Scilly ‘23 - Day 6

Red-eyed Vireo - St Agnes - 05th October

Today we did a Bird Race between the three of us in digs. We all had different approaches, I was super chill, the other two were super intense.

Although, it was close at the top - there was one clear winner. The people's winner if you like - the King of Your Birding hearts:

The King of your birding hearts

Bird Race participant - non peoples champ

Sea-watchers

My day started with a sea watch from Coastguards with Graham before dropping down to Periglis for waders and roosting gulls. A quick conference with the Wright brothers and I continued my rounds. With ruthless efficiency I got the lingering Pied Flycatcher, Willow Warbler and a face full of Wryneck - all before breakfast.

Mid afternoon sea watching was absolutely engrossing, I haemorrhaged time, which probably wasn’t a valid Bird Race tactic, but I absolutely loved it! There was rafts of Cory's Shearwater - moving in a general westerly direction. Undertaking their switch-back feeding flights, before rafting again. Some continued off west and you could pick out the odd Great, Sooty and Manx Shearwater in the melee. Absolutely primo birding and a treasured memory:

Shearwater fest - Horse Point, St Agnes - 05th October

Shearwater fest - Horse Point, St Agnes - 05th October

I messaged out a very conservative; '100+ Cory’s, 2 Great, 2 Sooty, 1 Manx in last hour'.There could have been double that of Cory's alone - hard to tell between rafted and flying birds. Who cares.

The Buff-breasted Sandpiper was still in situ and looking utterly wonderful as ever. Such a little champ.

I got thirds of REV as a treat to myself. Then generally smashed it up on the regular.

Indeed, I was the only person on the bird race to see all the resident rare/ scarce; Red-eyed Vireo, Wryneck, Pied Fly and the Buff-breast. Importantly I didn't neglect the little guy. Like the Feral Pigeons, for which I was only one to tick. Even though you can clearly see both Rock Dove and Feral Pigeon below. I was only aloud one tick for Mallard too - even though there is wild and domestic birds -like I said, people's champ.

Feral Pigeon (and Rock Dove) - St Agnes - 05th October

It was a massive day for waders on the isle, with; Oystercatcher, Grey Plover, Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Turnsone, Knot, Sanderling, Dunlin and Greenshank. There could have been lurking Common Sand and Whimbrel - but none of us picked them up. The Knot in particular is a killer Aggie bird and a flock of Bar-wits anywhere is pure awesome.

The focus of a bird race did make me look at the commoner stuff, which am grateful for, I was pleased to see Red-legged Partridge (not a sentence I've written before) and worked through the White Wagtails in the hope of a Pied and Pipits in the hope of something rarer...

Meadow Pipit - St Agnes - 06th October

Red-legged Partridge - St Agnes - 06th October

White Wagtail - St Agnes - 06th October

Yours,

The people's birding champ - St Agnes, 05th October