Scott Reid
@scottinscilly.bsky.social
Seabirds | Scilly Birding | Scilly Pelagics | Rockpooling | On the magical Isles of Scilly 🏝️
Seabird Feed: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:25f3ymfqqg6cjzijggpbdz7q/feed/aaacp4v7qldjy #seabirds
www.scillyrockpoolsafaris.co.uk 🦀
Seabird Feed: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:25f3ymfqqg6cjzijggpbdz7q/feed/aaacp4v7qldjy #seabirds
www.scillyrockpoolsafaris.co.uk 🦀
A great end to the week working on Tresco finding a pallid swift hawking around between the Abbey & Great Pool. Another top addition to a good start to Nov across the islands with two Pallas’s warblers, Richard’s pipit, dusky warbler, OBP, Rbfly & RND arriving in the last two days! #ScillyBirds
November 7, 2025 at 8:36 PM
A great end to the week working on Tresco finding a pallid swift hawking around between the Abbey & Great Pool. Another top addition to a good start to Nov across the islands with two Pallas’s warblers, Richard’s pipit, dusky warbler, OBP, Rbfly & RND arriving in the last two days! #ScillyBirds
I have 3 spaces available for the 2026 Challenger Expedition to the continental shelf edge in British waters.
See images below for more information, dates and contact details…
#seabirds #UKbirding
See images below for more information, dates and contact details…
#seabirds #UKbirding
November 2, 2025 at 9:20 AM
I have 3 spaces available for the 2026 Challenger Expedition to the continental shelf edge in British waters.
See images below for more information, dates and contact details…
#seabirds #UKbirding
See images below for more information, dates and contact details…
#seabirds #UKbirding
This great photo of the Telegraph bird is in the 1991 review… I’ve also found a photo of the one on Tresco in 1992, but currently struggling to track down a photo of the 1993 bird!
Great to see a rarity with such a rich history in Scilly birding folklore 🙌
Great to see a rarity with such a rich history in Scilly birding folklore 🙌
October 23, 2025 at 9:59 PM
This great photo of the Telegraph bird is in the 1991 review… I’ve also found a photo of the one on Tresco in 1992, but currently struggling to track down a photo of the 1993 bird!
Great to see a rarity with such a rich history in Scilly birding folklore 🙌
Great to see a rarity with such a rich history in Scilly birding folklore 🙌
Scilly’s first EYEBROWED THRUSH in 32 years!
A real Scilly ‘Golden Era’ grip back for those of us not fortunate enough, or old enough, to be around for the remarkable run of SIX through the 80s & 90s.
A proper stonker of a bird & a long overdue mega eastern thrush for the islands!
#ScillyBirds
A real Scilly ‘Golden Era’ grip back for those of us not fortunate enough, or old enough, to be around for the remarkable run of SIX through the 80s & 90s.
A proper stonker of a bird & a long overdue mega eastern thrush for the islands!
#ScillyBirds
October 23, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Scilly’s first EYEBROWED THRUSH in 32 years!
A real Scilly ‘Golden Era’ grip back for those of us not fortunate enough, or old enough, to be around for the remarkable run of SIX through the 80s & 90s.
A proper stonker of a bird & a long overdue mega eastern thrush for the islands!
#ScillyBirds
A real Scilly ‘Golden Era’ grip back for those of us not fortunate enough, or old enough, to be around for the remarkable run of SIX through the 80s & 90s.
A proper stonker of a bird & a long overdue mega eastern thrush for the islands!
#ScillyBirds
After two frustrating days the secrets of the St. Agnes mourning dove were finally revealed today!
First for Scilly, first for England, sixth for Britain! A real heavyweight nearctic mega to get the pulses racing, and a very classy little bird it is too!
#ScillyBirds
First for Scilly, first for England, sixth for Britain! A real heavyweight nearctic mega to get the pulses racing, and a very classy little bird it is too!
#ScillyBirds
October 9, 2025 at 7:26 PM
After two frustrating days the secrets of the St. Agnes mourning dove were finally revealed today!
First for Scilly, first for England, sixth for Britain! A real heavyweight nearctic mega to get the pulses racing, and a very classy little bird it is too!
#ScillyBirds
First for Scilly, first for England, sixth for Britain! A real heavyweight nearctic mega to get the pulses racing, and a very classy little bird it is too!
#ScillyBirds
A couple of lovely nearctic waders recently delivered to Scilly by the early autumn westerly gales.
Pectoral sandpiper, Porth Hellick.
Buff-breasted sandpiper, St. Mary’s Airfield.
#ScillyBirds #RareBirdsUK #ukbirding
Pectoral sandpiper, Porth Hellick.
Buff-breasted sandpiper, St. Mary’s Airfield.
