The Isles of Scilly - Rare Birds, Seabirds and More

The Isles of Scilly are a group of islands 28 miles off the south west coast of England, marking the south westerly part of Britain. They are one of the most renowned places in Britain to see migrant and vagrant species of birds from Europe, North America and Siberia, with the best time of year to visit being in autumn, which is the time of annual Speyside Wildlife visit!

There are rarities such as Red Breasted Flycatcher, which is a bird mainly found in the forests of Eastern Europe that has a brown body and a reddish orange throat patch. There are some from Asia such as the Yellow Browed Warbler which are greenish yellow with a broad yellow supercilium, that is a staple rarity to Britain every year. Then there are bigger rarities that don’t appear annually, or with much less frequency. The Scilly Islands have recorded rarities including Red Eyed Vireo, which is from North America and is a brown and white bird like a warbler with blood red eyes. The Scilly Islands are also an important bird area for seabirds such as European Storm Petrel. The ferry crossing from Penzance offers a chance to see birds including Gannets, Fulmars and Balearic Shearwaters, as well as a cetaceans including Common Dolphins. The Scilly Islands is a unique trip within the British Isles because you never know what will turn up and every year is different.

Our holiday this year is running from 4 October until 11 October 2025 and our itinerary is as follows:

Day 1

We meet together in Penzance at the harbour before taking the ferry out to Scilly. Birds and wildlife will be apparent from the moment we leave the bay, with several species of seabird on the 28 mile crossing to the islands. Gannets and Fulmars cruise the open waters, along with a really good chance of seeing the rare Balearic Shearwater, which move into these British waters in late summer. Common Dolphins are increasingly common here and we hope to have some good sightings from the ship. Landing on St Mary’s we can walk the short distance to our island hotel. The rest of the first day we are likely to explore the main island of St Mary’s, with its diverse habitats of woodland, farmland and coastal trails.

Days 2-7

The islands have recorded over 400 species during their birding history, having a reputation as being a must visit place for all British birders. Autumn migration will be in full swing as we arrive, with the last of the common species passing through such as Redstarts, Chiffchaffs, Wheatears, with swallows and martins still occurring at this time of year. Along with these common migrants and depending on the preceding weather and wind directions, we can hope for rarities. If transatlantic low pressure sweeps in we may see something arrive from America, whilst easterly winds may produce birds from Europe such as Wryneck and Bluethoat. In the right conditions, eastern rarities from even further afield in Asia such as Yellow-browed Warbler and Dusky Warbler can appear. It’s impossible to give a firm itinerary - let’s just say that our guides will take you to where the best birds are! Migrants can turn up anywhere; on the south pointing Peninnis Head, on grassy airfields, golf courses, sheltered coves and the shelter belts which protect the bulb fields - and indeed on any of the islands. Any boat trips we need to make are included in the holiday. This is prime time for scarce birds such as Short-toed Lark, Wryneck and Red-backed Shrike, but expect the unexpected, as Scilly is famed for attracting vagrant waders, ducks, warblers, pipits and even birds of prey from all corners of the compass, which rarely occur elsewhere in the UK. Anything can turn up - birds we have seen include Wryneck, Red- eyed Vireo, Red-backed Shrike, Short-toed Lark, Red-throated Pipit (among other things.)

During our trip we shall alternate between exploring the main island of St Mary’s, with days out to visit two or three of the other inhabited islands using the colourful little inter-island boats. Even St Mary’s is only 2.5 by 1.75 miles, so exploring on foot is easy, wandering between the different habitats of tiny bulb fields sheltered by tall pittasporum hedges, maritime heath and boggy moorland, with muddy freshwater pools, rocky headlands and sandy coves that pepper the coastline. The unique mild maritime climate has created a fascinating landscape, with special plants adapted to this environment.

The Scillies are made up of around 150 islands with just five of the largest islands being inhabited. All of these five offshore islands are distinctly different in character and habitat. We shall almost certainly visit Tresco, the second largest, which is famed for its exotic Abbey Gardens created in 1834 around the remains of the 12th century St Nicholas Priory. Its sweeping sandy beaches and rocky tidal bays attract waders, gulls and terns and the dense vegetation and wooded areas provide shelter and feeding for common migrants and rarities alike, as they pause to refuel on their long journeys. The Great Pool almost divides the whole island, offering the chance of some wildfowl, with regular rarities such as Ring-necked Duck and Spotted Crake turning up in some years. St Agnes, the most south-westerly of the inhabited islands, is in the prime position for first landfall of any transatlantic migrants, so it is another island we are likely to visit. It has a rugged southern coastline and more sheltered bays in the north. Its narrow winding lanes and tiny fields give it a totally different feel to the other islands and with Wingletang Down - an area of open scrub and gorse which stretches down to the Atlantic coast, it’s an island of contrasts in a tiny area.

Rare birds can turn up on any of the other islands, with visiting birders searching all over. We shall try to see as many as we can, so depending on where the birds are found, we may visit St Martin’s, a long thin island with beautiful white sandy beaches, downland and a small farming community. Alternatively, we may visit Bryher, which shelters Tresco from the Atlantic and is home to Hell Bay, where there is nothing between us and the eastern seaboard of America!

We can spend the morning birding, then after lunch we board our ferry for the sea crossing back to Penzance, with a chance of more seabirds and cetaceans on the way.

If you would like to join our holiday this autumn or read more information, please click here.