ISLES OF SCILLY

HIGHLIGHTS: An American Golden Plover and Buff-breasted Sandpiper were on the Airport, a Melodious Warbler on the Garrison, a Common Rosefinch and three Lapland Buntings on Bryher, several Wrynecks on the islands and a Bluethroat on the Great Pool, Tresco (1st). A Red-eyed Vireo was on St Agnes (2nd), when a Red-backed Shrike was on the Garrison. A Sora Rail was found on the Great Pool (2nd-11th). A Bluethroat was on Buzza Hill (3rd). Two Cattle Egrets and an Osprey commuted between Tresco and St Mary’s. A Little Bunting was on Peninnis, a Blyth’s Pipit at Longstone and a Subalpine Warbler on St Martin’s (4th). Two Black-necked Grebes commuted between Town Beach and Porth Cressa. Unprecedented numbers of Jack Snipe were at Lower Moors and Porth Hellick. Little Buntings were at Porth Loo and Tresco with a Red-eyed Vireo on St Martin’s (5th). A Caspian Tern over St Mary’s and at Porth Hellick (6th) was a first for the islands. A Spotted Crake was at Porth Hellick, an Olive-backed Pipit on Bryher and three Little Buntings on Tresco (7th). A Short-toed Lark on Bryher (8th-9th) then moved to St Mary’s airport. Two Red-breasted Flycatchers were at Argimore, a Little Bunting on Peninnis and a Western Subalpine Warbler in Hugh Town (9th). A Red-eyed Vireo was in Carreg Dhu garden, with a Little Bunting near Lower Moors found (10th). The Caspian Gull on St Agnes was another new species for the islands. Two Dotterels were on Bryher, Little Buntings on Tresco and St Agnes and a Spoonbill over Tresco (12th). A probable Eastern Yellow Wagtail at Lower Moors (13th) commuted between there and Peninnis (to 17th). A Barred Warbler was on St Mary’s and a Pallas’s Warbler on the Garrison (13th). A Serin on Bryher (14th) may well have been the bird on St Mary’s later in the month. A Woodlark over Longstone (14th) settled at Watermill for a few days. A pelagic trip (14th) saw eight Great Shearwaters, 60 Grey Phalaropes and eight Great Skuas. A Black-browed Albatross was seen from the Garrison (17th), when a pelagic trip saw two Sooty Shearwaters, a Balearic Shearwater, Pomarine Skua, eight Great Skuas and a Snow Bunting! A Barred Warbler was at Carn Friars (17th). A Cetti’s Warbler was at Porth Hellick (19th), when two Grey Phalaropes were west of the islands and seven Purple Sandpipers in the Western Rocks. A Common Rosefinch was on St Martin’s, a Barred Warbler at Porth Hellick and a Richard’s Pipit at Carn Vean (20th). A Pale-legged/sakhalin Leaf Warbler found freshly dead on St Agnes (21st), will be a first for Britain. A Red-flanked Bluetail was on St Agnes, with two on St Mary’s, a Rustic Bunting on Peninnis and a Little Bunting on Tresco (21st). A Caspian Stonechat on St Mary’s (22nd) was the second for the islands. An American Herring Gull was on St Mary’s (23rd). A Pallid Swift, several Crossbills and a Hawfinch were on St Mary’s and Dusky Warblers at Porth Hellick and Tresco (24th). Olive backed Pipits were at Carn Friars and on Tresco, with three Pallas’s Warblers on St Mary’s. Three Olive-backed Pipits were on St Mary’s (25th). Another was on Tresco with two Little Buntings. A Dusky Thrush was on Peninnis (26th). Two Dusky Warblers were at Porth Hellick and another on St Agnes. Five Olive-backed Pipits were on St Mary’s and one on St Agnes with three Little Buntings (27th-28th). A Spotted Crake was at Porth Hellick, a Rook at Trewince and an Eastern Yellow Wagtail on St. Mary’s (28th). A Pallas’s Warbler and Eastern Yellow Wagtail were at Newford Duck Pond. Eleven Yellow-browed Warblers were on St Mary’s and 15 on St Agnes (30th), when Olive-backed Pipits were at Normandy, Old Town and on Tresco where a Rustic Bunting and two Little Buntings were noted. A Blyth’s Pipit was on St Mary’s (31st). Will Wagstaff