Scilly, October 5th 2005

The view from the heliport r- St Mary's, Scilly, Nikon Coolpix 995, © Kit Day

With Blackpoll Warbler, up to 2 Red-eyed Vireos, as well as showy Sora and Spotted Sandpiper, it seemed a decent time to make my first trip to the Isles of Scilly, with company from Rich Bonser and Marc Read. The trip proved to pretty successful, apart from news of ANOTHER Isabelline Wheatear at Landguard which I wouldn't be able to get to. Thankfully the birds on Scilly more than made up for missing the distant, dull, washed out, upright standing Northern Wheatear.

After arriving on the islands, we headed for The Garrison, where most of the action had been the previous day. After a fairly brief search of the Lower Broome Platform by about 6 birders, I picked out the Blackpoll Warbler in the hedge on the seaward side of the path/wall. Frustratingly, it managed to elude everyone else for the next 10 minutes, but eventually I picked it up again and managed to get everyone onto it. The light was shocking and time was fairly limited, so I only managed a couple of record shots:

Blackpoll Warbler - St Mary's, Scilly
Canon EOS 20D, 500mm IS f4 with 1.4x TC
© Kit Day

Next stop was the Spotted Sandpiper on some rocky beach. It was extremely confiding, as was a rather moth-eaten Rock PIpit.

After briefly looking for a Common Rosefinch amongst a load of Sparrows, we headed for the Sora, which also showed well....

After dipping a Red-eyed Vireo and seeing the amazing spectacle that was the pond at which there was allegedly a Trumpeter Finch drinking the previous day..... we went home.