Isles of Scilly

The Isles of Scilly are an archipelago off the southwestern tip of Cornwall comprising five inhabited islands (six if Gugh is counted separately from St Agnes) and numerous other small rocky islets (around 140 in total). The population is around 2,200 people. One of the islands, St Agnes, is the most southerly point in both England and the United Kingdom, being over 4 miles (6.4 km) further south than the most southerly point of the British mainland at Lizard Point. It is part of the ceremonial county of Cornwall, although it is mostly administered separately. The Duchy of Cornwall owns most of the freehold land on the islands.

The islands’ position produces a place of great contrast – the ameliorating effect of the sea, greatly influenced by the North Atlantic Current, means they rarely have frost or snow, which allows local farmers to grow flowers well ahead of those in mainland Britain. The chief agricultural product is cut flowers, mostly daffodils, although this has declined in recent years and some success has been achieved by diversification. Artisan crafts and specialist foodstuffs are good examples of this, e.g. ice cream and wine. Exposure to Atlantic winds also means that spectacular winter gales lash the islands from time to time. This is reflected in the landscape, most clearly seen on Tresco where the lush Abbey Gardens on the sheltered southern end of the island contrast with the low heather and bare rock sculpted by the wind on the exposed northern end.

Birding the Isles of Scilly

They are known locally as the Fortunate Isles and lie twenty-eight miles to the south-west of mainland Cornwall, acting as the first and last landfall for many migrant birds. Over the years Scilly has developed an enviable reputation as Europe’s premier rarity locality, being a magnet for birds originating from all points of the compass. To date almost 450 species have been recorded (447 in accordance with the IOC list which was adopted on 1st January 2018). New species continue to be added – Eastern Orphean Warbler in 2017 for instance. This total beats any other single site in Europe (as far as we are aware!) being made up primarily of vagrants.

The islands are accessed by sea or air and are well established as a popular destination for autumn birders, once polarised around the first two weeks in October but now more widely spread from late September to early November. In the 1980s approximately a thousand birders nearly outnumbered the locals as they searched for rarities among the small enclosed flower fields and tamarisk bushes, but numbers have been lower in the 21st century. Each morning, boats set out from St. Mary’s for the off islands of Tresco, St. Agnes, St. Martin’s and Bryher. The first two usually have a few birders staying on them, and St Agnes and St Martin’s have resident birders, but the other islands still provide a challenge for the determined.

It’s not just about October however. A visit to the islands at most times can be rewarding. The summer sees internationally important numbers of seabirds breeding on the islands, including Puffins, Manx Shearwaters and Storm Petrels. Populations of seabirds in Britain have been declining everywhere and Scilly is no exception, but a project to remove Brown Rats from St Agnes and Gugh was successfully completed in 2017 and Manx Shearwater and Storm Petrel pairs are increasing significantly (as are Lesser White-toothed Shrews or ‘Scilly Shrews’) now that these islands (and Annet) are rat-free. The problem with seabirds is that even with so many birds they are nigh on impossible to see unless you are in a boat! Luckily there are many boat trips in spring and summer that give opportunities to get close to them. In spring many species overshoot from the south with Woodchat Shrikes, Hoopoes and Red-rumped Swallows being regular along with southern herons such as Night Heron and Little Bittern. Long hours of daylight, warm weather, blooming flowers and few birders can make this a particularly memorable time. Contrary to popular belief there are opportunities to get away from the crowds and find your own birds at whatever season.

Available from the Isles of Scilly Bird Group

How to find out where the birds are: Scilly is an impossible place to divide up in any coherent way. The whole archipelago is a glorious place to go birding! So, visiting birders head for the ISBG bird board outside the back door of the Pilot’s Gig restaurant next to the quay in Hugh Town. This board displays all the information recorded for that and the previous day, specifying the birds and their approximate locations. It generally functions very well and everybody drops in to check on the latest info. People are very good at passing on news via mobiles and from pagers etc and it all gets put on the board, which is good news for all those of us still without the technology!

Even in this day of almost instant mobile phone communication, the most useful means of finding out what’s where is still the constant updates by CB radio and pager. Mobile phones are of mixed value on Scilly due to the variable signal quality. The other reliable places for the latest bird news are, of course, the local pubs – home to many a tall tale in the evenings! Every night during October a log of the day’s records is called at the Turk’s Head on St Agnes and at the Scillonian Club in Hugh Town at 21.00 hours, where all can socialise and plan the next day’s birding.