REVIEW OF THE WEEK – 11th-18th October 2014

A Fairly quiet week by Scilly standards but still enough scarce migrants across the islands to keep birders hopes alive! On Saturday 11th SHORT-TOED LARKS were on the airfield and on St Agnes, two RICHARDS PIPITS were on the islands and a ROSE COLOURED STARLING was seen at Green Lane and Normandy. A PECTORAL SANDPIPER was on Bryher and a WRYNECK was on St Martins. Tresco had a fly-over WHOOPER SWAN and a DOTTEREL on Castle Down. There were 11 YELLOW-BROWED WARBLERS across the Islands with 7 of those on St Mary’s. Three SNOW BUNTINGS were on St Mary’s with another on Tresco and there were 4 FIRECRESTS across the archipelago. Elsewhere across the islands there were 6 WHINCHATS, singles of LESSER WHITETHROAT, RING OUZEL, PIED FLYCATCHER and SHORT EARED OWL. Birds at sea either from the Scillonian III or from headlands included 4 GREAT SKUAS, 3 BALEARIC SHEARWATERS, 2 GREY PHALAROPE, 2 POMARINE SKUAS and a MANX SHEARWATER. (more…)