Back to Scilly!

I took my chances and decided to head to Scilly, leaving Penzance on 13th October.  There were maybe 50 or so other birders on the Scillonian with the same idea; not quite the same numbers as in other years.  I later heard that a lot of people go to Shetland these days - 600 people this autumn apparently.  That's hard to believe!  Given such coverage up there, they've not been finding that much have they?!  Just more of the same.  Shetland's just such hard work to do - an endless, austere landscape, the wind never drops below force 5, and there aren't any trees.  Sure all the Lancys get found as there's no cover - Scilly can't compete with that.  But we need all those birders on Scilly, more would be found there, and it'd be better than Arctic Redpolls, and Siberian Stonechats!!  OK, enough ranting from me, here are some pictures...
First off was a nice Peregrine off Penninis Head.  My attempts to paint it were curtailed by the arrival of a squall from the west.  I can't believe how cold it is on Scilly this time.