LOWER MOORS - PORTHLOO LANE AND COVE - STANDING STONES FIELD - OLD TOWN CAFE - GARRISON - HIGHER MOORS - PORTH HELLICK - (POOL AND BEACH).
WEATHER; a very bad day of wind and rain, poor visibilty.
The forecast was for bad weather and that is exactly what we got, which made for poor birding with wet optics and clothing.
We walked down to Lower Moors to sit in the hide overlooking the small pool there, it was empty of course not many people had ventured out this morning. There were no birds in sight when we got there, but a few arrived over the next 30 minutes. Mallards, Moorhen, Grey Heron, Cormorant and a nice splash of colour lit up the pool when a Grey Wagtail dropped in.
The rain eased off so we decided to walk to Porthloo, we stopped at Shooter's Pool blind for a while watching Chiffchaffs and Moorhens, we did see Robin, Blue and Great Tits too. We also stopped at the bottom of Rocky Hills Track to scan the field where the Ortolan Bunting had been seen earlier in the trip, we saw thrushes and Robins and a couple of Spotted Flycatchers there.
At Porthloo we added a new species to our list, a previously unsighted Bar-tailed Godwit fed on the beach next to a bunch of Curlews, the usually array of Oystercatchers and Gulls were also there. Meadow and Rock Pipits dashed bout on the bach with White Wagtails and a couple of Little Egrets sat on the rocks.
Bar-tailed Godwit in front of two Curlews on Porthloo Beach
At this point we heard that bad wind conditions were forecast for Saturday and that the Scillonian would not sail and the possibilty that flights wuld be cancelled. So, Martha, who had booked an international flight back to Canada for Monday needed to catch Ferry, she left us.
Greenfinch taken in te Standing Stones Field
A message came through of a Brambling sighting back at Old Town so we trundled through Lower Moors again, picking out Goldcrest and hearing a Water Rail along th way. In the Standing Stones Field we met one sole birder who pointed us into the right direction, an area where the Brambling had been favouring. After 15 minutes or so, the bird appeared with a couple of Chaffinches, we saw it in flight at first, but then Debbie, Lyn and Lynda all got onto it in a sallow bush and they had great views of a male Brambling, a trip tick.
Chiffchaff at Shooter's Pool
We followed that success with a lunch stop in the Old Town cafe. We then took a taxi ride back to the main quay in Hugh Town, we mistakenly thought that a boat was leaving for St Agnes at 2pm, of course it wasn't, we were looking at yesterday's timetable, doh!! Denis, also had had enough of the wind and rain and we dropped him back at the guest house.
A walk up to the Garrison was thought to be a good idea........not!! It was sheltered for the first 500 mteres or so, but the wind was very strong on the northern side. We gave up the idea and walked back into town.
At Town Beach the local community bus was due to leave, so we jumped onto it and travelled to Higher Moors, we intended to sit in the hides at Porth Hellick Pool and watch the Wilson's Phalarope which was still present. What a treat we had, the delightful American wader was still present, although quite distant as last time. But after 30 minutes the bird worked it way towards the hide, it kept on coming and coming, getting nearer and nearer, until eventually it was so close that is disappeared from sight.
Wilson's Phalarope
It was incredible, the bird was below us, we had to stand up and lean out of the viewing slits to see it! every camera and phone-camera were firing away! Eventually the bird started to work back along the waters edge, away from us. We also saw two Kingfishers, two Teal and a few Mallards.
busy feeding the Phalarope hardly stopped during the hour we were watching.
At the beach in Porth Hellick we saw Greenfinches, Stonechats, Linnets and Goldfinches. Out on the rocks we saw Greenshank, Grey Heron, Little Egret and a Curlew. We then walked back to the guest house arriving at 5:30pm.
For dinner we made a walk into town in the drizzling, blustery rain. Our last official supper was enjoyed in the nice warm pub. The walk back wans't too bad.