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The Isles of Scilly - 18th to 25th October 2008
Written by Philip Andrews
Participants: Philip Andrews, Dave Walker, Des Jennings & Mike Wakeman
Introduction
Lying 28 miles off Lands End, this beautiful archipelago of 150 islands (only 5 of which – St Marys, Tresco, St Martins, St Agnes and Bryher are inhabited) have for many years been viewed as the “mecca” for British birding. Since the 1960s the islands have produced a remarkable list of birds from both the East and particularly the West, including many UK firsts. Species such as Short-toed Eagle; Wood, Hermit, Siberian, Eyebrowed, White’s and Swainson’s Thrushes; Scarlet Tanager; Philadelphia Vireo; Northern Parula; Rock and Blue Rock Thrushes; Ovenbird; Masked and Brown Shrikes; Buff-bellied Pipit; Great Blue Heron; Blue-cheeked Bee-eater; Northern Waterthrush; Purple Gallinule; Myrtle, Magnolia and Hooded Warblers; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker; Semipalmated Plover; Nighthawk; Yellowthroat; Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos; Eastern Bonelli’s, Spectacled and Orphean Warblers; Rose-breasted Grosbeak; Baltimore Oriole; Cliff and Tree Swallows; Calandra Lark; Chimney Swift etc. only scratch the surface of the extensive and varied list for these islands. In recent years the number of truly mega birds has reduced and numbers of visiting birders in the peak “Scilly season” of mid September through to the end of October have dropped accordingly from 1,000 a week experienced in the 1980s to a maximum of approximately 200 a week, with many birders now prepared to twitch the islands on the breaking news of a British First.
Habitats
There is a variety of habitats offered by the five main islands which can be broadly summarised as follows:-
Open Water:- This is limited to the Great Pool on Tresco (the most productive site for wildfowl) and the nearby Abbey Pool, together with Lower Moors and Porth Hellick Pool on St Marys and the inappropriately titled Big Pool on St Agnes. Rare ducks may include Black and Ring-necked Ducks whilst the reed-beds may hold Spotted Crake, Little Crake, Sora Rail and Jack Snipe.
Woodland:- There is limited cover on the Isles of Scilly, the best being offered by the Abbey Gardens on Tresco, The Parsonage on St Agnes and Lower Moors, Dump Clump, Holy Vale and Higher Moors on St Marys. In addition many of the lanes are lined with trees (especially elm). Such habitats attract Yellow-browed and Pallas’s Warblers, Firecrests and Red-breasted Flycatchers.
Farmland:- The agricultural land on Scilly is either grazed by cattle or small bulb-growing fields, protected by
thick pittosporum hedges. The former may produce pipits and larks with shrikes on the hedgerows; the latter are often more productive for rarer warblers, larks, buntings and thrushes. Sometimes certain fields are specifically planted with seed crops to assist passerines – those along King Edwards Road on Peninnis Head or around Carn Friars Farm on St Marys have been the most consistent in recent years.
Moorland:- All the islands offer some degree of moorland, whether it is Shipman Head Down on Bryher, Castella and Wingletang Downs on St Agnes, Castle Down on Tresco or Porth Hellick Down on St Marys. In addition there are large grassed areas on St Marys at the airfield and golf course. These attract upland waders such as Dotterel, Buff-breasted and Upland Sandpipers and American Golden Plovers, the larger pipit species, Ortolan and Lapland Buntings, Wrynecks and Short-toed Larks.
Coast:- The coast varies from the rocky shores around Peninnis Head and The Garrison to sandy beaches around Tresco. The most productive areas for waders are Porthloo and Porth Hellick beaches on St Marys and Periglis and Porth Killier on St Agnes. American waders usually occur in September rather than October and in recent years have included Spotted, Solitary and White-rumped Sandpipers and Lesser Yellowlegs.
