Daily Sightings in the St Ives 20k Area
It's here we post information around what's about on a daily-ish basis. Obviously at peak times (spring and autumn) these updates will be more frequent. On the other hand if there's "nowt about" you might be deafened by the silence.
Monday April 13
Well, it really did all kick off today. One of the 2 Yellow-browed Warblers was looked at again a bit more closely and Liam's suspicions were confirmed. The brighter one is actually a Pallas's Warbler. So, we have a Yellow-browed and a Pallas's Warbler in Trewyn Gardens - a tiny little 'park' in the middle of St Ives. What else is out there we wonder. And if that wasn't enough, there were 2 Little Terns hanging around between Man Head and the Island, off Porthmeor Beach for much of the afternoon. Little Tern are rare here - we get a few in autumn but to get 2 Spring birds is excellent. A great day for the St Ives 20K area
Sunday April 12
There are now 2 singing Yellow-browed Warblers present in Trewyn Gardens with a Willow Warbler also singing. Gareth has taken a couple of cracking shots of the YBW here. Video of the initial find by Liam here.
Saturday April 11
BREAKING NEWS!! Liam has found a singing Yellow-browed Warbler in Trewyn Gardens in "downtown" St Ives. Singing loudly and very vocal. A St Ives mega for sure
Thursday April 9
A Red-throated Diver west past the Island this morning, one of our first Whitethroat at Treveal. But the main news today was that one of our own, Liam, found a singing Yellow-browed Warbler on campus over at Falmouth. Now if only he could do something similar in the St Ives 20K area ... now that would be something ...
Wednesday April 8
A quiet day with 8 Swallow over Clodgy, 3 Sandwich Tern in the harbour area, a Sand Martin over the Island, 5 Willow Warbler in Zennor and 2 House Martin and a Wheatear on Burthallen Lane. A Sooty Shearwater was reported heading west up the Coast at Pentire Head which normally means it passes St Ives around an hour later but no sign of it...
Tuesday April 7
Today was all about Wheatears - a trickle of them through Zennor, and 5 on Buttermilk Hill. Still loads of Manx piling past the Island. But with several Hoopoes on Scilly today - we hope it will be a good day tomorrow for a Hoopoe around Burthallen Lane ...
Monday April 6
Gareth caused a mini-twitch by finding a Grey Plover on the rocks at the Island this morning accompanied by 18 Purple Sandpipers which is a decent count. 2 Sandwich Tern knocking about Porthmeor as well.
Sunday April 5
An epic sea watch with Billy having 25,000 Manx past before 9am with a Great Northern Diver. Later, Nog had an Arctic Skua and Liam then pulled an Arctic Tern out of the bag which was very close to being the first UK record this year = there were 6 reported past Portland yesterday. This afternoon 4 members of the St Ives Crew successfully twitched the Killdeer in North Cornwall this afternoon. EPIC!!
Saturday April 4
Still quiet - 5 Swallow, 2 Chough and a Peregrine at Treveal, Emma a visiting birder from Belgium had a Sandwich Tern into the bay and 3 Canada Geese past the Island. Everyone too concerned with a certain Kildeer and possible Iberian Chiffchaff elsewhere ....
Thursday April 2
Bird of the Day was Billy and Liam's Hooded Crow past the Island at 7:30 am - which about 3 weeks ago would have been a mega for Cornwall - but now it's just a Crow. A Whimbrel heading West found by Gareth was the second good bird of the day. But the Bussow Reservoir delivered yet again with a Barnacle Goose which was hanging around with 10 Canada Geese. A Canada Goose around St Ives is a decent enough bird but to be "carrying" a Barnacle is a real mega for us. It then flew off West with 4 Canada's and we're sure we could see a Svalbard ring on it ....
Wednesday April 1
Bird of the Day today was Billy's male Ring Ouzel on Buttermilk Hill which is the first of the year. There were 25 Sand Martins and 2 Swallows over Bussow Reservoir in the morning so there was clearly an "arrival". A Snipe which is a rare 20K bird was kicked up off the coastal path just beyond Clodgy - on which there was also a female Wheatear. News however was dominated by the sighting of 2 known Orcas off Coverack and Lizard point in the South most afternoon.
Tuesday March 31
For the last update of March - a Sandwich Tern into the bay early morning. Bird of the day was a singing Willow Warbler in Foage Valley this afternoon after a "hooeeet"ing bird in Treveal earlier this morning. A Merlin through Treveal and 2 Swallows heading north was also notable.
Monday March 30
1000 Manx and 500 Auks (no Puffins) past the Island - and 2 Rooks. But things picked up later with a trip to Bussow producing 5 Swallows, a Stock Dove and a gripping St Ives 20K mega of a female Goosander that landed for a minute or 2, took one look at the surrounding anglers, hit launch mode, circled once and then headed west. The last Goosander was years ago. Bussow starts to pay off. Imagine what we've missed over the last year. It seems to attract birds but there is clearly something they don't like about it. Still no Coot
Friday March 27
A Sandwich Tern off Lambeth walk in the town was the only bird of note. Mind you, everyone was busy today and the visibility not great.
