A Trip to St.Ives in Cornwall

Thursday 15th March and an early start saw us heading down to Penzance on the train with clear skies and sunshine all the way. Arriving in Penzance at just after 9am and I headed off towards Newlyn while David wandered around the town.

On the walk to Newlyn a quick look off Jubilee Pool and there were 50+ sanderling and 17 purple sandpipers roosting on the rocks with turnstones while a quick wander around Morab Gardens revealed 2 singing blackcaps and a singing chiffchaff.

Grey Squirrel, Morab Gardens, Penzance

Off Tolcarne Beach 2 winter plumaged bar tailed godwits were feeding on the sandy shoreline and a 1st winter Mediterranean gull was roosting on the rocks amongst the black headed gulls. At Newlyn Harbour the usual gulls were loafing about but I couldn't find any white wingers although there were a few adult lesser black backed gull amongst the usual herring gulls and great black backed gulls and the usual tame turnstones were pottering about the quayside.

 Bar-tailed Godwit, Tolcarne Beach, Penzance

Turnstone, Newlyn

I walked out to the end of the harbour wall and scanned offshore, picking up at least 4 grey seals poking their heads out of the water and a very smart looking 1st winter Iceland gull resting on the water while further out 3 great northern divers were resting together with a smaller diver species further out again but too distant to pick up any great detail.

 Iceland Gull, Newlyn

Iceland Gull

After meeting David at Wetherspoons for a quick beer we headed back to the train station and caught the train to Hayle but just as we alighted off the train it began to rain and so our walk along the estuary to St.Erth railway station was a wet affair with just wigeon, teal, grey plover and bar tailed godwit to show for our efforts - more annoyingly the rain had stopped by the time we arrived at the station! We caught the train to St.Ives and from the train I saw a redhead goosander along the estuary while enjoying the stunning views and on arriving at St.Ives the rain began to fall again.

After checking into the hotel we had a quick walk around St.Ives in the rain where more tame turnstones were running around the harbourside while just offshore I had some nice views of 2 winter plumaged red throated divers. Gannets were flying around offshore and diving for fish and I had a brief view of at least 2 common dolphins underneath them. Also seen were 3 Sandwich terns roosting on buoys and diving for fish before they all flew off towards Hayle.

 Herring Gull from the Hotel Window, St.Ives

 Turnstone, St.Ives

 Red Throated Diver, St.Ives

Rainbow View from the Hotel Window, St.Ives

The following day was glorious with sunshine and warm temperatures and wandering about St.Ives I watched at least 6 Sandwich terns flying around offshore with just a few gannets, the odd grey seal poking its head out of the water and just 1 red throated diver. The harbourside turnstones were fun to watch and they gave some great views and it was interesting to watch a carrion crow pick cockles out of the sand and smash them open by dropping them on the nearby concrete steps.

 Turnstone, St.Ives

 Grey Seal, St.Ives

 Cockle Smashing Carrion Crow, St.Ives

Red Throated Diver, St.Ives

We had lunch overlooking Porthminster Beach and it was lovely to watch Sandwich terns and gannets diving very close to shore while the red throated diver busily preened itself on the water before it was time to catch the train back to Plymouth - a great break away and needed after the recent stresses and strains.

Spring arrives early

The weather finally improved and on March 7th with the sun shining and the wind blowing gently I headed off on the train to Dawlish Warren for a walk. I caught the train to Newton Abbot and then the rail replacement bus service to Dawlish Warren but on arriving in Dawlish I decided to get off the bus and walk along the coast path. Unfortunately the coast path is shut from Dawlish Warren to Dawlish due to the storm damage and so I had to pay for a bus to Dawlish Warren instead!

Despite the weather I was in a shitty mood which didn't really improve as the day progressed. It was high tide and a quick scan of the sea revealed nothing so I headed off to the hide, seeing a chiffchaff and a male stonechat along the way. Arriving at The Bight and a flock of brent geese were feeding close to the waters edge and I had some lovely close views. I checked through them but there was no sign of the black brant among them but on arriving at the hide a pair of birders there had seen it earlier and so I headed back to have another look but still did not see it. There was a flock of brent geese on the river near Cockwood with birds flying too and fro between The Bight and Cockwood so I guess it had flown across to the flock on the river before I arrived - typical!

From the hide I saw 11 knot, my first of the year, along with a bar tailed godwit and 7 grey plover amongst the dunlin, oystercatcher and curlew, and on the river red breasted mergansers were busily displaying in small flocks.

Rechecking the sea on the walk back to the train station and a great northern diver, a red throated diver, a Slavonian grebe, 8 great crested grebes and common scoters were seen. The common scoters were spread out distantly across the bay but a male and 4 females were close in to shore along with bizzarely a male and a flock of 10 teal.

Sunday 9th March and I was in  better mood and so I headed off to Wembury in the warm sunshine. It was quiet bird wise with no sign of any cirl buntings but I did see my first small tortoiseshell and peacock butterflys of the year along with bloody nosed beetles. The café was open too and I had my first Chunk pasty of the year.

 Kestrel at Wembury Point

 Peacock at Wembury

Heading home and I decided to walk along the River Plym as yet again Jack snipe had been reported but yet again I failed to find any! The highlights were a greenshank, 2 ravens, a stock dove, a mistle thrush and a redwing along with more peacocks and small tortoiseshells. It was very busy with walkers, dogs and children and so I soon headed off home, deciding to give up on looking for Jack snipe on the River Plym until I manage to find out where they are being seen!

Peacock in Saltram Park

Thursday 13th March and a days annual leave so with the sun still shining we headed off for a walk along the coast path at Stoke Point. The footpath wasn't too bad after all the Winter rain and it was a beautiful day with more small tortoiseshells and peacocks on the wing. 2 chiffchaffs and 2 green woodpeckers were heard but not seen and I saw my first yellowhammer of the year, a stunningly bright yellow male. 2 peregrines were resting on the cliffs, a small male and a much larger female, and a raven flew over with a large crop full of food, probably for a brood of young in a nest.

Stonechats were noticeable along the walk with males singing and song flighting and I carefully checked them out for any nearby Dartford warblers. Eventually I found a female bird near a pair of stonechats, flitting about in the gorse, a distant view in hazy conditions but nice to see. And to finish off the walk a female type black redstart was seen feeding from a fence post close to the footpath.