Window to Wildlife

 Sadly our last morning at our apartment, but we made the most of our day before heading northwards to visit family in Newquay. The tide was high as we passed Hayle, but we called in briefly to Ryan’s field, adding just a Sparrowhawk to our holiday tally. We then drove on to Gothian Sands and Godrevy lighthouse. There was no sign of Sand Martins here this morning, with just a few Dunnock, Linnets and Goldfinches roaming the scrub, and a few common ducks and gulls on the pool. Walking towards Godrevy, scanning the rocks and beach below the sandstone cliff path, a bevvy of Oystercatchers caught my eye, huddled together on a black rock, their orange bills and white feathering standing out against the dark backdrop. As we progressed towards the lighthouse, I finally spotted some small waders crouched against the wind. It was hard to hold the binoculars steady, but eventually we were able to discern four different species - Dunlin, Turnstone, Sanderling and Purple Sandpiper, all on the ...

 Today was a gloomy and drizzly day. We drove across to Gerrans Bay hoping to find Black-throated Divers, which we had seen here previously when walking the South West Coast Path. They had also been reported the day before. In the event the abysmal weather rather scuppered our chances. Although there were a number of divers out on the water, the appalling light and rain on optics made it difficult to determine the species. We definitely had Great Northern Divers, but could not definitively identify a Black-throated. We were unable to spot the distinctive white marking on the flanks, usually seen on swimming birds. It was very frustrating. Rather easier to identify, due to the distinctive shape and flight pattern, was a Sandwich Tern flying close to the shoreline. Great Northern Diver After waiting in vain for the rain to stop, we moved on to Portscatho. Again we found Great Northern Divers here, much closer, and with a more sheltered location, the rain was less in our faces enablin...

 This is one of our favourite walks, with a scramble up the cliffs, then a flattish walk across the top, with fantastic views out to sea and down to the rocks below. It is a top spot for Choughs, and it didn’t take long to find a pair probing for food in the short grass, completely unfazed by our presence and giving superb views.  Choughs Looking out to sea, we could just make out a constant stream of distant Manx Shearwaters, rising up, then down as they scythed across the waves. A few gleaming white Gannets, with bold black wing tips flew intermittently past the headland too. Chough and Jackdaw On the cliffs below, we found seven Fulmars perched on the rocks, then launching skywards with narrow, outstretched wings to soar around a small sheltered cove. Nearby glossy, green-tinged nesting Shags could be seen on the rock faces and a pair of busy Rock Pipits called frequently as they flitted amongst the grass and rocks. Fulmars Several Meadow Pipits wandered the grassy areas, a...

 We had an enjoyable day, but there was not much of note on the birding front! We collected Nicola from Mullion Cove and drove to Kynance, walking the path towards The Lizard where we enjoyed a nice lunch, with a hovering Kestrel the most noteworthy bird. We returned via Caerthilian Cove, but the scrubby vegetation was decidedly lacking in birds, with just a few finches seen flitting amongst the bushes. From here we drove towards Loe Pool, where we took a short walk. A single Great Crested Grebe on the Pool was the best we could manage here, with no birds visible on the sea or beach. This was disappointing as we have seen good numbers of terns and a variety of waders here on previous years. Finally, we stopped off at The legendary Helston Boating a lake, always good for adding Tufted Duck to the holiday list, and occasionally turning up something more interesting. Not today though, but a large family of baby Mallards were very cute and quite entertaining as they struggled to keep u...

 We woke to a change in the weather, with much cooler temperatures, low cloud and frequent drizzle. Abandoning plans for any coastal walking we instead opted for local birding opportunities. We arrived at Hayle with the tide still high, finding our first Curlews of the trip on Ryan’s Field, and a male Reed Bunting swaying atop a bush bursting into fresh green leaf. Crossing to the causeway, a Sandwich Tern loafed on the far side near Lelant Station amongst the gulls. As the water levels decreased the waders moved in, and we noted Bar-tailed Godwit, Ringed and Grey Plovers, Oystercatchers, Redshank and Dunlin. But the highlight was a Water Pipit moulting into beautiful summer plumage, with a pinkish breast, grey head and bold white supercilium. It was rather elusive, skulking amongst the sparse vegetation and decidedly camera-shy, but we had excellent scope views and Tim managed a record shot. This is the first one I’ve seen in summer plumage and it was a real winner. Water Pipit Ne...

We were a little later leaving our apartment than planned this morning, with the distraction of around fifty Razorbills resting on the sea in the bay and visible through the scope from our lounge window. A few diving Gannets were also on show, despite the somewhat misty conditions, such that Godrevey was frequently shrouded from view. Encouraged by this sighting, we set off for Pendeen for a spot of seawatching. This was also a rewarding visit, with good numbers of auks passing in front of the rocks below the lighthouse and a steady stream of Manx Shearwaters passing just behind. A Fulmar passed close to the rocky shoreline, and a few Kittiwakes flew across further out over the sea. A cluster of Shags perched high on the rocks, their crests clearly visible. On the grassy rock face below us a pair of newly arrived Wheatear were a welcome find, and a Rock Pipit also flew across to land on the lighthouse wall. After some time, we moved on to Cot Valley. Strolling up from the sea end, a fe...

 This was not primarily a birding day, with family visiting the priority, but a coastal walk from Mullion Cove gave Tim his first Wheatear of the year, and Stonechats and Rock Pipits were plentiful. Three Linnets bounced across to perch on a rocky ledge, giving good views. A Kestrel hovered effortlessly above the cliff tops, a Buzzard circled high above the fields and a Peregrine dashed past, low enough to clearly see its facial markings.  In the cove itself, we met Rocky the regular Rock Pipit and a bunch of noisy Pied Wagtails tail bobbing and chattering constantly. It felt great to be back on the Cornish coast path on a sunny day and in good company. A bit of my heart definitely belongs to Cornwall. Mullion Cove

 After an overnight stay near Hay Tor, and a streamside meander behind the hotel, we headed to Yarner Wood in hope of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. We had barely left the car park when a yaffled call was heard and a bird that appeared black and white flew across the tree tops. A volunteer working nearby confirmed Lesser Spot, but despite the good audio, the sight views were less than satisfactory. I prefer a bird in the bins for an annual tick! We continued on up the path, noting the regular tits and woodland species along the way. A pair of Nuthatch appeared to be nest building, and a Coal Tit was also spotted with nesting material in its beak. We stumbled on a pair of birders watching what appeared to me to be two Buzzards, who insisted they were looking at Goshawks. We left them to it and continued our walk. We again heard what sounded like  Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, and Merlin agreed, but the birds were elusive, and despite seeing movement it was really hard to track the bir...

 Sue and I set out for Pulborough Brooks with high hopes of some new Spring arrivals, such as Little Ringed Plover or Sand Martin etc. We found no new birds, but nevertheless had an enjoyable day with around 55 species seen. Descending towards Fattengates, we had plenty of tits, Blackbird, Robin and Greenfinches. Beneath the shrubs I spotted a single Redwing, rather a surprise as I thought they had all scarpered with the coming of Spring. At the courtyard a Song Thrush delighted us with its melodic song, although it took us some time to pin the bird down visually.  At Westmead hide, it was great to see wheeling Lapwings, and a few spangly Ruff and Redshanks feeding amongst the damp grasses too.  There were still plenty of wildfowl about, with all the regular ducks on view, and a Marsh Harrier and Red Kite hunted across the tree tops at the back of the reserve. In the trees and scrub near the Hangar viewpoint we found a couple of Jays, a Treecreeper and Stock Dove perched ...

  We led an excellent SDOS trip to Warnham today, managing not just a lovely selection of birds, but that real rarity of late, sunshine!!! Fourteen members on the minibus were joined by nine members who had made their own way by car, so we split into 2 groups in order to accommodate everyone in the hides and make things more manageable.  On the millpond there were plenty of Tufted Duck, a few Teal, and Great Crested Grebe in stunning breeding plumage. Some bathing gulls, mostly Herring Gull, were in front of the hide, but also a couple of dark Lesser Black-backed Gulls that revealed their yellow legs as they rose above the water. Lesser Black-backed Gull (Andrew Farquharson) Bird of the day must have been the Siskin - they were everywhere around the feeders at both Bullfinch and Woodpecker hides, and their constant gentle twittering song filled the air as we walked along the path. The feeders also attracted plenty of Blue and Great Tits, but sadly nothing rarer. Goldfinches, ...

