The end of the season

Tuesday was hard work. I started off in Cantinho, but quickly decided that the wind was making it a no go. And so ended up doing the mid part of Cancelas, before spending a few hours in Fojo where the highlight was a brief Red-eyed Vireo - one of the birds that has been present here most of the season.

By early afternoon, the nice morning had turned sour weather wise and I descended down towards the village, only for a Common Redpoll to be feeding on the track in front of me beyond Da Ponte in higher fields. After drying out in the guesthouse for half an hour or so, I ventured out in the sour weather - a young Peregrine flew over the airfield in the gloom, while two Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were amongst the sparrows in the middle fields at the top end. Overnight, the wind got even worse and so did the rain...

Common Redpoll lower fields, Corvo 28th October 2015

But Wednesday dawned bright. And a walk around the airfield and the middle/lower fields produced one of the Buff-bellied Pipits, the rather forlorn looking Black-tailed Godwit and a couple more Common Redpolls - and these birds showed nicely as they fed near the doctor's house. Presumably northwestern rostrata birds; at least they fitted the part with heavy flank streaking, a well marked yet pale rump and quite robust structure.

And that was that. The forecast for Friday looked a bit too much on the dodgy side for me to risk being stranded, so after a bit of negotiating managed to extricate myself from The Rock and I write this from London. There was also the small matter of a bunting on Orkney too... but in all honesty, it felt like the Corvo season had I ended as I left.