#ScillyBirds #RareBirdsUK #ukbirding
September 6, 2025 at 9:05 PM
A couple of lovely nearctic waders recently delivered to Scilly by the early autumn westerly gales.
Pectoral sandpiper, Porth Hellick.
Buff-breasted sandpiper, St. Mary’s Airfield.
#ScillyBirds #RareBirdsUK #ukbirding
Pectoral sandpiper, Porth Hellick.
Buff-breasted sandpiper, St. Mary’s Airfield.
#ScillyBirds #RareBirdsUK #ukbirding
Western Bonelli’s Warbler, present for its sixth day, showing very well in the Garrison Dead Pines this morning.
Scilly’s 34th record of WBW - undoubtedly one of, if not the, most reliable place to see the species in Britain.
#ScillyBirds #RareBirdsUK #UKbirding
Scilly’s 34th record of WBW - undoubtedly one of, if not the, most reliable place to see the species in Britain.
#ScillyBirds #RareBirdsUK #UKbirding
August 18, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Western Bonelli’s Warbler, present for its sixth day, showing very well in the Garrison Dead Pines this morning.
Scilly’s 34th record of WBW - undoubtedly one of, if not the, most reliable place to see the species in Britain.
#ScillyBirds #RareBirdsUK #UKbirding
Scilly’s 34th record of WBW - undoubtedly one of, if not the, most reliable place to see the species in Britain.
#ScillyBirds #RareBirdsUK #UKbirding
Two lovely nudibranchs from Porthcressa Bay, Isles of Scilly.
White-sparkled facelina (Facelina annulicornis)
Four-lined polycera (Polycera quadriliniata)
#MarineLife #UKWildlife
White-sparkled facelina (Facelina annulicornis)
Four-lined polycera (Polycera quadriliniata)
#MarineLife #UKWildlife
August 15, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Two lovely nudibranchs from Porthcressa Bay, Isles of Scilly.
White-sparkled facelina (Facelina annulicornis)
Four-lined polycera (Polycera quadriliniata)
#MarineLife #UKWildlife
White-sparkled facelina (Facelina annulicornis)
Four-lined polycera (Polycera quadriliniata)
#MarineLife #UKWildlife
The excellent start to the Scilly Pelagic season continued last night with a great showing of 20 Wilson’s storm-petrels, 14 Cory’s shearwaters, and a 1s Sabine’s gull #seabirds #scillybirds #ukbirding
July 15, 2025 at 10:12 AM
The excellent start to the Scilly Pelagic season continued last night with a great showing of 20 Wilson’s storm-petrels, 14 Cory’s shearwaters, and a 1s Sabine’s gull #seabirds #scillybirds #ukbirding
Our 10 year old son, Orkney, will attempt his first triathlon today on the Isles of Scilly 💪 raising money for Marine Conservation Society 🦑 and Island Haven ☀️
He will swim 0.5km 🏊 , cycle 20km 🚲 and run 10km 🏃♂️
Please sponsor him and show him your support 🙌
givestar.io/gs/orkneys-f...
He will swim 0.5km 🏊 , cycle 20km 🚲 and run 10km 🏃♂️
Please sponsor him and show him your support 🙌
givestar.io/gs/orkneys-f...
July 12, 2025 at 7:40 AM
Our 10 year old son, Orkney, will attempt his first triathlon today on the Isles of Scilly 💪 raising money for Marine Conservation Society 🦑 and Island Haven ☀️
He will swim 0.5km 🏊 , cycle 20km 🚲 and run 10km 🏃♂️
Please sponsor him and show him your support 🙌
givestar.io/gs/orkneys-f...
He will swim 0.5km 🏊 , cycle 20km 🚲 and run 10km 🏃♂️
Please sponsor him and show him your support 🙌
givestar.io/gs/orkneys-f...
A superb Scilly stormie session last night with 35 European storm-petrels ringed & released in just under two hours, a good total considering a 77% waxing moon.
Our small team of helpers did a brilliant job, several of them enjoying their first ever stormie experience 🙌
#seabirds #ukbirding
Our small team of helpers did a brilliant job, several of them enjoying their first ever stormie experience 🙌
#seabirds #ukbirding
July 6, 2025 at 3:44 PM
A superb Scilly stormie session last night with 35 European storm-petrels ringed & released in just under two hours, a good total considering a 77% waxing moon.
Our small team of helpers did a brilliant job, several of them enjoying their first ever stormie experience 🙌
#seabirds #ukbirding
Our small team of helpers did a brilliant job, several of them enjoying their first ever stormie experience 🙌
#seabirds #ukbirding
#WorldSeabirdDay Back in March I visited Fogo where, during c.50hrs birding at sea & a night of research in the foothills of Pico do Fogo, I enjoyed the most intimate of experiences with the ultimate seabird - the Fea’s Petrel (Pterodroma feae).
