Birder’s Twitter S3E13

Brown Booby - Bishop Rock, Isles of Scilly - © Scott Reid

We talk about that little archipelago* we call the Isles of Scilly.

*archipelago means a bunch of islands. You’re most welcome DDL and Jonny H.

Listen again to Birder's Twitter S3E13 here:

The two Jonny’s lead the charge and commence proceedings talking about Jonny R’s hair care regime. Jonny R is extremely metal. Maybe too metal.

DDL is above Birder's Twitter and resides in Sweden with his new friends. We just hope he’s happy.

Jonny H has done big birding. Vis-migging his face off. Jonny H cannot see Short-eared Owls or Whinchats.

Jonny R found a Whinchat last weekend. Without the use of binoculars.

Whinchat - Suffolk Breckland - © Jonny R

Jonny H vis-migs; 491 Swallows, 69 Siskin, 88 Mipits, 62 House Martins plus finches, Tree Pipit and 3 Crossbill. 10 Cormorants went north for absolutely no reason.

Jonny R did big Bank Holiday birding including Cattle Egret and 2 species of owl.

Jonny R’s bike birding this week has kicked up; Greenshank, Wheatear, Green Sandpiper and the first returning wildfowl of the autumn.

We talk vis-mig and sea-watching timings. Do not mention Cory’s Shearwater to Jonny H. Especially not the one that flaunted itself in the Humber.

Is there site fidelity in passage Wheatear? No one knows.

We have not one - but two guests for your delight and pleasure - wahey!

Scott joins us from Porthellick Down and Amy is in a similarly scenic A12 service station.

Scott reflects on a record breaking seabird season for Scilly. Record breaking numbers of Wilson’s Petrel, South Polar Skua, unprecedented numbers of Cory’s Shearwater and an influx Scopoli’s!

As things weren’t bad enough - a bloody Red-footed Booby turns up! How good was it - grown men actually cried.

Amy joins us to discuss the ornithological event of the year and possibly millennium. Phil Andrews is now haunted for life - through poor life choices.

Amy’s Scillonian debut was impressive with Minke Whale on the crossing before immediately getting on the Sapphire. To see the bloody Red-footed Booby!

But wait, what’s that - there - in amongst the Shags? Oh aye - that’s a Brown Booby. Insanity gone mad.

Mark Thomas aka Buckton Birder and friend of the show found the Brown Booby!

Amy triple sweared upon seeing the Brown Booby. Is it even safe to see two Booby species at the same time? What’s next, three Booby’s?

Amy is calling Masked Booby for her next species.

Luckily, the locals were able to get the Sapphire over to see the Brown Booby in the evening.

We talk birding big doubles; Siberian Thrush + Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler, Savannah Sparrow + Ruby Throat,

Desertas Petrel from the Scillonian!

We talking ticking Scopoli’s via various screens. Which may or probably weren’t seen in the field.

Photography is essential in birding nowadays - Jonny R is mostly a photographer.

There’s been 20+ Scopoli’s this season!

Scott describes the finding of the second South Polar Skua - 20 seconds of magic!

Bob’s finders accounts are essential reading.

Amy has the Scilly seabird bug and vows to return and we talk Storm Petrels.

Amy teases an upcoming Birder’s Twitter appearance following an upcoming southern hemisphere trip.

Everyone hopes Jake is disemboweled by a Cassowary. Then he’ll be as cool as Eric Hoskins loosing an eye ball to a Tawny Owl.

We talk - that scene - in Dog Soldiers.

Jonny H asks Amy to clam down - she flat out refuses.

We love seeing new birds, even if they’re portents of warming oceans, climate catastrophe, shifting jet stream and the imminent eradication of humanity. Which we so deserve.

Quadruple Booby day - in UK waters? At least a triple Booby threat?

We shout-out friend of the show Pistols at Dawn, Ian Bennell, Drew Lyness and Lee Woods.

We do a massive shoutout to Will Brame and the Landguard Aquatic Warbler.

Steve Waite might be friends with Jonny H. Any is friends with Steve Waite too. Steve is recommending sea watching having feasted on thousands of large Shears, Fea’s and Wilson’s from land.

We hope DDL is well - or at least mauled by some mega fauna in Sweden.

We are HYPED on Migfest.

Listen again to Birder's Twitter S3E13 here: