Saturday 9th January was another cold and dry day and with time to myself I decided to visit Torpoint in Cornwall, just across the River Tamar from Plymouth.
I went alone, didn't meet up with anybody, wore my mask and kept away from other people and while it was a long walk (and my legs ached at work the next day) I had an interesting time.
After disembarking off the Torpoint Ferry I walked over to Marine Drive to scan across St.John's Lake on the incoming tide. It was grey and misty and the light was poor with a heat haze-like shimmer in the air from the cold conditions which hampered viewing but I could just make out Brent Geese feeding on the distant mudflats including at least 2 Pale-bellied types with glowing white flanks. Wigeon, Shelduck, Redshank, Curlew, Dunlin and Oystercatcher were also picked up in the gloom out on the mudflats but out on the water a Great Northern Diver, a male Red-breasted Merganser, Great-crested Grebes and Little Grebes showed much better and closer. The highlight was a Black-necked Grebe busily diving fairly close in and with my telescope I could see its red eyes almost glowing in the dull light.
I walked on to Wilcove where the incoming tide was pushing birds closer to the road and I had some nice views of Teal, Wigeon, Redshank, Curlew, Common Gull, a Greenshank and a very mobile and vocal Whimbrel.
I decided to carry on my walk towards the mouth of the River Lynher, I wasn't sure of how to get there but headed off anyway. I found a footpath heading in the general direction towards the river across fields and through woodlands on the Antony Estate and eventually ended up at a gate with a No Entry sign leading into a grassy field but overlooking Beggars Island at the mouth of the River Lynher. The island was distant and tree branches were obscuring the views somewhat but with my telescope I found a Spoonbill roosting amongst the Curlews and Oystercatchers. It woke up briefly, stretching its wings and having a quick preen before going back to sleep but a lovely bird to see despite the distance.
I walked back to Torpoint via Marine Drive where the tide was now covering all the mudflats and a Grey Seal poking its head out of the water was the only thing of note before I caught the ferry back to Plymouth - a very enjoyable, "local" day out.
And this leads on to a large amount of debate occurring at the moment about what is and isn't allowed for birding at the moment during this lock down. Can I take a camera on my walk? Can I stop to eat food I've brought out with me? Can I stop to look at a bird? And is Torpoint local to me? Was my walk essential? Was it a high risk activity?
Well, Torpoint is 4 miles from my front door, walking is essential to me for my physical health and birding even more so for my mental well being and I was outside and alone so low risk, I am more at risk doing my shopping in my local Sainsburys. I did stop to eat and drink my packed lunch that I took out with me, I stopped to look at birds and to take my usual crappy photos and I even sat for a while looking through my telescope but all with nobody anywhere near me.
For me I consider that local birding in this manner is an appropriate activity for me to do if I follow the hands, face, space, etc. message, use my common sense and avoid people and crowds (as I did before COVID anyway).
And with no furloughing or working from home for me during lock down and to be quite honest a f*****g awful time at work over the past 10 months a few hours outside birding locally is all I really have to keep me sane at the moment.
An interesting and common sense link here from a fantastic blog by Gavin Haig about this issue:-
https://notquitescilly2.blogspot.com/2021/01/lockdown-3.html
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