Peterborough Bird Club :: GPOG Kernow 2004

Peterborough Bird Club

A party of hardcore Greater Peterborough Ornithological Group members set off for Cornwall every autumn for a long drinking and birding weekend based at the Hayle Estuary. We visit the valleys and reservoirs and other locations, chasing birds and occasionally finding our own stuff. Thus on Friday 24th September 2004 Trevor Williams and Bob Titman undertook a gruelling seven hour slog in a minibus full of kipping GPOG members arriving at around 1.30 in the morning on the 25th.

GPOG Kernow 2004

25th- 27th September 2004

Cornwall Trip Report 2004

Participants: Dave Anderson, Richard Allison, Will Bowell, Martin Coates, Katie Fuller, Gareth & Josh Jones, Chris Small, Roger Teasdale, Bob Titman, Dan & Trevor Williams

Saturday 25th September 2004
By 07:40 we were in the minibus and on our way to pick up fellow GPOG member, Martin Coates, who had travelled in luxury on the sleeper train down to Kernow (Cornish for Cornwall is you hadn't gathered). We met him on the platform at Hayle station, and then piled straight back into the bus and we were off to Drift, hopefully to tick off Semipalmated Sandpiper. In short, we didn't, and Greenshank, Green Sandpiper and Black-tailed Godwit were hardly consolations. It didn't help when a Lesser Yellowlegs was found an hour or so later (which wasn't there when we did the Res).

For the past month Nanquidno Valley had held a Melodious Warbler, so this was our next stop. It hadn't been seen for a while, so we staked it out. All of five minutes later Trev screamed "Firecrest" (bird found by Katie). We sprinted round to the other side of the valley, but alas we missed it. Then Richard found probably a different bird right next to the path in a conifer, which we got OKish views. Lifer number one for Will and Josh- an embarrassing omission from both our lists!

Monday 27th September 2004
Some right filth had lodged itself over Cornwall in the early morning and driving to Pendeen we were wondering whether or not we would be able to see the sea let alone any birds! Incredibly though just as we turned onto the road to the Lighthouse the visibility improved no end. The seawatchers already there, logged a single Sooty and 30 Manxies and a few Skuas but that was it really. This all changed though as in the hour or so of being there we had a steady stream of Manxies and Sooty's and a few Balearic Shearwaters (the latter two lifers for Josh)! A Red-throated Diver also flew by, which was a still in sum plum and a Merlin did a circuit round the Lighthouse a few times.

The weather began to close in again and the sightings became fewer so we headed off to Land’s End for another Chough stake out before the arrival of tourists. Most of the group were dropped off at the very end whilst the rest headed to Sennan. The latter group soon heard the unmistakeable call of the Chough as it wheeled over their heads eventually landed on the grass feeding in the open. The others could see the bird from a far and could see they were getting excited so ran across the cliffs (ticking first, safety second). We made it just in time to have mind blowing views of the beauty as it circled over called constantly, before heading back down the cliffs towards Sennan never to be seen by the group again!

Spurred on by this stroke of luck we decided to give one of the three Wrynecks at Porthgwarra a go. No chance! We did manage the usual few Wheatears, and gained some smashing gen on Dotterel and Rose-coloured Starling. After a cup of tea/coffee and cake we piled in the minibus up to Roskistel Farm where the juvvie Starling was apparently present. No Starling flock so it was off for the Dotterel near Trevedra Farm, Sennan. We ticked this bird but sadly the flock of Golden Plovers it was in, was flushed before everyone got onto it on the deck. A Peregrine was sitting in the same field.

Back to Porthgwarra and Roskistel for the Rose-coloured Starling. This time we managed distant views of the bird on telegraph wires with the Starling flock, as reported. Fab!

Making our way back to Hayle, we had a brief visit to Marazion Marsh where we added Water Rail to the trip list and had some nice views of Stonechats (which are everywhere in Cornwall!).

The tide was in at Cooperhouse Creak so we expected there to heaps on the pools but this was not so and in fact a Wood Sandpiper was among the only species of wader present here! Not such a success as Saturday, we returned back to the chalets to spruce up and head down to the Cornish Arms for more Cornish Cream and Rafters with the traditional visit to the Bucket of Blood for the AGM afterwards!

After enjoying fantastic views of the bird a bit later, plus a Merlin, a Garden Warbler and Martin's Redstart, we headed off to Cot (Grot) Valley, Martin's fave place. We saw very little to be honest, apart from a few Guillemots (flying north). Still no sign of the promised Parula from Martin.

While we were at Lands End, news came through that the Melodious Warbler was showing again in Nanquidno, so off we went. For the second time that day we staked the area out and just a few minutes later Dave and Richard called the bird in the same area where we had the Firecrest. Once again we legged it round to that spot, and got some excellent views, unusually good for the species, and a great way to mark several member's first Melodious Warbler in the UK! Other than the Odious there was seemingly few migrants compared to earlier.

Thanks to this bird, the curse of Josh Jones was broken and Josh’s life was saved (rumour had it that Dan Williams and Will Bowell were plotting to 'get rid' of him).

Above left: Nanquidno Valley. Above right: GPOG members enjoying Firecrest. © Josh Jones

Full of enthusiasm we headed off back to Drift for the Lesser Yellowlegs. And what a Yellowlegs it was! Unlike Stiffkey's frisky bird that never stayed still, this one (obviously freshly arrived) stood still about 15 yards away, associating with 'our' Dunlin we had that morning. Shame it wasn't with it earlier, it would have been a nice bird to find on the trip!

Above: Melodious Warbler, Nanquidno Valley, 25.09.04. © Josh Jones

It was turning into a rather good day. Leaving such a showy yellowlegs was difficult, but the light was poor and we had another stop to make before the pub. So off we went to the Hayle Estuary, where amongst others we managed a second-winter Med Gull.

An evening meal at the Cornish Arms followed, with their superb "Rafters" (Yorkshire Pud, Sausages and Mash drowning in gravy) and a couple of pints! A superb finish to a brilliant first day!

Sunday 26th September 2004
A disappointing end to the trip in many ways, with an early morning seawatch off Pendeen turning into just that; watching the sea. After about 45 minutes of just a few Manxies and dripping wet optics we decided to start the return journey home with the first stop being Stithians Reservoir.

Arriving on site after a few wrong turns, Trev and Dan Williams were declaring the visit to this rather baron reservoir for the Baird’s Sand a dip. But we remained hopeful though and ploughed on through the tall, wet grass, in the pouring rain. A couple of twitchers were leaving the site and told us that the bird was still present- who said we would dip? But memories of the bloke at Pendeen yesterday telling us people had been ticking short billed Dunlin came flooding back so we didn’t get too excited.

Just as we got to the spit the Baird’s Sandpiper was on, the rain cleared up and a bit of brightness shone through for a while. This allow the main digiscopers (JJ and KAF) a chance to get some nice shots whilst Trev and Will had to make do with their Sony record shots.

Nothing else decent was seen bird-wise (oh a monstrous Peregrine was nice), and we dipped on Cirl Bunting and Dartford Warbler!

No other species was added to the trip list, with the final total at 116 species were seen over the weekend; for Josh, splitting the winnings from the trip list sweapstake, with his Dad was hard, but Josh did have six lifers! It was a superb, fantastic, wonderful weekend! And a word of thanks and well done must go to Trev and Bob for driving the whole weekend.