Grey Phalaropes
Grey Phalaropes
Grey Phalaropes
Bishops Rock
Shags
Adam & Paul
Brad
Sanderling
Sanderling
ID round on the pool table
Anagrams proving too much for our Brad
I was on the boat yet again on day 5 with no new arrivals on the island. The boat was full indicating a lot of birders had the same ideas.
The best bird on the way out to Bishops Rock was a Sooty Shearwater which raced past the stern of the boat giving brief views. We saw two Grey Phalaropes at distance flying away from us but that was as good as it got.
Bishops Rock is in the Guinness Book of Records as the smallest island with a building on it. The present building was built in 1858, which was an amazing engineering feat.
As we edged around the Western Isles we picked up a few Turnstones on the rocks and some Great Black-backed Gulls loafing on the waves. Turning back towards the islands was when the Grey Phalaropes started appearing in good numbers.
Whilst I'd seen individuals on the sea I'd never flocks like this. We recorded 20-30 birds in total, as many as 15 together in one flock close to the boat where I was thankfully positioned.
Upon landing we headed straight to Pennis Head where there was a mobile Dartford Warbler whizzing around. The bird was much too mobile to try and get a record shot but it was a Scillies first for me.
I did my regular circuit during the afternoon seeing another Yellow-browed & Firecrest before heading to Porthloo. On the beach were a flock of Sanderling that I just watched from the bench behind the beach. After watching for around fifteen minutes the Sanderlings made an alarm call as a Peregrine dived into the flock to pick out an afternoon snack as easy as I had selected my lunchtime pasty.
Paul (Freestone) held the annual Quiz on the evening which our Lower Strand team finished joint 3rd. This was as always a good evening.
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