After my planes, trains and automobile journey from Shetland to Cornwall (2 planes, 3 trains, a Hotel in Bristol and cars at either end, for those taking notes) it was nice to arrive in deepest Cornwall for a weeks relaxation with Mrs W. I arrived at lunchtime on Sunday 7th October and we headed to Cape Cornwall for a stroll along the coast path.
Of course, the moment we arrived in Kenidjack Valley we stumbled upon the first birders (2 hours from arriving in Cornwall for a non-birding holiday - not bad). Of course, hard-core birder that I am, I had left my bins at the cottage and had commandeered Mrs W's 8x32...mounted on a shoulder strap. It felt like I was wearing a bra. Anyway, a nice walk in the valley produced a Pied Flycatcher (showing well) and a Yellow-browed Warbler (calling well) inducing a bad case of Shetland deja-vu.
A very vocal Chough overhead was a pleasant surprise but I couldn't rustle up a Wryneck from the great habitat at Cape Cornwall (those that keep track of such things will recall that one was found there the next day...). And yes, we got quite damp in the afternoon's rain.
On Monday we headed into St Ives for some hard-core touristing, and news of the White's Thrush in Cot valley hit my pager just as we got back to the car - perfect timing. Of course, there was no further sign but we had a nice walk around the valley and along the coastal path. The highlight was 4 or 5 Chiffchaff playing hide and seek in the bracken before rain and fog completely stopped play
Tuesday saw us make a late start, hoping the fog would lift enough to see the sea. We ended up walking to Kendijack from our cottage in Carnyorth. There was a good movement of Pipits along the coast, mainly Meadow although careful scrutiny pulled at least 1 Tree Pipit from the masses (there was an Olive-Backed a mile or so up the coast at Pendeen - so I had to make the effort...).
There was not a lot else in the valley, although a ring tail Harrier that drifted along the North ridge got me thinking - it had bold face and neck markings, with almost a full collar and very orangey underparts but 5 fingers and fairly broad wings dismissed Palid. My gut reaction was Monty's but I didn't get enough to be 100% sure - it was on view for less than 5 seconds. With the decline of Hen Harrier in the past few years, Monty is probably more likely!
UPDATE: Si has pointed out that Monty's has 4 fingers so this was a Hen Harrier - I really should check these things before posting...
Shortly afterwards, just North of Kendijack farm, a Redstart put on a brief appearance in some scrub, before vanishing...more hints of Shetland!
With more mizzle (mist and drizzle) today, we decided to indulge our gardening habit and exercise our national trust membership cards with a visit to Trengwainton Gardens, just NW of Penzance. I was immediately drawn to a calling Goldcrest when I got out of the car and then noticed a few crests in the tree - the second bird I put my bins on was a stunning Firecrest! Within 2 minutes of being in the garden, we came across a calling Firecrest, quickly followed by 2 more around the next corner...we definitely saw at least 6 Firecrest in the 2 hours we spent in the garden, probably nearer 10! I noticed that birds were reported along the coast today, so can only assume a mini-fall of crests occurred overnight.
Finally, our travel posts wouldn't now be complete without a culinary update...so behold my latest creation - Chilli Pasties. Left over chilli (expertly made by Mrs W), thrown into some puff pastry. When in Cornwall...
BTW, if anyone is confused, I am using Mr H's day count - so I arrived on day 2.
Of course, the moment we arrived in Kenidjack Valley we stumbled upon the first birders (2 hours from arriving in Cornwall for a non-birding holiday - not bad). Of course, hard-core birder that I am, I had left my bins at the cottage and had commandeered Mrs W's 8x32...mounted on a shoulder strap. It felt like I was wearing a bra. Anyway, a nice walk in the valley produced a Pied Flycatcher (showing well) and a Yellow-browed Warbler (calling well) inducing a bad case of Shetland deja-vu.
A very vocal Chough overhead was a pleasant surprise but I couldn't rustle up a Wryneck from the great habitat at Cape Cornwall (those that keep track of such things will recall that one was found there the next day...). And yes, we got quite damp in the afternoon's rain.
On Monday we headed into St Ives for some hard-core touristing, and news of the White's Thrush in Cot valley hit my pager just as we got back to the car - perfect timing. Of course, there was no further sign but we had a nice walk around the valley and along the coastal path. The highlight was 4 or 5 Chiffchaff playing hide and seek in the bracken before rain and fog completely stopped play
Tuesday saw us make a late start, hoping the fog would lift enough to see the sea. We ended up walking to Kendijack from our cottage in Carnyorth. There was a good movement of Pipits along the coast, mainly Meadow although careful scrutiny pulled at least 1 Tree Pipit from the masses (there was an Olive-Backed a mile or so up the coast at Pendeen - so I had to make the effort...).
There was not a lot else in the valley, although a ring tail Harrier that drifted along the North ridge got me thinking - it had bold face and neck markings, with almost a full collar and very orangey underparts but 5 fingers and fairly broad wings dismissed Palid. My gut reaction was Monty's but I didn't get enough to be 100% sure - it was on view for less than 5 seconds. With the decline of Hen Harrier in the past few years, Monty is probably more likely!
UPDATE: Si has pointed out that Monty's has 4 fingers so this was a Hen Harrier - I really should check these things before posting...
Shortly afterwards, just North of Kendijack farm, a Redstart put on a brief appearance in some scrub, before vanishing...more hints of Shetland!
With more mizzle (mist and drizzle) today, we decided to indulge our gardening habit and exercise our national trust membership cards with a visit to Trengwainton Gardens, just NW of Penzance. I was immediately drawn to a calling Goldcrest when I got out of the car and then noticed a few crests in the tree - the second bird I put my bins on was a stunning Firecrest! Within 2 minutes of being in the garden, we came across a calling Firecrest, quickly followed by 2 more around the next corner...we definitely saw at least 6 Firecrest in the 2 hours we spent in the garden, probably nearer 10! I noticed that birds were reported along the coast today, so can only assume a mini-fall of crests occurred overnight.
Finally, our travel posts wouldn't now be complete without a culinary update...so behold my latest creation - Chilli Pasties. Left over chilli (expertly made by Mrs W), thrown into some puff pastry. When in Cornwall...
BTW, if anyone is confused, I am using Mr H's day count - so I arrived on day 2.
droool ...... The pasties that were always promised on Shetland but never quite managed to appear ......
ReplyDeleteIndeed, some pretty yummy looking pasties! I should have taken some pics of our food really shouldn't I? We had a roast on Sunday, fajitas on Monday, a casserole last night - more eventful than the birding....
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