Gateshead and Beyond: Scilly Pelagics 2 (Great Night 17th August 2018)

Monday, 20 August 2018

Scilly Pelagics 2 (Great Night 17th August 2018)

With plenty of time to kill before the 5pm start of the pelagic trip, I headed to Tresco with Jim and Dave to hunt for the Solitary Sandpiper. It took a few minutes to pick the bird up from the hide as it crawled through reeds on the far side of the lake. Looking like a very slight Green Sandpiper I really wanted to see it fly to confirm the ID. A trip round to the other side of the lake and a bit of a wait paid off with closer views and brief, but clinching flight views.

Solitary Sandpiper

The trip out on the Sapphire was all about Great and Sooty Shearwaters. At least 50 Bluefin Tuna attacking shoals of Anchovy caused huge feeding frenzies with gulls, Gannets and masses of Shearwater joining the feast. The shearwaters resting in huge rafts between bouts of action.