Wednesday 2 December 2015

Some Scilly photos

Although The Isles of Scilly, for birders, are most renowned for the rarities it also is great for some of the species that are just slightly out of the ordinary.

Most of the beaches and bays are hosts to groups of "alba" wagtails, and often White Wagtails out number Pied Wagtails in these prime feeding areas.


We were on St Mary's during the half term week at the end of October and this is the perfect time for an influx of one of my favourites, Black Redstarts.  A walk down to Watermill Bay produced several, including a couple of stunning males.

Even the immatures have a very appealing look as they flit around, finding small insects  and flashing their tails as they go,

This shows the bright outer tail feathers come to both sexes, and the pale wing patch of a  male. 

Occasionally one of the local Robins joined them on the beach, sometimes demonstrating a less than welcome approach to their cousins.


Sam and Eliot enjoyed their time on the beach, although neither semed to have worked out that wellingtons fill up when the tops go under the waves.

Another picture of a young bird, for no other reason than I like it!

Eliot failed, as did Canute, and in the end we had to leave the bay to the sea as the tide came in.


On the Saturday morning, before the afternoon ferry back to Penzance, the Osprey that had been around for a few days put in a good performance at Higher Moors/Porth Hellick Pool.



I always get a thrill seeing these birds, as exciting now as when I saw my first one fifty years ago.

2 comments:

Derek Faulkner said...

Great to see youngsters out in the countryside, and getting the odd bootful.

Tony Morris said...

Unfortunately the amount of sand that got back to the house meant we needed a good clean up on Saturday morning.