Swanpool and Pennance Point (22nd September)

I got up rather late this morning and decided to treat myself to a brief weekend outing to try and find some of my own good birds, following a few days of neigh blanks.  I din't achieve much better today as Swanpool had little except for what its name suggests on it.  Pennance Point was the next stop where I sat myself down for some solitary sea-watching.  Despite the wrong wind direction and being rather cold it came as no surprise that only a few Gannets flew past, even more distantly than usual.  All the same it was probably my favourite time, thanks to no-one bumping into me and asking the same "taken any good photos today?" question as they refer to my scope!? (I am getting seriously tired of correcting almost every person I meet, even the occasional dude).  It was just me at Pennance Point, my own private sea-watching spot!  Something and somewhere I can treasure without getting disturbed (sorry it seems so antisocial).  With very little passing my new found home, I decided to make a brief excursion down the footpath before returning.  On returning, I was still sitting down when an ad. win. Mediterranean Gull flew past.  It did improve a little with Gannets flying a little closer to the cliff, an indication for better birding to come, a prob. SOOTY SHEARWATER being the best I could prove for it.  Although the birding appears a little dull at the moment I'm still attempting to try and locate a productive local patch, between Uni commitments but Pennance Point is definitely the best spot so far on the list so I'm very pleased!

Finally a dip! (20th September)

After trying to sort my landline number out throughout the morning and attending a few talks etc. I had the brief opportunity to explore more of the local area.  I only got the news of a Pectoral Sandpiper by the 20th, the following day it was last seen and without planning my trip at all, I cycled off to Celenick Creek.  On arriving it was obvious my efforts would be pointless as the tide was way out and there was very restricted viewing over the creek itself (note to self ALWAYS PLAN A TWITCH!), in theory the bird could have been anywhere.  I gave up without much effort as all I could find was 1 Common Sandpiper and a few Curlew.  With the tide not to come in until the evening I decided to head into Truro before retracing my steps back to another larger creek further south, called Restronguet Creek which only produced a few more Curlew, Little Egrets and the odd Redshank, despite a rising tide.  I got back very exhausted after a rather pointless trip only to notice that Pendennis Point, only half the distance away, had had some of the best sea-bird passage recorded so far this week!

some old pics from yesterday whilst wandering around Pendennis Point+a bit of rock pooling

 Common Prawn

rock shore on the east side of Pendennis Point

Still on the search for a local patch (17th September)

Just come back from a bike ride through Falmouth and Pendennis Point.  After I'd finished with a lot of Uni registration issues, I finally had the opportunity to explore further afield.  I didn't find much obviously as I'm still new to the place but managed to scrape out a few Wheatears on the peninsula, accompanying the commoner Rock Pipits whilst an adult win. Mediterranean Gull flew over my head towards Falmouth.  A Grey Seal was the only mammal I saw in Carrick Roads.

The Lizard (16th September)

I joined up with my parents and brother again in the afternoon and together took the coastal path around the south western edge of The Lizard, which we finally reached by early evening.  All the same we still managed to log a few species including 1 juv. Peregrine, 3 Stonechats, 1 Wheatear and 2 CHOUGHS a tick for my year list (a lifer for my my brother).  Our first surprise for the day, however, was an Ocean Sunfish, sunning itself close to the shore and waving its fin about in the classic novel way.  On the other hand our last good sighting for the day was a brief view of a prob. Pomarine Skua which flew relatively close past the headland in a north westerly direction.  Unfortunately I couldn't relocate it in my scope and I didn't get enough features on it but I'm sure there'll be more opportunities.  Other than the birds, I also saw 2 Small Tortoiseshells, several Red Admirals, Speckled Woods and a few Large Whites and at least 2 Grey Seals were also bobbing around in the water. 

some more boring landscape shots, apologies

Ocean Sunfish

lighthouse at the Lizard

The Lizard itself

Finding a new local patch (16th September)

Yesterday was dedicated to sorting out all my Uni commitments so it was only on the following day, after I had organised a few more bits and pieces that I got out for a short walk around the local area.  My aim was to find a way to reach College Reservoir on foot.  However, access seemed a major issue as there were strict "KEEP OUT" signs all around with only a small section accessible by a public footpath along the north eastern boundary.  It seems I should try harder to find a better place but I still have to get used to a totally different surrounding so it'll probably take some time before I can put any effort into finding a good local patch, let alone find some good birds on it!

 a rather desolate College Reservoir

Don't worry all my successes and failures will still be published on the blog, this should make a nice change to my endless posts on Fields Behind the RSSKL, this time the focus will be around Penryn (the site of the university I attend).  Don't worry Mum and Dad I'll still be working hard and revising as well as birding.

Another Mega! (15th September)

My parents kindly agreed to make the diversion on my trip down to Exeter University via Lodmoor for my second mega in 2 days (I'm getting rather spoilt!).  I arrived with my brother on site at around 10:50am and it took no more than a brief "is it still showing" to get a brief glance through somebodies scope and there before my eyes was my first ever SHORT-BILLED DOWITCER!  As with the Baillon's it was a juvenile and showing very badly but in its defense, it was permanently on view.  On my arrival it was sat on a small clump of dead reads with its head and upper chest being the only features on show.  I was about to leave after waiting for an hour for it to move, when it got up, turned, giving a good profile view and revealing the barred tertials to me for the first time.  Disappointingly it soon sat down again.  After another wait, it shuffled occasionally and when it finally decided to get up again........ it climbed down the opposite side out of view!  No panic, it soon emerged between one of the gaps and began feeding for a prolonged period of time up and down the edge of the dead reads.  The only regret was forgetting my digital compact camera to take a few digi-scope shots so I had to use my brothers massive camera (the size of a small cannon) and took some record shots (on their way).

record shot of the Short-billed Dowitcher, very pleased to finally set eyes on it

At one point, a Water Rail emerged from the same area in which the dowitcher was feeding and hurtled itself at the precious mega, causing the dowitcher to panic and fly a short distance a little further away from its attacker.  What a way to treat an American visitor!  I just about squeezed in a little birding before we had to continue down to Cornwall which produced a single Wheatear on the mud, 7 Ringed Plovers a flock of 10 Dunlin,  1 Sandwich Tern and a Cetti's Warbler bursting occasionally into short brief song.

5 hours for a 3 second reward! (14th September)

A full day dedicated to birding, not the best idea as I had to leave the following day for Uni.  However, there was a valid reason, I arrived at Purfleet by train at c.7:15am (the fact I took the train shows my desperation to get somewhere) and was at the Shooting Butts Hide at Rainham Marshes at about 7:30am.  As with many, it required a long long wait and only some time after 11 was the bird first called.  Only two people claimed to have seen it, however, with a hide full of other eager twitchers many where in doubt.  However, the person who first called it then miraculously refound the bird at about 12:40 and very soon I had set eyes on my first ever BAILLON'S CRAKE!  It was only a very brief view as it walked calmly and slowly behind a row of dead reeds.  Despite rubbish views, several others got on the bird (in fact perhaps over half the hide saw the bird) before it disappeared back into the reeds, not a surprise as those who hadn't yet seen it were shouting in desperation, waving hands, cries of "I've got it" and "is it to the left of that small mud patch behind the dead reeds" was more than enough to see the Crake scuttle off back into the safety of the reedbed not to be seen until much later in the evening, by which time I was already back home packing my bags.