw or it's too short for Eastern Yellow Wagtail. Later when goin through my photos of the wagtail showing it's hind claw, it appeared to have a long curved hind claw for a possible EASTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL. Next door in the stable paddocks there were now 6 Black Redstart with the Redstart and I had to get back to work. There was no sign of the flava wagtail when I returned nearly two hours later and I went in search of it in the area. The only bird of note was a Yellow-browed Warbler at Pelistry but no sign of the wagtail.

  

Long curved hind claw is noticeable on this possible EASTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL but doesn't appear to have a pale base to the bill. While I was observing it, I heard the rasping call like when I heard it yesterday at nearby Peacehavan but when I left the wagtail, I was told that it also gave a more Yellow Wagtail like call as well. At 17.20 this evening while at the airport, I heard a rasping flava wagtail. I looked up to see a Merlin chasing it, twisting and turning and so close to the wagtail being in it's talons. The Merlin was still chasing it when I came away to look after the guests that had just arrived.

There were both White and Pied Wagtail feeding with the possible Eastern Yellow Wagtail 

  Just before 16.00, Joe Pender found the first yank to arrive from Hurricane Calum. A Surf Scoter between Tean and St Helens. Shortly after that, news broke of a Grey Catbird in Cornwall at Lands End!! Only across the road and it must of overshot Scilly. Me, I had an hour kill and had no idea where to go but ended up at Trenowth. Somewhere that I ain't been for along time. I kicked the fields and got 6 Redwing and single Pied Flycatcher and Firecrest. It was when I was returning to me wagon that the radio crackled and I could just make out an unusual call overhead. I immediately switched the radio off and heard what I thought was like a high pitched dink' type call. The bunting like bird continued to give this call as it was flying away from me at 40-50ft before dropping down in some nearby Elms but I couldn't see it. I quickly called Graham Gordon and rolled off to him of what I just observed and he simply said  'BOBOLINK!!' I came back with 'Your joking!?' I had no idea what they sounded like and I checked if I could get internet and I did and listened to the flight call of Bobolink. It was no mistaking that call. The recording was spot on!! I was late for work and put the news out on the radio and also said that I'll be searching for the bird and sorting out access when I've finished work. I told Scott Reid to put out the news on the Scilly Bird News WhatsApp group as I was just about to drive guests to the airport. Thirty minutes later and in the time we had before the bird possibly went to roost, despite a brief search with Ren and Ritchie, there was no sign of the Bobolink.

Pied Flycatcher at Trenowth

While racing up to Trenowth in search of the Bobolink, we stopped very briefly to have a look at this 1st winter Common Gull right next to the road at Telegraph

Another lesser known band from serbia