Cornwall 22-25 September 2000
by Martin Coates
|
GPOG Trip Report Cornwall 22-25 September 2000 by Martin Coates |
GPOG has been organising annual birdwatching trips, mainly for 'keener' local birders and their friends for over 15 years, throughout Britain and western Europe. Three trips have been well supported this year to south west Spain in April, northern France in July and, just completed, to Cornwall.
Our party of 12 departed the last pickup point at Yaxley at 7.00pm by minibus on Friday evening 22nd arriving at the Beachside Holiday Park at Hayle about 2.15am - excluding breaks a drive time of just over six hours (A605, A14, M6, M42, M5, A30) covering 360 miles.
We booked a terrace of four, two bedroomed self catering chalets at a cost of £180 and a 15 seat minibus at £220 + petrol. Total cost approximately £45 plus food. Total return and local mileage approx. 1050.
One member of our party hit the 'panic button' immediately and was despatched to St. Mary's Isle of Scilly via. the morning sailing from Penzance. His £30 ticket produced an excellent Solitary Sandpiper and a few envious stares but little else. The rest of us started the day at Drift reservoir (SW436288) and we were immediately rewarded with a juvenile Woodchat Shrike, an early Whooper Swan and a very confiding Dipper, all from the dam wall. We then moved to the Kelynack and Nanquidno valleys (375301 and 360294) which proved to be the first of a number of fruitless searches for passerine migrants this trip (with one or two spectacular exceptions) in all the key valleys between St. Just and Porthcurno.
Reports the previous day of Upland and Buff-breasted Sandpipers on St.Just airfield and Dotterel nearby remainded just that. So in need of further challenges we headed on to Gwennap Head (365216) above Porthgwarra for a mid day sea watch (picking up a Whinchat on the way); perhaps not the best time for sea birds but light winds did not bode well anyway. A constant stream of Gannets several Shags, Razorbill and a Peregrine were the highlights until a distant but well watched Cory's Shearwater passed eastwards. Later a Water Rail was heard in the Porthgwarra valley plus an unknown snatch of warbler song (possibly Marsh?) in an inaccessible area. The mid afternoon high tide at the Hayle estuary (546365) had apparently displaced a pair of Great White Egrets, but not to Marazion Marsh (510313) which inexplicably failed to produce even a single Cetti's Warbler. Later the Hayle itself proved much more rewarding, producing three Mediterranean Gulls, Knot, Curlew Sandpiper, Kingfisher, another Peregrine (carrying prey and being 'beaten up' by protesting Herring Gulls) and a scattering of Little Egrets.
Moving on to Stithians reservoir and specifically the southern causeway (715350), the now resident Black Duck proved elusive at first, but having located a newly reported Ring-necked Duck north of the causeway, it eventually gave its self upon the other side. Although still moulting out of eclipse plumage, it was still a distinctly dark duck with a deep blue speculum and black under tail coverts. Final stop of the day was the Hayle's Copperhouse Creek carpark (565378). Lunchtime leftovers attracted numerous gulls, although no Ring-billed Gull at this popular spot, plus a juvenile Black Tern which swooped in and only just resisted several wildly thrown chunks of pasty (not renowned as tern bait).
A brief call at the Hayle estuary added Marsh Harrier to the list but expecting an overnight rush of migrants attention was then focussed on the Cot valley (307360) but its fabled reputation ran only to Whimbrel, Spotted Flycatcher, Raven, Blackcap and Willow Warbler. Strangely therefore the nearby Kenidjack valley (360325) had apparently 'struck gold' with a Yellow-browed Warbler the previous evening and this morning a "probable" Greenish Warbler. We arrived to find the now confirmed Greenish well pinned down but frustratingly out of sight in a copse of Sycamores. A Pied Flycatcher showed well and several Chiffchaffs proved a nuisance until the Greenish at last began to show well in the more open tree tops, to collective sighs of relief. With no reports of the Yellow-browed and no time to waste we then headed for Carminow Creek, Looe Pool near Porthleven (654244), primarily for a Lesser Yellowlegs (discovered the previous day but quite possibly there since mid week). No doubt we were amongst the first humans it had come across but the boldness of this young bird was remarkable. Preferring a very small pool in a paddock adjacent to the lake it gave excellent views both at rest and in flight, often too close to focus my scope on it!
Another abortive attempt to track down a Dotterel was quickly forgotten after the reappearance of a very obliging Barred Warbler in Nanquidno valley. Porthgwarra valley remained quiet and a sea watch proved a poor call so we returned to base (via a Spotted Redshank on the Hayle) planning a celebratory curry, a pint at the 'Bucket of Blood' and our route home the next day.
Despite a very still clear evening and glowing Milky Way overhead, Monday dawned breezy and very wet. A brief watch at the Hayle turned up a Stock Dove plus a still active Kingfisher, whilst several of our party braved the rain and headed for the north west arm of Drift reservoir where, apparently, two Pectoral Sandpipers had been present at dusk. They were rewarded with a good soaking, a lot of "I hate to say I told you so" etc, a surprised dosser in the hide and a Black Swan. On the off chance that the freshening winds would deliver a few seabirds we called in at St. Ives to find sheltered conditions and just a flock of Sandwich Terns loafing on the beach.
With rain again threatening we departed for Davidstow airfield near Camelford in north east Cornwall, an almost legendary site for Buff-breasted Sandpiper. We were not to be denied and despite the rain had excellent views of a single bird with Dunlin and Ringed Plovers. Perhaps surprisingly we also found an adult Yellow-legged Gull (L. michahellis). A small flock of Golden Plover arrived as we departed, in lashing rain for our final destination. We arrived at Exminster Devon, at the junction of the M5 and A30, mid afternoon to find several active Cirl Buntings despite of the rain, a great finale to our long weekend.
Quality rather than quantity won out in the end and our total of under 110 species was surprisingly low. However nearly everybody added lifers to their lists, some from the east and some from the west in this compact and classic 'migrant trap' area.