Transport
Many birders (including ourselves) choose to use the helicopter service operated by British International from Penzance. This flies daily (except Sundays) with a regular schedule, although this is reduced between November and March. The flight only takes 20 minutes but there is a 45 minute checking-in time at Penzance and an hour at St Marys. Flights this year cost £157 for a weeks’ return; a cheaper rate is available for day trips and short visits. Parking is provided on site at a cost of £7 per day. Secure parking is available elsewhere in Penzance but may be some distance away from the heliport. A fixed wing service is offered by the Isles of Scilly Skybus which flies predominately from Lands End aerodrome and Newquay, but also has flights from Southampton, Bournemouth, Bristol and Exeter. Again there are no flights on a Sunday. The only downside to flying is the possibility of fog/mist causing flights to be delayed or cancelled, as happened to us in 2005
Alternatively, the Scillonian III sails daily up until the end of October, departing Penzance at 9:30am and arriving at St Marys at approx 12:10am. The return sailing is usually 4:30pm from St Marys, arriving in Penzance at just gone 7:00pm. Sailings may vary from these times due to tides and poor weather and are more prone to cancellation through adverse weather conditions than flying, although it does have the benefit of being able to undertake a sea-watch at the same time. This is usually more productive in late September and early October with such interesting birds as the large shearwaters, petrels, skuas and Sabine’s Gull. At the time of writing it was understood that a weeks’ return journey would cost £95.
The islands are connected by a series of regular boats which usually leave St Marys at 10:15am, 12:15am and 2:15pm and returning at regular intervals (usually the last off-island boats return at 4:30 or 4:45pm). These crossings can take between 15 and 25 minutes with the boat to St Agnes usually being the most prone to poor weather (being furthest west). The boatmen are extremely knowledgeable and capable, and sometimes divert from their main route to assist birders, as happened last year with a summer plumaged Great Northern Diver off Tresco. It should be noted that these sailings are very much weather and tide dependant and may vary from those stated above. In the event of a “mega” additional boats are usually laid on. This year the boats cost £7.20 for a return trip.
In addition, special pelagic trips are sometimes organised (especially in August and September) from Hugh Town, with targets including Wilson’s and Fea’s Petrel. Birders are also occasionally invited to join the shark fishing trips that venture outside the archipelago.
On the islands the easiest way to get around is by foot. There is an extensive network of lanes and paths, although visitors should be careful not to stray from the designated routes and upset the goodwill that exists between birders and the islanders. A number of special trails (such as the Sunnyside Farm, Tremelethen and Peninnis Head trails on St Marys) may be opened up in the autumn. There are a few taxi firms on St Marys and there appears to be an unwritten rule that journeys are £1.50 per person to anywhere on the island. The exception is journeys to the airport, where the charge is generally £3.00 per person (this is slightly cheaper than the airport shuttle bus which charge £3.50 per person).
Accommodation
There is a variety of accommodation offered on the islands. Most birders choose to stay on St Marys where there is the widest choice, although there is a hardcore that returns annually to St Agnes. Accommodation (lists of which can be supplied by the Tourist Information Centre) varies from plush hotels through to guest houses, B&B and self catering apartments / houses. For those hardy enough there is even a campsite on The Garrison. We had a very well appointed apartment in the centre of Hugh Town with two twin bedrooms at £350 for the week. Unlike previous years there were several “vacancies” signs in the windows of B&Bs but pre-booking would be very advisable.
Facilities
There is a well stocked Co-op store in Hugh Town, St Marys, together with a Lloyds Bank, a with cash machine, and a Barclays Bank without. There are small general stores also on Tresco and St Agnes. Many of the other shops are tourist orientated.
There are several pubs in Hugh Town and one in Old Town in St Marys whilst there is generally just one pub on each of the “off-islands”. We alternated between the Mermaid and the Atlantic in Hugh Town throughout the week and enjoyed the food (starters £4 - £5; mains £8 - £11); we slightly favoured the Mermaid by the week’s end. There is a weekly quiz in the Atlantic which we had the audacity to enter and win, being rewarded with a bottle of wine! All the pubs offer a variety of local and Cornish beers which we found being sampled by Griff Rhys-Jones, Rory McGrath and Dara O’Briain who were on the islands filming Three Men in a Boat.
There is a range of restaurants in Hugh Town although there does appear to have been a “gentrification” of these facilities in recent years, putting many of the meals outside of the range of average visitor’s pocket.
There are several cafes and tearooms around the islands, including Covean on St Agnes and the Old Town Café, Tolmans, Longstones and Carn Vean on St Marys. These offer a range of breakfasts, simple hot meals and cakes. On reflection we consider that Tolmans (£6.95 including a pot of tea) offered the best value breakfast on the island. It should be noted that many of these facilities start closing down during late October; during our visit Carn Vean and the Old Town café were already shut whilst Tolmans was closed on a number of days.
