Lesser Canada Goose on Tresco

This Lesser Canada Goose (probably parvipes) was feeding with the resident 6 Canada Geese on the Abbey Pool and could prove to be the first Scilly record

  I hitched a ride on the ambulance boat to Tresco and arrived at the Abbey Pool just after 0845. The Teal were noisy and immediately I found the male Green-winged Teal that arrived last month with 45+Teal. 10 Snipe were flushed and a female Reed Bunting, 15+Chiffchaff and a single Willow Warbler were in surrounding bushes. At the south east end of the Great Pool I put up a Jack Snipe and then the mobile rang and all I could hear was heavy breathing and nearly put the phone down. Joe, I think was out of breath after seeing an Osprey over Wartermill and it was heading towards Bar. I rushed to Pentle Bay and scanned, but there was no sign of it.

Male Green-winged Teal on the right on the Abbey Pool

  Chiffchaffs were calling all over the shop on Pool Road and with my naked eye, I saw a paler individual, that I thought was going to be a Siberian 'type'. I lifted me bins and could see it was a pale Willow Warbler with a broad prominent supercilium. A possible Northern Willow Warbler. Although it was a long ways off, I fired off some shots before it disappeared. While I was taking pics of the warbler, a Dusky Warbler called twice further back down the road. I quickly ran to where I thought it was calling from, but after half an hour, I gave up. Because I could only just hear it, I thought maybe I heard one of the many Blackcap that are in the area. I continued and the only birds of note outside the Swarovski hide were 2 Swallow, 3 Little Grebe and a Kingfisher. Even though I heard it a long ways off and briefly, it still didn't sound right for Blackcap. So instead of turning left to go towards the tip, I went right and made my way back from where I had come from. Then I heard that call, it was only once, but it was a Dusky Warbler. I didn't hear again for another hour, but now it was very vocal and calling low down in the vegetation that borders Pool Road. It was very mobile, roaming from near the entrance of the Swarovski hide to the David Hunt hide. The latter site is where at last I caught up with it as it moved around the isolated Sallows. However, it was on the move again and the only way I could connect with it, is when it called. It was calling in front of me and while waiting for the damn thing to come out, the Northern Willow Warbler was feeding in the sun. It was a lot closer and then it flitted to a another branch, to be joined by a pale Willow Warbler! There were 2 Northern Willow Warbler! I couldn't call or text anyone or put the news out, because my mobile was broke after I dropped it yesterday.

My first sighting of the Northern Willow Warbler (possibly acredula) showing greyish uperparts, pale underparts and a prominent supercilium, before I heard the Dusky Warbler. It also looked slightly bulky 

2 Northern Willow Warbler (possibly acredula) Pool Road. 

Up to 30 Meadow Pipit were on the heliport with a single Skylark

A good total of 11 Blackcap were present including this female

I also had from the Abby Pool to the end of Pool Raod, 10 Goldcrest, 30+Redwing, 2 Grey Wagtail and over 60 Chiffchaff 

  I had not even been on Abby Drive or anywhere else on Tresco and it was time to make my way to catch the boat at New Grimbsy. One more look from the Swarovski hide saw the ambulance buggy driving towards Carn near! Shite, I thought! I'm sure they told me to be at New Grimbsy? There was no time to think of itI'm going to the wrong quay and I had 15 minutes to run like the devil to get to Carn Near! Would I make it in my wellies and my bins and camera bouncing around as I ran? God I ran, but then I slowed down as I approached Rosefields Crossroads. There was a Bullfinch calling just above me, but I had no time to search for it and carried on. It continued to call as I left it behind and thought, it was in the same area where I had 3 birds a long time ago. 6 Canada Geese were on the lawn next to the road. I was dying, but I couldn't help but notice that one was smaller. This time I did stop and quickly took some shots and then I was off again. This time I had to run faster and I arrived at Carn Near on the hour, but no one was there! Shite! They wouldn't have gone without me? Would they? Maybe they're hiding somewhere, but how do you hide a boat? It was now ten past and I was getting slightly worried. It wouldn't of been so bad if I saw the Osprey come this way from St Mary's, that Will Scott had 30 minutes ago. Then from nowhere the boat came from Tresco channel and when I hoped on board, I was told that why wasn't I at New Grimbsy? With sweat still dripping off my forehead and heavy breathing, I apologized and told them that I saw you going in the other direction and thought I had got the wrong quey and panicked. They laughed as I clasped on the bed!

 

Lesser Canada Goose (probably parvipes) on the left. In plumage, it looked similar to the resident Canada Goose it was with. However, it was 2/3rds the size, duskier flanks with greyish markings extending up the lower part of the neck. There was also a hint of a neck collar. The bill was long and not triangle and it had a slopping forehead, instead of it being steep. If accepted it would be a first for Scilly! Looking at the net later on, it looks good for parvipes, but I would welcome any comments on this bird. 

Watch Lukas Nelson play  with his teeth! While his dad, Willie Nelson and Neil Young look on. He has toured with BB King and at the moment he's touring with Niel Young. Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real - sometimes referred to as POTR - is an American rock group based out of California. ^[1] The band consists of Lukas Nelson (vocals/guitar), Anthony Logerfo (drums), Corey McCormick (bass), and Tato Melgar (percussion). Lukas is the son of Willie Nelson.