Cornish Feast

[Adam Cheeseman]

Hi all,

Just spent the weekend down in Cornwall with a birding pal as there are quite a few vagrants around at the moment.

We started off at 5am Friday and headed down to Beer in Devon for a Surf Scoter, which we dipped out on. Headed on over to Otterton and caught up with the Cattle Egret in a flock of 13 Little Egrets, also saw a single Whimbrel with the Curlews and heard a couple Cetti's Warbler in a block of willow scrub.

From there we made for Stepper Point near Padstow where we didn't see the Gyrfalcon but did find a nice Black Redstart and plenty of Stonechat, Skylark, Rock and Meadow Pipits.

Early afternoon we arrived at Newquay and caught up with the Dusky Warbler sub-singing on a housing estate - the local residents call it a Dusty Warbler!

As time was getting on we decided to miss the Red-necked Grebe at Stithian's Reservoir and got to Hayle Estuary mid-afternoon. Here we spent a good while watching the White-billed Diver, taking some photos and video. Moved around the estuary and found the Spotted Sandpiper by the road bridge. Its gait was funny to watch and would have been perfect for the Ministry of Silly Walks. I must check whether Common Sands walk in the same manner next time I see one.
The supporting cast of Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Redshank, Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, and Mediterranean Gull rounded the day's birding off nicely.

The falcon that got away was the deciding factor on what we did next and so we gave up the chance of Pacific and Black-throated Divers, Red-necked Grebe, and Chough the following day for another attempt at the Gyrfalcon.

So, that evening we headed back to Padstow and found a B&B for the night. 5am the next morning the alrm clock awoke us and we made our way back to Stepper Point. By the time we got there it was still dark and around 100 other birders were also there. We all waited patiently for dawn to come and a large white blob took the form of a magnificent white phase Gyr perched high on the crags of the quarry. After checking us all out with some typical falcon head bobbing and stretching it flew off for the day at 6.16am. A stonking great falcon that is 6" longer than a Peregrine and about the size of a female Goshawk.

After breakfast we tried to find the American Wigeon on the Camel Estuary without any luck, so made our way home stopping off for the Corn Buntings at Stonehenge.

Best weekend's birding I've had for a long time.

[Kymba]

Cornwall is a great Place to go Bird Watching, It never lets you down
But is also great for Seeing Wildlife and has amazing amount of wild Plants etc to try and identify

[John]

I did a similar thing to you on 03/03/07 but only spent a day down in Cornwall. We managed the Gyr straight away. As we were leaving a Glaucos Gull flew over our heads. We didn't try for the Am Wigeon at the time as it had been reported as flying up the Camel river. We next went for the W B Diver and I got some great images of the bird. Like you I got the Spot Sand then we went for (and saw) the Asian Variety of Lesser Whitethroat. Bonus bird from Lelant Saltings station was a Franklins Gull followed by the Yellow browed Warbler at Penzance.

We rounded off the day by dipping out on the Dusky despite being onsite for nearly four hours.

I currently have a thread entitled diary of my travels and the part of this day I think is on post 19, (including photos). Here is a link to that thread.
A diary of my travels

Cornwall is certainly an amazing place to be at the moment if it is rare birds you are after as they are all more or less in a fairly tight area.

John

[Adam Cheeseman]

Hi John,

There were several Iceland and Glaucous Gulls floating around the area but with a tight schedule we didn't have time to do a roost or scan flocks apart from the one at Hayle where we picked up 3 Mediterranean Gulls. The Franklin's Gull was apparently seen there the day before we arrived. Subsequently found out that there was a Laughing Gull on the Exminster Marshes on our first day so we could have got that after the Cattle Egret as well had we known in time. Oh well, a good reason to try again another time.

Cheers,

Adam