The Birding Week
Please note that not all the birds listed below were seen by the entire party as we split up to ensure better coverage of the islands
Saturday 18th October
An early early start in Worcestershire saw us arrive in west Cornwall by 8:30am where we proceeded to stake out a Red-eyed Vireo that had been present for several days around farm buildings at Trevilley, just south of Sennen. Unfortunately the bird failed to show and after 90 minutes we decided drive up to Pendeen to look for the juvenile Rose-coloured Starling. A quick search of the town revealed no Starlings of any kind and conscious of time we headed back to the heliport at Penzance for check-in where we managed to get on an earlier flight. On arriving at St Marys airport, it was a quick hop onto the bus for the 5 minute journey into Hugh Town followed by the dumping of our bags at the apartment. A brisk walk up Porthloo Lane to its northern junction with Telegraph Road brought us face to face with the main target of the week, the adult SOCIABLE PLOVER which had been present since the previous weekend. Unfortunately the bird was in the far corner of the field and spent most of its time sat down but did give good views, especially when it stood up. Flushed by this early success, we walked back down into Hugh Town to catch the 2:15pm boat to St Agnes. Approaching the island, a raft of over 200 Shags were busy feeding off-shore from the northern tip of Gugh. A 15 minute walk across the island brought us to a small field between Troy Town and Coastguards where a GREY-CHEEKED THRUSH put on a good display, showing every couple of minutes, including once completely in the open on a bare stem in the middle of the field. This bird was far closer than the one seen at Borough Farm in Tresco in 2003 and far showier than the very elusive individual in 2007 at Porthloo Lane, St Marys. A visit to Chapel Fields, frequented the previous day by a Blyth’s Reed Warbler, produced a few frustrating glimpses of what was probably an Acro warbler plus a Willow Warbler. The walk back to the boat brought more good birds with 2 Yellow-browed Warblers in trees over the path at The Parsonage.
Adult Sociable Plover on the Isles of Scilly.
Sunday 19th October
We started bright and early with a walk along Peninnis Head, hoping to connect with the Wryneck and Lapland Bunting reported the previous day. However the brisk south-westerly wind meant few birds were on show, the most noticeable being Stonechat and Rock Pipit. A visit to the more sheltered environs of Lower Moors produced 2 Common Snipe but a reported Red-breasted Flycatcher at the northern end of the trail failed to show; there was a similar story concerning a Firecrest in Old Town churchyard. Porth Hellick Bay held a flock of Ringed Plover and Turnstone, together with 6 Greenshank. A short walk further onto to the marigold fields at Carn Friars Farm saw a good selection of sizeable finch flocks (particularly Linnet and Goldfinch) together with up to 4 Bramblings and good views of a Little Bunting sat up in the hedge (the fifth consecutive year I have seen this species on Scilly). Nearby a late Whinchat was at Porth Hellick House and a Yellow-browed Warbler was in the sallows of the Porth Hellick Loop trail whilst a Merlin flew over Higher Moors. A return to the more sheltered eastern slopes of Peninnis (combined with a bit of patience) saw us connect with the Wryneck as it moved around the rocks ahead of us. Closer views were obtained of the SOCIABLE PLOVER in the same field as the previous day, whilst at Black Redstart was on Porthloo beach and 2 Peregrine Falcons hunted overhead. A short sea watch off Giants Castle (never a hugely rewarding activity on Scilly) produced 22 Kittwakes and a Guillemot, together with a pod of 10+ Common Dolphins. Nearby a Black Redstart was on the coast path between Giants Castle and Porth Hellick Bay.
Wryneck on the Isles of Scilly.
Monday 20th October
We were very conscious of the heavy rain predicted and made an early start. 2 Siskins and 2 Ravens were seen over Peninnis, whilst 2 Stonechats were on the headland itself. By the time we had reached Lower Moors the rain had already set in. The pool produced good views of 2 Water Rails, over 40 Snipe, 5 Swallows, distant views of a Peregrine and a calling Yellow-browed Warbler. However the torrential rain forced us back to the flat at around midday, where the remainder of the day was spent playing Trivial Pursuit. However news late in the afternoon of an Olive-backed Pipit on St Agnes brought hope of better things on Tuesday …
Chiffchaff on the Isles of Scilly.
