PORTHCRESSA BEACH - TRESCO ( CARN NEAR - ABBEY POOL - GREAT POOL - CASTLE DOWN - GREAT POOL)
WEATHER: a lovely sunny day, plenty of sunhine, not breeze. Top temp 16C
What a contrast to yesterday we awaoke to a perfectly still m orning with a clear sky and beautiful light. We ate breakfast at 7:30am and then walked down to Hugh Town via the Buzza Tower track. Scoping the bay at Porthcressa produced a number of sightings, the light was just exquisite.
even the Starlings were happy to see some sunshine - taken by Phil Naylor
We found a Curlew, Oystercatchers, Kingfisher, a couple of flocks of Sanderling numbering 17 and 29, and a flock of 13 Sandwich Terns. Other species in the bay included Grey Heron, Little Egret, Shag, Cormorant, Black-headed, Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls.
the group (except Phil) looking down at Porthcressa from Buzza Tower
In town we bought boat tickets and lunch supplies before walking to the quay to board the 'Golden Spray' out to Tresco. We saw nothing new during the boat trip but just after we landed we found a Great Egret and an Osprey, both were scoped from the Quayside. Stonechats, Linnets and Rock Pipits were also noted in the same area and as we walked to the Airfield we added Meadow Pipit, Blackcap and Dunnock. The airfield produced sightings of Pheasant and more Linnets and the trees along the main path around Tresco Abbey held Goldcrest, Robin, Blackbird and a Red Squirrel.
Red Sqireel on Tresco - photo by Phil Naylor
On the Abbey Pool Gadwall went onto our trip list and we had another sighting of the Osprey. The bushes around the Abbey Pool was alive with birds but we also added Spotted Flycatcher, Blue Tit and more Goldcrests.
Spotted Flycatcher - also by Phil Naylor (looks very much like Mediterranean Flycatcher found on Majorca.
The Great Pool was much more productive, Teal and Gadwall abound, with Moorhen and Little Grebe, Mute Swan and Grey Heron. We walked the enitre length of the northern track and found oueselves in the Swarovski Hide, which was crowed with birders. Along the track we listed Osprey, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel, When we arrived at the hide had just missed a Spotted Crake which had showed well! We did see Jack Snipe, lots of Redshanks and Greenshanks, a couple of Water Rails, Dunlin, Teal, Gadwall, Mallard, Little Grebe, Mute Swan and Barn Swallows.
Great Egret taken from Carn Near Quay
Great White with Grey Heron taken by Phil Naylor
It was getting on for lunchtime, so at 1pm we abandoned our search for the Crake and walked to the shops and cafe where we drank coffee and ate our picnic lunch. The Osprey appeared again and we clocked another Great Egret in New Grimsby Bay. From the Bay we walked up the hill to Castle Down. A aheltered hedgerow was alive with butterflies, we saw Speckled Wood, Small Copper, Peacock, Red Admiral and Large White.
Castle Down - Sue taking a look at King Charle's Castle Ruins
Castle Down was pretty much desolate, we did see Meadow Pipits, but a Northern Wheatear was seen by just three of the group, a Kestrel dashed about but our search for Eurasian Dotterel went unrewarded. Walking along the track near King Charle's Castle we saw some other birders looking onto the down below us and with a little of scanning we found two Eurasian Dotterel and a single Eurasian Golden Plover. The birds were distant b ut we all had scope views of them in really good light. A second Northern Wheatear appeared behind the Dotterel.
two Greenshanks and if you look carefully there is a Spotted Crake just to their left
Back in New Grimsby we decided to try for the Spotted Crake again, whilst Dave went off at a quicker pace to ther far end of the Great Pool to look for a Bonelli's Warbler. We were very successful with the Spotted Crake we had many sightings of it as it worked its way along the reed fringes. We also had much better views of Water Rail, Jack Snipe and we found our first Common Pochard.
Kingfisher in Porthcressa this morning
Dave rejoined us just as the Crake disappeared, hed had seen the Bonelli's Warbler but missed the crake. It was now 4:30pm so we walked briskly around to the quay to catch the last boat home. It was 5:30pm when we got back to Hugh Town so we went straight to the Atlantic Hotel for our 6pm reservation. The food was delicious and a nice cool beer went down well.