I had considered a day trip to the Isles of Scilly again on Saturday 18th October but I still didn't feel that great for such a long and full on day even though the train ticket would be considerably cheaper than on a weekday. Also the mild, dry, settled weather we have enjoyed since our return from Sicily was due to break down in the afternoon and I didn't fancy a wet and windy Scillonian crossing on the return journey and so I decided to go birding at Truro and Hayle instead before the rain arrived.
It was a grey and claggy day and I had planned to visit Hayle first and then Truro but changed my plans on the train journey down into Cornwall, alighting at Truro at just before 9am. I walked down to Tesco and scanned the mudflats of the river from the car park there and quickly found the reported Lesser Yellowlegs feeding out on the mud. It showed ridiculously well although it did not stay still for a second but I had some great close views of it searching for food out on the mud. It was finding plenty of food and would run down to the water with its catch to give it a wash before swallowing it - obviously Truro mud isn't that tasty.
At Ryan's Field there were another 2 Spoonbills feeding away, both juveniles and unringed, but there was little else there and all the action seemed to be out on the estuary and so I continued to the causeway bridge with my scope at the ready.
There were birds galore from the bridge with many roosting and feeding very close, there were Teal, Wigeon, Lapwing, Redshank, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Bar-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Grey Plover, 2 Greenshank, Canada Goose and the usual Herring, Black-headed, Great Black-backed, Mediterranean and Lesser Black-backed Gulls all present and there were a few goodies hidden amongst them.
A Spotted Redshank was manically feeding away in the water, running around with its head under water and sometimes almost totally submerging. Amongst the Canada Geese were 2 Barnacle Geese and amongst the Wigeon there were 5 Pintail. A Curlew Sandpier was feeding amongst the Dunlin, a Dark-bellied Brent Goose was also feeding amongst the Wigeon and a Peregrine soared high overhead. However there was no sign of the reported White-rumped Sandpiper although it had been seen earlier that morning.
The rain arrived as forecasted at around 2pm, more mizzle drizzle than proper rain, and despite the tide starting to head in and pushing the birds upriver towards the bridge it was time for me to leave and head home - or so I thought.
I walked back to Hayle and bought a Philps pasty for my lunch which I ate in the shelter at the train station. However on checking my phone while waiting for the train to arrive I saw a report from 15 minutes previously that the White-rumped Sandpiper had been reseen from the causeway bridge so I finished my pasty and headed back there as fast as my little legs and pasty filled belly would allow.
There were quite a few birders on the bridge now and all staring intently at the nearby shoreline, I scanned in the general direction of their scopes and could see small waders feeding in the saltmarsh but then they all took to the air and flew further upriver. I did notice a white square rump on one of the birds as it flew off, it was Dunlin sized and appeared quite dark on the back but with the Curlew Sandpiper being present I couldn't be totally sure if it was the White-rumped Sandpiper or not.
I walked round to the car park at Birdys Cafe for a closer scan, eventually the White-rumped Sandpier was refound feeding in the saltmarsh and I had some good views of it despite the distance, poor light and rain. It eventually flew further up the Creek and out of sight and so I headed back to Hayle train station for the second time to catch the train back to Plymouth, stopping briefly to watch a Kingfisher diving for fish in the harbour along the way.
And so it had been quite the day out and a shame the rain had arrived on time to curtail my birding somewhat but never mind. I was pleased to get my best ever views of what is now my 6th ever Lesser Yellowlegs, I was also pleased to see only my second ever White-rumped Sandpiper after my first one at Minsmere back in 1984!
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