HOOPOE at the Garrison

Ren's HOOPOE showing well in dead pines near Woolpack, Garrison


  I arrived at Porth Hellick this morning in the overcast skies, earlier than usual, hoping that last nights 2 NIGHT HERON might be present on the pool. The Wood Sandpiper was still in front of the seaward hide and on the far side, there were 3 Snipe. In the reeds, I could hear the first 2 Reed Warbler of the year. At Carn Friars, a Wood Warbler was being chased around by a Chiffchaff and I could hear the Great-spotted Woodpecker drumming near Lunnon Farm. There was a single female and 3 male Ring Ouzel up on the down and as I returned to the pool, I met Joe, who was looking for yesterdays BEE-EATER that he re-found around the loop trail, but there was no sign of it. It was 08.30 and I had a chopper to meet in quarter of an hour. However, the fog was rolling in and as a result, there was no flying. That gave me more time to continue looking around. From Salakee, I entered the back of the loop trail and here a single Redwing flew off. I scanned the tall Elms to my right and there just above me, was the BEE-EATER!! I had a good look at it and then got the camcorder out. It flew around briefly and then into the fog, disappeared towards Trethelethen Farm. On the loop trail, there was a male Pied Flycatcher and after chatting to Smothy for a few minutes, I found my second Wood Warbler, this time near the crossroads where there was also a single Whitethroat.


The BEE-EATER at Salakee in the Elms before flying off into the fog towards Tremelethen Farm

 

Wood Warbler at Carn Friars 

 

One of the 4 Ring Ouzel on Porth Hellick Down 

 

 

BEE-EATER looking out of place in the foggy conditions at Salakee 

 

Front on views of the Wood Warbler at Porth Hellick. In the space of two days I have seen 5 different Wood Warbler! In nearly a week, there have maybe been up to 15+ birds on the islands! Only one or two are usually seen in the spring each year. 

TOTALS FOR PORTH HELLICK AREA

1 BEE-EATER
1 WOOD SANDPIPER
2 REED WARBLER 
2 WOOD WARBLER
1 PIED FLYCATCHER
1 REDWING 
1 WHITETHROAT
4 RING OUZEL 
1 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER
3 SNIPE 
PAIR TEAL
1 ADULT GREY HERON
1 WHEATEAR 
8 MALE BLACKCAP 
10+WILLOW WARBLER
15+CHIFFCHAFF
3 SWALLOW
7 SAND MARTIN 
 
  The fog soon cleared and I knew that it was going to be a busy day at work. With only half an hour left, before they started flying, I decided to give it go at looking for Ren's HOOPOE, that he found yesterday at Holly Cottage. There was a White and Pied Wagtail on the football pitch. After twenty minutes of searching, I gave up and went looking for the WOODCHAT instead. There was an imm/fem Black Redstart near the Woolpack and as I walked towards the Steval on the main path, from the grass in front of me, flies the HOOPOE into the low branches of a dead pine! What a bird! It showed very well before flying through the pines in the direction of the campsite. As it flew off, work called and told me to get to the airport and that's the way it went for the rest of the day!

 

Imm/fem Black Redstart at the Woolpack, Garrison 

 

Sunset from the Woolpack, Garrison 

2 NIGHT HERON and another BEE-EATER!?

 

BEE-EATER at the back of Fraggle Rock, Bryher 

  In the glorious sunshine with Robin, Tean and I arrived at Church Town Quay, Bryher and the first bird we see, is my first Wood Warbler of the year, found by Higgo, who came on an earlier boat. Both Robin and Higgo moved on while I tried to get some shots of the warbler. Robin called to tell me that they had the Wood Warbler further up the track. That's another one, beause I'm still watching this one! I had just started walking off when I looked up and saw a BEE-EATER circling and then flew low past us and headed towards Fragle Rock! I didn't know what to do, video it, watch it or call Robin. Higgo had already seen one this morning with Smoothy on wires in town on St Mary's, so Robin won! Higgo had also seen this one, but Robin missed it. Is this the St Mary's bird? Robin put me on the second Wood Warbler and then we all went our separate ways. I had only just gone round the corner and there in the garden was the third Wood Warbler! We had been on Bryher ten minutes and I had already seen 3 Wood Warbler, a single BEE-EATER and Common Sandpiper and small numbers of Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chifftchaff! If this was all I saw today, I would of be very happy.

 

Wood Warbler is one of my favorite warblers and we were blessed with 3 on Bryher in the space of ten minutes! This bird was taken at Church Town Quay.

