OCTOBER

31st October


Porth Hellick-Holy Vale

1 YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Buzzard, 5 Siskin, 5+Chiff, 2 1st winter male Sparrowhawk, and 4 Bramblings

Telegraph
2 male Brambling, 12 Skylark and 10+Siskins


Lower Moors
1 Yellow-browed Warbler, 1 Willow Warbler and 6 Chiff

 30th October

Porth Hellick
1  DUSKY WARBLER, 2 Yellow-browed warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat and 5+Chiff

                    The DUSKY WARBLER at Porth Hellick crossroads. Martin Goodey

 A visit to Dump Clump saw a 1 YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER, 1 Brambling and a flyover Serin and the 3 pale-bellied Brent Geese were at Porthloo

29th October

There were 10+Chiff  at Lower Moors and with them was a easten-type Chiff.
Late in the afternoon I went to have  a look at the RED-BRESTED FLYCATCHER that's been at the dead pine trail on the Garrison for the last few days. It was blusty conditions and I found the flycatcher sheltering deep inside the pines where it showed down to a few metres flycatching in the lower branches. After 10 minutes the radio came into action and someone said there were 2 Spoonbills flying past the airport heading towards Old Town. I quickly rushed out of the pines, across the football field and scanned Penninis. The radio, 'There over Buzza Tower' Two 1st winter Spoonbills came into view and glided low over Porthcressa towards Morning Piont and out of site. As I made my way back

to the taxi the radio came alive again. 'There over Star Castle' I looked up and there they were just above my head. How on earth did they get there that quick?! They continued towards Tresco channel until they were white dots. Not a bad end to the day.

28th October

A late Common Sandpiper was at Watermill and a Swallow was at the stables. Later in the day I was in the flower field above Holy Vale and With in 15 minutes I saw 5 species of raptor overhead. The first was the small accipter followed by 2 1st winter male Sparrowhawks. Then 2 Kestrels, male Peregrine and a Buzzard, The Buzzard had been feeding on a Hedgehog! I thought I should inform other birders, who were waiting around Newford for the small accipter, to make there way to Maypole triangle as this was where all the raptors seem to be moving through. 

25th October

As Soon as arrived at Porth Hellick,on either side of the road, I could hear single YELLOW-BROWED WARBLERS calling. After an hour of walking around I had altogether 4 birds and singles of Lesser Whitethroat, Firecrest, Swallow and only heard, a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the large pines at Salkee.

24th October

 My mission today was going to look for the Serin at Green Farm. There were a lot of birds and straight away walking up the field, I flushed the female Reed Bunting. 2 Bramblings were with the 70+Chaffinchs and on my third scan of the hawthorns I refound the SERIN in the braken, front on. I rang Ren, to get Ralfs number and in 5 minutes he was by my side with Nit, but no sign of it. Nit had just had a Little Bunting fly into the field on the otherside of the field. How did I miss that one! I put the news out on Birdnet and decided to look for the Little Bunting. Birders quickly arrived and with in ten minutes, the Serin was relocated in the Hawthorns and was seen throughout the day. Over 200 Redwings and 25+Fieldfares were being harrassed by 2 male Sparrowhawks. 10+Siskins were also flying around. Nearby at the stables, I found 2 Mistle Thrushes.

23rd October

 A Black Redstart was at the airport, first thing this morning and at Porthloo, there were the 3 pale-bellied Brent Geese and a Bar-wit.

 Later in the afternoon, a CATTLE EGRET at Porth Hellick came on the pager and sure enough birders were asking for a taxi to see the bird. As I drove over the brow of the hill, I shouted,'there it is flying above Carn Friars'. Everyone jumped out and we watched it fly out towards Giants Castle and as it went out of site, Alan came on the radio,'The Cattle Egret is in the field with horses at Carn Friars'. I quickly replied,(not on the radio), it's not and has flown off, pointing in the direction of Giants. It then dawned on me and others that there must be 2 CATTLE EGRETS!! I had just found myself a Cattle Egret! Seconds later a Cattle Egret was flying towards us from the field where Alan had just said it was. It made two very wide circles above Porth Hellick, before landing in one of the large pines at Kittidown. It started to rain and everyone was satisfied with the birds and everyone got in and drove off. A very succesful twitch wth the taxi and they didn't have to move an metre from it!

 At Carn Gwarvel, while looking for a reported Dusky Warbler, a 1st winter WHOOPER SWAN flew over low, NW. Later, at the log, it was comfirmed that there was indeed 2 Cattle Egrets! The other was found by Paul, one of the Holy Vale crowd from Spurn.

         Record shot of the first CATTLE EGRET flying towards Giants Castle Robin Mawer


22nd October


Lower Moors
1 SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF singing on the loop trail, 2 Swallows and 3 Bramblings.

I walked through the pines at Mcfarlands Downs and got a total of 9+Blackcap. I continued and did all the fields at Trenowth, 4 PINK-FOOTED GEESE kept coming on the radio. flying here, there and everywhere on St Mary's, but I could not see bloody one of them! I rang Renn so he could tick them off from his house. I watched a male Sparrowhawk putting up over 100 Chaffinches and as I looked up to the blue skies, there above me were the Pink-feet gliding towards Tresco! Before this I had only seen 5 on Scilly.


The small accipter, very briefly, and a Whinchat were at Green Farm and a single Brambling was at Content.

