Saturday 26th October 2013

   Right then, a weekend trip to Hayling Island, Hampshire for Semi-palmated Plover, then onto Kent tomorrow for the Two-barred Crossbills.

   When we arrived at Hayling Island, the tide was out, so there were very few birds on the beach there. But quite a few birders looking. After a long wait, the tide coming in, a strong wind, and the rain storms. We eventually picked it up amongst the Ringed Plover. There were also some Sanderling, Dunlin, Turnstone and Grey Plover there. Eventually, everybody got their eye in on the Plover, and it became fairly easy to pick out, due to its size. It never came close enough for decent pix, but i did manage some distant ones. The bottom pic shows the size difference quite well, i think!!!

Semi-palmated Plover


    Chatting to a local chap, tomorrows trip to Kent, became more unlikely. We decided not to bother, as the weather was gonna get worse not better, what a shame.

Monday 21st October 2013

   Sorry to anybody who follows my Blog, for not keeping up to date!!! I will catch up one day, honest.

   Thanks to Roger T,who i meet in the car park at Morrisons, Penzance yesterday, for asking me to keep it going, as lots of others seem to have stopped recently!

Sunday 20th October 2013

Rose-coloured Starling
   After a night in Penzance, and sadly nothing good being mentioned bird wise locally, we spent the morning looking for the juvenile Rose-coloured Starling, in the Morrisons car park. Light was crap, it started raining, but i got some pix….


   The journey home was very uneventful too. So i decided to stop at Chew, to see if the Fly Agaric (Fungi) were up. I had visited last year similar time, they were crappy, after the slugs or something had eaten bits, so lets see.
Rose-coloured Starling
 
   Glad i did, they looked pretty good.


Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria)



Saturday 12th-19th October 2013

   A week spent on the Scillies. First time not on the campsite for me, due to my, by now, really dodgy knee. I wasn't going to go, but thanks to a friend who offered for me to stay in the flat with him, cheers Wayne, i could just about manage a week. Shame though, it turned out to be probably the worst week i have had, thats in 14 years. Even so there were some half decent highlights.

Starling
  Trip over on the Scillonian was pretty uneventful. A Bonxie, maybe two, Manx and a Balearic Shearwater. Never see much at this time of year i suppose! Well i saw even less on St Marys, just to prove that point, heres a Starling………………Lets hope tomorrow is a bit better.

   Sadly it wasn't brilliant. But i managed to wander up King Edwards Road, to Penninis Head. If you were on the mainland, the birds i photographed would probably make a decent day, but not here i'm afraid.

   At the end of the road, just before the gate, and on the track, was a Snow Bunting. This bird has been around for a while, but i didn't realise you could step on it!!!!!! Then towards the far end there were 2 showy Lapland Bunting, i only managed to see one though! Three Whimbrel called and flew from the small island, off of the Head.

Snow Bunting
Snow Bunting














Lapland Bunting
Lapland Bunting
Whimbrel
   I then wandered down towards Old Town churchyard. There was another Whimbrel, which showed a bit better, as you can see…..Nothing much else for rest of the day, until while waiting in the ISBG hide at Lower Moors, a juvenile Purple Heron flew in and landed in the reed bed, but out of view sadly!

Whimbrel

















Sora
   Off Island trip to Tresco today, to see the Sora rail which had been seen fairly regularly, on the Great Pool. Didn't rush to the hide, as most people went straight there. After it thinned out a bit, the bird showed, but distantly. The hide completely thinned out and myself and Andy Jordan were now sat at the front. Lets see what happens. Again the bird was very elusive, but a couple of times it looked to be coming towards the hide, only to turn back and disappear. At last it walked back towards us, but kept disappearing, then it appeared, not close, but the closest it had been all day, so photos started. sadly, as you can see, never came any closer!!!! Bugger.

Sora


Wryneck
   Got back to St Marys, to see a female type Black Redstart on the beach, about 50yds from the flat. Then a report of a Wryneck, in the small quarry at Buzza Hill. I walked around, it showed quite well, bit too far for good pix though.

   Second off Island trip, this time St Agnes, for Short-toed Lark, and whatever else we can find. The Lark showed on & off with Meadow Pipits, and occasionally Skylarks would drop in too. Wayne said he had a Woodlark, but sadly no-one else saw it, shame good bird for Scilly.

Short-toed Lark


Short-toed Lark






   After the Lark, a walk along the edges of the beach there produced a few birds, nothing special I'm afraid, again! Meadow and Rock Pipits, and a couple of Wheatears.




