No more Tears, just Tiers - and having a Whale of a Time

Wednesday 2nd December and Lockdown ended to be replaced with Tiers. Devon has been placed in Tier 2 while Cornwall is in Tier 1, the lowest Tier level, and after 4 weeks of going crazy with cabin fever I headed out for a proper birdy day to Penzance, observing all the social distancing in place at the moment (Hands, Face, Space, staying outside, not meeting up with others, etc, etc.).

I started my day with a walk from Penzance out to Sandy Cove at Newlyn, noting a male Black Redstart on a rooftop near the Jubilee Pool and a female type around the buildings at Newlyn Harbour along the way. 

At Sandy Cove another female type Black Redstart was feeding amongst the boulders while around the bird feeders Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, House Sparrow and a Coal Tit were seen along with around 10 very large and very bold Brown Rats.

Brown Rat, Sandy Cove

I scanned around inside the tangle of trees and shrubs around the feeders and eventually found a Goldcrest, a Firecrest, a male Blackcap, a collybita Chiffchaff, a presumed Siberian Chiffchaff (tristis) and a Yellow-Browed Warbler along with a skulking Water Rail by the waters edge and a showy Grey Wagtail 

The presumed Siberian Chiffchaff was very active but showed very well and was pale and brown looking with greenish tinges to tail and wings and giving a strange call at times. The Yellow-browed Warbler was typically mobile and flitty but did show well at times and was quite a smart looking bird, probably the smartest looking one I've ever seen, and it also called a few times. 

Siberian Chiffchaff

Siberian Chiffchaff

Siberian Chiffchaff 

Siberian Chiffchaff 

Yellow-Browed Warbler

I headed back to Penzance and on a quick look around the fish quay at Newlyn along the way I was pleased to find a 1st winter Iceland Gull amongst the throng of Gulls feeding on fish scraps. 

Iceland Gull, Newlyn Harbour

Iceland Gull 

Iceland Gull 

Iceland Gull 

Iceland Gull 

I carried on to Penzance in a heavy rain shower and stopped off at the Jubilee Pool briefly for a scan offshore and noted 2 Great Northern Divers and a flock of around 30 Common Scoter but there was no sign of the recently reported Pacific Diver. Along the rocky foreshore a few Ringed Plover were seen with Turnstones and 5 Purple Sandpipers. 

Purple Sandpipers, Jubilee Pool

Back in Penzance and it was then time to board The Mermaid for a boat trip out into Mount's Bay and fortunately the rain held off but it was cold and the sea choppy away from the coastline. 

Offshore good views were had of Kittiwake, Gannet, Fulmar, Guillemot and Razorbill along with a Great Skua flying past the boat and a 2nd Winter Yellow-legged Gull attracted to the back of the boat with other Gulls including an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. A pod of 3-4 Harbour Porpoise also showed briefly at the surface in the choppy waves.

We headed back towards the coastline where the sea was much calmer in the shelter of the cliffs and very luckily found a Humpback Whale which has been seen recently in the area. It was loafing around very close to shore off the Tater-du Lighthouse at Lamorna Cove, showing well at the surface and occasionally fluking and an amazing creature to watch, my second sighting of one in the UK. 

Humpback Whale 

Humpback Whale 

Humpback Whale 

Humpback Whale

Humpback Whale

Humpback Whale

Humpback Whale

Humpback Whale

Humpback Whale

We eventually had to tear ourselves away and head back to harbour as the light began to fade and on the way back to Penzance a male Eider, 2 Grey Seals and an adult Yellow-legged Gull roosting amongst the Gulls on St.Clements Island off Mousehole were seen.

An amazing day out indeed and much needed by me for my ongoing sanity in the shit storm that is 2020. And the Yellow-browed Warbler takes my year list to 200 species. 

Gulls