When I returned home, I observed the 1st winter male TUNDRA PEREGRINE, unsuccesfully chasing a Wood Pigeon. This bird was found on Tresco, the day after I found the small accipter at the airport and this was the first time I had seen it. It's identified by it's pale head, which I could see quite clearly. It comes from Alaska/North America and could prove to be the first to be recorded this side of the Atlantic.
Ren also got the geese from his house and was very happy!


21st October

 I kicked the veg field and the only thing I got was bloody wet jeans and I hate that! It's one that's got away and I will never know what it was, I picked up Tim Vaughn and we started off, where else, but Green Farm and guess what happened? There were plenty of finches around in the two veg fields and with them was a female Reed Bunting. To the next field I noticed a movement in the hedge and raised my bins. All I saw was a large grey warbler with white outer-tail feathers flying further and further away. I turned to Tim and said,'I'm sure I just saw a Barred Warbler. Tim quickly picked it up at the far end of the field moving in a Hawthorn, but before I could get on it, it was gone. He also seemed to agree, but we both needed better views. We gave up looking after a while and imformed a few other birders and no, it was not the bird I saw yesterday in the veg field nearby. I told Tim about the acro and with Higgo we all tried again and nothing.

 Tim and I couldn't find the Richard's Pipit on my patch either, but the fem Reed Bunting was still present. A Firecrest showed very well in the wood nearby only to find another at Lower Moors. I left Tim here and made my way back to Green Farm, hoping for that god damn small accipter! When I arrived, there were two of my mates watching yet another Firecrest in the front garden of Carn Withiers. I told them I was going to walk through the veg field. They stayed and all we got of note, was a Whinchat, but as I came out of the field, I shouted 'SERIN'! I heard it and then picked it up circling above us and it seemed to come down in the nearby fields. I quickly got Ralf and Nit from the house and left them all to it as I had to do a taxi.

 Later on I discovered that they heard the bird calling in the field but did not see it and Tim had found a singing Siberian Chiffchaff at Lower Moors.


  Firecrest having a good old preen on me patch


    Firecrest in the front garden of Carnwithers
20th October

 I was having soup and toast at Renn's, which I always enjoy, and the radio was crackling all the time, as usual. Renn was getting pissed off with it, I do as well, and told me a few times I hate those things and I was deciding wheather to turn it off or not. As I was thinking about it, 'HEN HARRIER over Hugh Town'! came out. I've never seen Renn move so fast and I followed him upstairs. The directions were still coming out and then I picked it up straight infront of us, head on. It flew past at close range and over the house. Ren had a new house tick. 'What do you think of the radios now?'

 I met Tim Vaughn up country and we tried for the Richard's. While leaning on the gate, I heard a LAPLAND BUNTING, a patch tick and sure enough the RICHARD'S PIPIT and fem Reed Bunting were in the field with 3 Skylarks.

Lower Moors
3 Reed Warblers, 4+Bramblings, 20+Chiffs and 40+Chaffinches.

 




                                            Richard's Pipit at Telegraph
                                                               

What a cracking shot Martin Goodey's captured

                                      

The HEN HARRIER at Peninnis just before it almost entered Ren's window! Martin Goodey

21st October 

 A male HAWFINCH was showing well in a small Hawthorn at Maypole Farm. I decided to go to Green Farm and hope for the small accipter. I started to walk through the veg field to the right of the lane. Nearing the end of the field, I saw the weeds just infront of me move and thinking it was a rat, I carried on. What a mistake! A small bird jumped a few intches ahead of my foot and a few intches more again as the other foot came down and crawled and disappeared into the weeds. All I saw was a greyish bird, the size of a Blackcap, very briefly. It was an locostella and the only one I could make out, was a possible River Warbler! It was still in the weeds next to my feet or so I thought. Despite seaching through every weed and blade of grass in the area where I saw it, I could not find it. Where the hell did it go? I called Higgo, who was keen to come and look. We went over and over the same patch but nothing and thought we would try again tomorrow.

                          

 19th October

 With the girlfriend gone back home, it was back to work and this morning I picked up a birder in town and helped him look for the SUBALPINE WARBLER at Mount Todden as he needed it. It took awhile but it flew out infront us. For over half an hour we got some brief but good views on and off. The male Crossbill and 3 Skylarks also flew over and at Porthloo I flushed a Jack Snipe.

Porth Hellick-Salkee
2 Reed Warblers, 2 Whinchat, 4 Blackcap, 5+Chiffs and 1 Siskin

 I thought I would do my patch and in the same spot as the owl last week, I flushed a RICHARD'S PIPIT and a female Reed Bunting! The pipit flew around, giving it's sparrow like call, with 40+Meadow Pipits, before landing in the next field. I put the news out, but I knew that no one would see it unless it got up and called.

        RICHARD'S PIPIT at Telegraph
16th October

I was driving birders up and down to the Mount Todden for the SUBALPINE WARBLER, thats was found yesterday, throughout the day and the first trip that I did, I had a look myself. The bird was very flighty and I only got brief views before it disappeared into the bramblings. As I was near, I thought I would go and have a look at the Easten type Yellow Wagtail that's been at pelistry. I walked through the fields at the back and found it feeding next to the cows. A very interesting bird, but I couldn't tell you what race it is and I hope the more experienced guys can ID this one. It's been here for two days now and I don't think anyone one is going to be 100% of it's race.

14th October

 Walking along the coastal path towards the turning circle of the airfield, we flushed a LAPLAND BUNTING. It flew just a few meters ahead of us and as usual, like all these buntings, it showed very well. The AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER on the airfield also showed well. .

