A Day of Dipping

Tuesday 12 th October was another day of glorious autumn sunshine and light Easterly winds.

News of a Nightingale on St Agnes and some other bits and pieces persuaded me to part with £ 7.80 for the boat to Aggy.

I haven't seen Nightingale for many years (the early nineties on Salthouse Heath being my only one). However, I again failed to break that run today as there was no sign from the area of Chapel Fields where it had been seen, apparently well, the previous day. The Turtle Dove had gone from the lighthouse garden as had the RB Fly from the Fruit Cages.

On the positive side at least 2 Ring Ouzels were in Periglis Cove but I dipped the Wryneck and Black Redstart.

Ring Ouzel -wild and wary as usual

Whinchat was present close to the Big Pool:

Whinchat

Male Stonechat against a blue 'Scilly Sky'

A tramp round Wingletang failed to find any of the reported Lapland Buntings. Yet more Northern Wheatears, this time on the beach at The Beady Pool:

Northern Wheatear - Nice contrast against the seaweed

Afemale Pied Fly showed well in The Parsonage:

Female Pied Fly

A couple of Chiffchaff were feeding on a sunny ivy covered wall and were frequently returning to the same branch of a Pitisporan giving me an opportunity for a good image:



Chiffchaff





















A Lesser Whitethroat was present in Chapel Fields late afternoon.

The boat arrived back on St Mary's just before 5pm and this gave me time to nip up to the back of the golf course for Pied Wheatear. Unfortunately, it had flown shortly before I had arrived !

News of a 1st winter male Subalpine Warbler on Bryher promised much for tomorrow.