St. Mary’s - 10 Whooper Swans at Porth Hellick, 6 Common Scoters in the Roads, a Golden Plover over the Garrison, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits & 2 Mediterranean Gulls at Porthloo, 2 Sandwich Terns in St. Mary’s Sound, a *BONELLI’S WARBLER* (possibly Eastern) at content, a Pied Flycatcher at the Dump Clump, a Redstart at Innisidgen and Spotted Flycatchers at Old Town Church & Watermill. Also on the island were at least 5 Black Redstarts, 5 Yellow-browed Warblers and 6 Firecrest.

Tresco - **LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER** & a Little Grebe still on the Abbey Pool also a Lesser Redpoll nearby, 3 Pintail & 2 Little Grebe on the Great Pool, a Mediterranean Gull in Pentle Bay.

St. Agnes - A RICHARD’S PIPIT near the Coastguards cottages, a TAWNY PIPIT on Wingletang, where a *RED-THROATED PIPIT* flew over and the ROSE-COLOURED STARLING was in gardens between the lighthouse and the Coastguards. Elsewhere on the island were 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Redstarts, 2 Yellow-browed Warblers and 6 Firecrests.

St. Martin’s - Juvenile RED-BACKED SHRIKE, 2 Redstarts, 2 Yellow-browed Warblers, a Firecrest and a summer plumaged Great Northern Diver offshore.

St. Mary’s - 10 Whooper Swans, a Kingfisher,a Hobby & Green Sandpiper at Porth Hellick, a Tree Pipit at Carn Friars, 2 Yellow- browed Warblers on the Garrison, 2 in Lower Moors and 1 on Porth Hellick Loop. 3 Common Scoter were in the Roads, 3 Mediterranean Gulls were in Porthcressa Bay, where a Great Skua flew past and a RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER was at Parting Carn Farm. Also on the island were 2 Common Redstarts, 3 Firecrests, 5 Whinchats, a Pied and 3 Spotted Flycatchers.

Tresco - **LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER**, Spotted Crake & Little Grebe on Abbey Pool and 6 Wigeon, 2 Pintail, a Pochard, a Little Grebe and 26 Little Egrets on the Great Pool. Elsewhere on the island were 2 Common Redstart, 3 Lesser Redpoll and a Snow Bunting.

St. Agnes - Wryneck, TAWNY PIPIT, Common Redstart, Yellow-browed Warbler, 10 Firecrests, LITTLE BUNTING, ROSE-COLOURED STARLING and a Pied Flycatcher.

St. Martin’s - A Little Stint and a Firecrest.

St. Mary’s - Firecrest in the Garrison Pines, Hobby over Hugh Town, Osprey over Morning Point, 4 Common Scoter in the Roads, 3 Mediterranean gulls in Porthcressa Bay, Great Skua off Peninnis and a Spotted Flycatcher in the Dump Clump.

Tresco - **LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER** , Pectoral Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Jack Snipe, Spotted Crake, Black-necked & Little Grebe on Abbey Pool, Snow bunting at Kettle Point, 4 Wigeon, 2 Pintail, Pochard & Little Grebe on the Great Pool, 1 Lesser Redpoll along Pool Road and 2 at Borough Farm.

St. Agnes - RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER, Yellow Wagtail, ROSE-COLOURED STARLING, Wryneck, Common Scoter, Woodcock, 2 Lesser Redpoll and a GREAT-CRESTED GREBE.
Great Crested Grebe is a rare bird on Scilly, after it was seen off St. Agnes Quay it then moved towards St. Mary’s, where it could be seen from the Garrison, proving a welcome addition to many birders Scilly list.

At Sea - 4 Great Skuas, a Manx Shearwater and 2 late European Storm-petrels were seen from a shark fishing trip.

Tresco - **LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER** still on Abbey Pool today. Also PECTORAL SANDPIPER , Little Stint and Black-necked Grebe still present. Snow bunting at Kettle Point and a Little Grebe & 2 Pintail on the Great Pool.