 A short trip to Goring Gap today was successful in achieving a couple of new Sussex ticks for the year. Along the beach we encountered just two Sanderling, lovely grey birds with white bellies, black bill and legs, scurrying along the shoreline as the waves broke against the beach. As they reached each breakwater they took a short flight over to the next section of beach, where they continued their run beside the lapping waves. A single Turnstone was the only other wader seen.  Sanderling Out on the sea, several distant Red-breasted Mergansers swam amongst the waves, with a mixture of regular gulls.  Returning via Widewater, eight Teal and a Black Swan were the most notable birds found. Black Swan

 A rather foggy day as we set out this morning, and although it improved a little as the day progressed, visibility was never great, hampering our birding a little, but not dampening our spirits, and we still managed a good tally of birds across the day. We arrived at Pagham visitor centre to use the facilities, but with the fog lingering we decided to linger and went to the hide at Ferry Pool. The back of the pool and adjoining fields were invisible, with the fog low and thick, so we focused on the birds we could see! The regular wintering wildfowl were present in reasonable numbers, with Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal and Mallard all on view, plus a few Gadwall. On the wader front there was a small group of Black-tailed Godwits foraging in a wet, muddy field to the right of the main pool, together with a couple of Redshanks chasing each other around a narrow channel. A number of Avocet, Lapwing and Oystercatchers roosted on the small islands or banks within the main waterway. A few Pied ...

 We had a brilliant couple of hours at Wood Lane nature reserve, spending most of our time between the two hides, finding a nice mix of species. Teal and Shelduck were upending in the water, and three Oystercatchers roosted on a muddy bank. A wader sat at the side of the pool, in poor light, but when it turned its head, the distinctive curved bill confirmed it was a Curlew.  Moving round to the next hide, there were plenty of Black-headed Gulls and a striking Cormorant with beautiful breeding plumage. Foraging around the muddy edges a Green Sandpiper and probable Common Sandpiper were of interest. Cormorant The following day we headed after school run to Colemere where Goldeneye had been reported. Unfortunately the weather had turned against us, with the water swathed in gathering mist. However, we could just make out several drake Goldeneye swimming at the back of the pool. A more obliging, but less spectacular female was found much closer to the path, enabling a more satisfy...

We started with a walk around the arable fields, where bird life was disappointingly limited, with just a few Long-tailed Tits moving through the hedgerows and a Great Spotted Woodpecker that flew briefly into the top of a tall dead tree. We took a track down towards the pools, which quickly became rather muddy and squelchy! On the second pool, which we hadn’t ever viewed on previous visits, we found Great-crested Grebe and some Tufted Ducks. Reaching the woodland at the end of the track, we turned left to reach the hide at the back of the main pool. Again, this was very wet underfoot, and we had to pick our way through the vegetation. Here we found five dainty Siskins,  together with Goldfinch and Chaffinch.  Siskin On reaching the hide, we could just see through to the pool, where a few Pochard were gathered, and in the trees a mobile but silhouetted bird, eventually revealed itself to be a Reed Bunting. A Cetti’s Warbler was heard calling from the reeds. As we retraced our ...

 We planned a birdwatching day in Cheshire today, heading initially to Mow Cap where a Shore Lark had been reported over recent weeks. We walked past the historic castle here along a muddy track, arriving at a gate beside a muddy and marshy field. Kayte quickly spotted the target bird feeding amongst the grass and puddles just a short distance from the gate. We had failed to find a Shore Lark in Norfolk this year, so it was great to pick up this bird here, and it was a lifer for the others in the family group. Also of note here was a Raven being escorted away from the area by an aggressive Carrion Crow! Blurry mobile phone shot, Shore Lark Next we drove to RSPB Burton Mere, a wetland reserve. There were plenty of Avocets here, feeding close to the visitor centre, together with good numbers of Lapwings, and a few Oystercatchers dispersed amongst them. A couple of Golden Plover stood on a muddy island, then a troupe of Black-tailed Godwit flew in, settling by the water’s edge. A Mars...