LAPLAND BUNTING sharing the coastal path between Porth Minnick and the turning circle

12th October

 In the last few days, the pager has been left behind. I haven't done much birding at all and I've really enjoyed it. So today was no different and in the warm sunshine, Gayna and I set off for a walk around the island. We had been walking for over 2 hours, talking to friends on the way and as we approached Porthloo, there was a male Redstart and juvenile Wheatear on the beach. I also met Martin Owen, a friend I know from that great birding county, Shropshire. He was telling me what had been seen and also told me of a possible Pied Wheatear on the airfield this morning and now it has been seen not long ago, on the golf course. We continued to walk the coastal path. At Bants Carn, I could see a birder looking through his scope on the brow of the hill. As we were passing him, I thought I would ask him want he might be looking at? I was thinking maybe a Wryneck, but as I got near him, I noticed a wheatear fly infront and put my bins up. Jesus, a PIED WHEATEAR!!! It was a 1st winter male and I asked the guy if he had put the news out. He told me that he wasn't to sure what it was but thought it was a Pied Wheatear. I put the news out on Birdnet and with in 10 minutes, out of the woodwork, the crowds arrived. Gayna and I decided to leave and on the way down, I spoke to a birder that I noticed taking photos of the wheatear at the top of the hill when I first saw the bird. He was from the Holland and he knew what it was, but he didn't know anything about it! Shaking his hand and saying well done we left him to it. I would be very happy if the next wheatear I help ID was a White-crowned!

In the hides at Porth Hellick we counted 4 Jack Snipe, only to be told by Alan, who came in, that some people have counted 9! I thought we were doing well. He also told me about 3 LITTLE BUNTINGS at Carn Friars. On Carn Friers lane we stopped in our tracks. In front of us were 10+birders looking at the buntings on the lane, but I couldn't see them. We had to walk in the other fields, all the way around, so not to disturb the birds or upset the birders. When we finally got there, I saw Robin and had a look through his scope at 2 of the buntings that were showing well feeding with Meadow Pipits. Entering the main road off the Carn Friars, a birder came towards me and said, 'Mr Spider, how good are you at squashed birds?' I recognized his face from visiting the Scillies before, but I didn't know his name. He had a photo of, what was clearly a Pied Flycatcher that had been flattened on the road. What was also clear, was the large white patch on the primaries bordering the greater coverts. In fact, it was a block of white! Collard Flycatcher?! And no, it was not like this because it had been run over a hundred times. The rest of the bird was a mess. I asked where he took the photo and he told me it was just around the corner? I took some feathers and passed them onto Nigel for DNA. We will wait and see. For someone who's not really birding, I'm not doing to bad.

                       First winter PIED WHEATEAR at Bant's Carn, St Mary's Martin Goodey
 

       This was my third bird that I've ever seen, all on St Mary's and was also the forth record for Scilly.

         

              A very nice male Redstart and juvenile Wheatear at Porthloo


9th October

 Mid-day found me driving to the quay to meet my girlfriend off the boat when John Bushnell flagged me down by The Strand. 'Take me up to the Garrison will you'. I looked over towards the harbor to see the boat lining up at the quay. John couldn't walk well and I demanded him to get in quick. I dropped John off and he made his way towards the dead pine path. As I was turning to make my way back down, Paul Sampera stopped me and told me that he had just taken a photo of a pale wheatear and asked if I had a book? I turned to the page with Isabelline Wheatear on it and as I passed the book over, he passed me his camera to have a look at the photo. 'BLACK-EARED WHEATEAR!!!' I shouted. I'm sure it's is. Where did it go?' I asked. 'Over in the grounds of the Star Castle' 'Get in' The only Black-eared I've ever seen, was a fine male of the Eastern Mediterranean race, melanoleuca on Tresco, in May 1998 and the very man who found it, was walking up towards us, Ron Johns! If anyones got experience with B-E Wheatears, then it's him. He had a look at the shot and said, 'it's looks like one to me'. Paul saw a wheatear fly over towards where he first had it. We returned to find Ron had a wheatear go back into the grounds of the castle. While this was happening, I was thinking all the time about my girlfriend waiting for me on the quay. I go into the castle grounds and there it was on the far side of the grass. I got a second in the bins before it flew off towards the football field. I didn't even see the tail pattern. I ran out to find everyone waiting, 'Put the news out quick?!' they did and I called Birdnet. I was happy and felt a lot happier to see Gayna sat on the bench waiting for me. Was I pleased to see her. With F 7-8 SW, I thought the boat would of turned around and returned to Penzance! Thank god it didn't. I blamed John for the delay, but also thanked him for asking me for a lift to the Garrison. We had just got into the house when Alan called, 'We've got your small accipter in the pines just outside your house'. I left them to it.

 The B-E Wheatear was relocated on the coastal path looking over at the rocks, just past the pottery and was ID as a female of the western race, hispanica. 

 

     Female Western BLACK-EARED WHEATEAR, hispanica.  at the Garrison Martin Goodey

                 A crowd shot of where the BLACK-EARED WHEATEAR favoured. The guy in the red coat is the finder of the bird Paul St Perrie


4th October

 Mid afternoon I got a call from Joe Pender to tell me he had seen a Grey Phalarope from his boat off Carn Morvel. I couldn't go straight away and I let Robin know, who went to have a look for it. Half an hour later I was with Robin and the phalarope was now at a distance off Standing Stones cottages.

