Scilly Spring 2024

I​ have just returned from an incredible trip to The Isles of Scilly, where I had some really amazing wildlife encounters. I have been visiting Scilly every year all my life, and as mentioned many times on this blog, it is a very special place for wildlife. However, given the geography of the islands, it is a particularly special place for birdwatching during spring and autumn when it hosts a wealth of migratory species that drop down during their journeys to-and-from breeding grounds. I have only once visited the islands outside of mid-summer, and I am too young to remember much of what we saw!

I started the trip with a calm crossing on the Scillonian III ferry, where the holiday began with sightings of many manx shearwaters, guillemots and razorbills in rafts between Land's End and Scilly. It's extraordinary to think of the journey these birds have made, with many of our Manxies migrating across the Atlantic from South America to breed in Scilly (and other areas along the western coast of the UK). When I arrived on St Marys, I had a few hours before my mum would join me on the islands. I walked to some of the nature reserves on the island, managing to see the stunning purple heron which had been on the islands for a few days, in addition to a soaring hen harrier - both Scilly firsts for me!

Over the next few days, there were some notable 'twitches', such as the pair of pink-footed geese which had been feeding in a field next to St Nicholas Church on Tresco for a week or so. There were also many sightings of classic migratory drop-ins, including tonnes of wheatears flitting about the beaches. However, a highlight for me was an early morning walk to the north end of Tresco, where I heard a grasshopper warbler reeling along the bushes, and an absolute gem of a male ring ouzel. This was another first for me, and was a highlight of the trip. Though I didn't see it at first, I knew there was something interesting around when I heard it call. The vocalisations are similar to the 'chack' calls of fieldfare, which would've been an exciting sighting for Scilly at this time of year. But once I caught a glimpse of the bird and realised it was a ring ouzel I was even more thrilled!

The next morning, I started the day by checking a small flood near St Nicholas Church on Tresco. I was keen to keep an eye on this flood, as it looked like great habitat for small waders to drop into. Although I was unsuccessful with this hope, there was a very bright male yellow wagtail preening on a fencepost. However, I wasn't prepared for the next 20 minutes, where everything seemed to happen at once! First, I picked up a large dark bird approaching from the south. It took a minute or so before it was close enough for me to identify as a black kite - a first for me within the UK! While this was being mobbed by gulls, suddenly a red kite arrived. This is a species I commonly see back home, but to see one in Scilly was somewhat surreal. Just a few minutes later, a female marsh harrier drifted over, without stopping at all. In less than half and hour, I saw three raptor species that I haven't seen on Scilly previously! It was a real highlight of the trip. Later that day, I had the opportunity to see a beautifully-poised woodchat shrike at the south end of the island. This was a species I was hoping to see during the trip, so I was very glad to get a few photos of it.

Over the next few days, we took a wildlife trip around the deeper waters of Scilly, seeing many more razorbill, guillemot, shags, great northern divers and even a few puffins. We also got the chance to see quite a few grey seals, for which Scilly is a real strong-hold of the British population. Finally, on a walk around Bryher, I caught some brief views of a lovely male whinchat, a real favourite of mine!

In total, I saw 85 bird species over the course of the week (eBird trip report found here) - it certainly isn't a trip I'll forget any time soon!