Scilly Autumn Part 1

30th September
The trip over on the Scillonian III was uneventful, with just 2 Bonxie and a few Meadow Pipit resting on the boat. Arrived to negative news on the Blue Rock Thrush, but a fresh-in Rustic Bunting got me jogging up to Longstone. Unpleasant weather and a long wait eventually gave flight views of the Bunting as it flew over calling. A tick, but not very satisfying. A jaunt up to Bants Carn gave views of the Short-toed Lark.

1st October
Up early the next morning got me up to the Garrison for a speculative look for the Blue Rock Thrush. Luckily just a 40 min search got the bird below the Steval. Initially distant brief views and then very close, ultra-brief views.

Blue Rock Thrush

Next was unfinished business with the Rustic Bunting. After a bit of a wait I picked the bird up on call as it dropped into the trees above its favoured feeding area. Fantastic close views in the trees and on the ground.

Rustic Bunting

Along to Carreg Dhu for a Firecrest, then down to Porthellick where a Jack Snipe was bobbing and a Scilly-tick Cetti's Warbler was singing.

On the air field some directions got us on the sleeping Dotterel. Also here were Lapland Bunting, Peregrine and 6 Golden Plover.

Dotterel

The Old Town area held Pied and Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat and a Common Sandpiper.

2nd October
A warm sunny day started badly with no sign of the Blue Rock Thrush, then frustration dipping Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

Improvement with a distant, but obliging Melodious Warbler in the 1st field south of the churchyard at Old Town, feeding in the sun. In the churchyard there was a close Firecrest. A couple of Clouded Yellow and a Holly Blue were out in the sun.

Firecrest

Another look on the air field yielded 2 Lapland Bunting among large numbers of Meadow Pipit. A last look at the churchyard in fading light gave close views of a Wryneck feeding on a wall.

Wryneck

3rd October
A wet and very windy day spent on St Martin's dipping Black and White Warbler, just a Spotted Flycatcher and a Redstart to show for our efforts.

Redstart

4th October
Old Town church held a Firecrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Blackcap and 3 Chiffchaff. The Blue Rock Thrush briefly shoed on top of Carn Leh.

On the way up the island there were Whinchat at the pumping station and a Firecrest at Holyvale.

At Newford duckpond the assumed female Green-winged Teal was on the pond, while a Yellow-browed Warbler, Reed Warbler and 3 Chiffchaff were in the sallows.

Back to Old Town where two Little Egret were in the bay, a Spotted Flycatcher in the churchyard and a Red-backed Shrike in the field just to the south.

Red-backed Shrike

5th October
A dawn start with news of a possible Nighthawk on the Garrison. No joy, but there were Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat, Blackcap and a Painted Lady.

Over to Tresco, passing 6 Spoonbill on the way. The Short-toed Lark was seen pretty quickly on the heliport, but the Ortolan required a bit of a wait. A woodpecker heard drumming was hopefully just Great Spotted.

Short-toed Lark

Back at Lower Moors I managed brief views of a Spotted Crake as it disappeared into cover.

6th October
The Spotted Crake gave a tremendous performance, feeding just a couple of feet from the path through Lower Moors.

Spotted Crake

All hell broke out with news of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo's reappearance. The next 6 hrs was spent running around Lower Moors in panic, before I eventually picked up the bird high in the canopy. No chance of a photo, but relief! A fly-over Merlin and a Yellow-browed Warbler were seen during the vigil.

To top the day off a Honey-buzzard did two laps of the island.

Honey-buzzard

Scilly Pelagics

This year's trip to Scilly for four pelagic trips 15th-18th August were good, but lacked the big numbers of large shearwaters from last year. Still, 18 Wilson's Petrel over the weekend was pretty impressive.

Wilson's Petrel

The most impressive bird of the weekend was a pale juvenile Long-tailed Skua that spent some time around the boat, after chasing Storm Petrels.

Long-tailed Skua

A pristine adult Sabine's Gull on the first night was a Scilly tick for me, but it didn't linger.

Sabine's Gull

A couple of Great Shearwater gave brief, but excellent views as they shot past the boat.

Great Shearwater

Fulmar

Gannet

Bonxie

Ruff, Green Sandpiper and Greenshank at Porthellick

A Minkie, 30+ Common Dolphin and 30+ Harbour Porpoise were off Deep Point with large numbers of Manx Shearwater.

