Window to Wildlife

 With the children away, Kate and I set the alarm for 05.30 to head to World’s End, near Llangollen, in the hope of finding lekking Black Grouse. We got a little lost on the way, but our detour did enable us to add Mistle Thrush to Kate’s growing bird list, with a pair seen hopping by the gate at Manera Quarry.  Fortunately when we arrived, the Grouse were still present, and we enjoyed some time watching their antics as they strutted about, with chests puffed and tail feathers fanned in a splendid display. Sadly a walker passing by flushed the birds and most failed to return. Nevertheless this was a memorable encounter and we were surprised at how close to the road the birds were, giving excellent views. Black Grouse (Richard Allan) After the birds had flown, we lingered hopefully for a while, observing a number of Meadow Pipits, Skylarks and a couple of Wheatears close to the lekking site. We were surprised to find a Canada Goose up here, on this wild, moorland habitat. Among...

 I managed to convince Tim that a visit to the supermarket could wait and the Woodchat Shrike which had appeared while we were on holiday might not! So after breakfast we set out for Newhaven harbour West Beach. The bird was easily found when we arrived, with a number of birders pointing lenses in the same direction, and the bird obligingly perched on the fence. It is a female, so slightly less bold colouration than the male, but an attractive bird nevertheless. Although a little distant it gave excellent scope views. Woodchat Shrike We were joined by Simon and Mary, over from America and alongside the shrike, Mary was very struck by the Fulmars circling the cliff with their distinctive straight wings, as these are birds she had only seen distantly over the water before. We managed to find a pair on a nest in the scope too., then a Raven also sat on a nest. Next we drove to Splashpoint, below Seaford Head, to show them the Kittiwake colony. Unfortunately there was no sign of nestin...

 A detour from Newquay en route to Poole proved worthwhile when we heard a delightful Cirl Bunting singing from a tree, and showing well as it lifted its golden striped head for a burst of song. A beautiful soundtrack for our lunch stop overlooking the sea, interspersed with frequent contributions from a noisy Chiffchaff. Cirl Bunting

 We enjoyed a walk to the Lizard on Friday, but there was little new birding, although a Peregrine hovered briefly over Lizard Point as we ate some lunch. The views were spectacular though.  The Lizard A drive across the county to Geevor Tin Mine in search of a Wryneck proved fruitless, although there were plenty of Wheatears and a distant Ring Ouzel, which offered some compensation. Then on Saturday, we headed up to Newquay to spend the weekend with Andrew and Chelsea. Our star bird of the day was a long-staying Long-tailed Duck, surprisingly hanging out on a rather busy boating lake, with good views obtained. Long tailed Duck On Sunday we took a walk around Trevone area where we found a small colony of very active Sand Martins, and plenty of Wheatears, plus both Meadow and Rock Pipits. And at Longcarrow Cove, we finally encountered good numbers of resting Razorbills, together with calling Kittiwakes. Sand Martin Razorbills We ended our Cornwall tally with over 80 species, in...

 With a forecast for rain and strong winds this afternoon, we were unsure what to plan for our day. However, an early morning report of a Kentish Plover at Loe Bar sorted that problem, and we soon set off hoping for another UK tick. When we arrived we checked the sandbank beside the pool on the basis there was less land here to cover than on the beach side. That was the wrong call, but fortunately another visiting birder quickly got on to the bird and called us over. It was actually stood alongside a pair of Ringed Plovers, allowing for a good comparison of the different plumage features and size. Tim was lucky enough to get a shot of the two species stood together. Ringed Plover and Kentish Plover Nearby I noticed a couple of Sanderling, one foraging along the beach and the other hunkered down in a hollow. On the sea, Tim saw something dive - our first Sandwich Tern of the year, and we also noted a couple of Wheatears fly across the sand, making this a very worthwhile visit. The w...

We set out early this morning for one of our favourite walks, from Porthgwarra towards Lands End via Gwennap Head. We were expecting windy conditions as the day progressed, but in fact there was a cold wind all day, with some welcome respite in sheltered spots. The strong wind made birding difficult, but some Choughs probing their curved red bills into the short grass were rewarding to watch. From just one pair at The Lizard, these birds are now common around the Cornish cliffs, a real conservation success. A group of five Wheatears gathered on the cliff were presumably newly arrived, whilst we found plenty of the common species associated with this habitat - both rock and meadow pipits, and bouncing, chatty Linnets advertising their presence as they flitted about the vegetation. Chough We returned to the car and transferred to the Cot Valley, another one of Tim’s  favourites. We sat on the beach at the bottom of the valley to eat our lunch, where we were entertained by four Black ...