Scilly's Pelagics. Sunday. Day 3.

Up early again and raring to go I received a phone call from Jan with some very bad news. Molly had had a stroke. Joe was on his way back from York but it looked as if this was finally the end of the road for the poor old girl. With a heavy heart I couldn't join in the banter around the tents and even considered not going on the days trip. Jase gave me a typically blunt talking to and I reluctantly decided to go. There was nothing  I could do to from the Scilly's and Jan didn't think she was going to last more than a few hours. She was just waiting for Joe to arrive before calling the vet. Devastating news and my heart really wasn't in it.

The weather was perfect for holidaying but not so good for the birds. Drifting and chumming produced very little - not even a European Storm Petrel but we did get good views of a marauding Bonxie and Joe took the opportunity to set out some shark lines in the hope of catching some Blue Sharks for tagging and releasing.

A large Blue Shark was seen around the boat and we caught a tiddler. Just as we were about to give up drifting and chumming and head towards a distant trawler in the hope of finding more birds the big one took the bait and after a monumental struggle was landed and found to be 8ft long and in excess of 140 lbs. Sinking its teeth in to the Sapphires wood work it wasn't in any mood to let got and had to be man -handled back in to the sea.

It took an hour or so to reach the trawler and even from a distance we could see there were plenty of birds including this gull trying to swallow a Gurnard.

By now the weather was really hotting up and layers were being stripped off. The first good bird we saw was a Sooty Shearwater sat on the sea so Joe stopped the boat and drifted closer to allow us all to get a closer look.

Great stuff and it got better. A Great Shearwater appeared and had obviously applied for and got an equity card  as it gave a show none of us will forget.

Heading for St Mary's my phone bleeped. I'd left it on to receive messages from home but out at sea there's no reception. We must have gone through a small area of reception as it was a message from Joe to say Molly had passed away peacefully at 10.58. Just as I was reading this sad message  the shout went up 'Dolphins' and a pod of around 20 -30 of these amazing cetaceans frolicked in the bow wave for a good 30 minutes. I couldn't bring myself to photograph them but sat watching them in the sunshine reflecting on a great loss and feeling upset that Jan had had to deal with the situation alone.

 Bob Flood proving he could probaalby sleep on a washing line.

Chris Griffin and Jase Atkinson. Jase telling me how many Wilson's we'd seen Friday night.

On reaching shire my first priority was to ring home.

Scilly's Pelagics. Saturday. Day 2.

Bleary eyed I woke at 6.00, exited the tent, grabbed a quick shower and got the stove on for a morning brew and fill flasks. Today looked a better day weather wise and we have a full day on the sea to enjoy / endure.

With the camp tidied and clothes safely folded away(!) the whole group descended on the Co-op enmasse to stock up with provisions. Meeting the Sapphire on the quayside at 08.20 it was soon obvious a few faces were missing from the previous night. Bob outlined the plans for the day and we were soon heading out to sea passing a feeding flock of juvenile Med Gulls on the way out. An adult Pom Skua flew past obviously on a mission  to be somewhere else.

Higgo gave Matty tips on how to prevent sea sickness - gems like holding a £5 note between his teeth. Steaming and chumming was followed by drift and chum. Plenty of birds but no Wilson's. We were beginning to feel a little smug.

News of a trawler within an hours steaming had us heading that way with ships dog, Bella, leading the way. Meanwhile crew members Master Bates and Seaman Stains looked decidedly green around the gills. A Sooty Shearwater soon got them moving again though.

With Higgo still chumming, fag in hand, as we steamed we continued to attract birds. Best of all was a Balearic Shearwater that graced us with its presence for about 10 minutes before heading off.  So much better views than sat on some cliff top looking for birds miles out to sea.

Continuing to head towards the trawler the weather changed for the worst and it started raining as the sea swell increased. Whilst everyone was watching the stern of the boat for birds in the chum slick I suddenly spotted a Great Shearwater sneaking past us on the port side. Feck - it nearly got away unseen. Another lifer for quite a few of the lads on board.

Matt Eades picked up an adult Sabine's Gull briefly in the wake before it to headed past us in the general direction of the trawler now visible a couple of miles off in the 'mizzle'. Another lifer for Matty Meehan.

Reaching the trawler it was obvious there were lots of birds around it and it wasn't long before Bob found a Great Shearwater. amongst the commoner gulls, Gannets & Fulmars. This time everyone had prolonged views. Great stuff.

With the day virtually over we headed back to St Mary's but not before one more candid photo opportunity of the Payne at rest. A close Ocean Sunfish provided fishy interest and Jason's impression of it swimming will go down in the annals of history.

