MEGA Scilly EGYPTIAN VULTURE ad Tresco in pine on north side of Pool Road near Pentle House at 12.10pm
Now that's what I call BIG news!!! Still recovering from Lundy.
I can be guilty of making assumptions, less so as I age...hopefully! Origins/provenance etc...the usual stuff. Lets be positive, it's better for you.
Of course, I was just getting out of the car at the wonderful Bolton Abbey when the news..."broke". An intended leisurely stroll with Louise and Bud up to "the Strid" had become...less so. It's a game!
NOTHING was going to affect our day, so we had some lunch at the Cavendish Pavilion and started our walk the magnificent trees and along the River Wharf. It was very quiet with few people around. Peaceful. The highlight was on the way in as I spotted a male Redstart on the approach road. The heavily shaded riverside walk produced the obligatory Grey Wagtails ...
and Dipper...
A bonus was a Mandarin Duck acting like a Torrent Duck...sort of.
After reaching the Strid for the mandatory pic...
...we retraced our footsteps to the car. This was a nostalgic trip, as I used to visit here regulary with my parents in the late 80's/90's. All 4 of my German Shepherds have been here. It must be 15 years since I'd been. No luck with Pied Flycatcher or Wood Warbler although we bumped into a chap from Burnley who'd seen one last year.
A great day.
So, what to do? The heavily connected would be zooming down to Penzance overnight to grab spaces on charter boats (3 left at 6am this morning I later found out in a conversation with one of the owners). Fair play. Logistical problems made this impossible for yours truly; besides, I wouldn't have got a seat anyway!
Today's news seemed a tad confusing...to say the least! Initially it was apparently being scoped from St Mary's at 2.5 miles in heat haze! The rest of the day was a series of confusing messages which must have been VERY frustrating for Birders present on the Island...an understatement!
Deciding whether to make an attempt can be equally confusing, if less tiring. Mid-afternoon claims (later withdrawn) raised hopes and initialted planning. Dive in...and waste money; leave it to late and you're not going anyway!
I eventually made a commitment. It was based on...
- Quality of bird
- Location - my favourite
- Time of Year - can add some Scilly ticks as I've never been in Summer.
So. I'm going over on my old "friend" the Scillonian at 9.15am tomorrow and I'm returning on the 3.15pm flight on Friday. The way I see it is this...
- I'm retired now, so no rushing around anymore (I've done plenty of that believe me).
- I can travel and have my little adventure totally relaxed thanks to my wonderful Wife.
- This type of situation partly fulfils my wunderlust.
- Lastly, I might be looking at an EGYPTIAN VULTURE over the Fortunate Isles tomorrow.
I'll keep you posted...
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