A Bird at Last!

Hurrah.....last day and we finally get a bird of note...Lesser Yellow Legs at Titchfield Haven also a bonus Curlew Sandpiper. Tried hard to find a Dartford Wabler at Hook Links, but no joy. 

We did meet a rather quaint old chap with dog....'Doing a bit of the old bird spotting are we?'...'Indeed we are...on our way home from a trip to the Scillies'...'Jolly good'... says he in a rather loud booming voice....' tried sailing to the Scillys this year wot ho...too much of a nose on the old sail....so turned hoof to the channel isles and had a jolly ripping time....'!!!!! Thought I was in 5 go to Dorset..hoping for lashing and lashing of ginger beer!!!!

So the final count for the holiday is 101......we too had a ripping time...but next time I do jolly well hope for more birds wot ho! 

Some shots from me iPhone

Titchwell Haven....there is a lesser yellow legs somewhere there...honest! 

On a boat...always sit next to the life thingy.....

The ISBG notice board at the pilots gig....proof that there was sod all around! 

Yup...there are no birds...Nowhere...

On our Pelagic....Ste found a mate " Here...I think you got a Cornish Pasty...gonna share...."

Bit of night time fishing.....boat is swaying...deep joy!

Not sure why I'm smiling....the boat is swaying a touch toooo much ! 

On dry land....Saw lots and lots of these....

But none of these..."Someone said there was a Rose Coloured Starling....bugger if I can see it! "

Couldn't resist a selfie....excellent lighting...no bags...but rather mad hair!!!!

But all in all the Scillies is magical...

Made me laugh...birders get a similar response ! 

Bye...till next time...from Burma...as Aung San Suu Kyi....calls it still! 

Cirl Bunting....and Cream Tea!

Left the end of the land today! We decided not to gate-crash the wedding, the guests seemed to have consumed far too many Rattlers (Cornish Cider)...one couple gave a brief and entertaining interlude at dinner as we watch them through the window holding each other up whilst in the middle of a tiff...some general tutting ensued from other tables...we just sniggered and returned to our bottle of wine! 

Stopped off for Cirl Bunting at Prawle Point...we had a nice little flock of 5.  For M&M who may be reading from the other side of the pond...they look like this and are rather obliging.

Then stopped @ Slapton Leys..no birds (again) but found a nice Devonshire Cream Tea as consolation..yum! 

So tomorrow we are heading to Titchfiled Haven...for Lesser Yellow Legs...fingers crossed the yank does not do a bunk because he has heard we are coming!

Quick scan of RBA...few good things starting to turn up on the Isles....Ste has just said...'Perhaps we should have booked next week instead!' ......starting to think of what I might do with the Tuba ! 

Oh yes Ste has taken to calling me scar-face...(nice cut on nose following fall)...such a romantic! 

A holiday of dips

Short update as we have dipped again.....Common Rosefinch and Dotterel..the former not a stones throw from our hotel...the latter at Porthgwarra...after we left! For the trip we have added Long Tailed Tit, Green Woody, Sparrowhawk and a Swift - which we attempted to string into something more interesting. Things are desperate...Ste tried to turn a juv Wood Pigeon into some exotic dove and that was before a pint of the finest Cornish brew...that would be Cider!  Fingers crossed for the Lesser Yellow Legs as we wind our way back south east tomorrow! 

Awesome...there is a wedding tonight at the Lands End Hotel..any excuse for a boogie..wonder if they will notice us! 

Love being at the end of the land...despite lack of birds! 

Report from a bird free correspondent...

Well, what can I say...The Scilly Isles are truly wonderous...in my humble opinion. They could however have done with a few more birds in the 4 days that we spent there....but birds don't appear to order...they just rock up when and where they want! That's not to say that that there we no birds of esteemed note.....Booted Warbler, Icterine Warbler, RB Shrike, Wryneck, Spotted Crake, Spotted Redshank and Rose Coloured Starling...all of which made an appearance....but sadly not within a bus or boat ride of us! 

So we ventured back to the mainland on the Scillionian...I still really don't think I have sea legs! Overnight in Penzance...found a wonderful B&B at Trereife Park....just like Jane Austin...could imagine a nice Mr Darcy....anyway...

Today we went on the hunt for Chough....no chuffing luck there either!...did get a consultation Raven...though we get those at home....Oh yes new bird for the year is a Cory's Shearwater from Porthgwarra...

We watched the sun go down over the Longships Lighthouse at Landsend.....dinner, glass of wine with the moose...what more could I ask for....perhaps Fea's Petrel tomorrow off Porthgwarra! Ha !!! 

10th Sept

Left a sleeping Ste this evening and went for a wonder along the coastal path, nothing new but usual suspects in abundance...Northern Wheataer, Stonechat, Swallow, Song Thursh, Wren and a bald blackbird. There is something about wondering by the sea, just musing on ones lonesome watching the sun go down....without tripping over! Leaving Scillies tomorrow....rather sad!!

Really there are no birds

Short entry today...due to injury...as is my way on holiday, I do have a dreadful habit of falling over...this time tripped over a stone coming out of a bird hide on Tresco...where we missed Spotted Crake and Spotted Redshank..but have acquired grazed knees and palms...and adding to the redness of my sunburnt nose....a nice prominent graze on its bridge! Also got very wet in the boat coming back to St Mary's, due to general choppiness of sea! All in all....'a disaster darling'! 

Where are the birds......

Today, we rose with renewed hope....there will be something on the Isle for us to see today...however we had to survive breakfast first! Ste is desperate to sit somewhere other than where the waiter puts us every morning....dream on sweetness...this is a dinning room arranged to ensure that it's elderly guests are not unduly disoriented...by heaven forbid...moving them from their favourite table!  