St Agnes - RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER at Parsonage tho mobile.

Bryher - RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER still along road between Vine Cafe and Anneka’s Quay.

St Mary’s - Dotterel still on airfield viewable from windsock. Firecrest Porth Hellick Down, adult Mediterranean Gull Porthcressa Bay, Whimbrel & 6 Bar-tailed godwits on Porthloo beach. Grasshopper Warbler in Lower Moors, Hobby & a Whinchat at Longstone, Pied Flycatcher at Rocky Hills and 4 Common Scoter of Peninnis.

At sea - Great, Pomarine and Arctic Skuas on the Scillonian crossing from Penzance to St. Mary’s

Below are a selection of  images kindly submitted by Jon Hall of some of the recent rare and scarce birds on Tresco. See more of Jons’ and the rest of The Bumbling Bears’ photos at http://bumbling-bears.fotopic.net/

Tresco - **LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER** still on Abbey Pool today. Also PECTORAL SANDPIPER , Little Stint and Black-necked Grebe still present. COMMON ROSEFINCH again in 3rd field west of Rowesfield Crossroads this morning.

St Agnes - ROSE-COLOURED STARLING  (juv) still near coastguard cottages this afternoon. RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER at Parsonage tho mobile. Curlew Sandpiper at Porth Coose this morning.

Bryher - RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER in large pine tree along road between Vine Cafe and Quay at 10.15hrs

St Mary’s - Dotterel still on airfield viewable from windsock. Short-eared Owl in Toll’s Island/Pelistry Bay area then flew towards eastern isles mid afternoon. Firecrest at Jaccabar feeding station and Whimbrel on west side of Old Town Bay.

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 »

Tresco - **LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER** still on Abbey Pool with PECTORAL SANDPIPER. Black-necked Grebe and Little Stint still. COMMON ROSEFINCH in a Quinoa field along Pool Road and juvenile Arctic Tern at Kettle Point.

St. Mary’s - Dotterel still on the airfield early morning, Grasshopper Warbler at Porth Hellick, Mediterranean Gull on Taylor’s Island, Porthloo, Common Scoter off Porth Mellon and a Whimbrel at Bar Point.

At sea - 1 Great Skua, 2 Arctic Skua & 2 Basking Sharks, 20+ Bottle-nosed Dolphin on the Penzance to St. Mary’s Scillonian crossing and 2 Great Skuas, a Sooty Shearwater, a Basking Shark, 150+ Common Dolphins and a Minke Whale from the daytime pelagic.

Tresco - **LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER** still on Abbey Pool with PECTORAL SANDPIPER. Black-necked Grebe and Little Stint still present. COMMON ROSEFINCH in a Quinoa field along Pool Road. WRYNECK in gardens between New & Old Grimsby. 2 Snow Buntings at Kettle Point, Castle Down and a Mediterranean Gull in Pentle Bay before it flew towards St. Mary’s.

St. Mary’s - Common Scoter off Porth Mellon, Dotterel on the Airfield, Firecrest at Morning Point & near Newman Pottery (both on the Garrison) and 6 Bar-tailed Godwits on Porthloo Beach.

St. Agnes - RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER and ROSE-COLOURED STARLING

St. Martin’s - YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER and Merlin.

Pelagic to Seven Stones - 2 Leach’s Storm-petrels and 13 Puffins.

We are often asked by birders which Mobile networks have the best coverage on the islands. Well it appears after asking around that its best to stick to Vodafone & Orange. 3G had a good reception over the majority of St Mary’s but lost it on the south and eastern side of the island. O2 is not as good as the aformentioned three and no one commented on T-mobile.

WiFi is available in The Deli (nr Bishop & Wolf), in Tregarthen’s and at Turks Head, St Agnes.

Other places have internet access but not wireless - for example Longstones, where you can purchase cards to use the internet.