A short trip to Scilly

Time off between jobs afforded me the luxury of a few days on the Isles of Scilly earlier this week. My last visit was a two day stay in 2017 with David Bradnum, the highlight of which was seeing a Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush on St Martin's. That bird was a riot of red, white and blue - red tail and breast, blue head and a white blaze on the back. So as I booked tickets for the sailing of Scillonian III on Monday there was a certain symmetry in knowing that the rarest bird on the islands this time was the closely related Blue Rock Thrush, a species with which I became very familiar on our summer holiday to Mallorca.

Blue Rock Thrush on the Garrison

The Blue Rock Thrush could often be seen from distance thanks to its habit of perching on prominent boulders

The Blue Rock Thrush was aged as a first winter, looking quite brown in certain lights

Scillonian III made good time with a largely uneventful crossing being punctuated by a pod of Common Dolphin and, as we approached St Mary's, a small group of Harbour Porpoise. On arrival I headed straight for the Garrison where the Blue Rock Thrush had been seen earlier in the day. It was reportedly moving clockwise around the Garrison, and after not too long I caught up with it between the Woolpack Battery and Steval.

I had never seen Harbour Porpoise this far out of the water before

A snub nose and small dorsal fin identify this as Harbour Porpoise

Harbour Porpoise

I had read various horror stories about visiting birders taking days to see this bird so I was perhaps fortunate to walk straight up to it. It was, however, clearly a very skittish bird, but as we sat quietly at the end of the bay it was feeding in, it paid us the courtesy of flying towards us at one point, enabling a few passable photos to be taken with the aid of a teleconverter.

Citrine Wagtail

Note the complete pale border around the cheek and broad wing bars

Just a hint of yellow on the vent of this bird

My other main target for the day was a Spotted Crake which had been giving good views at Lower Moors. I spent an hour there without success before breaking news of a Citrine Wagtail saw me heading off in the direction of Salakee Farm. This newly discovered rarity didn't play ball at first, feeding in long grass at the feet of cattle at the back of a field on a convex slope which made viewing difficult. For no apparent reason though it took flight, calling distinctively, and landed just in front of the assembled birders.

Wren

Spotted Crake, Lower Moors

Very long toes on this bird!

On the way back to my B&B in Hugh Town I called in at Lower Moors again where, thanks to a shout from Pete Aley, I enjoyed extended views of the Spotted Crake preening out in the open at close range. So an excellent start to the trip, with both of the main target birds seen well and a bonus breaking rarity thrown in.

The Spotted Crake preened out in the open

This went on for several minutes

A rare view of the underwing of a Spotted Crake

One that got away

After one high profile victim this week, Britain's cats almost claimed another less celebrated one from under my nose yesterday. This was in the form of what I believe to be a Field or Short-tailed Vole. We were staying with friends in Kent this weekend, in a house with three resident felines. How pleased I was to see them.


I think this is a Short-tailed Vole, on account of it's short-tailed, vole-like appearance. Presumably a young one given the small size.

After our host's boozy 50th birthday party on Saturday, we were lazing around the house nursing morning after feelings when what I assumed to be one of the children's remote control cars buzzed across the floor towards my feet. Instinctively I picked them up without really looking and thought nothing more of it. A minute later, and several mums and daughters were jumping on the sofa shouting 'MOUSE!!!'

We named the vole Jesus, as he was persecuted by the cat but rose again the next morning

Safely captured under a glass with a 50th birthday card slipped beneath, the vole was released apparently unharmed in the garden, where it sniffed the air and crapped on the card before shuffling across the drive to the lawn. It had apparently been brought in by one of the cats the night before, liberated once and re-trapped by a persistent tabby. Now why couldn't the one which caught the Great Snipe have been so gentle?

The best I could manage of the Spotted Crake at Oare in a brief visit.

After all this excitement, there was time to visit a favoured old haunt in the form of Oare Marshes, where I just caught the back end of a showy Spotted Crake before it ceased to be showy. A 1,000+ flock of cackling Blackwits and a couple of close Ruff were a bit more obliging.

A typical scene at Oare Marshes in September

A lot more heavily trafficked now than when I was a regular, it's been a while since Oare was considered one of Kent's better kept secrets. I've seen Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Baillon's Crake, Long-billed Dowitcher, Red-necked Phalarope and Temminck's Stint there over the years, and with Tufted Puffin also on the site list, I suppose it was bound to leak out eventually.


Ruff alongside the road at Oare Marshes