Suitable stuffed and defeated by the ninja waiter...we left this morning, taking in such sights as the golf course, holy vale, lower moors and the airport...I particularly liked the latter as we loitered dangerously on the runway..ignoring the warning signs of impending doom if we hung around too long! Despite the long trek around St Mary's we only added Pied Flycatcher to our list...but saw loads of Northern Wheatear...one of these has just pitched up in the USA...Mary thanks for the update...i am hoping you will send a few yanks in return!  

At 16:30 we boarded the MV Sapphire...a 5 hr pelagic...(audiable groan)...sea sickness tablets were taken, Cornish Pasty and emergency bars of Cadburys Whole-Nut stuffed into rucksack...we departed!

I managed not to turn a becoming shade of green....more a mucky off white colour...with all that bobbing and swaying....kept the bins aloft for long enough to see...Manx Shearwater, Bonxie, Balearic Shearwater, Fulmar and the petite but awesome European Storm Petrel...plus a couple of Blue Shark, heaved up on board by the fisherman! 

Still feel slightly like I am swaying...think I'm off to bed! 

Lots of Starlings....But no Rose to be seen!

Yesterday we took the boat over to St Agnes...it was panadonum at the quay, very low tides, swapping of vessels to suit afore mentioned tides, a Crusie ship, swelling the numbers of the confused and elderly...I was all for about turning and retiring to the nearest bar for a local ale...when Ste reminded me it was only 09:30.

Ste has a new tripod, back pack thingy, which is now classed as a semi dangerous weapon! He managed to wield it around getting on the boat and there were cries of watch out and duck..quickly followed by apologetic smiles from me! Safely aboard, we were whizzed over to St Agnes, hopped off and rushed up the quay, quick look at the Turks Head for suitable beverages to be consumed at lunchtime and off we strode to the other side of the Isle in search of Rose Coloured Starling. We scanned high and low and were briefly distracted from our search on two occasions by ice-creams freshly made at the local farm. Despite best efforts we did not catch up with our quarry, slightly grumps, we nipped into the Turks Head, before rejoining the elderly and confused, making their way back to St Mary's. 

On return to St Mary's, I looked at the pager and there was a Rose Coloured Starling at Morssions in Penzance...oh well some things are not meant to be! The day was not a complete loss, managed to add some very nice bird earrings to my collection.....

Ste....pictured here after stomping around on St Agnes....but no RSC!!!

Me with very bad hair & red nose...sun rather than brew induced !

 

What no Scilly birds....

Penzance to St Mary's....slight wind...a relatively calm crossing...much too Ste's disappointment.....hence I am a little windswept on the hair front....but definitely not a becoming shade of green...hurrah! For birding mates...Manx Shearwater and Storm Petrel...the later only spotted by moi..one to me !

Stomped around birding sites close to Hugh Town...swift half at lunch time...small shopping purchases....scarves...but don't tell Stephen....then further stomping...sadly nothing new for the year. Spent a short spell listening to a band on the beach this evening....my rendition of Sweet Home Alabama..was not appreciated by my moose....as we wondered back to the hotel! Currently in hotel bar...I am the youngest resident by at least half a century ! Tomorrow we are off for a quick jaunt to St Agnes...Rose Coloured  Starling beckons...and on Tuesday we are going to undertake a pealagic...further opportunity to go green! 

Final note...St Mary's is really quite beautiful....stupendous! 

On Route.....

Holiday Inn....Stonehenge....Currently sat enjoying a G&T, quick check on RBA for any new sightings...not a sausage. Apparently Mr Obama has been mooching around the stones today..don't think he is staying at the Holiday Inn....are you sure asks my elderly mother! Departing for Penzance tomorrow....checked husbands luggage no sign of the Tuba....so I only have snores to contend with! Perhaps this is a bit drastic ! 

Thursday....the day before departure....!!!

A quick look at Rare Bird Alert....not a lot on the Isles so far this week! Oh dear I am sure that things will improve! Ste has made me pack my gloves and wooly hat...last time I looked out of the window the sun was shinning and forecast is fine! Really he does take this "your always chilly...I think your a vampire".....stuff too far sometimes!!

Last day tomorrow....a week with my Tuba playing hubby...minus the tuba I think! Praying to the rarity god for a fall of critters! 

Only 5 Days to Go...

Well there have been some good birds in Kent this weekend, but as luck would not have it, I missed most of them...groan!  I'm wondering if whizzing off to the Scilly Isles is the right thing to do...I dreamt that all the birds gave the isles a wide birth and there was an unbelievable fall in Kent...this is classed a birding nightmare! Would just be my luck! 

The packing adventure starts this week...yes I'm only away for 10 nights...but...well us girls do pack for all occasions.... Ste has sighed....let battle commence! Daily check on Scilly activity...possible Pelagic has been suggested....oh what joy.....green is so becoming!!!!

A Scilly Holiday.....pending!

It is but two weeks till I trip off for a few days birding in the UK! A brief encounter with the Scilly Isles. It may be a tad early for all those American migrants.  Perhaps I should be grateful, ending up in the hedge as I am squeezed out by a mega twitch of chaps is something I can definitely do without. My better half I am sure will wax lyrical on his adventures to the isles in the 80s...avoiding flying tents in howling gales.....dipping on birds...and generally have a jolly good chaps time!

My year list is jaw dropping...that's jaw dropping bloody awful....so I am determined to drag my hubby around said isles....nabbing what new little critters I can!

There is one draw back to all this enthusiasm...it's called the Scillonian....the ferry....I don't have sea legs...oh dear...nice shade of green beckons!