The Garrison Again

Preparing for a relaxed morning, which included a big cook-up for the next few days, before walking to Porth Loo, the pager doing its exciting 'mega' alarm and the CB bursting into life put paid to that. A Black-eared Wheatear on the Garrison in private grounds near the Star Castle. Thank goodness for the CB which kept me fully informed of progress from then on. 'Now flown out of view and hasn't been re-located' slowed our hasty preparations....We met a proud and beaming Spider outside the Co-op, he'd been asked to look at someone's photo - taken in the Star Castle grounds - on a camera screen. His ID was upheld by Ron Johns and the message put out.
As we panted to the top of the hill and passed through the arch, the CB told us the bird was on the shore under a cliff, this side of Steval.
We followed a stream of birders coming back down the hill to turn towards the shore just inside the archway entrance.

This mainly grassy track - a new one for me - led along the shore for half a mile or so to where what passes as a cliff in Scilly was being scrutinised by 50+ birders. I turned off the path and fought my way through thick spongy grass down to the edge so that I could lean on a fence, where I hoped I'd have a better chance of viewing than in the throng ahead. It didn't take long to see a very active white rump flitting about the muddy cliff face and among the rocks below. Where was Pam? Just making her way down towards me. Five minutes later, she got a tickable view too, thank goodness. After walking further in the hope of a better view of a UK tick, we slowly made our way back to the flat for lunch - at 2.30!

We'd missed the Stiffkey bird in the 90s by two minutes, I wish we hadn't stopped for the Black-throated Thrush in Sheringham - which wasn't a tick.
It's been warm but foggy all day to-day, Tresco out of view for most of the time. This view of some more autumn Scilly plants would have been improved by sun.