Tuesday 21st October
An early morning visit to The Garrison produced a Black Redstart and a Kingfisher on the beach at Porthcressa and a Yellow-browed Warbler and Blackcap on Lower Broome Platform. With early morning confirmation that the pipit was still there it was then onto the 10:15am boat to St Agnes. A Black Redstart was by the quay whilst 2 Yellow-browed Warblers were still at The Parsonage. A quick route march brought us to Smugglers Cottage where the pipit had been reported in a ploughed field just once that morning. After a frustrating few minutes peering through a dense hedge into the furrows the call came out that the bird was still there. We were kindly let into an adjoining garden for views in turn and there it was, a well marked OLIVE-BACKED PIPIT. As the morning wore on further views were obtainable through the hedge from the path as the bird became more confiding. Just 20 metres down the path, an obliging Red-breasted Flycatcher sallied from trees in the Fruit Cage; a Willow Warbler was also in the same field. It was then a few minutes walk on to Chapel Fields where the Blyth’s Reed Warbler had again been reported. What followed next caused much confusion and consternation for the rest of the week. The Acro on view clearly sported a leg ring (which the Blyth’s Reed Warbler seen earlier in the week didn’t) and a tick mark on its neck (which the BRW had shown!). There were no reports of a Blyth’s Reed Warbler having been ringed on St Agnes, just Reed Warblers. After much subsequent debate it was suggested that the ringer had not taken a full set of biometrics when ringing the bird and it was indeed the first winter BLYTH’S REED WARBLER we were looking at, whose plumage had moulted during its stay. We then made our way round to Porth Killier to see a Water Pipit (a Scilly scarcity) feeding with Rock Pipits on seaweed. We returned to the field containing the Grey-cheeked Thrush, only to be told that it had shown a few minutes earlier. After 30 minutes waiting we were alerted to the possibility of a Little Bunting on Wingletang Down at the end of Barnaby Lane. Unfortunately this produced nothing but 4 Stonechats and a leucistic Meadow Pipit. Circling the Down to the east, news broke of a possible Bobolink at Castella Down, only a few hundred yards from where we had been standing looking for the thrush. This news was confirmed within a few minutes but having rushed over to Castella Down, we were then told that the bird had flown to near Troy Town. Despite being staked out to a relatively small area of coastal scrub, the bird managed to fly out without most of the watching birders (including us) seeing it. A search of the adjoining fields proved fruitless and the bird was never seen again (there were rumours that the bird had been heard calling for the previous couple of days and had been observed on the ground for up to 30 minutes that day before the news broke!). As we started to wander dejectedly back to the quay the pager sprang into life – a Red-flanked Bluetail on St Marys. Even with the recent increased frequency of occurrence there is still something about Red-flanked Bluetails that sends the pulse racing in the majority of birders. Our pace quickened and we were just in time for the 4:15pm boat off the island (we met another boat at the quay that had just come from St Marys with the hope of seeing the Bobolink; several just turned around and went back again on news of the Bluetail). Conscious of the fading light, and all the working we had already done that day, we ordered a taxi from Hugh Town to Salakee Farm. When we arrived there was already a scrum of birders trying to view from a limited space into a field. Luckily local birders got the permission of the farmer to set up a viewing area in the subject field, permitting better views of the hedgerow in question. The female/first winter RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL was picked out working its way up and down the hedgerow, often at low level, and gave adequate views to most of its salient characteristics – the blue tail, orangey flanks, pale throat etc. We walked home tired but happy. This day summed up how unpredictable Scilly can be – strong westerly winds had resulted in us seeing two good birds from the East!
Goldcrests on the Isles of Scilly.
