Back out west

The usual start to my Azorean trip saw me sleeping in PDL airport after the Saturday evening flight from Gatwick. For the first time in the 3 years I've been visiting in late October, the conditions look promising with a Yellowthroat fresh in on Corvo yesterday, and new Chimney Swifts and Yellow-billed Cuckoos the day before that.

I was meant to fly to Terceira this morning, but with the news of a longstaying White-tailed Tropicbird on Flores I obviously changed my plans. Let's see where I end up today as I'm due to fly, via Faial, in the next half hour or so...

Meanwhile, in the UK, things seem to be kicking off a bit with multiple Scarlet Tanagers (in Cornwall and Scilly). I'm just glad that I'm not at all interested in my British list (Britain and Ireland for me), though it brought back great memories of the Garinish Point bird in October 2008...

Scarlet Tanager, Garinish, County Cork October 2008

One sweet day...

the assembled crowd... happily soaking in the tanager. Until news of an empidonax flycatcher in Cornwall filtered through!