Skinningrove - Eastern Black Redstart

Now that fate has unfurled it's wings, I'm really glad I took a booking from RSPB Wakefield where the UK premier of 'Scilly Pelagic Magic' took place! Even more grateful for overnight hospitality and then soooooooo glad Spurn had cleared out, giving me one option for the morning - Eastern Black Redstart at Skinningrove, Cleveland. I recognised the general area from previous twitches and I think I've always scored 100% up here, great locals too, a really friendly bunch! This was a new location and  a new bird for the UK list (subject to acceptance of course!).....

The small well behaved gallery ...

The equally small and very well behaved little stunner! A first winter bird (sporting brown fringed greater coverts)...

The grey bib extending to the upper breast and continuous red underparts plus lack of white on the forehead fit perfectly for the Eastern race (phoenicuroides).

The wing formula is spot on too, ruling out a Common x Black Redstart hybrid. The primaries appear identical to the Margate (2011) and Scarborough (2014) records ....

At times, seemed preoccupied gazing down at its feet! Whether look for insects or a 'display' I'm not sure?

Most of the time, it was content just to 'pose' in between catching flies!

One final 'over the shoulder' look :-)

  If I get a better showing bird this year, I'll be astonished......

Scilly day 21 - Woodlark and Barred Warbler.

My phone app tells me I walked 14k today! Last full day so I teamed up with Rob Stonehouse and Phil and the first bird of the day was the Woodlark in a field opposite Pelistry House. It was distant, into the light, moan moan... so a record shot is all I've got!

We hitched a ride to Porthellick where a Barred Warbler had just been caught in the nets and ringed. A bird in the hand is not a sight I'd normally take in but it was nearly as close as the garden bird (opposite the health centre) of two years ago :-)

Despite yomping here there and everywhere, there was nothing elose of note! A tame ending to a pretty respectable three weeks of continuous birding which included a cold, and injured back (both of which were quickly resolved) c 120 species seen in all with just one lifer - Red-eyed Vireo (two birds!!) a shedload of decent images including the Scilly first Caspian Tern and yet more memories of these now largely forsaken islands..... I shall be back :-)

Scilly day 19 - Snow Bunting

Snow Buntings are often confiding, always photogenic but not exactly a Scilly rarity! Nevertheless, with not a lot else happening, I picked Peninnis as the venue for the morning. And it wasn't long after I'd found the long staying Wryneck (coming later!!) that I nearly tripped over this 1st winter male Snow Bunting not far from the lighthouse....

It was initially on the footpath....

Picking up seed

And then just dying to pose for the camera!

Maybe it should have acted as a role model for the Subalpine Warbler?? More than willing to flash the spread tail!

A wing display too!

A lichen covered rock just has to be the perfect background?

But this was only hungry bird and it spent most of the time feeding on grass seeds!

Not the easiest habitat for photography?

But it sometimes leapt to reach the taller seed heads offering soime action shots!

No lichen but this rock with a clean background acted as a foil for my favourite images....

Just two of many similar poses!

Next stop, another look to see if the Wryneck was still showing......

Scilly day 19 - Wryneck!!

The day started with a Wryneck on the west side of Peninnis.....

and it was about to end with the same bird but showing much better! I'd sat on a stone by the coast path and it flew to within 15m of me - mostly hidden from view but giving tantalising glimpses....

Eating ants in the grassy mounds and eventually it was in the open.....

I was almost dying to trim the few annoying grass stems!!

Ultra close views in the end :-)

But the most satisfying image was from the earlier encounter? It perched up in the nearby brambles....

Realising I couldn't make a decent image? I opted to sit and wait - it would soon be flying out! Setting the camera on manual focus, as soon as it flew, I fired a burst - the first two images were keepers :-) Not perfect but if you like a little bit of wing blur, they add to the dynamics of the take off?

Scilly day 18 - Snipe display

Just a Common Snipe during an end of day check of Lower Moors. It was out in the open next to the hide and posing nicely.....

It was hard to believe the effect a Song Thrush landing nearby would have!

I've seen them crouch similarly when a raptor flies overhead but this involved an amazing tail fan too!

Wow, just like a Hoopoe flashing it's crest?

Amazing behaviour....

So, ignore the common bird at your peril, it might do something uncommonly interesting....

Scilly day 17 - Match of the Day

The boys in green 2016!

Synchronised stretching....

The toss up....

Cool relaxed atmosphere on the subs bench!

The birders caught the Islanders defence napping, close to scoring in the first minute! Tipped over by the islanders goalkeeper!

The in-house communications system, keeping birders on the island up to speed with the BIG match.

And then against the run of play, a corner led to this opening goal for the Islanders.....

Action all the way with Zach showing impressive ball contral!

On the attack.....

And defending well with scything tackles going in!

We nearly went behind with this shot nearly beating Kev who maybe touched it.....

Onto the post!!

Soaking up the pressure with another corner.

Punched away by Kev......

The defence gets ready for a free kick.....

Scott propels another long throw in!

More rought and tumble!

A little bit of backchat? Who meeeee?

And then, the moment I thought would never happen.... a looping lob....

The opposition can only stare helpless....

as maybe helped in,,, a well deserved equaliser!!

Yessssssssss!

The action resumed.....

An injury meant that Spider was scrambled from the bench, Al was standing by to get his kit on!!!

Spider couldn't resist  practising his corner flag celebration dance? You have to score first!

Oh no.... with half time looming another goal for the Islanders!

With rain falling down, half time beckoned! 2:1 down but there had been a few chances to be on level terms!