Wednesday 22nd October
The Bluetail could not be relocated the following morning with watchers on site from first light (presumably the same bird re-appeared the following week in the Newford Duckpond/Trenoweth area). A trip to The Garrison saw a Black Redstart again at the western end of Porthcressa beach and a Yellow-browed Warbler at Lower Broome Platform, together with 2 Stonechat and 2 Swallow at Morning Point and a partial albino Blackbird that had also been present the previous year.. A Firecrest worked its way along the dense hedgerows on the eastern side of Peninnis Head near Old Town Church whilst a Blackcap was in churchyard itself; another Yellow-browed Warbler was near Shooter’s Pool at Lower Moors. Porthloo produced a Merlin, 2 Dunlin and 18 Sanderling. A Whinchat was at Higher Moors whilst some very imprecise directions finally resulted in the location of at least 2 Hawfinch feeding on hawthorns in fields viewed from the Holy Vale trail. Porth Hellick Pool was unproductive with just 9 Teal, 2 Mute Swan and a Coot to show for our efforts. An unsuccessful attempt to see the Little Bunting again at Carn Friars was followed by a study of the waders in Porth Hellick bay. A Little Egret, 2 Greenshank and 3 Redshank accompanied the larger numbers of Ringed Plover and Turnstone. However another “dunlin like” wader caught the attention of Mike and myself with its size (smaller than the accompanying Ringed Plovers) and attenuated rear end. Having ruled out all the common British waders we moved on to contemplating the American sandpipers, aware that there had been 2 White-rumped Sandpipers on Tresco. The changing light as the sun started to drop gave us a different perception on the bird and we thought we had solved the puzzle. A closer approach of the bird by Mike resulting in it flying, luckily to return, and our suspicions were confirmed, it was a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER. Having put the news out we waited with bated breath as the great and good of Scilly birding arrived, half-expecting it to be rubbished as an abnormal Dunlin; luckily there were no dissenting voices. Even Dave and Des, who had earlier returned back to the flat, made the long walk down to the beach in the gathering gloom to see this rare wader.
White-rumped Sandpiper on the Isles of Scilly.
Thursday 23rd October
Seeking a change of scene, we took the 10:15am boat to Tresco following an unproductive wander around a very exposed Garrison. We were well aware of the dire weather warnings of high winds and rain commencing from 12:00 and the rough trip across underlined the limited birding we would have available. A Spoonbill on Merrick Island in Tresco Channel (just off the quay at New Grimsby) accompanied by 2 Little Egrets was glimpsed briefly from the boat provided a good start and we ‘scoped the bird from further down the quay for better views. A short walk brought us to Great Pool, the largest body of water in the archipelago. The selection of wildfowl included Mallard, many Gadwall, Teal, 2 Shelduck, a male Scaup, Pochard, a Little Grebe, several Mute Swans accompanied by a Whooper Swan, 22+ Little Egret, 25+ Greenshank and approx 10 Redshanks. Unfortunately the Pectoral Sandpiper present earlier in the week had departed. The walk to Abbey Pool produced Stonechat, Pheasant and large numbers of Red-legged Partridge. The pool itself, far more exposed than Great Pool, was disappointing with just 2 Canada Geese, a few Teal and a flock of gulls including a Lesser Black-backed. We then walked up the east side of the island through Borough Farm (and more Red-legged Partridges) to the Blockhouse (a ruined fort) just south of Old Grimsby. Here we scanned the (comparatively) sheltered sound between Tresco and St Helens / Tean. A female Red-breasted Merganser was present but not the Long-tailed Duck and Red-throated Diver reported the previous day. A careful examination of a large Curlew flock on rocks in the channel produced 2 late Whimbrel. The ever increasing wind forced us back to New Grimsby and the comfort of the New Inn before the arrival of the mid afternoon boat back to St Marys. Unfortunately the conditions made it impossible to search for the several Yellow-browed Warblers and Firecrests reported on the island on previous days. The journey back itself was “interesting” with a very rough sea and much spray, and we all arrived at the quayside looking like drowned rats. With a persistent rain set in for the afternoon there was nothing left to do but head back to the flat, dry out and wait for better weather the following day to see what had been blown in.
Gannet on the Isles of Scilly.
