MarkHows
Mostly Mammals
We drove through Thursday night to get to Plymouth for the Friday 9.15 departure of the Scillonian to The Scillys. I was hoping for the American golden plover and Richards pipit that had been seen the previous couple of days. The crossing did not provide any birds of note but a few dozen common dolphin showed off well around the boat for long periods. On St Marys we eventually found the Richards pipit site and after a short downpour it returned and showed very well. The American golden plover had not been seen so we went Carreg Dhu
gardens for a firecrest which teased us for a while before showing, there were some very tame birds, blackbird, song thrush and robin who shared our lunch. We had a look round Hugh town and found some rock pipits and turnstone on the shore and sailed back to Penzance uneventfully.
Saturday we left our campsite in Sennen to find the local rose coloured starling within ten mins a starling flock was located on a house and the juv rose coloured was there with them. We left for Helston for the Black Duck which proved elusive and when he was located it was distant. We popped in on the ring billed gull on the way back. We did some touristy things in the afternoon and did a bit of sea watching from Porthgawwa (still not a sea watching fan!) the only thing of note was an Artic skua and a Seal.
Sunday was my girlfriends birthday and I promised a no birding day we went to Newquay to the aquarium and the zoo and we were due to go to the Screech owl sanctuary but I had a sneaky call to Birdline while she was in the shop and a Radde's warbler was at Sennen cove just down the road from where we were staying. I convinced her to go for it and we arrived there just as the heavens opened, we headed up the cliff to find the 30 or so birders watching it we watched it for 20 mins before leaving to dry out.
Monday – our last day and there was nothing much about so I took my girlfriend to the Screech owl sanctuary to make up for the Radde's. It is a very good place and they care for lots of sick and injured native birds of prey and owls as well as captive breeding programs. There was nothing of interest around so we drove home.
Highlights
Richards Pipit, Radde's Warbler, Black Duck, Rose coloured Starling, Dolphins, lots of Buzzards.
gardens for a firecrest which teased us for a while before showing, there were some very tame birds, blackbird, song thrush and robin who shared our lunch. We had a look round Hugh town and found some rock pipits and turnstone on the shore and sailed back to Penzance uneventfully.
Saturday we left our campsite in Sennen to find the local rose coloured starling within ten mins a starling flock was located on a house and the juv rose coloured was there with them. We left for Helston for the Black Duck which proved elusive and when he was located it was distant. We popped in on the ring billed gull on the way back. We did some touristy things in the afternoon and did a bit of sea watching from Porthgawwa (still not a sea watching fan!) the only thing of note was an Artic skua and a Seal.
Sunday was my girlfriends birthday and I promised a no birding day we went to Newquay to the aquarium and the zoo and we were due to go to the Screech owl sanctuary but I had a sneaky call to Birdline while she was in the shop and a Radde's warbler was at Sennen cove just down the road from where we were staying. I convinced her to go for it and we arrived there just as the heavens opened, we headed up the cliff to find the 30 or so birders watching it we watched it for 20 mins before leaving to dry out.
Monday – our last day and there was nothing much about so I took my girlfriend to the Screech owl sanctuary to make up for the Radde's. It is a very good place and they care for lots of sick and injured native birds of prey and owls as well as captive breeding programs. There was nothing of interest around so we drove home.
Highlights
Richards Pipit, Radde's Warbler, Black Duck, Rose coloured Starling, Dolphins, lots of Buzzards.