With the ground still seemingly moving under our feet we staggered up to the campsite before hitting the local pubs for a well earned few pints and some food.

Scilly's pelagics. - day 1. Friday 12th August

A plan was mooted earlier this year to travel to the Scillys for a few days and take part in the birders pelagics organised by Joe Pender, Bob Flood and Ash Fisher. Four of us planned to go  - myself, Matt Meehan, Mark Payne & Jason Atkinson. Matt & Jase needed Wilson's Petrel whilst Mark & I were hoping for something like a Fea's!!

Unlike most plants this one actually materialised and we found ourselves driving through the night and arriving at Penzance around 03.00. We endured a sleepless few hours in the car in Tesco's car park before mooching down to the quayside, parking the car and grabbing a fried breakfast.

The old flat bottomed rust bucket left on time on glorious weather and we soon settled in to a sea watching routine safely ensconced on the lee of the upper deck. Hearing that Joe was planning a trip out Friday night we had a quick conflab before I contacted Joe and told him to make sure our names wree on the list!!

Trying to keep prices down we'd decided to camp on the Garrison and soon met up with Matt Eades, Jake Everitt & Chris Griffin. A great bunch of lads. With the tents set up we just had time to pay our respects to the long staying juvenile Woodchat Shrike at the top end of the Island before our scheduled 17.00 departure from the quayside on the good ship Sapphire.

By now the weather had started to deteriorate and we soon hit swells of around 2 m and the rain started....................... Matty wasn't the first to add to the chum mix and he did well to run to the lee of the boat rather than puking into the wind. One lady just lay face down where she was and puked all over the deck.

Storm Petrels gathered around the chum slick and were joined by a Bonxie as the weather got even rougher.

Expectations were high and suddenly Bob uttered the words we'd all been waiting for 'Wilsons coming down the port side' Mayhem and suddenly all sickness was forgotten as a Wilson's Storm Petrel paddled and picked its way through the tempting morsels of the chum. The bird proceeded to fly around us for about 4o minutes and was joined by a second bird before they both departed and it was time to head for shore. First target bird in the bag for Matty & Jase.

Back to the tents, a quick shower and change and we all headed to the Scillonian club for a celebratory few beers and some well earned grub.

End of an era.

Our lovely Labrador, Molly has died aged 14 1/2. Active and alert to the end she suffered a major stroke during the night and had to be put to sleep whilst I was away on the Scilly's. She was virtually my constant birding companion over her life time and loved nothing better than going to Hilbre or wandering the woods and fields - she was always ready for a walk or her food. She'll be greatly missed by the whole family. These are the first and last photographs of her during her life with us.

August doldrums.

An overnight trip to Hilbre started with an excellent dinner Friday evening courtesy of Mrs Williams who cooked us all a chili to take on with us. A quick trip to the chippie to supplement the chili and a pint at the Plasterers and we were in business! Not many birds around but we did recatch a Pied Wagtail in heavy moult which is presumably one of the adults that was ringed in the spring.

A right scruffy looking individual. It looks as if the wagtails might have got a second brood off following the almost complete failure of their first as there is at least one very juvenile bird flying around.

A (very) late night was followed (by some) by an equally early morning. With a  gentle N E breeze overnight hopes were high for some drift migration but unfortunately all we had were two Willow Warblers. A trickle of birds were caught and ringed though including a juvenile Song Thrush. As this species doesn't breed on Hilbre it was quite bizarre. Linnets have done well and another new juvenile was caught. Meanwhile others provided good photo opportunities in the field.

Despite appearing almost moribund last time I checked them in the nest the Hilbre Swallows have fledged and it was great to see them flying around the Island and occasionally settling on the paddock fences.

 Besides the avian interest there have been other recent interesting records from Hilbre. Bombus monticola, a species of Bumble Bee normally found above 300 m, used to be regular on Hilbre but died out in the mid nineties. Its been recently see. again in good numbers. One of the food plants is Bell Heather of which there is currently plenty on Hilbre.

Fuerteventura

Out and about recently on my summer holidays with Mrs W. Fuerteventura - a volcanic island with a lunar landscpe, sea breezes and some serious heat. One day home and then off to Ireland on business.

Photo's below from our hotel balcony. Other birds seen included the elsuive Furteventura Chat, Southern Grey Shrike, Houbara Bustard, Cream Coloured Courser, Trumpeter Finch, Bertholets Pipit etc.

Managed to get some diving and snorkelling in as well. The under water landscape is less bleak than the land. Huge lave drifts forming canyons and teeming with fish with the highlights being shoals of marauding Baraccuda causing panic amongst vast shoals of Sardines.