1st November

After a fairly pleasant week down on the the Lands End peninsular, I arrive back to find out that I missed out again on a good bird in the park. I quick roundup of what was seen follows.

Water Rail: still present

25th: 2 Skylarks, 4 Lesser Redpolls, 15+ Siskins.

26th: 1 male Ring Ouzel fed with Blackbirds in Queen Mary’s Gardens, 20+ Siskins, Chiffchaff.

27th: Ring Ouzel was still present in area 19.

28th: Eurasian Wigeon a duck was present on the main lake.

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1st November

Eurasian Wigeon: the duck is still present, either on the main lake by area 8 or in  with the collection Wigeon in area 35.

Water Rail: still present in area 2.

Redwing: seventy four flew NW in three flocks.

Fieldfare: a flock of 32 flew NW.

Meadow Pipit: one over.

Pied Wagtail: six birds flew SW.

Chaffinch: a flock of 38 flew NW.

Goldfinch: a flock of 36 were perched in tree’s by Kent Passage, area 5. 

Siskin: four singles flew through.

Now for a quick review of I saw down in far west Cornwall:

Winds were not that favourable for drift migrants out of Europe being northerly on the first two days before swinging around to the south or south west. The best birds were 5 Yellow-browed Warblers, 4 Firecrests, 2 Merlins, 9 Chough, 8 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Mediterranean Shearwaters, Arctic Skua, Great Skua, 16 Purple Sandpipers, Buff-breasted Sandpiper in with a flock of 200+ Golden Plovers, and the star bird American Bittern.

For the stars of the show you will have to look at all the pictures.

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The area circled is the Old Dairy, a one bedroom annex to what is almost the most south westerly house in the UK. DSC_1742

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Sunset from the patio

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Chough were seen regularly

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Corvids were constantly harassing the birds of prey in the area, also mobbing the American Bittern when it flew. The three picture above show Buzzard, Kestrel being pestered, but the Peregrine had a go at two Ravens.

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Longships lighthouse of the coast of Lands End, good for sea watching in the right conditions. The two pictures below were surprises over the sea.

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Sea watching from Pendeen lighthouse can be truly exhilarating, with 10,000’s of birds passing through the course of a good day. I saw large numbers of Gannets, Kittiwakes, auks plus a few skuas and shearwaters.

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I caught this distant shot of a Peregrine flying far out to see after two auks.

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This female Black Redstart must have arrived on this beach in the drizzle.

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Nanjizal Cove, a great place on any sunny day with a brisk westerly blowing. This day though will never be forgotten though. My wife and I sat on the slope and watched in awe at the agility of these mammals. 

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More photos can be found in my picture gallery

Comments

Well I'm having a go at the bird compatition.....Think its a buffel head.

Great pics again.
Neil said…
Great photos!
Lovley sparrow hawk. Missed the Bramblings would of been a first in the park for me.