2nd October

 A lot of birders were between Deep Point and Pelistry this morning to look for the reported grey shrike yesterday evening. In the short time I had, I joined them. Two LAPLAND BUNTINGS flew SW towards Deep Point. The shrike was found and identified as a greyish juvenile WOODCHAT SHRIKE. Unfortunately I had to go and do a taxi when it was relocated in the fields at Pelistry.

SEPTEMBER

29th September

I flushed a Grasshopper Warbler in the iris field at Lower Moors.

28th September

 Higgo called me to say he, Richard and Tony had seen a hippolais warbler next to the tennis courts on the Garrison. When I arrived, there were a few birders looking and I decided to go and try the dead pine walk. I had seen 2 Garden Warblers, 2 Pied Flycatchers, 3 Spotted Flycatchers, 4 Blackcaps, a Reed Warbler and nearing the end of the trail, I saw a hippolias warbler front on in a pine. It flew down into the bracken. Damn! What I saw looked like a Melodious Warbler, but with the very brief views I had, I could never be sure. I informed the others, but there was no sign. Talking to Higgo, he seemed to think it was a Melodious Warbler as well. He also told me that they had Hen Harrier and Wryneck up here.

27th September

 I thought I would go for a walk around the Garrison and hopefully see the YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER found yesterday.  Most of the birds were along the dead pine walk. Altogether I got, 1 Pied and 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Grey Wagtails, 10 Blackcaps, 8 Chiffchaffs, 1 Willow Warbler and 2 juvenile male Sparrowhawks. At Lower Broom, the YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER was very vocal but could I see it? After 30 minutes I gave up and settled for 2 goldcrests in the same trees.
 A single Chiffchaff, 2 Whitethroats and 2 Willow Warblers were in the veg field at Green Farm.

16th September

 It was too good to be true in what was going on in finding all these birds! So, I got up early and in the bright warm sunshine from home, I made my way to Bar Farm. Not much going on here, except for 6 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffs and singles of Goldcrest and Willow Warbler. It was also quiet at Rocky Hills. A single Swift, Spotted Flycatcher and Grey Wagtail and 22 Stock Doves was a very good count. However, things livened up when I visited Lower Moors. I walked into the wood and immediately, for a few seconds, I thought I could hear a Coal Tit singing deeper in the wood. I stood still and listened again. Even though it was distance, it was lound and it was not a Coal Tit. After a few more seconds, it dawned on me. IBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF!! I had never seen one before, but knew that if I heard one singing on the Scillies, in the spring, I would nail it. However, this was the autumn. With the warm sun, it felt like spring and all the other Chiffs in the wood were also singing. It continued to sing and I quickly made my way to where I could hear it. I stopped in my tracks and decided to record the singing on my camcorder, just incase it decided to stop before I got there. I pointed my camcorder in the direction to where I could hear it and pressed the record button. Just as I did, the f****** helicopter flew over low and made me f****** deaf!! I was so pissed off and when it had eventually gone, so had all the birds! I couldn't hear the Iberian or Chiffs singing. I was sure it was going to sing again and instead of waiting, I thought I'll get some reinforcements. Like when I found the Greenish Warbler, which was still present today, the reception was crap. So ten minutes later I got through to everyone and then made the short walk to Nigel's house to listen to recordings of Iberian Chiff. The recordings that I heard were spot on and we both returned to the site to find Tony, Chris and Robin all waiting. And we waited and waited and waited, but all we heard were bloody Chiffs singing! After an hour, everyone left except me! 2 hours later I was joined by Higgo, but there was no sign of it and as it was getting dark we decided to leave and try again tomorrow. I was thinking, if I got a recording of it singing, then at least that would be something. You can't mistake a singing IBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF!! However, even if I did get a recording and I didn't see it, it would still not be excepted, because you have also got to see the bird. I think that bloody helicopters should be banned from flying over Lower Moors!  

15th Semptember


 A walk through the Iris field, Lower Moors, drew a blank, but there were more birds in the same area. A single Whinchat was in the next field, while the wood that's borders the two field held, 1 Sedge Warbler, 2 Willow Warblers, 3 Reed Warblers, 4 Blackcaps and 15+Chiffs. On the airfield there was over 40 Wheatear, 10+Meadow Pipits, 1 Swift and a 1st winter LAPLAND BUNTING. There has been one of the largest invasion of Lapland Buntings ever recorded in Britain and the Scillies since late August and this is the first one that I've seen of the invasion.
 At Porth Hellick, the SPOTTED SANDPIPER was at the far side of the pool with a single Black-tailed Godwit and Snipe. I made my way to Salkee and as I approached the weedy field on the left of the track, a small group of Greenfinches flew up into the bushes nearby. I scanned the flock and immediately picked out, what I first thought, a first summer Common Rosefinch! That can't be right? I looked at it again and then realized that it was stained on the face with blackberries! It showed well and then returned to the weedy field.
 There were a lot of Chiffs, 2 Willow Warblers, 2 Blackcaps and 3 Reed Warblers at Higher Moors. Just before I entered Holy Vale, I spotted a phylloscopus warbler very briefly disappear deeper into the Sallows. Even though I didn't see the bars on the wings, I was sure that I had just found a GREENISH WARBLER!! I waited, but Chiffs just kept getting in the way. I had to have a better look at it and after 10 minutes, I decided to go in and find it. More or the same Chiffs is all I could see and then I put my bins up, white underparts, pale green upperparts, whitish supercillium extending behind the eye and the single very narrow wing bar. Before I could get any more features on it, it dissappeared. Again, it was very brief sighting, but it was enough. I need to get the news out, but the reception here is crap! Then I picked up a small bird with whitish underparts above me! Shit, it's a Firecrest! Any other time I would of been happy if that was the only bird I saw all day! It was not until 20 minutes later that I relocated it, by it's white underparts, above me high in the Sallows. Again it moved through quickly and was gone. I couldn't get any reception on the phone. So I ran to the hides and found Joe Pender. I told him want I had found, but he didn't have time to look. However, he let me use his phone. Returning to the Greenish site, I bumped into Paul Sampeair and he followed me. With in five minutes of being there, we both heard it call deep in the Sallows. Alan, Richard, Martin and Ren all arrived. Three of us went inside to search, while the other three stayed on the path. Eventually, it was picked up on the path. We were in the wrong place and couldn't come out or we would of disturbed it. It moved into Holy Vale, but it was too late, it had disappeared. I was just glad that other birders saw it, because, What on earth is going on at the moment? This can't continue, finding all these rare birds. My lucks got to run out sometime. This was only my third Greenish Warbler that I've ever seen.


