BEE-EATER at Lower Moors

The Lower Moors Spotted Crake have a good ol stretch 

 

 

   Yesterday, just after 07.00, I was at Lower Moors hoping to catch the Bee-eater that roosted in the area the night before. As usual the Spotted Crake was putting on a good performance, but no sign of the Bee-eater. I decided to go and have a look at the back of the moors near to the junction going up to the airport. Here I found Will Scott looking pretty happy as he had pinned down the bird sat in a dead sallow warming itself in the morning sun. Within minutes everyone was on top of us observing the BEE-EATER, doing what else, catching ants.

 

 

The BEE-EATER was flushed by a Blackbird and disappeared over the moor. It wasn't until 12.15 that Robin saw it fly over the moor and 45 minutes later, Doug page was observing it on St Agnes. 

 

The Spotted Crake shared the flooded willow with a single Water Rail and both birds were on show throughout most of the day.

 

  I was given the rest of the day off and in a breezy SE I made my way around the SSW of St Mary's. First I had my first Whitethroat of the year at Star Castle, followed by a Tree Pipit at Lower Moors. A stunning male Redstart in the Salkee fields, most of the Wheatear had cleared out, but I came across small flocks of Meadow Pipit totaling over 70 birds altogether. Up to 20 Swallow were at the airfield with a single Sand Martin. In the late afternoon, Elle and I kayacked to Tresco and got 2 Whimbrel, lots of Sandwich Terns and the juvenile Iceland Gull was on the heliport.

Whitethroat at Star Castle

Tree Pipit at Lower Moors

2 White Wagtail were on the football pitch

 

 

Yesturday on the golf course I counted up to 4 Ring Ouzel and Will Scott had a high total of 167 Wheatear

Female Chaffinch

Male Stonechat

 

  Azorean Yellow-legged Gull? My ass!! Sunday just gone, I came across a messy looking 1st year large gull on the airfield. I questioned if it was a Yellow-legged Gull, but thought it was too dark above. I called everyone up to come and have a look. All agreed that was an interesting gull and the darkness of the bird, questioned me to think maybe a possible Azorean YLG. No one, including myself , had really no idea what to look for and after some time it was decided to put the news out as a possible Azorean YLG. The only reason for this, so birders visting the island could come and have a look themselves and make their own minds to what they think it is. I sent the pics to Martin Elliot and he identified it as a YLG but thought that it was possibly from the Atlantic region. ie, Portuguese coast, Canery or Madeire Islands.

With only one or two sightings a year, this Yellow-legged Gull was still a good record

 

Over a month ago 'Match of the Day' played the great intro to 'Stagger Lee' while showing the faces of  various managers in slow motion. However, they stopped the music just before Nick Cave was just about to sing. If  you have a listen to this one hell of a song, you'll understand why. A long time ago my band played this song a lot.