DUSKY WARBLER on Tresco!

DUSKY WARBLER showing well at Harry's Walls

  First thing this morning in the still, overcast conditions, Graham and I took a look at Lower Moors and feeding with 5 Teal on Shooters Pool was the female BLUE-WINGED TEAL. Just up road at Harry's Walls, we located the DUSKY WARBLER by call in Clive and Janes garden. It showed and was feeding very well on large caterpillars in the company of a single Chiffchaff. The male Peregrine also flew over and just off Sharks Pit was the 1st winter male Eider. A look from Star Castle found a Black-throated with 16 Great Nothern Diver.

Both the DUSKY WARBLER and Chiffchaff followed each other aound the field

  At 10.30 we were heading towards Tresco and on the Great Pool there were 2 male and a female Pintail, male Pochard, female Tufted Duck, male Scaup and a Little Grebe. We moved on along Pool Road and were surprised by the lack of birds. I went through a gap in the Sallows and when I returned, I found Graham sitting under the pines. As I approached Graham, 'There's a DUSKY WARBLER in here!' I heard it to my right and when it called again, Graham believed that he heard it. For the next ten minutes we heard the bird a few times behind the bushes in front of us. However, for the next half an hour of seaching up and down the track, there was no sign of it. Graham moved further up road with me close behind. Then I heard it and as I turned around, I saw it dive into cover to my left. Another seach and nothing and we decided to go and have a look at the Abbey Pool.

Male Scaup

2 male and a female Pintail and you can just make out the Little Grebe behind the middle Pintail

 After seeing a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull in Pentle Bay, Graham wanted to go and look for the warbler again. There was no sight or sound, but while I was going through a flock of over 50 Chaffinch nearby, Graham shounted 'i've got a Bullfinch and we both saw 2 birds. Walking back to Carn Near to catch the boat we got a Lesser Redpoll at Well Cover and the 1st winter Spoonbill off South Beach.

Lesser Redpoll at Well Cover

1st winter Spoonbill off South Beach

Yesterday, both Graham and I got the 2nd winter Iceland Gull from me wagon at Porthmellon