   We walked around Samson Hill and then had an early lunch at Great Porth. While eating some brownies and tasty sandwiches ,that Tean had made, 6 Tree Pipit flew over SE. We moved on and tried out some rock pooling at Great Popplestone Bay. However, before I got there, I spotted the BEE-EATER flying up and down the valley! Then who should come around the corner but Robin and Higgo! 'Did you see it?' No was the answer, but a short walk back found the bird briefly flying around the campsite! Robin was so relieved and very happy.

  While we were rock pooling, a male Black Redstart kept on popping up on the rocks in front of us and was feeding with up to 15 Wheatear and nearby, 2 Whitethroat were also present. It was 13.30 and it was time to go and we walked through the valley towards Fraggle Rock. In the fields before the campsite, we could hear a Grasshopper Warbler reeling. We had almost reached Fraggle Rock Cafe when I shouted 'Stop!' to Tean. There, just in front of us was the BEE-EATER peached on a overhanging bramble to our left! We had a good look and then it flew off low, over Shiphead Down and out of sight. We couldn't wait for it to return as we had a boat to catch.
   There were lots of Sandwich Tern in the Tresco Channel on our return to St Mary's.

 

It was so good to see a BEE-EATER perched instead of a fly-over 

 

This Whitethroat was at Great Popplestone Bay 

 

 

Male Black Redstart and Wheatear at Great Popplestone Bay  

 

Tean caught this fish at Great Popplestone Bay 

TOTALS OF BIRDS ON BRYHER TODAY

BEE-EATER
3 Wood Warbler
1 Male Black Redstart 
1 Grasshopper Warbler
2 Whitethroat
3 Common Sandpiper 
6 Tree Pipit
8 Blackcap
15+Willow Warbler 
15 Wheatear 
20+Chiffchaff
5 Swallow
2 House Martin
2 Kestrel 

  Back on Mary's, on our way home, we heard a Grasshopper Warbler  reeling in the Chaplaincy garden in town and when at home, Joe called to say that he had relocated the BEE-EATER on wires at Porth Hellick! Could of this bird been on St Mary's all day and was never seen?
  It was 20.15 and I entered the seaward hide at Porth Hellick. The Wood Sandpiper was feeding in front of the hide and at 20.45 I heard, what I thought was a dog barking at first and then sounded more like a frog. NIGHT HERON maybe!? It sounded like it was above Lunnon and then circling Carn Friars. I had now heard it for well over three minutes and decided to run out to the beach. Here the bird was coming closer, but when I lifted my bins up, I could see that there were 2 NIGHT HERON!! They circled above me and then headed SWW towards the airfield, calling all the time.

 Yet again, another great day out!

 

My first Holly Blue of the year was at Maypole 

 

German Wasp at Star Castle 

 

And the first Common Frog tadpole I have ever seen on Scilly! Tean found over 100 in a tiny pool at Lower Moors. It needs to rain very soon for these to survive. 

A recording of the 2 NIGHT HERON circling over Porth Hellick and then flying off towards the airport, this evening at 20.45. Turn the volume right up.

FIRECREST, NIGHTINGALE, BEE-EATER.......

 

Male Ring Ouzel on the main path, SW slope, Garrison 

     At Porth Hellick, first thing this morning, the first bird of note was a high flying Tree Pipit followed by my first Ring Ouzel of the year. It was male next to the seaward hide and it flew off at great speed towards Salkee. At Carn Friars, the male Blue-headed Wagtail was feeding with a single White Wagtail and 3 Tree Pipit, but there was no sign of the adult Night Heron. Otherwise it was the same numbers of Willow Warbler, Blackcap and hirundines, with not so many Chiffchaff as yesterday.


Male Blue-headed Wagtail at Carn Friars

 

Male Blue-headed Wagtail and Tree Pipit at Carn Friars 

  I did a few taxi's and then went for a quick look along the dead pine walk on the Garrison. I walked in and immediately heard a Nightingale singing! It seemed to be singing on the path just in front and I tried to sneak up on it. However, it saw me before I saw the bird and I got the show of the red tail diving into cover. Fortunately, it was still giving bursts of song when everyone arrived ten minutes later. Nearby, there was also a Pied Flycatcher, my first Whitethroat of the year and in a tall dead pine, a male Ring Ouzel. 



A recording of the Nightingale singing on the dead pine walk, Garrison. It's not until near the end that you can hear it better and I see it, but it's too quick . There is also footage of the male Pied Flycatcher. Turn the volume up.

