Looe Estuary

[mcdowella]

I'll be spending the week of the 19th of April near the Looe Estuary (in a rented flat, which I think is in Tredinnick, near Duloe, if you know the area). I don't have a great deal of say over where we go and what we do, but is there any bird site near there we just must not miss?

[Darrell Clegg]

The Looe estuary is very difficult to watch, except from a few points. The Discovery Centre car park being the exception. There are very few waders on there but you should see good numbers of gulls. Mid/late April is one of the best times to catch up with Iceland Gull, though they have been very scarce over the last few years. There is a heronry which can be seen on the West Looe side, and you should be ok with Little Egret. My advice would be to go to Hannafore (the beach in West Looe) and look for passing seabirds. You could also try just down the coast at Seaton, walk onto the beach and turn right. Scan the sea and you should be able to still see a few Red-throated and Great Northern Divers and perhaps the last of the Slavonian Grebes.

Darrell

[Andrew]

Don't tell him about Richard and Judy!


Doh!

[mcdowella]

Thanks for the info. I saw a Little Egret in Looe harbour, which was nice. I don't think I saw any Iceland gulls, but my identification skills may not be up to that anyway. Most interesting sight was along the beach at West Looe, by the sea defences, where we saw sandflies being taken - by Mallard, Pied Wagtail, and Chaffinch! (I was expecting something more specific to salt water). We also got to Seaton and had a nice walk up and around the nature reserve, although I didn't spot anything very special at the beach.