Scilly 2013: Days 3 & 4: Continental Migrants

On Monday 14th October, we were walking around the garrison, arriving Morning Point fortifications John spotted an excellent Ring Ouzel dark with silvery wings that chacked and flew to a bush near the Lower Broome platform, A Raven also flew over here. We also saw 3 Wheatear around the Garrison mainly near the King Edward battery. Along the King Charles road, on Peniness Head, a Snow Bunting was exceptionally confiding feeding along the path and the grassy margins and on one occasion when flushed by a dog it flew up to a bramble bush. It was often in company with a Dunnock. By the Pulpit rock, I heard the "pprrrt" call of a Lapland Bunting but unseen this time. Whilst the Whimbrel again showed on the rocks, walking feeding and often sticking the seaweed line which undoubtedly was full of invertebrates, by the path to Oldtown Churchyard and showed well in marginally better light. Walking up to the airfield 4 Wheatear plus I saw a tiny mammal out of the corner of my eye run into a grassy clump, it must have been a Scilly Shrew, my first albeit seen poorly. A pair of Stonechat showed on gorse near the wind sock and in Porthellick Bay, 18 Ringed Plovers were seen. From the Stephen Sussex hide at Porthellick Pool, we saw a group of 8 Greenshank, a Kingfisher flew past several times as did a Grey Wagtail, but right under the hide barely a metre away at point blank range was an excellent Jack Snipe. It wwas too close to photograph but it slwly walked away, bobbing up and down settled down by a clump of grass on the waters edge just 3 metres away. Whilst further back, another Jack Snipe was seen. Walking along Four Lanes end, I noted a Clouded Yellow fling in a field north of the track and another Clouded Yellow in a field south of the track. Plus another Clouded Yellow seen on the main road too. On Porthloo Beach, 3 Wheatear and a Little Egret seen. The CB said a Black Redstart was on Hughtown Beach and as I walked onto the grass the bird was flying past and left briefly perched on the wall then disappeared a typically smoky grey individual. John arrived 2 seconds later and missed it sadly. On Tuesday 15th October, we took the boat to St. Agnes, and walked right over to Browarth Point field where we soon got onto the excellent Short- toed Lark feeding at the back of the field, it flew to the middle of the field and gave reasonable views. A Sky Lark was seen in the back corner of the field. A calling Raven flew overhead flying left. Just before the Parsonage looking underneath a large tree to the field beyond a Pied Flycatcher was fliting around some weeds at the field edge. Whilst at the parsonage Chiff- Chaff seen. 12 Ringed Plover and 7 Turnstone seen in the bay. As we walked back home past Porthcressa bay an excellent female Merlin, brown backed with barring on the tail flew past flying right 2 metres above the water last seen disappearing over the Garrison. 2 Stonechat and Red Admiral seen lates by Peninnis Head and by the Hospital persistant scanning of the Starling flocks paid off when a chap yelled he had it on the hospital roof, the fine immature Rose- coloured Starling perched on the extreme left hand end of the roof, sandy plumage and yellow bill the give away ID featurs noted for a couple of minutes before it flew off.