Cornwall Day 6 Shear Delight!!

 Up until now, though we have had a good time and seen some good birds and yes visited some interesting Castles and Attractions, the trip hadn't really delivered on the main reason for coming, big Shearwaters!! Edit: my reason for coming. The large numbers of Cory's and Great Shearwaters that had been going past various seawatching hotspots for weeks had dried up and although a few hours watching had produced quite a lot of Manx Shearwaters and one distant dot that another birder assured me was a Cory's it had largely been a disappointment, so far the Birding Gods hadn't been kind in fact they had been downright snarky😡!! Hopefully I will get my reward today, for today we are on a day trip to the Isles of Scilly!!! Whoop!!  

With the  Scillonian III sailing at 9.15am the mission was planned with our usual precision, we parked up in the car park in good time and walked the half a mile or so around the harbour to the boarding area, on arrival I realised I'd left my Bins in the car😱😱😲😏 this was particularly galling as at the car I'd made a big point of checking Margie had her bins!! (she has history!!) I couldn't go to legendary birding paradise without me bins!! To her credit Margie was very magnanimous not only holding my camera when I marched back to the car (I don't do running, but nearly broke into a brisk trot on this occasion) but refraining from any snarky comments, although her "don't forget ya bins" comment everytime I've left  the house since is beginning to irritate a week later!!😂 Though in her position I'd of been a lot worse!!!😂 Still made it back in time and fully binned up we boarded the ferry.

The Scillonian III, affectionately known as either the Vomit Comet or the Big White Stomach Pump!!Apparently to navigate the shallow waters, it has a shallow draught which makes it more prone to swaying about a lot in rough seas, facts relayed to us by the guy we were sitting next to, a regular who regaled us with several anecdotes, most of which involved puddles of puke, while we were waiting to sail! 

Like many good days it started with a Shag!! In the harbour next to the boat!!

We set off, it became obvious straight away we were  a bit under dressed, was warm in the harbour but a chill breeze as we headed out and the sun typically did a disappearing act!! First birds were a flock of Gannets that went right over our heads!! 

Gannets of various ages!

There were several other birders on the ship, which was quite handy and one of them came around and suggested we were on the wrong side!! As there were several Cory's Shearwaters being viewed from the other side, Whoop!! We relocated, I grabbed a space and got stonking views!!! The journey continued with cracking views of loads of Cory's and after a while the cry went out "Great Shearwater" this was a lifer for me and after a couple of nervy seconds, I got it in the bins, distinctive with its black cap, a stunner!! We had several more on the journey, one of the other birders spotted 4 European Storm Petrels , I got them in the bins eventually but they were distant and going like the clappers so couldn't even attempt a pic, we also saw a pod of Dolphins but quite frankly they were ignored in the Shearwater frenzy! A fantastic trip, though the murky conditions and the bouncy nature of the trip (this was supposed to be calm, god knows what it's like in a storm or a strong wind) means the pictures are not great and bearing in mind what's coming😂 I've only posted a few of the many hundreds of pics I took!! Such restraint😂😂😂

Cory's Shearwater

Cory's Shearwater

Cory's Shearwater

Gannet, weren't many about

Cory's Shearwater

Great Shearwater, sadly didn't come quite as close as the Cory's

Great Shearwater

Not that rough to start with but as we got out into the sea proper got pretty bumpy (M)

Strange light today (M)

Great Shearwater

Great Shearwater

Great Shearwater

Dolphins, not 100% sure but maybe Bottlenose?

Cory's Shearwater

Approaching the Isles of Scilly

So we had four hours on St Marys, what to do, well let's be honest can't go to the Isles of Scilly without trying to twitch a good bird, the only thing on offer was a Woodchat Shrike about 30 minutes walk away so we set off, it was pretty much all uphill, typically!!😏 A quick stop at Harry's Wall for Margie's Culture fix! 

This size ship would be more my style! (M)

Harbour View (M) 

Harry's Walls, I don't know who Harry was or why he needs Walls, but Margie probably does as she spend ages reading boards while there's a Shrike in the offing!! 😱 (M)

(M)

(M)

Some lovely views and beaches (M)

(M)

Suppose it's not that surprising the Scillies would have a boat for an ambulance! (M)

(M)

 We arrived on site, two of the birders from the boat were present apparently they had blagged a lift!! The good news, one of them had seen the bird, the bad news it had dropped down into a field behind the hedge and was out of sight!! Dammit. the other guys headed off and after five minutes of so appeared in a gateway opposite us they were scanning the hedge we were, the other side to us! We heard them say they had it, then "it's gone round the other side" which theoretically meant we should be able to see it and after a scanning for a minute or so we could!!! Though it didn't hang around, but I was amazed we got it!!

Juvenile Woodchat Shrike

 

Definitely a bonus bird, only the second one I've seen, the previous one some years ago, glimpsed for about 10 seconds as I was being Sandblasted at Winterton Dunes!! The walk back to Hugh Town was uneventful, plenty of Goldfinches, a few Linnets and lots of House Sparrows, we had a nice meal in a café Margie taunting me with yet another Cornish Pasty, though my Frittata was pretty tasty!!

Tern, think Sandwich

Another Shag!

Greenfinch

Greenfinch

Painted Lady

Goldfinch and House Sparrow

Linnet

House Sparrow

So the journey back, the wind had dropped, the sun was shining would the Shearwaters play ball!!! Yeah they would!!! I would like to offer a warning at this point, there are a few pictures of Shearwaters upcoming, think there are not many poses of Cory's Shearwater I missed, still might not get the chance again, so filled me boots!! Sorry not sorry😂

Another Shag as we left, a Good Omen

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Cory's Shearwater, from now on I'm gonna assume you know what a Cory's looks like and not label them!

Sooty Shearwater went past at pace, at distance, amazed this pic came out so well!

Guillemot, a few dotted about, with the occasional one in flight

Great Shearwater

Gannet and Shearwater having a chat!

Great Shearwater having a laugh

Shearwater frenzy a mix of Cory's and the smaller Manx Shearwater

Manx Shearwater

Got to lighten the load every now and then 😂

Guillemot

Doing it the hard way

(M)

(M)

We rolled back into port, annoyingly 25 minutes early!! If we'd have gone a bit slower I could have got a few more pics!! Denied! I only took 3500 in the day!!! 😢😢😂😂 Luckily for you most of em were blurred!!! 😁 So an awesome trip, 35 quid each, fantastic value at double the price!! 

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So the next day I'm looking at the Birdguides  Scopoli's Shearwater, Scillonian Crossing, typical I thought day after I was on it!! However on opening the record, it said yesterday, I was on it 😲😲😲it gave a time 5.19!! I hit the photos at the 5.16 I had 4 pics that looked the business, I asked on Birdforum. confirmed this was the bird in question!! Whoop!! Only 3 previous accepted records, although I think there may be a few pending!! If this one is accepted it will be my second lifer of the trip!!! Yes ok I didn't spot it at the time and yes truth be told I'd never actually heard of it before, but an armchair tick is still a tick and I have no shame!!!😂😂😂

Scopoli's Shearwater, yes I know it looks almost exactly the same as a Cory's, It's all to do with the white in the wingtips!!😋

What a day!!!! Will live long in the memory for sure😀!!