GODREVY PENNINSULAR - HELL'S MOUTH NORTH CLIFFS - GWITHIAN POOLS - COPPERHOUSE CREEK - LANDS END
WEATHER; dull and overcast for most of the morning, brighter in the afternoon with some sunshine. top temp 17C
It was a blustery start to the day along the north cliffs near Godrevy, dull overcast conditions with light drizzle and a chilly wind did not help our efforts to find some birds. But before we arrived at the North Cliffs we stopped in the Red River Valley near Coombe. We hoped to find some warblers in the sheltered trees, but it was very quiet down there, we did find not one, but two, Firecrests. We also logged a Jay and a Song Thrush.
We searched the North Cliffs for a Peregrine Falcon and just before we decided to call it a day, a Peregrine duly showed up. On the heath along the cliffs we saw Stonechats and Linnets and over the water we saw many Gannets, Gulls, Cormorants and a couple of Grey Seals.
looking down into Hell's Mouth, a popular suicide venue I am told!!
record shot of the Peregrine
We spent an hour or so walking around the main pool at Gwithian along with a thousand and one dogs and their owners! It was pretty quiet bird wise on the surrounding heathwe saw Gery and Pied Wagtails, Stonechayts and a few meadow Pipits.
the pool at Gwithian
The pool held a few Mallards and singles of Teal and Wigeon, the best sighting was that of a Water Rail, a juvenile bird sat out preening for a while, Debbie was pleased, this was her 200 species for the year!!
well camouflaged Curlews on the island at Gwithian Pool
Other than large flocks of Linnets, Goldfinches, Starlings and plenty of Rooks, Jackdaws and Crows we saw little else until we gpot back to the car park when Guy found a Common Whitethroat. After a nice hot chocolate at the NT cafe we moved on.
Driving into Hayle we parked at the small car park at Copperhouse Creek and walked the length of the saltings. There was plenty of activity out on the marsh area as the tide was going out, exposing the mudflats. Dozens of waders were feeding out there. Mostly Redshanks, with some Greenshanks, were joined by a good number of Ringed Plover, Dunlin and a few Oystercatchers, Bar-tailed Godwits and Curlews.
Copperhouse Creek, when we got there it was full of water
the Creek when we left at low tide
Gulls numbered in their thousands, all the usual suspects and there must have been around 500 Canada Geese. Other species included Mute Swan, Little Egret, Cormorant and a few Pied Wagtails.
lots of Canada Geese in the sky as they came down to feed
We ate our lunch on the benches adjacent to the car park, the sun came out for the first time in 3 days, it was very pleasant sittingn there watching the tide ebb and the birds getting nearer to us. A very tame Rook came to our crumb offerings with a juvenile Herring Gull. I finally dragged my group away from this lovely setting with the promise of a Wryneck sighting later, I'm such a liar!!
Greenshank and Redshank
We drove to Lands End and walked the Trinity Triangle footpath where a Wryneck had been seen everyday for the last week. We found the location and staked it out, a dry stone wall with large boulders scattered around was an ideal setting for this elusive bird. We searched and searched and searched some more, but the little blighter failed to show! We saw dozens of Stonechats, Lots of Linnets, Goldfinches and Debbie found a couple of Whinchats, she also also saw a Merlin dash by! Later we all searched for the Whinchats and came up with four of them with a dozen more Stonechats.
Little Egret - I like this picture because you can see the bird's yellow feet below the water
It was after 5pm when we finally gave up, it was too late to go back to the hotel so we drove straight to our restaurant in Leylant for our 6pm booking. We all enjoyed a delicious meal, there was plenty of mirth and leg-pulling around the table despite missing the Wryneck.