4th November

on

Well I am back from what was the quietest week birding wise I have ever had down in Cornwall. I have been going for at least the past 11 autumns and this was not totally birdless, with sightings of 11 Sooty Shearwaters, 28 Balearic Shearwaters, 1 Long-tailed Skua, 5 Great Northern Divers, Long-tailed Duck, 2 Short-eared Owls, 1 Richards Pipit, 1 Yellow-browed Warbler, 6 Firecrests and 2 Lapland Buntings.There were good numbers of seabirds, a passion of mine when large numbers can be seen passing relatively close inshore. A very disappointing aspect, though I might be wrong as this wasn’t really a birding holiday was the very few birders I encountered.

Thanks again to Birdman-euston for a few records. It looks as if not much was moving here also, surely the winds will swing around.

Here are a few pics, some may interest you.

DSCN2455

Sunset from our lounge window

DSC_4947

Purple Sandpipers in Sennen Cove

DSC_4977

DSC_4999

DSC_5005

DSC_4445

DSC_3943

DSC_3953

DSC_3955DSC_4043

DSC_4127

DSC_6094

DSC_5509

DSC_6228

DSC_6444

DSC_6457

DSC_6294

DSC_6303

DSC_6466

DSC_4654

DSC_4664

DSC_4816

DSC_4818

DSC_4688

DSC_5635

DSC_4320

DSC_4600

Short-eared Owl, one of two at Lands End

DSC_4575

DSC_4580

DSC_4635

? Greenland Whitefronted Geese

DSC_4638

DSC_4208

Chough

DSC_4217

DSC_4494

Firecrest, a bit distant yet still a cracking little bird

 

Three local sea-watching spots, not including Porthgwarra

DSC_5063

Longships Lighthouse, just off Lands End with the Isles of Scilly 27 miles away in the distance.

DSCN2512

Pendeen Lighthouse, this location can offer great views

DSCN2545

Cape Cornwall, a bit more exposed and one that I haven’t used that often.

Comments

glen mcdonal Writer said…
Considering you were not going on a birding holiday you did rather well.
Great pics as always.... purple sandpiper lovely.
2:44 PM
piers said…
Diving juvenile gannet shot amazing. The timing absolutely perfect, lighting great and generally pin-sharp, but mostly I love how the bird in that pose looks like some sort of alien, or platypus, or like how I tell my kids, prehistoric creature.
10:06 AM
regents park birds.blogspot.com said…
I was quite pleased with that shot, though getting the correct exposure was impossible. The bird started in blue skies, then white cloud, followed by a cliff face and finally blue seas. Actually following them was hard because you never knew when it would dive and then it was a case of catchup before the bird hit the water. All this without getting on a boat. They are a very prehistoric looking bird in this plumage.

Cheers Tony
7:21 PM
Post a Comment