18-24 October 2025 £1,799 per person, £75 single supplement
To book, call Oriole Birding: 0800 999 3036
Join this Oriole Birding/Bird Watching readers’ holiday to explore a legendary birding destination
What superlatives can we use for the magical Isles of Scilly? Renowned World-wide as a migration hotspot, it is surely one of the best places in the Western Palearctic to see species from ‘across the pond’.
Scilly is geographically blessed to receive rare vagrants from all points of the compass. Unlike many migration watchpoints, weather is less critical here for producing something of interest
– good birds can turn up on
any winds!
Each year, Scilly receives a plethora of American shorebirds, too, such as Pectoral and Buff-breasted Sandpipers and American Golden Plover. Scarcities such as Dotterel, Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper often appear at this time, too, and we will be grilling any wader flocks for that White-rumped, Semipalmated or Baird’s Sandpiper!
Passerines are high on the agenda, with Red-breasted Flycatcher, Yellow-browed Warbler, Little Bunting and Greenish Warbler all possibilities. Firecrest and Barred Warbler are expected at this time, and of course some top American land birds.
Large numbers of seabirds can still be present, and we will take a pelagic trip with the famous Sapphire, skippered by Joe Pender and led by World seabird expert Bob Flood. There will be chances to see Great Shearwater, European Storm-Petrel, Sooty Shearwater, and maybe skuas, terns, Sabine’s Gull and Grey Phalarope.
Your tour leader will be Neil Glenn, who has a huge wealth of experience of guiding on Scilly. Expect to see about 120 species.
ITINERARY
DAY ONE
Meet at Land’s End for morning flight to St Mary’s. On arrival you will be met by Neil, and transfer to your accommodation. We will spend the day birding on St Mary’s (but will consider a trip off-island if a rarity has been sighted).
DAYS TWO–SIX
We will plan a daily itinerary each evening for the following day, but may not know until breakfast exactly where we’re heading, as any up to date information available may alter our best made plans! Most days we will venture to one of the off-islands, and will aim to visit St Agnes, St Martin’s and Tresco at least once each. Great Pool on Tresco is a wader hotspot, and the sort of place a rare sandpiper from America could turn up. St Agnes has plenty of habitat for finding our own birds, and we may also visit the island of Bryher.
DAY SEVEN
We aim to spend the final morning birding on St Mary’s, with an early afternoon flight to Land’s End.
w Please note that travel plans may be disrupted at short notice due to adverse weather conditions and we recommend your travel insurance adequately covers any additional expenses involved. Flight times may vary depending on availability at the time of booking.
What’s included
Six nights en suite accommodation at Mincarlo Guest House on a B&B basis, evening meals, return flights from Land’s End to Scilly and services of leader, plus pelagic boat trip.
What's not included
Travel insurance, drinks, any items of a purely personal nature, lunches (we can buy sandwiches from local shops), inter-island boat trips (expect about £10 per person per trip).
What to bring
Binoculars, scope (optional), camera, clothing for all weathers, walking boots, small rucksack, alarm clock, seasickness pills
and field guide.
Tour description
A lot of walking is required to get the most from your holiday. The terrain is mostly easy with much of the walking on roads, but reasonable level of physical fitness is required. Expect some potentially long days in the field and several inter-island boat trips. You will need to be able to walk 6-7 miles per day.
Group size
Maximum of nine participants.
To book, call Oriole Birding: 0800 999 3036