As you can see, it only showed briefly and the branches kept getting in the bloody way!

Note the white underparts

Pale green upperparts and I think you can just make out the narrow wing bar. Again, note the white underparts

                                           SPOTTED SANDPIPER at Porth Hellick Martin Goodey

14th September

Twos days later than I planned, I quit my taxi business at last and I feel great! I've already been offered jobs. So I'm going to take a long break and do a bit of birding and what a start I had on my first day off!!
  I decided to have my first lye-in for a long, long time and got up at 08.00. I'm not one for staying in bed. I took my time and about mid-day, I found myself at Lower Moors. There were few migrants around including, 1 Reed Warbler, 3 Blackcaps and 4 each of Willow Warblers and Chiffs. I entered the Iris field and walked a short distance and flushed a CORNCRAKE! It showed well in flight and landed in the SW corner of the field. I flushed one here four years ago about 20 meters from this bird. I knew a few people needed this and in a short time, six of us had assembled, hoping to flush again. We walked in a line across the field, and as I expected, we had no joy.
 I was happy with the Corncrake and thought things can't get any better. How wrong I was! At 19.20 I was in the hide with Robin at Porth Hellick. It was getting dark and as I went to close the last shutter, I noticed a Common Sandpiper fly, in silhouette, a short distance towards the seaward hide. We made our way to the hide and as I opened the shutter, I saw a sandpiper in front of us. I put my bins up and shouted at Robin, 'SPOTTED SANDPIPER!' Robin understandable, questioned me if I was sure? I explained to him why it was one, as you will hear in the video footage of the bird. There was no rush in putting the news out as it would be dark in ten minutes.
 My first day off and a great one out and continues my lucky run I'm having in finding good birds. HOWEVER, I had no idea what lay ahead!! Later, Mick Turtten told me that he was in the hide only half an before! My guess is that the bird had just come in.


SPOTTED SANDPIPER was only my forth I've ever seen


As you can see, it was almost dark when we found the SPOTTED SANDPIPER

13th September

Rocky Hills
1 juv/fem Redstart, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Chiff and 20+White Wagtail. 



11th September

 I paused in the taxi and scanning down the slope, I had a good look at the LESSER GREY SHRIKE that was very close next to the road in that Hawthorn Bush of his. Not much birding in the next few days, as the girlfriend arrives on the boat. The boat was on time and we went home. It was a warm pleasant day and decided to go for a walk. We were going past Porth Hellick, so we had to have a look in the hide and found the PECTORAL SANDPIPER, that was found late this morning, was showing well in front of us with 3 Dunlin.

10th September

 I thought I better going and see the WILSON'S PHALARPE on Tresco. I did a few taxis to the airport and like yesterday, found the LESSER GREY SHRIKE in the Hawthorn. A great bird to start the morning! Just after 09.00 I was on the Lynesse going to first, St Agnes and then Tresco. Here, I found the 1st winter phalarope picking off the surface of the water, off Simpson's Field, Great Pool. Like the shrike, this was a new bird for me and well over due for Scilly. The last one was 29 years ago in Sep, 81 and was the 5th record for Scilly. This bird showed well in the hour that I saw it. The only other birds of note were, a single Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Green Sandpipers. I didn't have much time, because I had to catch the post boat back for my next taxi!.
 

9th September


 As I was driving from the airport, first thing this morning, I located the LESSER GREY SHRIKE in it's favoured Hawthorn bush next to Airport Lane.

 Higgo called to tell me that he had found a ICTERINE WARBLER on the dead pine walk, Garrison. I thought I would later and started to do my patch instead. In one of the weedy fields, a bird flying low towards me turned out to be a WRYNECK! It showed at close range before flying deep into a bush bordering the field. It then into some large Oaks where I lost it. As I slowly came round a bend, on the dead pine walk, A large warbler flicked up from the bracken and into the pines. It was the ICKY and it showed pretty well for a few minutes. After me calling them, Richard and Tony came along and told me that this is where Higgo found it. With Robin, I returned to the WRYNECK but there was no sign of it. Instead we had a Firecrest calling from behind us.

