PORTHGWARRA - LANDS END - HAYLE ESTAURY AND RYANS FIELD
WEATHER; rain all morning, dry later with some sunshine. Top temp 18C
It was yet another miserable start to the day, heavy cloud cover, lots of rain and a brisk wind, not ideal for a bird-watching group! After breakfast we drove to Porthgwarra arriving before 9am, it rained all the way and was still raining when we arrived, the forecast was for drier weather later in the morning.
Our main target was the Red-breasted Flycatcher, some of the group had seen it briefly a couple of days ago but 3 or 4 of them did not see it at all. So we tried to see it for a second time, however, the weather had other ideas about that. Blustery winds and bouts of heavy rainfall thwarted our efforts to see anything, but after an hour and a half the sky brightened, the rain eased off and the wind dropped.
Birds began to appear in the bushes and trees at the bottom of the expansive gardens of the Doctor's House. We started seeing Chiffchaffs, Robins, Blue Tits and we heard Yellow-browed Warbler before we all got good views of one.
A Spotted Flycather called a lot and only Neville saw it, but the yellow-browed Warbler showed up a few more times. We stayed until 11:30am before retiring to the cafe for coffee and cakes. With brightening weather, less wind and drier conditions we decided to try to see the Wryneck at Lands End.
We parked at Lands End and walked back along the north hills to the Wryneck site and searched the area as we had done yesterday. The Whincats and Stonechats were still around and we were entertained by the local Buzzards and Kestrels, there ws always a bunch of corvids in the sky with the ever present Herring Gulls.
Common Buzzard at lands End
Meadow Pipit
We spent 2 1/2 hours searching for a non-existent Wryneck, the weather improved dramatically and we had a clear blue sky at 2pm. We gave up at 3 and walked back to the car park. Many butterflies were out in the afternoon sunshine, Wall Brown, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood and both Large and Small Whites were seen.
one of four Whinchats seen at the non-Wryneck site
Our last birding of the day was back at the Hayle Estuary, after a cup of Coffee we scanned the huge expanse of exposed mud and sand for a Spoonbill which we couldn'r see. All the usual gulls and waders were present but nothing extra was added to the list.
Wigeon and friends on the Hayle Estuary
Across the road at Ryan's Field we found the Sponnbill it was frantically feeding near the hide. No-one wanted to walk to the hide so we just scoped the bird from the roadside, we stayed until 5pm before heading off back to the hotel in Camborne thus finishing our final full day of the trip.
Tomorrow there will be time for a short birding excursion before we depart for home, Neville was already on his way this evening before dinner!!