Isles of Scilly 2026 Day One

I started the day off at Sullivan's Cafe (the greasy spoons portakabin in the Scillonian car park) which I couldn't believe was still there. The Scillonian crossing was pretty lively HERE with highlights including 2 Puffin, 1 Grey Phalarope, 26 European Storm Petrel, 1 Sooty Shearwater, 6 Manx Shearwater, 1000+ Razorbills, a few Guillemot, hundreds of Gannets and a Wilson's Storm Petrel candidate.  

After arriving on St. Mary's we stocked up at the Co-op and then checked into our rental house in Porthloo. Then Ian marched us all out and we did a circuit from Lower Moors to Porth Hellick back up Holy Vale and then past Rocky Hills back to the house HERE A nice haul on the first day with the first-winter Sora and Wilson's Snipe bagged and also a juv Pectoral Sandpiper and a Yellow-browed Warbler. 

Really nice to be back to Scilly and surprisingly unlike so many other places over the last 20 years, nothing has really changed. Magic. 

First-winter Sora (above and below) at Porth Hellick 

Wilson's Snipe (above) at Lower Moors 

Juv Pec at Porth Hellick- sadly got taken by a Sparrowhawk this evening. RIP. 

European Storm Petrels 

Looks like a Wilson's Storm Petrel

Razorbills and Guillemots

Journey to Scilly

I set off this morning at 530am and first stop was Davidstow Airfield where I caught up with Ian, Andrew, Paul and Robb, this week's crew. They had located the Buff-breasted Sandpiper that fortunately was still present. A few other bits there included a Ruff, 4 Ringed Plover, 8 Golden Plover, 4 Lapwing and a Yellow-legged Gull HERE.

Next stop was Victoria services for the first pasty of the week before continuing on to Drift reservoir. I set off to walk round the reservoir but the heavens opened and completely soaked me so I turned round. There was a Spotted Sandpiper and a Kumlien's Gull reported earlier in the day but after a chat with a couple of birders there was some controversy over the Sandpiper so after a break in the rain I quickly located the Iceland/Kumlien's Gull distantly and then headed off for a nostalgic visit to the Kenidjack Valley.

I did my Uni dissertation on the Kenidjack Valley so it was wonderful to revisit, despite the rather wild and windy conditions. A few birds in there HERE with highlights included Chough, Firecrests, Chiffs, a Willow Warbler and a Reed Warbler. 

I then had a quick look at the Hayle Estuary before fish and chips and then checking in to the Hayle Premier Inn ahead of the catching the Scillonian tomorrow morning .

Juv Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Juv Ruff (above) at Davidstow. Nice to see one this year in Cornwall after dipping a few weeks ago. 

Adult Yellow-legged Gull 

Iceland/Kumlien's Gull at Drift

Reed Warbler at Kendijack- they always look rare this time of year in bushes 

Kenidjack Valley- good memories 

Pre-Scilly

The journey to Scilly starts early tomorrow so I spent today getting all the work done and getting ready. I managed to get in a bit of a garden birding HERE with highlights being the autumn's first Redwing, a flock of 40 Golden Plover over the fields, a Red Kite over, 4 Chiffchaff, a Blackcap, a Goldcrest, 3 Song Thrush over, 4 Siskin, at least 9 Chaffinch,  a few Skylarks, Mipits and alba wagtails and a large gathering of Stock Dove in the field opposite. The Tawny Owl has been calling most nights recently too.

In the evening I popped out for a check of Ferry and Long Pool where highlights were 18 Stonechat, 1 Wheatear, 3 Yellowhammer and 4 Snipe and a Water Rail on Long Pool. 

Today was the first day this autumn I didn't see any hirundines. 

If all goes to plan, first stop tomorrow will be Davidstow to twitch Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Three days ago there were four birds, yesterday there were three birds and today only one left so it's touch and go!

Female Stonechat (above and below). The excellent autumn for Stonechat continues with 18 around Ferry and Long Pool , another 15 or so by the Horsefield, birds at North Wall and still 25 or so at Medmerry. 

Yellowhammer

Wheatear

Rain and a bit of moth mig

I was planning on sneaking in a bit of birding today in light of a good spell of scarce bird migrants at Portland and the South Coast in the last couple of days but it's raining today so decided to get on with work.

However ahead of the rain there was a nice little influx of moth migrants with the year's first Porter's Rustic and Radford's Flame Shoulder with 4 Scarce Bordered Straw, 4 Silver-Y, 2 Blair's Mocha, 2 Vestal, 10 White-points (an increase), 4 Rush Veener, 3 Rusty-dots, Small Mottled Willow and 2 Clancy's Rustic. 28 species in total of approx 150 individual moths with Beaded Chestnut and Lunar Underwing (almost equal numbers) making up the bulk of the catch. Crambus pascuella was unseasonal and a Setaceous Hebrew Character was the first in a while. There was also a Pale-lemon Sallow but I think it was the same one as the night before. 

Now on 562 garden moths for the year. 

