MONTHLY BIRD REVIEWS

A Quiet start to the month with a Dotterel on Bryher and a Corncrake flushed at Porth Hellick being the only birds of note in the first five days. The 6th saw the first autumn migrants arrive with a Melodious Warbler on St Mary’s and a Wryneck on Bryher. Read more »

A relatively quiet month with most of the interest focused on the seasons Pelagic trips. Julys’ Marsh Sandpiper was still in residence at Porth Hellick Pool on the 1st and remained there until the 7th. Read more »

The Mistle Thrush remained on the Golf course, St Mary’s on the 1st and two Common Swifts flew over. Annet held two hundred and ten Manx Shearwaters on 2nd and a Lapwing and two Common Swift were over St Martin’s. Read more »

The first day of the month saw a female Red-backed Shrike on Peninnis Head. Bryher had a Spotted Flycatcher and Tree Pipit and Tresco saw two Lesser Redpolls, a Marsh Harrier and a Common Buzzard. St Agnes had a male Black-eared Wheatear showing well at Little Porth Askin in the afternoon and evening and a female Red-backed Shrike at the end of Barnaby Lane. Read more »

What turned out to be one of the best Mays on record for the islands started off relatively slowly with just a Grasshopper Warbler and Cuckoo of note at Porth Hellick on the 1st. Things started to pick up the next day however when a Shorelark was found on Tresco. This was only the 11th record of this species on the islands and it was not seen again after the 2nd. Read more »

The Cattle Egret remained in the allotments at the Municipal Dump on the 1st, as did the two Iceland Gulls. Read more »

The Cattle Egret remained faithful to the area of the dump on St Mary’s throughout the month and was joined throughout by one or two Iceland Gulls. A Rook was at the dump on the 2nd and a Black-tailed Godwit found a small pool in a field near standing stones field at Lower Moors, to its liking. Read more »

A relatively quiet month on the Islands with lingering rarities from January including the very obliging Cattle Egret at the dump and the juvenile Kumlien’s Gull that could be found at either the dump or Porth Mellon beach throughout the month. Read more »

The start of a new Scillies year saw last years lingering goodies include the white morph GYR still on Samson and two CATTLE EGRET on Tresco. Also on the 1st, Common Buzzard, Little Gull, Whooper Swan and Red-breasted Merganser were all seen on Tresco. Read more »