Deepest darkest Tresco

Deep within the heart of woodland on the island of Tresco in the Scillonian archipelago there are golden birds of legends.

Swainson’s Thrush

Small passerine waifs from North America and Canada can make their way over to the UK in very small numbers each Autumn. Weather patterns play an important role in bringing them over to Europe. This year has been good for American vagrants on this side of the Atlantic.

Swainsons’s Thrushes are Nearctic birds that breed in the Northern States of the USA and Canada and winter in the foothills of the Andes in South America.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen a Swainson’s Thrush so well as the one I saw this week on the Island of Tresco in the Scillies.

Sitting Tight

Anyone that comes with me to Scillies knows we usually take a trip to the island of Tresco. So it was again this week. The draw was two or three Little Buntings that had been seen around a large sallow growing at the edge of the Abbey Pool.

We stood more than a short time waiting for the buntings to show. They called and we even saw one in flight but they wouldn’t come out onto the path to feed. As usual when waiting for something that is being one stage up from elusive our eyes began to wander. In among the pool edge vegetation was a smart Nearctic wader; a Pectoral Sandpiper.

It fed around the pool most of the time we were there and if you were cautious, quiet and still, it ventured close. Smart birds these. As with most high Arctic breeders not at all conscious of humans.

As for the Little Buntings, we had to wait a further day for a similarly elusive bird back on St Mary’s to give itself-up.

Seeing Red?

The Tresco estate on the Isles of Scilly have taken it upon themselves to introduce Red Squirrel onto the island. When we were down there in October we sat in the garden cafe and there were several that entertained us as we fought to keep the House Sparrows from our lunch.

Red Squirrels are endearing little mammals that do make me chuckle as they bound from place to place punctuating their leaps with static pauses; as if they are surprised their surroundings changed when they moved!