Porter's Rustic- only the third record here (above and below)

Radford's Flmae Shoulder- surprisingly the first for the year. In my first autumn here, 2024. there were daily autumn records with double figures some days. 

Many of the recent Vestals have been very fresh and colourful. This one takes the biscuit.

After it stopped raining I popped out for a walk along the harbour. There have been at least three Marsh Harriers around recently (an adult male, adult female and at least one juv- above). It was all rather wintery in the rather cold northerly wind HERE. 

The Greens and the Zionists

The Green Party recently declared Zionism racism—a move that has deeply offended pro-Israel supporters and split the party. It's a striking reversal from when I was a member.

I once campaigned for Beddington Farmlands and even stood as a Green councillor. Back then, I landed in trouble at a tribunal for allegedly writing something antisemitic HERE. My actual offence? Pointing out that the owners destroying our local reserve were Jewish cousins—and suggesting we appeal to the Jewish community for help. This was before the more recent 'wars' in Gaza and Iran, at the peak of left-wing cancel culture.

How times change.

I've since left all political parties. Beddington taught me that democracy is a farce—we live in a corporate dictatorship wearing a democratic mask. With Trump and current world events, the mask is slipping entirely.

I now describe myself as an eco-social anarchist/natural capitalist/eco-socio technocrat—a mouthful I basically invented which translates broadly as a modern birder/naturalist. It reflects my hopelessness with party politics and my belief that family, friends, personal enterprise, and like-minded connections with the birding/natural history community are the only way forward.

The Greens are a perfect case study in why party politics fails. Under Zach Polanski and populists like Hannah Spencer, the party has morphed into a gloves-off anti-capitalist, anti-West outfit, courting Muslim and anti-Zionist voters. It was always anti-capitalist—it began as a communist brand, later buried under environmentalism and socialism.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk—the world's first trillionaire—promises global communism via Super Intelligence: abundance so great we'll only work for pleasure, all sustained by universal basic income. Good news for birders. Marx predicted communism as capitalism's inevitable end—maybe he was right. Or maybe the oligarchs are planning genocide and mass enslavement through an AI they control. Probably both.

Back to the Greens. They're the most democratic party—members vote on policy. I helped write and vote on nature conservation policy myself. Yet their leader, Polanski, didn't even vote in the Zionism referendum and reportedly opposes it. The members lead, not the leader—and that's democracy's fatal flaw.

The party has U-turned from the antisemitism stance I was disciplined over to declaring Zionism racism—the ultimate antisemitism—all to court Muslim votes prsumably. It's a testament to party politics' runaway narratives, unconstrained because it's utterly irrelevant to anyone with real power.

The Greens will never challenge the Zionist-spearheaded Western military-industrial complex before Super Intelligence arrives. Then whoever owns that intelligence controls everything—and Zionists, with their major tech holdings and global influence, will likely be major stakeholders. Unlike the UK Green Party.

Meanwhile, the real revolution—the rise of Super Intelligence, the global elite controlling it, and the undemocratic new world they're building—happens entirely outside politics, with values dictated by tech dictators and eventually non-human ones.

Party politics is just silly noise that is becoming incresaingly absurd.  

A few nice moths

The dead calm conditions continue and its been a good time for moths emerging and also looking for passerines. 

This morning I did Church Norton and the Severals with 75 species of about 900 individuals HERE. The highlight was my first Brambling of the year (now on 185 locally and 931 for the year list) and a nice fall of Chiffchaffs with 53 across my circuit. There was also a Dartford Warbler, 15 Stoncehat, 14 Blackcap, 3 Siskin, 1 Firecrest, 3 Goldcrest, 15 Barn Swallow, 2 House Martin, 3 Marsh Harrier, 2 Sandwich Tern and 6 Brent Geese. There were more Robins, Dunnocks and Blackbirds around and a couple more Song Thrush. Also more Woodpigeons around and yesterday morning I had the first group moving over in the garden. The Firecrest and a few Chiffs and Blackcaps are still in the garden and I had the first Siskin for the autumn go over too.

What with Brents arriving in the harbour now, wildfowl flocks building and the summer migrants slowly dropping out, the Pagham Harbour annual cycle is coming full circle as shown beautifully in the Ebird Bar Charts for 2026 HERE. 

A family visit to East Head yesterday produced a Merlin hunting the Linnets and Skylarks in the saltmarsh, 15 kettling Common Buzzard and the usual selection of waders on Snowhill. There was also a bit of Clouded Yellow vis-mig along the beach. The good season for Clouded Yellow also produced another one in the garden this morning. 

The moth trap has been the main source of interest with the first Flame Brocades, Feathered Ranunculus, Green Brindled Crescent and Red and Yellow-lined Quakers emerging. This morning I was pleasantly shocked to find a Pale-lemon Sallow in the trap- a lifer for me. Continuing on the moth highlight theme, an RSPB volunteer found a Convolvulos Hawkmoth resting by day by the board walk too. Other interesting bits in the trap included an unseasonal Rosy Tabby and the first Dark Sword Grass in a while. Now on 560 for the garden year and 722 all time (now 3 months into our third year here). 

