A Trip to Cornwall

I had a walk at Wembury on Monday 21st March with my friend Sue, it was a sunny and warm day but fairly quiet on the wildlife front with the highlights being 2 Red-legged Partridge in the stubble field, 18 Oystercatcher along the beach and 11 Black Oil Beetles along the footpath including a mating pair.

Black Oil Beetle

Black Oil Beetle

Recent sightings of both a Twenty-Plume Moth and a Light Brown Apple Moth resting on the kitchen window at night have piqued my mothing interest for 2022 and so I decided to have the actinic lights on in the dining room window on the night of March 21st to see what I could attract. Disappointingly but not unexpectedly I only had a single Light Brown Apple Moth on the window the next morning and probably the same one found on the kitchen window previously, my courtyard garden is never very productive for moths in the spring but at least I know things will improve later in the year. 

Tuesday 22nd March and with the gorgeous spring weather continuing we headed up to Bude for an overnight stay. It was yet another sunny and warm day but with a continuing strong and chilly breeze as we wandered around the town and along the cliff tops. I had a quick look at Maer Lake while we were there, it was again quiet with the highlights being a Dunlin, a summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwit, a Kestrel, Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Wigeon and Teal.

Wednesday 23rd March and we drove from Bude to Padstow for another overnight stay and along the way I was dropped off at Walmsley Sanctuary near Wadebridge for a couple of hours while David visited antique shops and garden centres nearby. It was another warm and sunny day with the wind having eased greatly and I had a very enjoyable and productive visit. I've never visited this site before and for a first time visit it was pretty good.

As I arrived at the first hide 5 Cattle Egret flew up from amongst the cattle feeding in the nearby field, a total of 11 Cattle Egret were seen during my visit and they all eventually flocked together and returned to feed amongst the cattle just as I left.

Cattle Egrets

A total of 9 Glossy Ibis were seen as well and they also ended up flocking together to feed in the cattle field as I left. 

Glossy Ibis

I was fortunate to be at the reserve when a group of students were also visiting which meant that the tower hide was open and from here I had a great view of the whole site along with great views of 3 Garganey (2 males), a male Ring-necked Duck, 2 Little Grebe, 4 Greylag Geese, Black-tailed Godwit, a pair of Tufted Duck, Shoveler, Gadwall, Teal, Wigeon and a female Sparrowhawk. 

Garganey - glad to catch up with some during quite an influx of them into the UK

Garganey

Ring-necked Duck

From the first hide a Bittern also showed very well right out in the open before disappearing into the reeds, a very lucky sighting indeed. 

Bittern

Bittern

David duly arrived to pick me up and we carried on to Padstow for our overnight stay. After an enjoyable time in Padstow we headed out to nearby Trevose Head the next morning on yet another gorgeous day but with very harsh light and quite hazy sunshine although the coastal views were still stunning. 

During a walk around the headland I kept an eye out for Choughs and Wheatears but found neither. I did however get some good views of a pair of Black Redstart, at least 8 Corn Buntings, a male Kestrel and a very confiding Raven. 

Black Redstart

Corn Bunting

Corn Bunting in silhouette

Kestrel

Raven

Raven

Raven

Offshore a few Gannets were seen along with a Fulmar, distant Auks (probably Guillemots), a winter plumaged Red-throated Diver flying east and doing its characteristic occasional head lifting as it went, Shags and a diving Sandwich Tern, my first of the year.

Eventually it was time to head back home to Plymouth but it had been a a very enjoyable and a very bird filled few days away and we had been very lucky with the weather.