WEST CORNWALL 11TH - 17TH OCTOBER 2008

OUR WEST CORNWALL tour 11TH – 17TH OCTOBER 2008 enjoyed some glorious weather again – it really was summer like on occasions. DAY ONE started rather inauspiciously at Marazion Marsh and Mounts Bay, but a flock of sixteen Pale-bellied Brent Goose were present on the sea and a few Little Egret were on the marsh. A Bar-tailed Godwit was in the bay and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen flying over the reserve. DAY TWO saw more unbelievable weather and the group catch up with a superb and very showy Red-eyed Vireo at Trevilley Farm and on a day of quality if not quantity, a female Merlin gave excellent views at Lands End and two Red-billed Chough and a Peregrine were at Nanquidno. Otherwise, it was a bit of a struggle to find migrants, but Common Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Song Thrush and Lesser Redpoll were among the few we did find. On DAY THREE the sun disappeared in the morning, but we enjoyed excellent views of a female/immature Dartford Warbler and a Yellow-browed Warbler at Kenidjack Valley, as well common migrants and a small flock of Eurasian Siskin. The sun returned in the afternoon and we spent a very productive couple of hours at Lelant Saltings and Ryan’s Field on the rising tide. Eurasian Curlew, Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, Bar and Black-tailed Godwits and Little Egret provided the shorebird interest, though we were surprised not to find any small waders at all, while two Pink-footed Geese, a few Common Shelduck and large numbers of Eurasian Wigeon, Common Teal and an unexpected female/immature type Garganey were the pick of the wildfowl. A Common Kingfisher rounded off another excellent days birding. DAY FOUR produced a stunning American Golden Plover that we got superb views of alongside a flock of a hundred European Golden Plover. A Great Skua and Manx Shearwater were the highlight of a short sea watch at Porthgwarra, but a couple of Black Redstart and a Northern Wheatear were the only notable species on another poor day for passerine migrants. A couple of Sandwich Tern, Common Guillemot, Razorbill and Black-legged Kittiwake were also present. DAY FIVE was cooler and breezier, but again produced some good birds in the form of a juvenile Rose-coloured Starling, another Yellow-browed Warbler and a Spotted Flycatcher as the passerine highlights. A Common Sandpiper, a few Dunlin and a Curlew Sandpiper were new for the tour at Copperhouse Creek. DAY SIX was again very quiet for migrants, but we did add Reed Bunting, Barn Swallow, Eurasian Jay and two absolutely stunning Firecrest that gave prolonged views to less than a metre to the tour list and we also got further views of the Pale-bellied Brent Goose flock. The final morning on DAY SEVEN was spent around the Penzance area on another glorious morning. A first winter Mediterranean Gull was at Drift Reservoir, where a male European Sparrowhawk gave excellent views and where we also added Tufted Duck and Common Coot to the tour list and we finished off with a flock of seven Common Scoter and a Great Northern Diver in Mounts Bay. We return slightly later next year form 17TH – 23RD OCTOBER 2009 and places are already filling up, so pleaee BOOK EARLY to avoid disappointment.