Monday (30/08)
After Sunday’s spectacular pelagic trip it was decided to head to the same area, 3 miles west of Bishop Rock, on today’s evening pelagic. It proved to be a good choice. Seen on the trip were:
Fin Whale – 2 showed close to the boat (photo).
Humpback Whale – showed close to the boat (photo).
Short-billed Common Dolphin – The boat was surrounded by a super-pod of 600+ (photo).
Great Shearwater – 2 among the 1000’s of Manx shearwater (photo).
Sooty Shearwater – 35 among the 1000’s of Manx shearwater.
Manx Shearwater – Birders were treated to a feeding frenzy of 10,000+ birds constantly passing the boat.
European Storm-petrel – 10.
Great Skua – 2.
Arctic Skua – 1 (photo).
Seen on land were:
Bluethroat – The female was still on the mud bordering Porth Hellick Pool.
Wryneck – 1 in the Horse Paddock on Carn Friars Farm and 1 commuting between Little Arthur Farm and the Vineyard, St. Martin’s.
Water Rail – 2 Porth Hellick Pool.
Dotterel – 1 on the north end of Castle Down, Tresco.
Golden Plover – 4 on Castle Down, Tresco.
Common Sandpiper – 2 Porth Hellick Beach.
Green Sandpiper – 1 on the Great Pool, Tresco.
Ruff – 1 Porth Hellick Pool (photo).
Knot – 1 Pentle Bay, Tresco.
Marsh Harrier – 1 over Menaawethan, Eastern Isles, then over St. Mary’s and finally over St. Agnes.
Hobby – 2 over fields north of the Great Pool, Tresco.
Cuckoo – 1 on Wingletang, St. Agnes.
Spotted Flycatcher – 2 Carn Friars orchard maze, 10 Tresco and 1 Little Arthur Farm, St. Martin’s.
Whinchat – 1 by the leat from the pool to the beach at Porth Hellick.
Yellow Wagtail – 1 flew over Gugh.
Tuesday (31/08)
Bluethroat – The female was still on the mud bordering Porth Hellick Pool.
Wryneck – 1 still on Carn Friars Farm.
Dotterel – 1 still on Castle Down, Tresco.
Wood Warbler – 1 on the Garrison.
Tufted Duck – A female on Porth Hellick Pool.
Golden Plover – 4 still Castle Down, Tresco.
Common Sandpiper – 1 Porth Hellick Pool and 1 Gugh,
Ruff – 1 still on Porth Hellick Pool.
Mediterranean Gull – 6 Porth Cressa.
Whitethroat – 1 on the Garrison.
Garden Warbler – 1 on the Garrison.
Pied Flycatcher – 1 on the Garrison and 1 on St. Agnes
Spotted Flycatcher – 6 on the Garrison and 1 St. Agnes.
Whinchat – 1 on Carn Friars Farm.
Tree Pipit – 6 in the Standing Stones Field, Lower Moors and 3 on the Garrison.
Yellow Wagtail – 1 in the Standing Stones Field, Lower Moors.
Humpback Whale – 1 seen off Peninnis and then 2 off Deep Point.
Fin Whale – A “probable” off Deep Point.
