Cornwall Weekend – 29 to 31 January 2016

The eighteen Club members on the trip included three first time away with the club. The weather in Cornwall was forecast strong SW winds with (heavy) showers, not too bad on Saturday, windier on Sunday. Although not ideal in some respects, the strong winds drove sea birds towards the coast where we had a better chance of sightings.
Sea watching by a clifftop lighthouse, in a near gale, was a challenge but rewarded by the majesty of the crashing waves and the stream of birds passing through; Gannet, Pomarine Skua and Shearwater. On a more perfect day these birds may well have stayed far out to sea and out of sight. Base camp was Bosweddon Guest House, St. Just in SW Cornwall. Cape Cornwall is a half mile downhill from the guest house and ideal for those keen on a pre-breakfast walk (although the minibus had to fetch them back). A Kestrel and gulls hanging on the up-draught until a stronger gust blasted them back inland. Ravens were notable by their absence although two were seen here on Sunday morning. The visit covered coast from St Just to Newlyn, Marazion and Mount’s Bay up to the Hayle Estuary.
BIRD HIGHLIGHTS
Sea:
Great Northern Diver (Four), Black-throated Diver, Pomarine Skua, Manx Shearwater, Kittiwake, Fulmar, Glaucous Gull, American Herring Gull (after much study the jury is still out on this but photos were taken and confirmation may follow), Common Scoter, Gannets, Razorbill, Guillemot, Shag.
Estuary/Coast: Red-necked grebe, Spoonbill, Greenshank, Redshank, Lapwing, Golden, Ringed and Grey Plovers, Dunlin, Curlew, Sanderling, Turnstone, Rock Pipit, Shelduck, Little Egret, Oystercatcher, Cormorant.
Marsh/reedbed: One Snipe, Mute Swan, Canada Geese, nine Herons and a flying Bittern.
Reservoir: Flotilla of 100 Canada Geese with one lone Greylag and one leucistic or hybrid oddity
Raptors: Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Buzzard.
Other gulls; Great and Lesser Black- backed, Mediterranean, Black- headed, Herring, no Commons though.
Failed to see: Pacific Diver, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Water Pipit, Ring-billed Gull. No Choughs at all. Most of us missed Black Redstart but one was seen by two members travelling separately.
Dozmary Pool: On the way back we were promised a Lesser Scaup. The strong wind and drizzle/mist made observation all but impossible but we added Goldeneye, Tufted Duck and the Lesser Scaup (the bird was just visible and, in truth, identifiable as lesser only because others, including members of the party on the way down, had previously reported it). Total bird count: 86 species plus American Herring Gull and Lesser Scaup if you can count them. Oh, and a Red Kite on the M5 near the Clevedon turn-off on the way down. Many thanks to Jane for leading and doing the homework beforehand and Keith for sharing the driving. Alastair Fraser