Hi all
Where do you reckon the nearest choughs are to Bournemouth in Dorset?
I'm guessing Devon may have some or possibly further into cornwall?
Thanks!
James is right that the birds at Southerly Point on the Lizard are your nearest in England (discounting the possibility that there are other southwest populations that aren't widely known about, which is always possible, I guess - a family group that visited the Somerset coast a few years ago were successfully kept under wraps by the finders until after they left). The other good thing about Southerly Point is that (when they're nesting at least) there are some of those "Aren't Birds Brilliant" people there, who know the birds habits well, so you're more or less guaranteed sightings. Oh, and you can watch the birds from the outdoor tables of a cafe while eating a cream tea.
However, the nearest ones both in distance and driving time, provided you don't mind paying the Second Severn Crossing toll, would be the Ogmore-by-Sea birds in south Wales. They range over quite a stretch of coast, from Porthcawl to Nash Point, so be prepared to put in some time searching for them, although you might get lucky and find them feeding on the close-cropped turf around the main beach car park (I never have, though, despite multiple visits there). The Dunraven Heritage Coast centre may be able to give you up to date news, and there are postings periodically on the Glamorgan Birds website about them.
There's also a population on the Gower, a little further into Wales, but still closer than the Lizard, and more numerous than the Ogmore birds (post-breeding population of perhaps 20-30, I'd guess, compared with fewer than 10 at Ogmore). They're spread out over the south Gower cliffs from Pennard in the east to Rhosilli in the west.
Steve
