Largest spring fall on Scilly!

I finally caught up with the Rook at the airfield

  In the last two days we've experienced one of the largest falls of spring migrants everto be recorded on Scilly, involving mainly Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Wheatear and the highest number of Grasshopper Warblers to turn up on the islands.
 Unfortunately I was too busy at work and tried to get into the field as much as I could. Yesterday morning on the way to work I flushed 7 wheatear off the road and when I arrived at porthloo there was another 25+ on the beach with  50+Swallow, 3 Common Sandpiper, 8 whimbrel and White Wagtails. Ritchie turned up and told me that there were over 50 Wheatear and a Gropper on the golf course. A taxi up to the airport found 60-70 Wheatear, 20+Meadow pipit, 10+White Wagtail, Lapwing and the Rook. Higgo called and told me to get out boy, I just had 10 Willow Warbler in the park in town. Later a look at Lower Moors saw the first Whinchat of the year, 2 Gropper, 7 sedge Warbler, good numbers of Blackcap and willow Warbler and my first Yellow Wagtail of the year. I teamed up with Ren for half an hour on the Garrison and here we got a female Redstart, Whitethroat, 25+Blackcap and Willow Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff and when I returned to work Ren got 5 groppers. After this I was back and forth around St Mary's flushing Blackcaps and Willow Warblers from the side of the road all over the shop.

Rook was on the airfield all day

Up to 3 Common Sandpiper and 8 Whimbrel were on Porthloo

Common Sandpiper at Porth Hellick Martin Goodey

Up to 25+Wheatear were at Porthloo

A total of  1000+Willow Warbler and 800 Blackcap were recorded

Meadow Pipit on the airfield

TOTALS FROM EACH ISLAND ON THE 28TH APRIL

ST MARY'S

15+GRASSHOPPER WARBLER
300 WILLOW WARBLER
200 BLACKCAP
250 WHEATEAR
350 SWALLOW
20 CHIFFCHAFF
1 GARDEN WARBLER
35+SEDGE WARBLER
3 SWIFT
4 CUCKOO
6 COMMON SANDPIPER
7 REDSTART
10 WHITETHROAT
20 HOUSE MARTIN
50 SAND MARTIN
3 TREE PIPIT
20+WHITEWAGTAIL
1 WHINCHAT
1 YELLOW WAGTAIL 

BRYHER

24 GRASSHOPPER WARBLER
4-500 BLACKCAP
300 WILLOW WARBLER
200 WHEATEAR
6 REDSTART
1 JUVENILE CLAUCOUS GULL

ST AGNES

2 GRASSHOPPER WARBLER
150 WILLOW WARBLER
50 BLACKCAP
50 WHEATEAR
1 YELLOW WAGTAIL
4 SWIFT
10 HOUSE MARTIN
50 SWALLOW
1 REDWING
1 FEMALE BLACK REDSTART
6 BLACK-HEADED GULL
60+ WHIMBREL

TRESCO

2 GRASSHOPPER WARBLER
1 SPOTTED FLYCATCHER
200 WILLOW WARBLER
50 BLACKCAP
1 BLACK-TAILED GODWIT
2 SHORT-EARED OWL

Totals of note for all islands

40-45 GRASSHOPPER WARBLER
1000+WILOW WARBLER
800 BLACKCAP
500 WHEATEAR
13 REDSTART
40+SEDGE WARBLER

  Higgo spent the day on Bryher and got a staggering total of 24 Grasshopper Warbler including 9 that he flushed on the beach at Rushy Bay! Will also had a juvenile Claucous Gull on the island and on St Agnes, Robin made a brief visit in the afternoon. Jim trapped 20 Sedge Warbler at Porth Hellick. There was a Black-tailed Godwit on Tresco, but no sign of yesterday's GLOSSY IBIS that Graham Gorden first observed flying over St Mary's Harbour. He was still standing on the Scillanion waiting to come off after being away for three weeks. Jammy ...... It flew low towards Tresco and was later relocated by Paul Dukes feeding on Simpson's Field. Also on the 27th, Dave Rosair made a visit to St Martins and commented on the Blackcaps that he observed reminded him of Dungeness 40 years ago! In one field he had 50 Blackcaps with 50 willow Warbler feeding together!

Male Linnet at the Garrison

Partially albino female Blackbird at the Garrison

A Little Egret fishing at Porth Hellick

Looking from Porthloo

Jeff Tweedy singing 'I'll Fight' with Wilco live!