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
The possibly EASTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL that a few of us had five days ago on St Mary's moved to Tresco and was pinned down two days ago, thanks to David Campbell and Co. Pic taken by Hrafn Archer and this was his 500th BOU British bird!! Well done mate!
Hurricane Calum moved through from across the Atlantic and didn't drop any yanks for us so far anyways. Overnight the wind turned NNE with heavy rain and by first thing this morning the rain gave away to the sun and I was on the airfield. There was a large arrival of Wheatear with smaller numbers of Blackbird. I was just about to leave the airfield when I got a call telling me to get my butt up to the football field. In total I got 30+wheatear, 20+Blackbird, 12 Skylark, 1 Whinchat and Black Redstart and 2 Reed Bunting (one flying north followed by another at the south turning circle.
On the football pitch, I wasn't chasing a bird or a locust but chasing a football or trying to anyways. I played in mid-defence for the birders, although there were only five birders playing. The rest were made up of local kids and by half time we were losing 5-0 to the Islanders. I was put in goal for the second half and let four more goals in. I did save a penalty! However, I also let a penalty in but we scored a consolation goal to make the final result 9-1!!
I had over 30 Wheatear on the airfield. There was a large fall of Wheatear with another 50 seen elsewhere on St Mary's and on St Agnes, 20, wingletang and 14 on Gugh. Over 110 Wheatear in total is pretty impressive for this time of year!!
Whinchat at the airfield
Over 20 Blackbird were also on the airfield
At 13.00 I was back in the field and made my ways straight to Peacehavan up country. Yesterday Ben Lewis told me, while we were searching for a possible catharsis thrush seen by another observer at Telegraph, that he heard a possible flava wagtail with a rasping call but didn't see it. I went to have a look but there was no sign of it. This afternoon however, I did see it but it was flying out of the horse paddock straight into the sun towards Pelistry giving away that rasping call until I lost it. I thought I would return later, hoping it might return and went down road and kicked the Standing Stones Field. Together the 4 Reed Bunting got up with only 3 Whinchat now. Nearby I also had a 20+chiffchaff, 3 Swallow 1 Willow and Yellow-browed Warbler.
15.30 I made my ways back to Peacehavan and parked the car at Newford Duckpond where I got 2 Swallow, 2 Willow Warbler and heard the Yellow-browed Warbler. I was strolling towards the horse paddocks when news broke of the Wryneck still opposite the riding stables and Jake Everitt had a Vagrant Emperor patrolling the beach of Porthloo. I dipped on the dragonfly and decided to twitch the Wryneck which I saw on the deck distantly. I thought I would check the riding stables for the rasping wagtail. There was a Yellow Wagtail with 14 alba Wagtail and 2 Black Redstart and a single Redstart and Wheatear. All the wagtails split and flew off. While I was at the stables, David Campbell told me that he heard the rasping wagtail over Pelistry about ten minutes ago. Where the hell was it? At Green Farm nearby there is a field with cattle in and scanning that field, I got a call from Cliff Smith telling me that he has just had the rasping wagtail fly out from the stables with the Yellow Wagtail. Shite!! I knew I should of stayed there. I was heading back to the latter site only to be diverted by news on the Scilly Bird News WhatsApp group that there was a Red-backed Shrike at Pelistry. A couple of minutes later, with others, I was getting stonking views as I also observed a Ring Ouzel fly up the valley. there was no sign of the wagtail and lets hope that someone pins it down tomorrow.
There were still 4 Reed Bunting in the Standing Stones Fields with a single at the Shooters Pool end of Lower Moors
I had 3 Willow Warbler today including this individual at Lower Moors
One of the Willow Warblers at Newford
There were 2 Black Redstart at Pelistry stables.
This Redstart was also at the stables and earlier on I saw the individual at Porth Mellon Beach
I only stuck around for ten minutes and in that time this juvenile Red-backed Shrike showed superbly at Pelistry. On St Agnes, the juvenile was still present at Wanna's Cove with the Greenish Warbler showing very well in The Parsonage.
