Daily Sightings in the St Ives 20k Area

A Nightjar was churring within the area found by Billy.  A rather atmospheric couple of videos can be seen here.  Other than that, fog and no wind has meant very little movement.  James has a Grasshopper Warbler at Eagle's Nest this morning.

It continues to be quiet as June usually is.  Manx still moving through in their feeding routes, a Euro Stormie or 2 and a Risso's Dolphin 600m off the Island today.

It continues to be quiet on all fronts ... a single Euro Storm Petrel went past the Island this morning with the usual motley crew of a few Fulmar, Manx, auks etc.  A 2CY Med Gull may mean something ... or not.  At least the World Cup is on ... 

Seawatching over the past few days has produced lots of Euro Stormies (30+ this am for example), a pale Balearic Shearwater, several Puffins and a Great Northern Diver still knocking about.  James had a petrel sp which might have been the first Wilson's of the year and a Sandwich Tern. Seems that Pendeen, Porthgwarra and the Lizard are getting all the good stuff with Sabines, Wilson's and Skuas past ... 

A Grasshopper Warbler in Foage from the 9th.  This morning 15 Euro Storm Petrels, 2 Puffins and 20,000 Manx Shearwater

A strong westerly promised much but failed to deliver of the Island this morning.  3 Euro Stormies, 3 Puffins, 8 distant 'commic' terns were probably Arctics and 4000 Manx Shearwaters.  A reeling Grasshopper Warbler just east of Zennor Head this evening.

This morning's seawatch totals - Euro Stormies 14, Manx 20k+, Great Skua 1 (the first since early March), Puffin 2, Whimbrel 1, Great Northern Diver 1 (a 2CY bird).  Pendeen had similar totals but with a pale phase Arctic Skua and Porthgwarra had a Wilson's Petrel ... how long before we get one at the Island?

22 European Storm Petrels, 1 Balearic Shearwater, 10k Manx, a dark Arctic Skua and 2 summer plumage Great Northern Divers the highlights from this morning's seawatch - Liam, James and visiting birder, Paul.  This evening produced 2 more Balearics and 7 more Euro Stormies.

The seawatching season is approaching rapidly.  Liam had 7 Puffins, 5 Euro Stormies, 10,000 Manx and the first Balearic Shearwater past the Island this morning.  Risso's Dolphins continue to feed in the bay.  The Reed Warbler continues in Zennor Valley

James has been on fire recently - a Reed Warbler in Zennor turned into 2 Reed Warblers by yesterday which is a rare bird for the 20K given that we have no reed bed to speak of.  A Golden Oriole was reported from Boswednack which is just outside our area but couldn't be relocated anyway.  Red Kites have been appearing regularly.  European Storm Petrels are off the Island regularly with double figure counts feeding just offshore. Gareth had a Sooty Shearwater this morning and James, yet again, saw a Merlin the other side of Buttermilk Hill.  The Risso's Dolphins are also regular off the Island.

Its been a little quiet with nothing more than a few Storm Petrels knocking about the bay. So, whilst a few of us are "out of town" on errands James just knocked it out of the park with a spectacular adult male RED-BACKED SHRIKE in Foage this morning!! Unfortunately he wasn't able to get spectacular shots but who cares .. it's a major mega for St Ives 20k and a great looking bird.  See his great, if rather unspectacular, photos here. Also he followed that up with lots of Red Kites around Trewey Common this evening

More Euro Storm Petrels feeding off the Island today - Liam had 5 of them, plus 5 Common Scoter west which is pretty late and 3 Great Northern Divers. A report of an Orca heading west past St Ives got everyone super-jumpy but didn't reappear.  Risso's still performing well in and around the bay.  There is still a Cuckoo knocking arounds Zennor.

Still the European Stormies keep coming - from our first a few days ago to around 35 yesterday - today (between 11 and 12) saw several of them close in (approx 200mtrs) from the NW Corner of the Island. Difficult to count since they jink left, right, and sweep out of view and back again - but we think around 10 in total over the course of an hour. Manx numbers still good even in a South wind - approx 1000 in an hour - but as usual the tap was switched off around midday and reduced to a trickle soon after.

The seawatching season has officially started!  A drizzly, windy, horrible start was perservered with by Alan, Liam and "guest birder", Adam, down from Kent.  In order of appearance - Puffins (26 during the morning and possibly the most numerous auk); European Storm Petrels (18 at least over the morning and several more during the afternoon), Sooty Shearwaters (10 blasting through the Manx flocks - the first ones of the year) and finally, 1 lone dark phase Arctic Skua close past the Island. A couple of Great Northern Divers knocking about, 30,000 Manx at least and good counts of the usuals. A great morning!  

A strong SW wind all day - and with more hope than expectation we were on the Island from 6:30 am.  We were pleasantly surprised to get 9 Euro Storm Petrels, along with 5 Puffins (in groups of 2 and 3). Several thousand Manxies throughout the day and decent counts of Fulmars, Kitts and Gannets.  No Sootys or Skuas yet but we sense they can't be far off. Pendeen had a few today as well as a recent Arctic Skua. Tomorrow morning looks promising with a bit more west in the wind ...

It's more like December than May at the moment. A Whimbrel past the Island and one past Clodgy this morning before rain and wind stopped play.  Billy had more Risso's past Clodgy.

This spring has been good for Yellow Wagtails on the Island.  Gareth had 2 more this morning.  We had these down as uncommon to rare. Whilst not common they're clearly regular at least.  The rest of us went off piste to Marazion for the second Kentish Plover of the spring for Cornwall.  Billy meanwhile found at least 8 Risso's Dolphins off the Island this afternoon and they performed spectacularly well for a couple of hours.  Photos here. Liam then had 2 Puffins past the Island which Alan missed by seconds ... 