A lifelong ambition fulfilled 🇨🇻
#Seabirds
A lifelong ambition fulfilled 🇨🇻
#Seabirds
July 3, 2025 at 10:06 AM
#WorldSeabirdDay Back in March I visited Fogo where, during c.50hrs birding at sea & a night of research in the foothills of Pico do Fogo, I enjoyed the most intimate of experiences with the ultimate seabird - the Fea’s Petrel (Pterodroma feae).
A lifelong ambition fulfilled 🇨🇻
#Seabirds
A lifelong ambition fulfilled 🇨🇻
#Seabirds
More excellent pelagic birding off Scilly yesterday with 6 Wilson’s storm-petrels, 6 Cory’s, 1 great & 1 sooty shearwater, amongst dozens of local Euro stormies & Manxies.
Getting ‘the big three’, & multiple Wilson’s in one photo frame, in June is absurd!
#ScillyPelagics #Seabirds #UKbirding 🪶
Getting ‘the big three’, & multiple Wilson’s in one photo frame, in June is absurd!
#ScillyPelagics #Seabirds #UKbirding 🪶
June 27, 2025 at 9:18 AM
More excellent pelagic birding off Scilly yesterday with 6 Wilson’s storm-petrels, 6 Cory’s, 1 great & 1 sooty shearwater, amongst dozens of local Euro stormies & Manxies.
Getting ‘the big three’, & multiple Wilson’s in one photo frame, in June is absurd!
#ScillyPelagics #Seabirds #UKbirding 🪶
Getting ‘the big three’, & multiple Wilson’s in one photo frame, in June is absurd!
#ScillyPelagics #Seabirds #UKbirding 🪶
Wilson’s storm-petrels are steadily making their way in. Three on tonight’s Scilly Pelagic - two moulting adults and one fresh juv. - alongside 30 or so European storm-petrels. Two early Sabine’s gulls were a welcome bonus #ScillyPelagics #ScillyBirds #Seabirds
June 23, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Wilson’s storm-petrels are steadily making their way in. Three on tonight’s Scilly Pelagic - two moulting adults and one fresh juv. - alongside 30 or so European storm-petrels. Two early Sabine’s gulls were a welcome bonus #ScillyPelagics #ScillyBirds #Seabirds
Wilson’s storm-petrels are steadily making their way in. Three on tonight’s Scilly Pelagic - two moulting adults and one fresh juv. - alongside 30 or so European storm-petrels. Two early Sabine’s gulls were a welcome bonus #ScillyPelagics #ScillyBirds
June 23, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Wilson’s storm-petrels are steadily making their way in. Three on tonight’s Scilly Pelagic - two moulting adults and one fresh juv. - alongside 30 or so European storm-petrels. Two early Sabine’s gulls were a welcome bonus #ScillyPelagics #ScillyBirds
Tenerife blue chaffinch at Las Lajas yesterday. Bold, charismatic, vocal and confiding… they lived up to the hype! 5-6 birds in total around the drinking pools and picnic area.
June 14, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Tenerife blue chaffinch at Las Lajas yesterday. Bold, charismatic, vocal and confiding… they lived up to the hype! 5-6 birds in total around the drinking pools and picnic area.
Nice surprise only a couple of hours after arriving in Cornwall yesterday evening finding a gull-billed tern at Loe Pool. Always distant in poor light, but a cool bird nonetheless.
Ironically the last one in Britain was just 100 yards from my front door, at Porthcressa last August! #CornwallBirds
Ironically the last one in Britain was just 100 yards from my front door, at Porthcressa last August! #CornwallBirds
June 7, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Nice surprise only a couple of hours after arriving in Cornwall yesterday evening finding a gull-billed tern at Loe Pool. Always distant in poor light, but a cool bird nonetheless.
Ironically the last one in Britain was just 100 yards from my front door, at Porthcressa last August! #CornwallBirds
Ironically the last one in Britain was just 100 yards from my front door, at Porthcressa last August! #CornwallBirds
Enjoyable rockpooling in Scilly this week, the highlight being this superb Polycera quadrilineata which performed beautifully for our safari group #ScillyRockpools #Nudibranchs 🦑
May 16, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Enjoyable rockpooling in Scilly this week, the highlight being this superb Polycera quadrilineata which performed beautifully for our safari group #ScillyRockpools #Nudibranchs 🦑
A little ray of Scilly sunshine… Male citrine wagtail on Bryher this evening. A top spring find by John O’Sullivan earlier in the day! Amazingly my first male citrine wagtail ever, anywhere! 🙌 #ScillyBirds
May 7, 2025 at 7:36 PM
A little ray of Scilly sunshine… Male citrine wagtail on Bryher this evening. A top spring find by John O’Sullivan earlier in the day! Amazingly my first male citrine wagtail ever, anywhere! 🙌 #ScillyBirds
An exceptional first 3 (of 7) days pelagic seabirding off Fogo, Cape Verde with 18+ hours spent at sea and c.150km traveled so far.
