We opted to have breakfast of croissants and a flask of coffee in the company of an American Golden Plover on Davidstow Airport. After driving up and down the runway for a while, scanning the grass either side, we practically ran over the bird as it was on the actual runway itself feeding in a puddle. After carefully sticking my arm out the window and pointing out the bird to other birders in cars who had been doing the same as us, we settled down to eat breakfast and take photos of it, which at times was only about 8 feet away from us.
 |
| American Golden Plover |
 |
| American Golden Plover |
After breakfast, we made our way down to Porthgwarra, where we were meeting our friend, Mark for a spot birding before heading onward to our bed and breakfast. A walk round the headland there gave us some excellent views of a Peregrine Falcon but no sign unfortunately of the Moltoni Subalpine Warbler that had been there for a few days. I also caught sight of a large Shearwater but just could not get onto it properly before it was out of sight (one that got away...).
 |
| Peregrine Falcon displaying a fine pair of trousers |
Our friend had to leave us mid afternoon to arrange his flights to Scilly, so we decided to check out the St Just area where we saw Chough and the juvenile Rose Coloured Starling in Penzance which seems to like hanging round the Penzance KFC. The bird obligingly was sitting on some wires as we arrived and after a quick look at it, we went and settled into our bed and breakfast.
 |
| Purple Sandpiper |
The following day we met up with Mark for a walk round Penzance and found a Purple Sandpiper near the Lido. We then went for Sunday lunch followed by a walk at Marazion, which unfortunately was devoid of birds due to high winds and therefore we retired to the pub for the evening and a few pints of Doom Bar.
Prior to our flight on Monday, I did a spot of seawatching off Pendeen and managed to clock up about 30 Balearic Shearwaters and about 5 Bonxie. We were all nervous as to whether or not our flights to Scilly would be cancelled but the wind had calmed and we were soon settling into our self catering accomodation in Hugh Town on St Mary's. While my birders wife did some food shopping, I met up with Mark and other friend, Rich and walked round the island taking in the Garrison, Runway, Tip, Lower Moors and Old Churchyard. It was still fairly windy, so the birds were not really showing at all and we found nothing. In the evening, we attended the log at the Scillonian, where it was confirmed that was not much around.
The following day, we walked round St Mary's again taking in the same locations as well as the north of the Island and managed to clock up the long staying Barred Warbler, Peregrine Falcon and a Merlin. News broke of a Rosefinch on Tresco, but we decided to stay on St Mary's and all met up for a meal in the Mermaid and a few Doom Bars.
Although me and my birders wife had been to Scilly previously, we had never been to any islands except for St Mary's and therefore we opted for a visit to Tresco on Wednesday. The birding on that island proved a bit more successful than previous days as we managed to bag Whooper Swans, Red Breasted Flycatcher, Ring Ousel and Green Winged Teal, along with a Black Necked Grebe in Tresco Channel on the way back.
We were bitten with Island hopping and decided to head for St Agnes and Gugh on Thursday. The tide was in our favour upon arrival on St Agnes and headed over to Gugh, which was idyllic. After exploring Gugh, news broke of an Ortolan Bunting on the other side of St Agnes and were watching the juvenile bird feeding in the cattle paddock - a great bird and a lifer for both of us.
 |
| Ortolan Bunting - Class! |
We spent the remainder of the day exploring St Agnes and managed to find a couple of Whimbrel and a Yellow Browed Warbler. A quick walk round the Old Churchyard back St Mary's and we found the Firecrest there along some Redwing.
Our last full day on Scilly was spent wandering round the whole island again with the highlight being the Barred Warbler, which performed magnificantly for us.
 |
| Barred Warbler |
Our flight back to the mainland was mid afternoon on Saturday, so we again walked around the Garrison and had a pasty near Porthloo Beach watching a Rose Coloured Starling and two Black Redstarts. After returning to Lands End Airport, we did a spot of birding down Kendijack Valley where we saw a couple of Choughs before heading back to our bed and breakfast.
Our final day of the holiday was spent travelling back to Warwickshire stopping off for lunch at Steart Marshes where we watched the Pallid Harrier on and off for about halof an hour, a nice end to the week.