                   LESSER GRAY SHRIKE showing very well in fields next to the airport lane Paul Stevens

The shrike filmed from my taxi, first thing this morning

8th September

 I had just dropped some people off at the airport and I had gone three quarters down airport lane, when I put the brakes on suddenly! I had just gone past, what looked like a small grey ball, in the lower branches of a Hawthorn next to the lane. It had to be a shrike! Quickly I put the gears into I reverse. I couldn't find the bloody Hawthorn, never mind the bird! I had to reverse all the way back and look above over the bank where the Hawthorn was. Then I spotted the bush and could only see the top half of the bird. I raised myself up, until my head was touching the roof of the taxi and with my bins, Twisting my neck around in the process, I looked into the grainy thin strip that's right at the top of the windscreen and sure enough, it was a grey shrike! Even though the bird was back on and I could only see the top half of the it, I knew it was a LESSER GREY SHRIKE!!!! It turned it's head and showed me it's black mask. I could not believe my luck. An adult male LESSER GREY SHRIKE!!!! and I still hadn't seen it's lower half of it's body. I quickly drove down a little and got out and looked up the slope to the Hawthorn. This time I saw the whole bird, however, it was silhouetted. I rang everyone and then put the news out on Birdnet. This was a new bird for me and with my camcorder I videoed it, just in case it disappeared, even though it was silhouetted. I was late for my next taxi and hoped that the other birders would locate i when they arrive at the site. Robin picked up Bryan, Ren and Nigel. Ren spotted it as soon as he got out of the car. It had moved further into the field and they were watching it from the top of the path leading to Ennor Close. I returned an hour later and to find it performing very well as it fed on Dung Beetles. It was 34 years ago, May 1976, when the last one was recorded and was only the 6th to visit the islands.

Dutchy Fields
1 Reed Warbler, 1 Pied and Spotted Flycatcher

 Later in the evening, as I drove past the large field next to The Moos at Normandy, I decided to stop and have a look. With my naked eye I could see a pale wader in the top right corner of the field and thought it was one of the BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS from the airfield. I was right and I called everybody. Joe Pender was just around the corner, so he was the first to arrive. Alan also came along and told me that my three birds were still at the airport. As the airport was closed, I headed straight up there, but couldn't find one. I was standing in the center of the runway and as I turned around, 4 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS flew in and landed just in front of me on the runway! They quickly moved onto the grass and started to feed. I got ahead of them and lay down with my camcorder until they were almost on top of me. While I lay there, I heard a Green Sandpiper and a Yellow Wagtail fly over. When the sandpipers had passed, I raced back to the field at The Moos, just in case it was not one of the 4 on the airfield. It was still there! It was still distance but in total there were 5 birds and I had found 4 of them. Before this I had never found a single one.

 I've seen all these birds, while at the same time, I'm working! This is all going change, because in three days, my girlfriend arrives for a few days and I'm going to stop doing the taxis completely. After over three years of driving 1000's and 1000's of times around the island, I've decided to quit and have some time off.

 Also today, a 1st winter WILSON'S PHALAROPE  turned up on the Great Pool, Tresco!!

What a beauty! Adult summer male LESSER GREY SHRIKE in the fields just off airport lane. Martin Goodey

The shrike favored this small Hawthorn throughout the day Two top photos Joe Pender

The first time I saw the whole of the shrike!!

                             Higgo looking at the shrike with Old Town in the background
  

Four BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER coming into land on runway!!

Four BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS on the airfield  

              One of the 4 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS on the airfield. Martin Goodey      

7th September

 First thing this morning I checked The Moos field and the BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER was still there. In fact it stayed all day.I walked my patch and flushed the WRYNECK off an ant mound. There were still lots of migrants around including 1 Tree Pipit, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Whinchats, 2 Pied Flycatchers, 5 Spotted Flycatchers and a female Sparrowhawk. As the ICTERINE WARBLER was still present on the Garrison, I tried my luck. I found Richard and Tony on it already and they put me on it. It showed very well in the low branches of a pine next to the changing rooms.

            The BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER in the field next to The Moos. Martin Goodey


    

              ICTERINE WARBLER showing well in the pines next to the changing rooms, Garrison

6th September


 There was still 2 Sedge Warblers in the field above Holy Vale/Maypole, but everything else had moved on except for 2 Spotted Flycatchers. Another of the latter was at nearby Maypole Farm and I found another WRYNECK. The bird was right next to me in a tree but I didn't know anything about until it flew out and landed in another tree infront of me and then into a field. I didn't go looking for it because I knew that Robin would want to see it. We couldn't relocate it.

5th September

 I went to have a look at the 2 Curlew Sandpipers at Porth Hellick, but could only find one. A cracking juvenile in front of the hide with 6 Dunlins. There was also 6 Sedge Warblers in front hide.
 Both Lower Moors and the Garrison were alive with migrants. The former site held 2 Whinchats, Tree Pipits, Sedge Warblers, 5 Spotted Flycatchers and 10+Reed and Willow Warblers. At the Garrison there was 1 Garden Warbler, Whitethroat, Whinchat, 2 Pied and 3 Spotted Flycatchers and a male Blackcap. 

4th September

 Driving up the airport lane, I could see 3 waders circling very high above the control tower. I jumped out and just caught the back end of 3 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS flying W towards Peninnis. One of these birds must be from one found yesterday on the airfield, I thought. However, I was told later that it was still present when I had these three. Today also saw good numbers of migrants, particularly Tree Pipits.
 In a single field on my patch there were 7 Tree Pipits and 1 Whitethroat. In another field above Holy Vale/ Maypole, there were 1 male and juv/fem Redstarts, 2 Sedge Warblers, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 1 Yellow Wagtail and 1 Tree Pipit. A Swift was at Green Farm.

