COPPERHOUSE CREEK - HAYLE ESTUARY - RYAN'S FIELD
WEATHER: thick cloud cover with the inevitable rain showers. Some clear sky later with sunshine and showers.
We had just a few hours for birding during our last morning, the group voted to go to Hayle to look for the Spoonbill and perhaps a Glossy Ibis. It was raining when we got up and continued when we left the hotel after breakfast, by the time we got to Copperhouse Creek the rain had stopped. We enjoyed 30 minutes birding, scanning the creek during the low tide period with some nice sunny spells.
Copperhouse Creek
All the usual birds were present, we had good close views of Oystercatchers, Bar-tailed Godwits, Redshank and Greenshanks. A good number of Dunlin and Ringed Plovers feed a little further off with odd Curlew thrown.
Oystercatchers
As we jumped down from the vehicle at the Hayle Estuary it began to rain quite heavily, so we abandoned that visit and drove around to the hide at Ryan's Field. From there we scanned the pool and marsh, and because it was low tide, very few birds were present. We did see Kingfisher, Bar-tailed Godwit, a very close-up Greenshank and a Common Sandpiper.
the old 'shank comparison' shot. Redshank and Greenshank
Guy, our self-named Birding Guru, spotted a Spoonbill in flight, the bird came closer and closer and eventually landed in the pool to the left of the hide. The group loved this great sighting, especially Brenda, as this is one of her favourite species.
Eurasian Spoonbill, this is a juvenile ringed in Holland during the spring
We left the area around 11am, I dropped Debbie and Brenda at Hayle Station, then drove to Camborne and dropped Pauline back at the hotel at her car. Neville had already gone home, so I was left with the Guru!!
I dropped him at Redruth Station before returning the bus just down the road. I walked back to the station and caught a train back to Hayle. I walked to my good friends house in Hayle, Mary and Brian. They put me up for the night, in the morning I start my 7-day tour of the Isles of Scilly.