 

All of us listening to the Nightingale singing

 

Male Blackcap, dead pine walk, Garrison 

  A call from Tony got me moving quick towards Porth Hellick for a very early Wood Sandpiper! I had only just been in the Sussex hide, where the sandpiper was performing well in front of, half an hour ago before. Shortly afterwards, I returned to the Garrison and this time I walked the block. The Woodchat was still in the Steval area with the male Ring Ouzel feeding with 2 continetal Song Thrush, a single continental Robin and at the campsite, a male Firecrest was singing. Another call, this time from Big Al, to say he had just stumbled across a male Woodchat Shrike at Carn Friars!

 

A very early Wood Sandpiper at Porth Hellick 

 

2 continental Song Thrush were feeding with the male Ring Ouzel, Garrison  

 

The female Woodchat Shrike was faithful near the Steval, Garrison 

 

This continental Robin was on the dead pine walk, Garrison

 

Smaller numbers of Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff were around the Garrison 

  Mid-afternoon  and I was watching over 70 Swallow, with House and Sand Martins and another Whitethroat at Maypole. At 17.00, Martin called, 'BEE-EATER loop trail and flew towards the hangers at the airport!!' I dashed up there and drove round towards the hangers. On one of the post was a cracking male Greenland Wheatear! Robin called to tell me that there were 7 Ring Ouzel at Porth Hellick Down! Soon as put the phone down and started to drive off, I looked to my right and there by my side at close range, was the bloody BEE-EATER flying towards Parting Carn!! It did a large circle over the road in front and then continued onwards! As soon as the bird was out of sigh,t Big Al called and I shouted down the phone 'BEE-EATER!!'

 

Male Whitethroat at Maypole 

Crap footage of the BEE-EATER that Martin found, circling in front of my wagon! But it's BEE-EATER!

  The last bird of the day was the first Grasshopper Warbler of the year reeling on and off in the Brambles next to the Woolpack, Garrison.

 

I love Pigs! 

    

NIGHT HERON at Porth Hellick!!

 

The female Woodchat Shrike was still showing well near the Steval, Garrison.


  What a day! With one good and six new birds for the year! The first new bird of the year was a Sedge Warbler, first thing this morning at Lower Moors. This was followed later on in the afternoon by a Green Sandpiper flying high NE out of the moors.
  There were 3 Wheatear on the golf course, but no sign of the Hooded Crow with the 15 Carrion Crow that were still present. A busy day at work and it was not until the afternoon that I went for a quick walk around the Garrison. The female Woodchat Shrike and a Tree Pipit were near the Steval, but two hours later, in the same area when I returned with Robin, we both got two year ticks. This included a 1st summer male Pied Flycatcher, (my first male in nearly eight years) and a Swift. There were also, 2 Pied Wagtail, 12+Willow Warbler and 7 Chiffchaff. It was obvious, in the SE breeze and warm sun, that birds were arriving on the island throughout the day. Two hours after I left the golf course, Martin told me that he had over 20 Wheatear! At Telegraph, there were 7 Wheatear and at the entrance of Star Castle there were 4 Wheatear. Nearby, in one of the pines, I located a male Pied Flyctcher!

 

Male Pied Flycatcher at Star Castle Joe Pender 

 

 

1st summer male Pied Flycatcher in the dead pines near Steval, Garrison   

 

This Swift was flying above the Woodchat on the Garrison 

 

Female Kestrel at the Woolpack, Garrison 

 

Female Woodchat Shrike near the Steval, Garrison 

 Watch how she alarms three times before diving into cover as the female Kestrel passes by.

  At 20.00, I was at Porth Hellick and the first bird I see is a Short-eared Owl hunting at close range! A flava Wagtail flying NW from the pool calling, I discovered later, was the male Blue-headed Wagtail, and on the pool, there was the first Common Sandpiper of the year and a immature male Sparrowhawk scattered the 25+Swallow, 10+Sand and 6 House Martin. Robin joined me and we decided to walk the loop trail. We had only walked a few steps around the trail, when Robin shouted 'What's that?' 'NIGHT HERON!!' I shouted. It was an adult and seemed to come up from the reeds in front of us and flew low turning right over the Sallows. What away to end the day!


Short-eared Owl performing well at Porth Hellick

 

The first Common Sandpiper of the year was at Porth Hellick 

  Two other firsts for the year were found today. Ritchie found 3 Ring Ouzel at Deep Point and Higgo visited Tresco and got a Wood Warbler.

 

Sunrise from my house