A week long trip to Cornwall with the family, so this was not a birding holiday! Mind you, I never go anywhere without my optics so over the course of the week I was able to get in a bit of birding and see some quality bits and pieces.
The Saturday was spent mainly travelling, so didn't really give me an opportunity to do any birding, but Sunday started well with a pair of Cirl Buntings in the garden of our holiday cottage and a walk down to the creek produced a singing Blackcap and two Greenshank, as well as another Cirl Bunting. During a relaxing afternoon on Pendower beach I managed to pick out sixteen Great Northern Divers, seven Common Scoter and a Razorbill off shore. A couple of Gannets and a Fulmar also passed by. The day ended with a Swallow flying over our cottage.
Monday started with another quick walk down to the creek where a female Red-breasted Merganser was present. Off then to Carne beach and a quiet morning, though a Peregrine and first-winter Kittiwake provided a slight distraction. In the afternoon we went to Porthcurnick beach where a Long-tailed Duck was just a few feet offshore. I had no idea it was here, but I later found out it had been around for a few weeks.
On Tuesday we were faced with a bit of drizzle (out only "bad" weather of the week), so I set off for Pendower and spent the morning doing a seawatch. It was pretty productive with a couple of Black-throated Diver, twenty-three Great Northern Diver, a Slavonian Grebe, six Common Scoter and four first-winter Mediterranean Gulls being the highlights. A couple of Sandwich Terns were off Carne beach in the afternoon.
A bit further afield on Wednesday with a trip across the King Harry Ferry and a go at sea-kayaking at Loe Beach. A great experience, though somewhat tiring! Not a lot to report on the bird front his morning, but in the afternoon we popped along to Portscatho where a few divers were off the seafront, including both Black-throated Diver and Great Northern Diver.
The day ended with a Barn Owl flying past our garden and a calling Tawny Owl.
Thursday dawned bright and clear and so we took a walk down to the local creek, and with the tide out we were able to cross the small causeway and take an extended walk. On the exposed mud I soon picked up two Whimbrel, two Curlew and a Greenshank, whilst a couple of Little Grebes were in the channel. After lunch I headed down to Carne beach and walked out to Nare Head...which was a fair hike. Pick of the birds in this area was a single Chough. There were still over twenty divers in the bay, and three Mallard! The Barn Owl flew past the cottage again in the evening.
Our penultimate day and it was a really relaxing day, spent mainly on the beach. Nothing to add on the bird front, though I did loiter on the patio in the evening and managed to get great views of the Barn Owl (but a terrible photo) as it again flew past, two Tawny Owls were heard.
The final day in Cornwall and we started off at Porthcurnick beach, where the Long-tailed Duck was again seen. Seven Sandwich Terns were off the beach as well as a distant diver. After grabbing Cornish Pasties for lunch we drove up to Purcuil and overlooked the estuary, enjoying our final moments of the holiday before driving back home.
The final trip list was 72 species, not bad for a non-birding holiday!
