As we neared St Mary's Ian Grant received a message from his dad Martin.. he'd found a ? Red-rumped Swallow on the Big Pool, Tresco! The plot thickened however when Ian Grant asked if it had streamers? "Square-ended" came the reply! Cue lots of expletives... OMG this was potentially turning into (at least) an American Cliff Swallow!!
There was no boat to get over there so, planning for the following day, we ended up at the airfield, watching the Isabelline Wheatear feeding near the terminal building...
Meanwhile, interest was reaching fever pitch and Will Scott took the initiative and booked a jet boat... £12 or £15 a head return if I remember? No-one was counting pennies and first 15 to radio first on! I'd radioed an interest with the rest of the crew and booked a seat! BUT when everyone assembled, it was oversubscribed and to cut a long story short, had this gut wrenching view of the boat leaving... minus another birder and me! It doesn't get worse than this...
There was to be a happy ended however, the jet boat company supplied another boat (well done Will) and four of us were soon skimming the waves over to Tresco for the same price! Where was anyone else?? (I should point out it was now 5pm, torrential rain falling, light nearly gone and a mile + walk each way in prospect to the Abbey Pool!)
I limped along the harbour with Terry Doman, between us we could probably assemble a half fit human being? Then, having the cheek of the devil, I thumbed down a golf buggy and asked the elderly couple (hmmm pot calling kettle methinks!) if we could cadge a lift to the Abbey Pool? Taking pity on us, the answer was yes and we were off... nearly beating some of the first boat crew to the lawn behind the Abbey lol...
It was serious camera wrecking rain but I had a go at getting a record shot or two in flight? As you can see, never managed it!
Spot the Cliff Swallow! He's got a fly on part in the next a Count Dracula movie...
The Abbey must have anticipated this twitch! We all dutifully stayed behind the ropes (was that a keep off the grass sign??) Terry, second from the left collapsed on his scope!
Eventually with light dropping, Cliff was clinging to the wall quite nicely, orange rump shining out like a beacon! (that's the swallow of course, not Cliff Smith!!)
There was to be an even happier ending! The buggy owner was a birder staying on Tresco and he had stayed for the duration and was now offering a lift back to the boat for the three unfittest crocks there? I had to swallow my pride and hobble as badly as I could to join Rocky Robin and (incredibly) the allegedly infirm Scilly Spider (who's he kidding) for a ride back! Guess that rain sodden beard was dragging him down? Crocks anonymous...
what a madcap day and second lifer of the trip! Soaked to the skin but hardly any walking involved - only 15,370 steps for the day!