3rd September

 I thought I would like better views of the ICKY and made my way up to the dead pine walk. Didn't see it, but there was an increase in migrants. 7 Spotted Flycatchers, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 3 Garden Warblers. 1 Whitethroat, fem Blackcap and 2 flyover Tree Pipits.


2nd September

 Higgo called to tell me that he had found a ICTERINE WARBLER on the dead pine walk, Garrison. I thought I would later and started to do my patch instead. In one of the weedy fields, a bird flying low towards me turned out to be a WRYNECK! It showed at close range before flying deep into a bush bordering the field. It then into some large Oaks where I lost it. As I slowly came round a bend, on the dead pine walk, A large warbler flicked up from the bracken and into the pines. It was the ICKY and it showed pretty well for a few minutes. After me calling them, Richard and Tony came along and told me that this is where Higgo found it. With Robin, I returned to the WRYNECK but there was no sign of it. Instead we had a Firecrest calling from behind us.

An article on the small accipiter on St Mary's

You can also read and see more photos about this very interesting and educational bird on Martin Garner's excellent website, birding frontiers, http://birdingfrontiers.com/2010/11/03/scilly-hawk/ 

On the 27th September, I had just left the airport and was driving down the start of the slope. To my right, out of nowhere, a Sparrowhawk alighted on a post about 2 meters in front of me. It was a juvenile bird, but it had buff underparts and brown upperparts with no bars but streaks! Even though there was nothing to compare it with, you could clearly see that it was smaller than your average male Sparrowhawk. It then shot off and chased an alba wagtail and landed in a nearby tree. Now, I've just observed a small juvenile male Sparrowhawk with streaked underparts and that's all I really got on it, because it all happened in a few seconds. I thought I would leave it and see if any other birders might get to see it better than me. I did tell a few of the local birders at the time, but that was it.
The following morning, I was up early and went looking for the small accipiter. I met Chris Jones, a visiting birder, at Higher Moors and when he had finished telling me what he had seen that morning, I asked him if he had seen a small Sparrowhawk? I was surprised when he said yes! He had observed it fly through half an hour ago with a female Sparrowhawk. He also saw it well on a rock at Peninnis Head, yesterday! I then asked if he saw very buff underparts and did it look small? He also told me that he had visited America. 'Are you thinking what I'm thinking?' and he said yes! Understandably, he didn't like to say to me or anyone else, that he thought it was showing some characteristic of Sharp-shinned Hawk. And that's the position I was put in.

 What do I do? Well, I could leave it and like yesterday, hope that someone else gets on to it or, I could alert birders of the presence of this small accipiter on St Mary's and then everyone will hopefully see it, what ever it is? It was decided to put the news out and it came out on Birdnet as, 'small accipiter showing some characteristics of a first winter male Sharp-shinned Hawk'. Why the hell the other pager service put it out as a 'small accipiter, probably an adult male Sparrowhawk', I will never know!? I thought that adult males are blue and juv/first winters are brown on the upperparts. Are they judging me? Did they see the bird? Is there something I've missed? In fact, it was almost three weeks later that the other pager service decided to put the news out in the same way as Birdnet. Birdnet put the news out, because it was an interesting bird that needed to be seen. While, the other pager completely blanked it and put the news out how they wanted to put it out! How can that be right? If these two pagers put out how they wanted to put the news out, without getting any information on the finding of the bird, then surely, a lot of people would be upset.

 Over the following month, I saw the bird very briefly about six times. It was also being seen by lots of visiting and local birders and they all said on how small it was. Those who saw the underparts, commented that it had streaks and couldn't believe it was a Sparrowhawk. However, it was never observed well enough to be
identified. Until that was when Jim Askin trapped it at Porth Hellick and even then, when it was in the hand, it was not positively identified!

3rd November


  Alan called me early this morning, 'Jim's caught a small Sparrowhawk with streaks'! I knew he had trapped my bird and thought at last the id will be clinched. However, as it was, it didn't turn out to be all that easy. I ran ahead to the ringing station at the back of the reeds at Porth Hellick and found Higgo was already there. Jackquelin took the accipiter out from the bag as Alan turned up, who I brought down in the taxi 10 minutes ago! Everyone was excited with what we were going to see, especially me.




Measurements:


wing length 191
tail 145
bill length 11, bill depth 8.5
tarsus 55.1
hind claw 11.8

“Stephen Menzie and Mark Grantham say that as a juvenile male, wing length shows it to be at the absolute bottom end for juvenile male Sparrowhawk but it’s still 8mm too long for even the largest Sharp-shinned Hawk. So the impression that it was a small bird was certainly correct.” Tom McKinney of Birdnet.

 On this juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawks underwing, you can see dark pencil line streaking and heart-shapes turning to bars where the axillaries feathers overlap the underwing coverts. Some of the heart-shapes foam bars. In comparison, the small accipter also shows heart-shapes and dark pencil line streaking in the same areas and less or no barring on the underwing coverts. Also, the feathers on this sharpie are pale with dark markings and on the small accipter, it's buff with dark markings.