Summer

I've neglected the blog for a while, so here's a quick run through the summer.

An excellent find by Phil B, plus follow-up from Paul D gave us Gateshead's first Iberian Chiffchaff at Swalwell.

Iberian Chiffchaff

More to follow...

Baikal

The Baikal Teal moving from Cambridgeshire to Yorkshire was welcome, but work meant I was unable to get down until Tuesday 28th May. An early start saw me arrive at Hornsea Mere before 7 to negative news. Some gen from a local got me to the teal's regular haunts, but after 3 hours I was ready to give up. Good views of Hobby, several Marsh Harrier, Yellow Wagtail and a singing Cetti's Warbler were scant consolation. Luckily just before I got back to the car my phone beeped and I was hurtling back to the other side of the lake. The Baikal Teal was on a wooded island and occasionally showed very well as it wandered out into the open to feed. A nit distant for photos!

Baikal Teal

Heading home I stopped off just north of Scarborough at Harwood Dale where I was immediately rewarded with a singing Turtle Dove.

Turtle Dove

Closer to home a quick check of Lamesley revealed 4 Avocet. A site first and only the third occurrence in Gateshead.

Avocet

The next day 2 Little Stint flew north past Whitburn Obs (the first spring record). An evening Red-necked Phalarope got me up to Newton where it showed well despite the gloom. A pair of Little Stint were possibly the morning's birds.

Red-necked Phalarope

                                      

Spotted Crake

A steady seawatch at Whitburn this morning, then down to Saltholme. A Little Stint was distantly on show on the causeway rom the road. Into the reserve and straight to the wildlife watchpoint where the Spotted Crake was immediately on show at point-blank range. Feeding just outside the hide window it did disappear into the reeds, before being chased out again by a Water Rail.

Spotted Crake

No sign of the Spoonbill, but there were 2 smart, adult Little Gull over West Saltholme.

On to Castle Lake where 2 Wood Sandpiper were feeding along the western edge along with 4 Ruff and a Common Sandpiper.

Wood Sandpiper

A bit of a search from the hide eventually picked up the Temminck's Stint creeping around among rocks. 

Temminck's Stint

I failed to see or hear a Corn Bunting, but there were several fine Yellow Wagtail.

Yellow Wagtail

A late look at Lamesley added Yellow Wagtail to my Gateshead year list. A real scarcity now.

The new Shibdon Meadows got its first scarcity on Monday with a juvenile Glaucous Gull. The occasional Long-eared Owl has continued to show around the borough.

Glaucous Gull

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Long-eared Owl

Leos

A couple of local Long-eared Owl. Seem to be found in almost every suitable habitat locally, but not normally showing so well!

Long-eared Owl

March finished with a pre-work nip up to see the lone Bewick's Swan at Druridge and post-work Swallow at Lamesley and a Gateshead year tick Barn Owl.

Barn Owl

Bewick's Swan

Tengmalm's Owl

My first visit to Shetland could easily have gone badly. Arriving from the ferry at Tresta to negative news, a further 90 mins of searching the Lea Gardens compounded the rising horror of a potential dip. Just as all hope was almost lost, a cry of  'it's here' went up. A dash through the trees and it was in view, partially obscured by evergreen leaves it stared down at us from just twenty feet away. Views were better than my photos suggest!

Tengmalm's Owl

Over the road were 4 Slavonian Grebe, 3 Red-throated Diver, 4 Red-breasted Merganser and a winter plumage Black Guillemot.

Slavonian Grebe

A drive south to Loch of Spiggie gave good, but distant views of the wintering Pied-billed Grebe and 5 Eurasian White-fronted Geese. A Twite gave a couple of fly-overs.

A bit of light dipping followed, with no sign of the Rosefinch or the Tundra Bean Geese. More success back in Lerwick with an adult Glaucous Gull, juvenile Iceland Gull and 3 Black Guillemot. Of the latter only a winter plumage bird was close enough for photographs.

Black Guillemot

Back at the owl for more another look and it was more active as it got closer to dusk. Plenty of preening and yawning, but unfortunately it didn't move out into the open. A 'real' Rock Dove was feeding in the gardens.

Rock Dove

An excellent trip!