At the end of the day, I joined others birders at Peacehaven to view the first Scilly record of SILVER-STRIPED HAWKMOTH that Chris and Ben Lewis trapped overnight. Other moths that they also trapped, including two other first for Scilly, were BOX-TREE MOTH 1st for Scilly
HERPETOGRAMMA LICARSISALIS (Grass Webworm) 15th for UK 1st for St Mary’s
Radfords Flame Shoulder - rare migrant but now regular in October on Scilly
Cosmopolitan- regular migrant in small numbers
Small Mottled Willow- ditto
Porters Rustic - rare migrant
Agonopteryx rotundella or kuznetzovi- Id to be confirmed- either is 1st for Scilly Akso on St Agnes, Mike Hicks also trapped a HERPETOGRAMMA LICARSISALIS (Grass Webworm)
SILVER-STRIPED HAWKMOTH
HERPETOGRAMMA LICARSISALIS (Grass Webworm)
Porters Rustic
Radfords Flame Shoulder
Cosmopolitan
All pics of moths by Chris Lewis except the top one of the hawkmoth which was taken by Martin Goodey. Thanks to Chris and Ben for allowing us to invade his digs to see all the moths.
Another pic by Archer of the 4th EASTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL for Britain!!
The heavens opened yesterday as you can see by this beaded Lapland Bunting on golf course yesterday that's been present for nearly two weeks now.
As there is no longer any mud exposed in front of the hides, due to amount of rain that's fallen, there ain't goin to be any Snipe showing well like this anymore.
The sheep on Scilly grow real wired!
This tune was put on Youtube in 2012, six years ago, and there are only 351 views!! I can't get my head around that one! Blue Statesare an English electronic music group, headed up by Andy Dragazis. The band has been active since 1997, and is currently based in London, England. A track from their 2002 album Man Mountain, "Season Song", is featured on the soundtrack to the British horror film28 Days Later. The album 'Restless Spheres' was released on 16 September 2016.
Couldn't believe it when I kicked this, solitary form MIGRATORY LOCUST at the campsite on the Garrison, St Mary's
This morning there was a Scilly record of 9 Cattle Egret with new arrival of four in the Pelistry area with the 5 Cattle Egret still on Tresco at the same time. As the St Mary's proved mobile, due to work, I couldn't make it and it wasn't until 14.30 that I had an hour off. With an increase of Yellow-browed Warbler and Black Redstart with Redwing in, I did the Dead Pine Walk where there were a single Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Chiffchaff and overhead, 5 Skylark. When I reached the campsite, I was goin to bird the east side but as Dan was trimming the hedges with a tractor, I opted for campsite B on the west side. I walked the moat and as I approached the entrance, I flushed a large grasshopper that I immediately identified as a Locust!! It came down close by only to get up again, making that helicopter 'type' sound in flight, and dropping into the moat. Here I quickly relocated, took some pics, and then got Dan attention on the tractor. He came and had a look at it and I sorted out access to come and see the locust. First to arrive were Ren, Will and Mick Scott and was identified as a MIGRATORY LOCUST!! This was a first for me and the others but not for Martin Goodey who joined a few minutes later. The locust seemed quite content munching on grass in the warm sun after flying from probably Northern Africa in these southerly winds. I returned to work while birders continued to twitch it. I discovered later that it moved into cover when dark skies appeared and it started to spit and could not be found.
A bit nervous when I first found this MIGRATORY LOCUST thinking that it's goin to take wing and never be seen again. However, it settled down and showed off for the crowd for nearly two hours!
There were a high count of up to 10+Whinchat in the Standing Stones Field this morning but I could manage later this after were only two birds
There were now 4 Reed Bunting in the same field
Geoff Barter reminded me that it was Bruce Springsteen's favourite songwriters birthday, John Prine. 'When your feeling your freedom and the worlds off your back. Some assole from Texas Starts his own war in Iraq' 'Some Humans ain't Human'
