ISLES OF SCILLY & CORNWALL 2009

Our annual jaunt to the south west once again produced some fantastic birding. As ever sea watching and our now famous pelagic boat trips were the highlight and we picked up the full range of species yet again. DAY ONE and Wilson's Storm Petrel was in the bag as at least three birds were noted, while a Sooty Shearwater, two Great Skua, two Manx Shearwater, Balearic Shearwater, thirty European Storm Petrel, Harbour Porpoise and were also recorded. Land birding produced a superb Leser Yellowlegs, two Green and two Common Sandpipers, eight Common Greenshank, Water Rail and Common Kingfisher. DAY TWO is traditionally the full day pelagic and todays excursion produced a further six Wilson's Petrels, as well as two Great Shearwaters, one Sooty Shearwater and one Balearic Shearwaters as highlights. Other species seen were a Black and an Arctic Tern, one hundred European Storm Petrel and three Mediterranean Gulls, while other wildlife included a Trigger Fish, Ocean Sunfish and one hundred Common Dolphin. DAY THREE produced some superb birding with another Wilson's Petrel, Great Shearwater, an Arctic Skua, a very close Sabine's Gull and nine Cory's Shearwaters at sea and a super Buff-breasted Sandpiper was on St Mary's and a Melodious Warbler completed a fine day. DAY FOUR was a b it quieter with the return Scillonian crossing producing fifteen European Storm Petrels, two Great Skua and six Manx Shearwater, while the Melodious Warbler again showed briefly on St Mary's. Other landbirds of note today were a Wood Sandpiper and Marsh Harrier. Back in Cornwall for DAY FIVE and two Red-billed Chough and a selection of common migrants including Garden Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff as well as twenty Black-tailed Godwit. DAY SIX - the final day produced just a couple of nice trip birds in the form of Green Woodpecker and Common Whitethroat to round off another excellent trip.