9th -10 October 2021: Cornwall Birding Part 1

We started our annual pilgrimage to Cornwall with a fruitless wander around the bubbling river near Lanhydrock, hoping for a Dipper. No luck on the bird front, but a reminder of the beautiful scenery Cornwall has to offer beyond the dramatic rocky coastlines and sandy beaches.

Having stretched our legs, we continued on to Hayle estuary, parking by Copperhouse Creek, where alongside some barely noticed regulars such as Crow and Wood Pigeon, we quickly totted up an assortment of larger waders, including Greenshank, Bar-tailed Godwit and a Spotted Redshank. I was keen to progress to Carnsew Basin, where a very rare Semi-palmated Sandpiper had been reported over recent days, but Tim insisted that a trip to the supermarket for additional provisions was more pressing!!!! I just had to hope it would not disappear too quickly…

Spotted Redshank

The next morning we headed to the west coast, starting at Porthgwarra, where I immediately spotted our first of many Choughs, a pair flying over my head at the car park as Tim wrestled with the complexities of the ticket machine. Porthgwarra is a small, sheltered cove close to Lands End which, in addition to featuring in the opening credits of Poldark, has a reputation for turning up rarities, blown across the Atlantic Ocean by strong winds. Sadly, this was not the case this year, but the glorious sunshine meant we were not too disappointed, focusing instead on an exhilarating walk up to Gwennap Head, where we encountered  Meadow Pipits and Wheatear, continuing along the coast path towards Lands End,  via Nanzijal beach, where Nicky had been captivated by the seals last year, and then along a thrilling rocky ledge skirting the sea below. Offshore we spotted several Shag, and Gannets, white plumage gleaming in the brilliant sunshine, contrasting with their black tipped wings, whilst on land Kestrels and Stonechats were frequently seen.

Nanjizal Beach

Later we drove to Trevescan, where a juvenile Rose-coloured Starling had been reported. A cluster of birders soon indicated where the bird had been seen, and it was just a few moments before we located this perched on a telephone wire. It almost immediately flew off, but I was able to track it in the bins, and it’s paler colouring compared to the other Starlings stood out surprisingly well. Fortunately it then returned to the wire, where we were able to spend several minutes watching through the scopes before it disappeared completely just as another group of birders arrived.

With the light fading, we paused again at Hayle on our way home, with the tide now right for checking for the infamous sandpiper. This was eventually picked out, albeit at some distance,  from amongst a flock of Dunlin -  a tiny bird, similar in size to a Little Stint,  but lacking the white lines on its back. Some Grey Plover were also new for the week, and with two new annual ticks we finished the day on a high note.