• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Question about seawatching at Pendeen, Cornwall (1 Viewer)

wolfbirder

Well-known member
In the right conditions, can some one advise where the larger shearwaters are best seen?

Silly question maybe, but when I was there (only been once), watching hundreds of shearwaters streaming past from the lighthouse, there were two lanes of bird traffic, one around and just past the three prominent rocks (pictured below), and then a lane of bird traffic a further distance out.

Which of the two lanes do most of the larger shearwaters favour?
 

Attachments

  • Pendeen .jpg
    Pendeen .jpg
    543.4 KB · Views: 114
In the right conditions, can some one advise where the larger shearwaters are best seen?

Silly question maybe, but when I was there (only been once), watching hundreds of shearwaters streaming past from the lighthouse, there were two lanes of bird traffic, one around and just past the three prominent rocks (pictured below), and then a lane of bird traffic a further distance out.

Which of the two lanes do most of the larger shearwaters favour?

Never been Nick!....perhaps wind strength and direction might be a determinant?

Cheers
 
A couple of weeks ago I concentrated solely on the area just behind the rocks and missed several large shears seen by others so I would guess the farther out areas are better. I was not looking for large shears however so didn't mind. I also managed to miss a pim inside the rocks from my very low position so best approach is to sit with main crowd just in front of lighthouse wall . You will see everyone once you get level with lowest point of the wall

Cheers Howard
 
Thanks for your thoughts Ken, Howard.

I'm sure the wind does affect them.

Reason I ask is that the once I went - two years ago - 35 Great Shearwaters and 20 plus Cory's were recorded as seen that day.

I only managed one good view of a Great and 3 crappy, brief ones of Cory's in the buffeting, on-shore wind. Clearly I was doing something wrong, I was positioned by the wall with all the others, but only managed to get to grips with the birds around lunchtime when I moved lower down to the sea level. I'm not sure if I was looking further enough out, or whether my scope was just struggling (everyone else seemed to have Swav's).

It annoys me now, I'm not sure why I failed to get to grips with things when I was there!! :)-

Probably because I was tired, half brain dead, tired eyes etc.

I do think as Howard says, a lot of the larger shearwaters were in the second lane /wave, further out.
 
Last edited:
Warning! This thread is more than 8 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top