53 Chiffchaffs this morning Church Norton and the Severals (above and below) 

Dartford Warbler

Male Siskin 

Pale-lemon Sallow- what a beauty! Lifer. Seems to be a local speciality, see HERE. 

Flame Brocade

Yellow (above) and Red-line (below) Quakers 

Feathered Ranunculus 

The Church Norton Convolvulos Hawkmoth 

Main scene in the trays is lots of Lunar Underwings (up to 110 a night) and a peppering of Black Rustics, Turnips and Large Yellow Underwings. 27 species in total last night. 

The good harvest continues in the garden with abundant tomatoes and peppers, raspberries are still producing and the ducks are laying 3-4 eggs a day

We got the rabbits finishing off the haycut by moving them round the meadow. Free hay and free mowing- good times. 

Return to Scilly

Cream-coloured Courser, St. Martin's, 2004

I'm quite excited about a mini-trip to the Isles of Scilly from next Saturday for a few days. My last visit to the islands was in 2005 so it's over 20 years since I've been there. I've been meaning to revisit for a while now but between the Azores and Bulgaria there was never enough time. However this year seems to present a window of opportunity so, with the help of Ian, I have jumped through it, 

My first visit there was in 1991 and then I visited again in 1992, 1996 and 1997 and then annually between 1999 and 2005 with two visits in 2004. 

I've had some great trips out there and below is a concise summary of the highlights from previous trips:

15th to 19th October 1991- Highlights with Johnny Daniel included an Eyed-browed Thrush, Grey-cheeked Thrush, Bobolink, Sora and Spotted Crake together, 2 Rose-coloured Starlings, Golden Oriole,  Richard's and Tawny Pipit together, Siberian Stonechat, Red-breasted Flycatcher and found a Barred Warbler.

23rd to 27th October 1992- Highlights with Johnny Daniel were  Blackpoll Warbler, Swainson's and Grey-cheekd Thrush, Upland Sandpiper, Isabelline Wheatear, 3 Olive-backed Pipit, Bee-eater, Melodious Warbler and Radde's Warbler. 

Blackpoll Warbler, St Mary's, 2005

30th September to 4th October 1996- another trip with Johnny. Highlight was a juv Rock Thrush, Buff-bellied Pipit, Red-eyed Vireo, American Golden Plover and found a Semipalmated Sandpiper 

13th to 17th October 1997- Did a few days in Cornwall before with Kate and had American Wigeon on the Hayle and a few seabirds and then met up with Jaffa, Sam and Lee and we went over to Scilly. A fairly quiet week with highlights including Common Yellowthroat, Blackpoll Warbler, Black Duck, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Wryneck and Yellow-browed Warbler (a good bird at the time).

8th to 15th October 1999- what a year with the Uni gang. Highlights included Siberian, White's and Blue Rock Thrush, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Short-toed Eagle, 2 Upland Sandpiper, 2 Radde's Warblers, Richard's Pipit, Short-toed Lark, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Siberian Stonechat and Wryneck. The year of a night at the Kavorna bakery, a story that stays on Scilly.    

Short-toed Eagle, St.Mary's 1999

14th to 17th October 2000- a short trip with Jaffa and Cherry Bakewells to twtich the Solitary Sandpiper and also had Red-eyed Vireo, Swainson's Thrush, Spectacled Warbler, 3 Ring-necked Duck and Yellow-browed Warbler. 

3rd to 9th October 2001-Highlights on this solo trip included Yellow-breasted Bunting, found a Buff-breasted Sandpiper and also had Ring-necked Duck, Dotterels, Yellow-browed Warbler and Red-backed Shrike. 

11th to 16th October 2002- A pretty quiet week with Bluethroat, Yellow-browed Warblers, Lapland Bunting, Barred Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher and Corncrake. On the way back home we found a Red-breasted Fly at Kenidjack. 

Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Tresco, 1999

30th September to 5th October 2003- Highlights were Booted Warbler, Lesser Yellowlegs, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Dotterel, Hoopoe, Red-backed Shrike, Ortolan, Lapland Bunting, Wryneck, Yellow-browed Warbler. Also had a Death's Head Hawkmoth, my only one ever. 

29th to 30th September 2004- This was a twitch with Johnny Allan and Sam for the Cream Coloured Courser on St. Martin's. Also had 3 Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Common Rosefinch.

25th to 30th October 2004- The Cream Coloured Courser was still present when I returned for my planned trip with Kate and the gang. Highlights included Ovenbird, Pallid Swift, Red-backed Shrike, Pallas's and Yellow-browed Warblers,  co-found an Olive-backed Pipit, a fall of 100+ Black Redstart was impressive. We also had two Waxwings at Kenidjack on the way back. 

30th September to 3rd October 2005- Highlights included Sora, Blackpoll Warbler, Greenish Warbler, and Corncrake.  This was the same autumn I first visited Corvo and after started spending my autumns there.

Sora, St.Mary's, 2005