Friday 29 September 2017

St Agnes - Rose-breasted Grosbeak

The day look doomed after catching the 10.15 boat to St Agnes and then missing the Grozzer by 10 minutes or so! It had been found, almost certainly fresh in, initially on a rock - Wingletang Down and then again by Scott Reid, briefly feeding on blackberries below a wall at the end of Barnaby Lane. It was not seen again and virtually all the St. Mary's contingent looked like dipping it! I wasn't going to give up and neither was Big Al, we were the last ones checking out the lane near where it was last seen...

It was 2.25, Al had found a gate overlooking the end of a field and there were a few fruity items on offer - blackberries and honeysuckle berries. We were staring into the light, it was becoming a forlorn hope when I picked up an amazingly patterned head peeking out of the foliage! Although I've seen adults in the States, 1st winter Rose-breasted Grosbeak would be a UK lifer for me and I just couldn't believe this amazing head on view... I won't type what I said (ok I will, ffs got it... or words to that effect) and after getting Al onto it, he confirmed I wasn't hallucinating - the vigil was over and radioed the news out...

Chewing a berry!




And just look at that bill!


It soon disappeared and within minutes, a gallery were viewing the scene and it showed again!! This time at the top of one of the taller shrubs and directly into the sun!




I decided to stay on until the last boat and there was a fairytale ending with it being found once more by a local birder as I retraced my steps to the post office!


Record shot distance only but I wasn't complaining :-)


And as I left it was taking a zzzzzz....


Well wouldn't you, having just flown across the Atlantic!