   Already the 16th, hope something drops in soon. Really nice sunny day today. Another female type Black Redstart near Old Town Cafe, showed fairly well. Spent a fair bit of time in the hides at Lower Moors. Snipe, Jack Snipe and a Little Grebe, the last fairly unusual for here. Nice photo light too.

Little Grebe
Common Snipe

Jack Snipe

Black Redstart


Jack Snipe
   Thursday 17th. knee feels a bit better today, so gonna start up at Porth Hellick and work my way back. From the hides, same as yesterday, just a different place, Common & Jack Snipe. Light not as good though. A wander back seemed longer than ever, and the knee…. back to normal, a pain, literally!






Common Snipe



   Friday, rain predicted for this afternoon, so best make the most of the morning. Nothing really happening again, so glad i got to Lower Moors and the hides, before the heavens opened, and didn't they ever!!!!!! The Common & Jack Snipe were still around, also the Little Grebe. There had been regular sightings of a pair of Kingfishers, from the hides all week, but not for me. Until today that is. One flew past the hide, in the rain. then later a female landed in a tree near the hide, but it was still pouring down. Oh well, still not gonna show for me to photograph properly then!!!!! The rain slowed a bit, after quite some time, so i decided to walk around to try the other hide. I had been told the Kingfishers sometimes show from this one too. With the rain, quite a few people had been waiting for the Kingfishers, someone said they had been there for 4 hours!!! Blimey… fair play. They left as the rain had stopped, wishing me the best of luck, laughing under their breath I'm sure!!! But no sooner had they been gone, for long enough for me not to be able to shout to them, the male showed up, showed really well, even if the light wasn't too brilliant. Very nice….shame about the other guys though.

Kingfisher (Male)
Kingfisher (Male)
Kingfisher (Male)

















    Waterproofs on ready to go, and the rain stopped completely, typical!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




Painted Lady

   Last day today, a Painted Lady sat on the grass outside the flat, was only the second one of the trip. Still nothing happening, so i walked to Carreg Dhu gardens, hoping for a shot of the Firecrests, finally saw one, but no pix. Walking back i remembered i had been told of the Stick-insects nearby. So, i had a look, found and photographed them, in nice sunlight too. So to the boat again, all over for another year. Similar stuff seen on the boat again too.

Painted Lady
    Oh yeah, one bird i haven't mentioned was a Grey-cheeked Thrush, which gave nearly everyone the run around. It was seen most days around Old Town Churchyard, but i kept missing it, even though i spent a fair bit of time there…….…one time it even landed on a gravestone about 20 feet away from me, behind a tree for me though, i moved to see it. "Its flying" went the shout, it flew right behind another tree!!!!!!!!!!!
   Sure you can understand why i didn't mention it now????


Prickly Stick-insect
Prickly Stick-insect



Sunday 6th October 2013

Pectoral Sandpiper
  A juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper at Cheddar Reservoir was the target today. The weather was bright and sunny, so helpful for photos. Especially, as it turns out, the sun was in the right place too! The Pec showed extremely well, with a Ruff, for about half an hour, then flew to an island further out on the res. It joined lots of Ducks, Mute Swans, at least 3 other Ruff were there too.

Pectoral Sandpiper
   After this successful part of the day, Priddy Pools was the next stop, Common Hawker the target (again). No luck though, even in the really decent weather. Did have a showy Migrant Hawker and a Black Darter to photograph though!

Black Darter

Migrant Hawker

Migrant Hawker




Saturday 5th October 2013

   Yet another trip to Chew today.

   A few extra species today. Ferruginous Duck & 2 drake Ruddy Ducks, some more usual ducks returning too, Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler & Pintail. Waders there too, Ringed Plover, Dunlin & at least 4 Ruff. All distant though.

   A drive along the southern edge of Bladgon lake, didn't produce too much, but the Glossy Ibis was still around.

   Nice day too, so a trip to Priddy pools looked good. Common Hawker was the aim. This time it produced too, good stuff….Also there were some Black Darters still on show. Birdlife is always almost non existent there, but 2 Stonechats and 2 Snipe, which were a first there for me, showed.

Common Hawker (Male)
Common Hawker (Male)


Black Darter (Male)

Thursday 3rd October 2013

   No sight nor sound on the Yellow-browed Warbler today, what a shame......

Wednesday 2nd October 2013

  Dinnertime again, again! This time i heard the Yellow-browed Warbler again, this time in the fir trees just away from the road, but still no sign. This bird is a pain!!!!

Tuesday 1st October 2013

   Dinnertime again, and the Yellow-browed Warbler was only heard again. Also after work, heard, but not seen!