Thursday March 26
Quiet - 2 Red-throated Divers this morning and then 8 Purple Sandpiper off the Island. Light auk and Manx passage with 1 adult Mediterranean Gull.
Wednesday March 25
As predicted the NW delivered - 1 Puffin (the first of the year), 15,000+ Auks, 10,000+ Manx Shearwater, 5 Great Skua, 174+ Fulmar, 2 Red-throated Diver, 1 Sandwich Tern. Later there were 6 Sandwich Tern in the Harbour area off Lambeth Walk and a Black-throated Diver off the Island. Last night, Gareth might have had a nocmig Little Ringed Plover with a Tawny Owl and Siskin in central St Ives and 6 Sandwich Tern
Monday March 23
7 Purple Sandpiper on the Island and a Bar-tailed Godwit heading north west this am with a Red-throated Diver, 3 Common Scoter, 400 Manx, 3000+ auks and 3 Common Gulls all west. Wednesday is looking good for a sea watch on Wednesday 25th with strong NW coming in after a decent SW wind ...
Sunday March 22
23 Sanderling on Bamaluz point and a decent auk passage was about it. James had a female Reed Bunting on Gurnards Head which is just outside the 20k area and would be a good bird otherwise.
Saturday March 21
And so it begins ... 2 Purple Sand still on the Island, a Sandwich Tern feeding off Porthmeor early am. Then a Black Redstart and 11 Wheatear on Buttermilk Hill and a Willow Warbler at Zennor valley. Further west - a Bluethroat female and a Hoopoe have been reported Lands End and Cot ...
Thursday March 19
Finally some migrant action. A Wheatear and 3 Sand Martins between Zennor and Treveal for James and Billy had another Wheatear on the western side of Clodgy Point in the afternoon. Around 50 Lesser Black-backs moving east and a Buzzard over the town is notable.
Wednesday March 18
A few Purps on the Island - but most effort was on vizmig up the back of St Ives. Green Woodpecker, Jay and Sparrowhawk. Not much in other words. Gareth and his "nocmig" set up recorded Herring Gulls and plenty of Redwing over St Ives last night and a "coot" with a 0.3% confidence that it was one ... it wasn't one. Pendeen have had over 2000 Manx, 9 Puffins and 5 Red-throated Divers this morning. #neverleavetheisland
Tuesday March 17
A Moorhen on Consols Pool this morning and 3 Canada Geese over Porthmeor Beach. 2 Purple Sandpipers on the Island. 2 Chough over the beach at Porthmeor late this afternoon
Monday March 16
Very quiet today - a Purple Sandpiper, Red-throated and Great Northern Divers this morning. A Common Scoter and Black Redstart from the Island this afternoon. A possible Puffin in the murk heading west. Adam did have a Merlin "out west" today .. and Billy dug out the roving Little Gull at Hayle late on
Sunday March 15
Outside our area (just) but Adam found 2 Snipe and a Jack Snipe in the water meadows behind Home Bargains in Hayle - you can almost see Home Bargains from The Island ... (you can't see Home Bargains from the Island) - but goes to show that we're missing them in the 20K area. 2 Chough and a couple of Manx past Clodgy and the Island so far today.
Saturday March 14
Liam probably had the Pacific Diver - originally seen a week or so back and off Gwithian during the week - drift past The Island and into the bay this morning - and then rounded his morning off superbly with a 20K tick in the shape of a Coal Tit. Blackcap singing in Trewyn Gardens for Gareth.
Friday March 13
The Manxies are back! One Great Skua passed The Island early but the Manx really got going from around 9 onwards with Billy recording 710 Manx and 2 Mediterranean Shearwaters past. James and Gareth then had c400 Manx in 30 minutes with large numbers of auks.
Thursday March 12
Very little of note - 5 Purple Sandpipers on The Island in tricky conditions. Gareth had a 20K mega - Moorhen on Bussow Reservoir and a Green Woodpecker calling from nr Porthminster Beach
Wednesday March 11
The Island between 6:45 - 9:00. Liam had 311+ Manx Shearwater this morning with 20 Fulmar, 2000+ Auks and 3 RTD and a GND. Also a small flock of waders turned out to be 17 Sanderling and 2 Purple Sandpipers on Bamaluz Point. Manx really starting to return now
Tuesday March 10
Quiet - Gareth had a Sparrowhawk over the town causing the gulls to kick off, Billy found a dead Great Northern Diver on Porthminster Beach and a Blackcap in the gardens opposite the church is a hanger on from winter rather than a new one
Monday March 9
James had a long-winged raptor heading east over the cliffs at Zennor at midday. Liam had a small Tringa (possibly Green Sand) over The Island high west. Pendeen had a 1W Black Guillemot west this am which would have been a St Ives mega ...
Sunday March 8
Pea soup fog off St Ives. 2 Stonechats seen by Gareth ... but in other news Adam twitched the Forster's Tern in Dorset which means he must be on 278 for the year (or close enough) and "our" Pacific Diver has been relocated over at Gwithian. Which is nice ...