Friday 24th October
A bright and much calmer day than earlier in the week gave rise to the hope of the “big one” turning up. The day started off promisingly with a Great Northern Diver in Porthcressa Bay, viewable from either the beach or Buzza Hill. All was quiet in the Dump Clump (there was a whisper of a Hume’s Warbler from the previous evening) whilst 4 Redwing were on the school playing field. A Kingfisher fished from the stone quay in Old Town Bay. The Old Town churchyard area finally produced a decent bird with the discovery of a Barred Warbler which, whilst often elusive, did show well for a 2 minute spell. It was accompanied by a much more obliging Lesser Whitethroat and 2 Blackcaps. A visit to Port Hellick Pool produced a Little Egret, female Wigeon, 5 Teal, 4 Greenshank, 3 Redshank and 3 Snipe, one of which – a very cold, strongly marked individual – was later identified as the American race of Common Snipe, WILSON’S SNIPE, a potential future split. A search of the bay could not relocate Wednesday’s White-rumped Sandpiper, although a Dunlin was with the roosting Turnstone and Ringed Plover on the rocks in the bay. A late Reed Warbler was at Lower Moors whilst a Hawfinch was again seen from the Holy Vale trail, with a Yellow-browed Warbler at the junction of Higher Moors and Holy Vale. Two Stock Doves, uncommon on Scilly, were at Carn Friars Farm. The Porth Hellick Loop trail produced a Yellow-browed Warbler again with a Willow Warbler, whilst the viewing area by the airfield turned up a Skylark (scarce on Scilly this autumn), Merlin and 5 Swallows; a further 15 Swallows were later seen over Higher Moors. Single Siskins flew over Holy Vale and Higher Moors. The appearance of a Barred Warbler, together with another on St Agnes with a Common Rosefinch, again showed how strong westerly winds actually resulted in more eastern migrants appearing!
Hawfinch on the Isles of Scilly.
Saturday 25th October
With limited time due to the departing flight we concentrated on the western side of St Marys. A walk around The Garrison was of limited productiveness with fewer Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests than on previous days, although the Yellow-browed Warbler was heard calling along Lower Broome Platform and a Black Redstart was near the pottery on the west side of The Garrison. A visit to Lower Moors was equally unproductive with just 1 Common Snipe on view. As we split up to maximise coverage other notable birds included a Brambling at the Porthloo Lane / Telegraph Road junction, 4 Swallows, 2 Kittiwakes off Porthloo beach and another in Porthcressa Bay (but no sign of the Great Northern Diver). On arrival back at Penzance the prospect of an elusive Bluethroat at Lands End was not enough to tempt us away from the long drive back to Worcestershire. Needless to say the breaking news of a Brown Shrike on St Marys on Sunday did nothing to improve our spirits!
IN SUMMARY
In total we managed 95 species for the week – not spectacular and easily capable of being beaten by a day out in Norfolk in say May or September. Des managed 4 British lifers but the rest of us failed to score. However we were presented with good views of many rare and scarce birds, often only for the second or third time such as the Sociable Plover, Olive-backed Pipit, Red-flanked Bluetail, Grey-cheeked Thrush and White-rumped Sandpiper. 2008 was considered a generally poor autumn; in comparison birds seen in previous years by one or more of this party have included Black Duck; Cory’s Shearwater; Sora Rail; Quail; Cream-coloured Courser; Pectoral Sandpiper; American Golden Plover; Grey Phalarope; Hoopoe; Red-rumped Swallow; Red-backed, Woodchat and Isabelline Shrikes; Buff-bellied, Richards’s, Blyth’s, Red-throated and Tawny Pipits; Short-toed Lark; Pied Wheatear; Siberian Stonechat; Paddyfield, Icterine, Aquatic, Radde’s, Booted, Western Bonelli’s and Pallas’s Warblers; Serin; Common Rosefinch; Rose-coloured Starling; Red-eyed Vireo; Blackpoll Warbler; American Robin; Bobolink; Lapland, Ortolan and Rustic Buntings.
Whilst the number of rare birds being discovered may be down on previous years and the number of visiting birds has markedly reduced, the islands offer an ideal opportunity for anyone to find their own birds. In addition to this year’s White-rumped Sandpiper, birds found by one or more of the party in previous years have included Barred Warbler, Little Bunting, Red-breasted Flycatcher and a re-find of Blackpoll Warbler, together with several Firecrests and Yellow-browed Warblers.
In addition to the rare birds, very close views can be obtained of many of Britain’s commoner birds (the thrushes are particularly tame). This, combined with the scenery, slower pace of life, generally warmer weather and general ambience, still make Scilly a magical place to visit and I would strongly recommend anyone who has yet to discover their beauty and birding potential to make the journey.
Phil Andrews
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