AQUATIC, LESSERLEGS, BAIRD'S, PEC and 6 BUFFIES!

Juvenile LESSER YELLOWLEGS at Porth Killier, St Agnes

  What a great day! A seawatch off Giants Castle first thing this morning in a SWW F6, saw nothing but Gannets. Returning along the airfield and there 30+Wheatear, 10 white Wagtail and the 3 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER. At Lower Moors the Juvenile PECTORAL SANDPIPER was showing well.

Juvenile PECTORAL SANDPIPER at Lower Moors

  While I was at Lower Moors, Grayham informed me that the Aquatic, Pec and Baird's Sandpiper were still at the Big Pool, St Agnes. At 10.40, Grayham was there to meet Tean and I at St Agnes Quay. There was no sign of any of the waders on the pool. However, as we were walking along the bank at Periglis, I thought I heard the Baird's fly into Porth Coose. Looking over Porth Coose, I spotted the juvenile BAIRD'S SANDPIPER immediately back on just in front of us. It performed well before moving further away along the beach and then flew over to Periglis where we relocated it. The 10th Oct '95 is when I saw my first Baird's and it was here on Periglis after watching, just up the track, a stunning Northern Parula in the Parsonage. The only other Baird's that I've seen, was an adult on the Abbey Pool, Tresco, 6th September '97. So really this was like seeing a new bird again. There was no sign of the Pec and we left the Aquatic to later as we were all hungry.

Cracking shot by Bryan Thomas

Robin Mawer

Juvenile BAIRD'S SANDPIPER at Porth Coose, St Agnes

  Food comes before birds and it was bloody good stuff! We all went to Cove Vean and I had a sausage ciabatta with red onion marmalade. It was then followed by homemade carrot cake. Well actually Teans, but I scoffed it all and by far it was the best carrot cake I've ever had! If you visit Cove Vean, I recommend it. A shower moved through and we returned to Grayham's place. Tean stayed here, while Grayham and I got to business in trying to see the Aquatic Warbler. The only one that I've ever seen, was back on the 10th October '94. It showed very well in reeds that bordered a field next to the incinerator.
  We started walking through the rides (Grayham has named one, the Aquatic avenue) Altogether we got very good flight views of the AQUATIC WARBLER, but never on the deck. Maybe if it was less windy, then we might of done better.

Grayham got to close to the edge and kind of lost his balance

I wasn't pleased, because he flushed the Aquatic Warbler. Can you see it diving into cover behind him?

  I was feeling good after seeing the Aquatic and we made our way towards Porth Killier. Here we leaned on the wall, overlooking the beach, and watched the surfers in the bay. We were just chewing the fat for about ten minutes, mostly about a lot of rubbish, when Grayham shouted 'Flip-Flop, a juvenile LESSER YELLOWLEGS!' The bird had come from nowhere, it seemed, and landed directly in front of us. It moved down to the shore to join the other waders before moving up with the tide right below us. Here it fed in the seaweed and was enjoyed by other observers making there way back to the Seahorse. While we had been chatting, all the time the lesserlegs was feeding below us in the seaweed and if it had not make that short flight in front of us, then we would have moved on and never have noticed it. This is only my 4th Scilly Lesser Yellowlegs. The first one  that I ever saw, was a bird found by Dave Barns in November '95 at Knighton Reservoir, Shrops/Staffs border. November that year was amazing for birds in Shropshire. In a week I managed to see the lesserlegs, Purple Heron, (both first for the county) Temminck's Stint, Rock Pipit, 3 Scaup, 1 Common Scoter and a redhead Smew!

Top two shots Robin Mawer

Juvenile LESSER YELLOWLEGS just arrived across the Atlantic and first stop, Porth Killier, St Agnes

To give you an idea how well this bird showed. That Frans Hicks shoulder!

A small crowd starts to arrive to admire the lesserlegs

  When I was on St Agnes, I discovered that Martin had now found 4 Buff-breasted Sandpiper on the airfield. So after seeing the Pectoral Sandpiper, now back at Porth Hellick, I went to have a look at them. I found them, but there wasn't 4 but 5, which didn't really surprise me. However scanning to my left, I found another bird. A total of 6 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER! Are they breeding up here? This is the largest number that I've ever seen together. It was almost dark and both Robin and Tony was the only ones that came to look at them. Robin also got the 1st summer female WOODCHAT SHRIKE on the way up to the airport on the wires just before the terminal building.

5 of the 6 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER at the airfield Robin Mawer

  On  Tresco, Robin found a PEC SAND on the Great Pool, later a different bird was on the Abbey Pool.

'Higgo, I bet I find a PEC on the Great Pool'