Another 2 Black-necked Grebe were off the spill weir. A 1st summer Little Gull was a new arrival. The Wood Sandpiper was still on the north shore, also 1 Sanderling, 3 Greenshank, 7 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover and a Whimbrel flew thru at 3.20pm. A Wheatear was in the paddocks.
I had a day off from Belvide to see a male Lesser Kestrel in Cornwall at Goonhilly Downs on the Lizard. It had been 24 years since my last one in Britain on the Scilly Isles in 2002, so it was time to see another. The bird was present on arrival and performed very well in isolated Pine trees on the heath/bog land.
This bird was in a much better plumage than the 1st summer bird I saw on the Scillies. It differs from Kestrel, having distinctive blue grey greater coverts and tertials. A clean blue grey head with no moustachial stripe. The underparts are buffier and plainer. They also have pale claws instead of black. The underwing is also paler. This becomes only the 23rd record for Britain. We spent a pleasant couple of hours watching this mega bird, before heading back home.
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