Many highlights, but this mornings black-capped petrels steal the headlines… undoubtedly the best ever views of the species in the Western Palearctic!
#seabirds
Many highlights, but this mornings black-capped petrels steal the headlines… undoubtedly the best ever views of the species in the Western Palearctic!
#seabirds
March 21, 2025 at 4:59 PM
An exceptional first 3 (of 7) days pelagic seabirding off Fogo, Cape Verde with 18+ hours spent at sea and c.150km traveled so far.
Many highlights, but this mornings black-capped petrels steal the headlines… undoubtedly the best ever views of the species in the Western Palearctic!
#seabirds
Many highlights, but this mornings black-capped petrels steal the headlines… undoubtedly the best ever views of the species in the Western Palearctic!
#seabirds
First day on Fogo & an early morning seawatch from our São Filipe apartment balcony… no less than five minutes in & a black-capped petrel flies through my scope!! Large numbers of Fea’s petrels, Cape Verde shearwaters, red-billed tropicbirds, and a Boyd’s shear also. This afternoon we go to sea 🌊
March 19, 2025 at 10:50 AM
First day on Fogo & an early morning seawatch from our São Filipe apartment balcony… no less than five minutes in & a black-capped petrel flies through my scope!! Large numbers of Fea’s petrels, Cape Verde shearwaters, red-billed tropicbirds, and a Boyd’s shear also. This afternoon we go to sea 🌊
This pied crow initially arrived on St. Mary’s for a day in late December before returning in February, settling in Old Town where it has been residing now for the past fortnight.
Some interesting decisions to be made on the recent ‘influx’ of the species in to Europe!
#ScillyBirds #rarebirdsuk
Some interesting decisions to be made on the recent ‘influx’ of the species in to Europe!
#ScillyBirds #rarebirdsuk
March 5, 2025 at 12:14 PM
This pied crow initially arrived on St. Mary’s for a day in late December before returning in February, settling in Old Town where it has been residing now for the past fortnight.
Some interesting decisions to be made on the recent ‘influx’ of the species in to Europe!
#ScillyBirds #rarebirdsuk
Some interesting decisions to be made on the recent ‘influx’ of the species in to Europe!
#ScillyBirds #rarebirdsuk
I have one space available on the 2025 Challenger Expedition to the continental shelf edge. The 2024 trip yielded Madeiran storm-petrels, barolo shearwaters, a fea’s-type petrel & much more, all in British waters. Sept 14th-22nd from Plymouth.
Email scottreid.scilly@gmail.com for more info #seabirds
Email scottreid.scilly@gmail.com for more info #seabirds
January 16, 2025 at 7:48 PM
I have one space available on the 2025 Challenger Expedition to the continental shelf edge. The 2024 trip yielded Madeiran storm-petrels, barolo shearwaters, a fea’s-type petrel & much more, all in British waters. Sept 14th-22nd from Plymouth.
Email scottreid.scilly@gmail.com for more info #seabirds
Email scottreid.scilly@gmail.com for more info #seabirds
A pleasant start to the birding year on the Isles of Scilly. Nothing remarkable currently, but plenty of chiffchaffs on the beaches, a couple of long-staying great egrets, a handful of black redstarts & plenty of ducks, divers & seabirds offshore are keeping it all ticking over #ScillyBirds
January 7, 2025 at 8:13 PM
A pleasant start to the birding year on the Isles of Scilly. Nothing remarkable currently, but plenty of chiffchaffs on the beaches, a couple of long-staying great egrets, a handful of black redstarts & plenty of ducks, divers & seabirds offshore are keeping it all ticking over #ScillyBirds
Pied crow around Hugh Town this afternoon! Can’t say I saw that coming, even with one lingering at Land’s End. The 26 mile sea crossing certainly adds intrigue when assessing the likelihood of them hopping the Strait of Gibraltar or the Channel. Regardless of origin, a very cool bird! #ScillyBirds
December 27, 2024 at 8:33 PM
Pied crow around Hugh Town this afternoon! Can’t say I saw that coming, even with one lingering at Land’s End. The 26 mile sea crossing certainly adds intrigue when assessing the likelihood of them hopping the Strait of Gibraltar or the Channel. Regardless of origin, a very cool bird! #ScillyBirds