Two more flights...

Strong overnight westerlies abated and, despite the best attempts of a trainee pilot, we are now on Corvo. As a WP tick was sitting in the caldera, two-thirds of Team UK bolted up the slope, over the edge and down into the crater. Last night's blow had significantly added to the waterbirds around the lake and, in addition to the Great Blue Heron, we also saw 1 Wilson's Phal, 2 Semi-p Sands, 3 Pecs, 1 White-rump, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Mallard x Black Duck hybrid and 4 Teal sp. All very nice, but not really the aim of the visit (finding yankee landbirds), unlike the Yellow-billed Cuckoo that the remaining member of the team had pulled out of the bushes back at Villa da Corvo. A few sweaty, knee-aching miles later and the cuckoo was safely on the Azores list. Two years ago to the day another Yellow-billed Cuckoo heralded the start of the most amazing run of records on this island,... here's hoping for a re-run of 2005.


PS. Look at the arse on that bird...