Flesh not Bad, Spirit Weak!

Thursday October 16

A beautiful, warm and cloudless day, showing Scilly at its best. The Sora seems to have gone from Tresco. What should we do? Eventually, we went to Old Town, the Telegraph end of Lower Moors was closed due to tree felling. It will be interesting to see what's been done.

We walked to the ISBG hide at the pools, seeing the Little Grebe very closely and well in full sun - through four large men's heads, 3 enormous lenses and an annoying bin-less photographer in a camo jacket who kept ducking and weaving.No chance of a photo for me. I waited about an hour to no avail. A lone Greenshank flew in as did a Grey Wagtail.

 

Greenshank

The Grebe tiurned up again, head above green slime festooning parts of the pool. A Jack Snipe was said to be hidden below the hide but we never got into a position to see it.

Trying the other- Hilda Quick - hide, we were in time to see a Kingfisher get its feet onto a near perch before dashing off. Shame.We did have views of a Water Rail and a Common Snipe.

Big excitement, a Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler on Gugh. The CB was buzzing wth news of  hurriedly arranged boats to Agnes - even though Gugh Bar is covered until 5.30.

Time for a snack at Old Town Cafe, lemon drizzle for me, tiffin for Pam. We sat on the bench, in shirtsleeves, looking over Old Town Bay, before walking back via the school and the Dump Clump to Porthmellon. 

 

Incoming sea breaking on rocks in Old Town Bay



Pulpit Rock at the end of Peninnis

No birders to be seen anywhere...... 

Must have a look online to see if there's a plan for the new school. The old primary school is a Wellbeing Centre with an enormous new, windowless building on the dump side. Gym?

Sitting watching the tide come in at Porthmellon was lovely. A ship called the Mannin was being nudged into place by the harbour master's boat - then back again. It appears to be a building supplies boat. A Wheatear hunted for insects in the tideline seaweed,



 

A Carrion Crow stayed until an Alsation was let off the lease and, Sandwich Terns fished in the Roads.

 

 

Time to read the papers, full of last night's 2-0 win over Poland and qualification for next year's Brazil World Cup.

Doesn't seem as though anyone saw the Pallas's Gropper after the initial sighting. More rumours of good money for the boatmen I guess.
PS
We've discovered that the Mannin is here to check, and replace where necessary, the boat mooring points in Hughtown Harbour.