 This juvenile male Sparrowhawk shows brown broad barring on the underparts, especially the flanks, and the undertail coverts are clean. Note that there are some brown broad streaking on the upperbreast only. If this extended all the way down the breast, this could be a good candidate for a possible Sharpie. If you look closely you can see one or two long heart-shapes on the underwing coverts, but no streaking. Otherwise, it's spotting with bars.

                Typical barring on the underwing and underparts of this juvenile female Sparrowhawk

     On this juvenile male Sparrowhawk, both the underwing coverts and underparts show very brown broad        strong barring. The streaking on the throat, is typical of Sparrowhawks.

On the small accipter, the underwing coverts show clearly heart-shapes and pencil line streaking. This points more to a Sharpie than a Sprawk which should show bars on the coverts, although, the latter can vary a lot. However, this is the only features on the bird that Sharpie shows and Sprawk does not. The barring, restricted to only the flanks, should emerge from the streaking on the upper-side of the breast instead of clear cut like the shot above and the underparts should be pale with buff streaking rather than dark streaking on buff underparts.

 A juvenile male Sharp-shinned Hawk. Again, note the heart-shapes, but the streaking is broader than that of the other Sharpie. The underwing must vary on most Sharpies, however, the heart-shapes are always present.

 To fill in some more of the identification ideas Martin Garner on his website asked Paul French to comment as he knew he has been looking at this subject for a while.

 “The Scilly hawk is actually quite an interesting individual. At first glance on the flight shots I was very happy it was small, but certainly a Sparrowhawk. On second glance, there are a couple of features that draw attention. The underparts do resemble Sharp-shinned, as it is distinctly streaked on the upper breast, and the pattern on the lower breast certainly recalls individual S-s Hawks in the NHM collection with a dark shaft widening out into a lozenge shape. However, the flank and thigh feathering betrays its identity as a Sparrowhawk. Here, broad bars spread out across the feather. Another factor is the rufous ground colour to the breast. Not that unusual in Sparrowhawk, but all of the Sharp-shinneds I’ve looked at were much paler, with a whitish ground colour. Also, the tail bars on Sharpie tend to be more prominent than Sprawk, and the back shot below (on blog) shows them to be quite dull.

N.B. when comparing biometrics of North American and Eurasian taxa, the wing length of American raptors is measured as unflattened chord, and British ringers generally use flattened chord.”




 As you can see in the left photo, the streaking continues all away from the lower throat to the center of the breast. From the upper-breast down, there are some dark isolated diamond and tear drop shapes and you can just see some dark barring on the right side flanks. The front of the lower throat shows dark pencil like streaking, broadening slightly, further down the breast. Sharpie can show these shapes, however the streaking is not right.

Dick Forsman commented on 'That this bird shows streaking to that of other Sparrowhawks he has observed and always the barring is restricted to the flanks and breast'.






                                                           Of the latter, you can make out that there is no barring on the
lower breast, which we also observed when in the hand. It was
white with only one or two dark spotting.

 “ … although not easy to see from any of my shots. This
bird definitely did not have bars down the central third of the undersides. The flanks and thighs were clearly barred but the breast and belly were not. I think we are all now happy that it wasn’t a Sharpie but it was certainly not your average male Sparrowhawk.”

This was a comment from my good friend, Martin Goodey,
who lives just down the road from me, on Martin Garner's website.





 Here in the left photo, you can see dark broader streaking on the upper-breast and instead of the steaking emerging into baring on the flanks, it's kind of all messy. What you can not see are the pencil line streaking on the throat. The undertail coverts are white with buff markings. The comments that came from the experts are, 'That Sharpies have white undertail coverts'. I thought Sparrowhawks also have white undertail coverts as well.

Also on this shot, the dark barring on the flanks are looking more like Sparrowhawk.









 In this shot, well it might as well be a Sparrowhawk.

 All these streaks, barings, markings all point to Sparrowhawk, except for the underwing coverts showing streaks and heart-shapes rather than barring of a Sparrowhawk, all I can say is, thank god Jim caught this one! Jim told me that when he pulled it out of the net, although a small bird, it felt like a female! Attentions, from some other birders, have switched towards a possible female Sharpie, as the measurements are spot on! Jim also said that he couldn't really put a name to this accipter and he had to put a name of a species in his book, Sparrowhawk. I think there's no doubt that this is a very unusual Sparrowhawk and we have got a lot to learn from it.


 All photos were taken by Martin Goody.

Footage of the small accipiter being ringed at Porth Hellick

A shot of the small accipter taken by Mark Yates. Note, what looks like broad buff barring on the flanks and buff streaking on the underparts, Also, it gives the impression of being smaller and shorter tailed than that of a Sparrowhawk. In the field, everyone commented on how small it was and it flew more like a Merlin and that's the impression I got when ever I saw the bird.

 Here is a shot taken of a Sparrowhawk at Flamborough by Brett Richards, showing what looks like streaks and no bars. Brett told me 'In the field the bird seemed to show indistinct barring on the lower breast, not at all apparent in the photo, where the streaking appears to extend all the way down.'

Below are some shots showing variations in the underparts on three different juvenile Sparrowhawks. Note that they are all barred.

 Overall I have no experience with Sharp-shinned Hawk and thought this was a very interesting bird that everyone should see as it did show some characters of a Sharp-shinned Hawk and put the news out. Even in the hand it was not identified. In the end, it's a very interesting and unusual Sparrowhawk and looks like it might winter here.

 I would like to thank everyone who took part in helping me out with this Sparrowhawk.