Scillies - Day 4 - Tresco tickage

 

Lesser Scaup

Turnstones

Drake Eider

Whooper Swans

Greenshank

Golden Pheasants

Spotted Redshank

                                                    Red Squirrel

Coastal walks

                                      View towards Abbey Gardens

 

Tresco always offers a great variety of birds whatever the season and day 4 proved to be no exception.

The Great Pool had plenty of birds to study, the star attraction was a Lesser Scaup discovered the day before. The bird was always distant making photography impossible in poor light. Other sightings included 2 Pink-footed Geese, 4 Whooper Swan, 20 Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Redshank, Shoveller, Pintail and a few more common species.

Walking to the southern shoreline we stopped to watch a very pale Stonechat and the shoreline held a flock of Turnstone and a White Wagtail. Paul then picked out a drake Eider swimming east so we edged round the shoreline to get some pretty good views.

A juvenile Red Squirrel posed lovely for us close to the Abbey Gardens when we called in for a cuppa and from there ran into some of the local Golden Pheasants up on the ridge. Whilst released they we enjoyable to watch so well.

Evening meal was fish and chips from the shop two doors up, organised by Adam.

Day return to Norfolk

Wolferton Traingle Car Phone Shot

 Sea watching at Titchwell

 Parrinder Hide at Titchell

 Digoscoped Ruff

Spoonbills at Titchwell

 More Spoonbills this time at Stiffkey Fen

Stiffkey Fen

 Marsh Harrier hunting the reeds at Cley

Cley

On Thursday I headed to Norfolk rather than my original selection of Minsmere that were pretty much the same distance away. An early start gave me some clear passage and given   the time saved I opted to turn into the Wolferton triangle to try and see a mystical Golden Pheasant. I have tried a number of times before and I so nearly just carried on however as I was leaving the triangle a Male bird was strutting round ! Lifer. I did get a poor distance photo shot but I was very pleased to cast my eyes on one of these birds.

It was then on to Titchwell. I headed straight down to the beach but the wind was blowing in the wrong direction so sightings were 2 Arctic Skua's, Sandwich Tern, 15 Common Scoter and a handful of Eider ducks. I did note my first Kingfisher at Titchwell, seen just behind the beach and then moment later a Hobby was giving chase to a late Swift.