Just finished an amazing short break to Scilly. Four trip out with Scilly Pelagic was the purpose, with fingers crossed for a few vagrants. I was far from disappointed on both accounts.
I arrived on St Mary's without the time to pop over to Tresco for the Solitary Sandpiper and made do with a quick look around the island before boarding the Sapphire with a few familiar faces.
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| Common Sandpiper at Porthellick |
Not far out from port we started bumping into shearwaters. First Manx, then quickly a Great was shooting past the boat. Cory's and Balearic were more distant.
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| Great Shearwater |
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| Great Shearwater |
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| Manx Shearwater |
The boat was really out for shark fishing while we birders tagged along. This was where tonight's target showed as we drifted with bags of chum hanging over the side. Eventually we had an amazing 10 Wilson's Petrel, with 4 at one time, feeding around the boat. Good numbers of Storm Petrel joined the feed and like the Wilson's, proved to be a nightmare to photograph.
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| Wilson's Petrel |
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| Wilson's Petrel |
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| Wilson's Petrel |
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| Wilson's Petrel |
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| Wilson's Petrel (look at those yellow webs!) |
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| Storm Petrel |
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| Storm Petrel |
Totals for the night were 10+ Wilson's Petrel, 3 Cory's, 1 Great, 1 Balearic and 300+ Manx Shearwater, plus 40+ Storm Petrel and the fishermen caught, tagged and released a Blue Shark.
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| Fulmar |
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| Gannet |
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