Another Fine Day

Sunday October 13

Not our last day with The Bug after all, I have my photo card license with me, just not the paper one. Pam thought that the card didn’t have a number on it, but it does.

Rather chilly first thing, overcast with an edgy wind. Neither of us were eager to set forth either, it was an 'old' morning. Bless him, the cart hire man had already filled out the insurance form ready for a signature and put Pam’s back cushion in place.

To give us a chance to face the day, we drove to Porth Low first where we saw two Wheatears, a Curlew and a collection of Oystercatchers huddled on the beach anticipating the rising tide, in a true Scilly scene.
 

The roadworks along Telegraph finished yesterday, we could park near Lower Moors entrance, don the backpack with its load of camera gear and walk through the wooded area. Slowly, as were looking and listening for birds, mainly Yellow-browed Warblers, the island has several at the moment.

Shooters Pool had a distant Chiffchaff and a well concealed Snipe, which confused us by bobbing - until its head and longer beak came into view.

I sat in the ISBG hide at the pool for about an hour, watching and attempting to photograph a Jack Snipe feeding at the far side of the pool. Two Grey Wagtails were doing circuits of the area, occasionally landing for a short while before madly dashing off again. What a waste of  energy.

 I needed to use the loo at Old Town cafe - shut again to-day but the loos stay open. As I came out, Pam called a dark Heron flying towards us from Peninnis Head. I got it virtually overhead before it flew towards Lower Moors. The juvenile Purple Heron , a stroke of luck, some birders haven’t seen it after a week or more. A Scilly tick for us.

Would the small gardens at the top of Bishops View which leads down to Porth Low hold anything. No. But it was sheltered. We watched two Song Thrushes having a fight before going on to Newford Duckpond. 

 

The original bird. Scilly has many Song Thrushes, unlike the mainland.



Despite our best efforts, we saw only a lovely first winter Willow Warbler. 

Time to go on to lunch at the Kaffeehaus. We booked pasties yesterday, hoping that they would be better than the two previous places. They were, but considerably smaller.Still not good enough.....

Newford Duckpond again, where we had terrific views of a Yellow-browed Warbler. Our best yet.

It was getting chilly again as the afternoon wore on and the sky clouded over. Time to make our way homewards - the pretty way as there was still time to spare for the Bug. 

A large number of birders have spent to-day looking for the Grey-cheeked Thrush in Old town Churchyard area. The dreaded ‘mobile and elusive, showing occasionally in an area with very restricted viewing’.We didn’t bother. A very good bird but not a tick, it can wait for another day before we join.the lemmings. It had obviously flown to the fields/woods behind the splendid new school, from the evidence of clusters of birders looking through gates and over walls along there.

Walking back after dropping off the Bug, I met John H and Peter R who had seen both the Thrush here and then the Sora on Tresco, having only arrived yesterday. They were eager to know where we’d seen the Heron though !

Stitches out at 9 in the morning, thank goodness, then we are free to enjoy Pam’s birthday.