Another early start for Alan and Liam as they planned a dawn raid on some valleys further west.  A 04:30 start and on site by 05:00.  We were rewarded - soft rain, chill in the air, the sky lightening by the second and a churring Nightjar flying around our heads as it headed off to roost. We then had 2 Tawny Owls duetting to each other.  It sounded like 2 males but the other might have been a a female.  In another valley an hour later - thinking it was now too light - a Barn Owl was carrying prey across the fields and into a deserted barn.  20 minutes later the same or another Barn Owl was patrolling the same fields.  Maybe the recent weather has forced them to stay out later to catch food?  A visit to Bussow was binned when news of a Kentish Plover at Marazion came through, but not for long and Alan went back to find a Spotted Flycatcher in the hedges just before the entrance.  Cuckoos were heard at Bussow, Buttermilk and further west.  A pretty good day with a couple of 20K year and lifer ticks between us.

It's been a bit quiet recently. A Spotted Flycatcher is a good bird from James down the Foage valley on 11th. A Wheatear on the Island on the 12th which might well be the last one of the Spring?  A couple of summer plumage (and winter plumage) Great Northern Divers have been offshore all week; a report of a Corncrake "singing all afternoon" down Treveal on the 10th is a little galling considering we were all out birding on that day, the Big Day; a Grasshopper Warbler reported on Clodgy by a "non-birder" and today the first European Storm Petrel of the year went past the Island this afternoon - the 16th

We say race - it was more of a gentle stroll - but a great day out.  Liam, James, Alan and Billy started at 5am and finished at 9pm.  92 species in total and a lot of walking. We have written a blog about the day if you want a blow by blow account of the birds we missed.  Its here.

Bird of the Day INSIDE the 20K area was probably a Fulmar over Bussow Reservoir.  Bussow rocks!  Followed by a couple of Cuckoos and 4 Wheatears up Buttermilk Hill, a Peregrine, a summer Great Northern Diver, a female Reed Bunting, and a Sanderling on Porthmeor Beach at 6am looking very nervous in anticipation of the hordes about to descend on it ... but, outside the 20K area, we also picked up drake Garganey, Black-tailed Godwit, Purple Sandpiper and, holy of holies, ... a COOT!! Just across the bay!  

The hope that the Tree Pipit as couple of days ago was the promise of something more to come ... came alive this morning.  Despite several sore heads after the most recent "Birder's Beer and Wine" which was held in the Kettle & Wink - Alan and Liam had a cracking Yellow Wagtail on the deck for a few seconds and then over the "turrets". The spring's second Tree Pipit went over the NW corner of the Island calling twice for Alan. A summer plumage Great Northern Diver was offshore drifting on the tide.  But Bird of the Day, and probably month so far, was a Hawfinch for Alan that was passing eastwards over Clodgy, called frequently, circled and dropped down towards the west side of Clodgy and was not relocated.  In late news from Zennor - 5 Whimbrel, 3 Swift and a Cuckoo for James there this evening

7 Great Northern Divers, 6 Common Scoter west and an Island mega - Pheasant - which was actually on Clodgy but so desperate was Liam for a new bird that he started scoping Clodgy from the "turrets".  No sign of the Grasshopper Warbler for Alan but there are 2 possibly 3 Lesser Whitethroat singing along Burthallan Lane.

Tree Pipit over the Island Turrets for Liam - calling.  And 3 Risso's Dolphins westbound.  Tree Pipit is a scarce bird in the 20K area so that really is a good bird.  Hopefully more to come - Spring is only just getting going!

The Island hosted the Bar-tailed Godwit and 4 Whimbrel this morning with a Whitethroat, a House Martin, some Swallows still moving through and the usual stuff.  

Whitethroat singing, 2 Little Egrets east, a Purple Sandpiper still hanging on at the Island this morning between Liam and Billy. The Lesser Whitethroat still singing by the horse paddock on Burthallan with a Sedge Warbler and the Bar-tailed Godwit still on Clodgy.  An Osprey was reported heading SE from Trewey Common.

The Lesser Whitethroat still singing on the Burthallan Loop and the Grasshopper Warbler still there also. Liam also had the Bar-tailed Godwit with 3 Whimbrel James had a couple of Cuckoos around Zennor and Eagles Nest.  

Kestrel (Common) back at the Island, a 2CY Med Gull and Sand Martin with 17 Swallows moving east by Liam first thing with 2 Siskin over the train station.  Tara had 4 Whimbrel flying towards Hayle.  Billy then had 2 Brent Geese heading east past the Island.  Burthallan Lane then produced a brick-red Bar-tailed Godwit feeding in one of the fields and a male Lesser Whitethroat rattling away in the paddock. Brent Goose, Barwit, LWT are all mega birds for the area at this time of year.

Liam had a Grasshopper Warbler in the Burthallan Loop early this am.  Off the Island he had 4 Great Northern Divers, 3 Whimbrel, 3 Sand Martin and a few of the usual seabirds off the Island.  James had 3 Sedge Warblers and 2 Stock Dove at Zennor.  Abbie had lots of House Martins on Church Lane.  Billy then had a Little Egret west past the Island.  News then broke of a Lesser Kestrel on the Lizard and play was abandoned for the day ...

Gareth had lots of hirundines in the morning plus a Dunlin that flew over the town.  He also had a Kite (probably Red) towards Buttermilk Hill which then headed towards the Knills Monument.  A Bonaparte's Gull was reported heading east from Pendeen which is about 10 miles away as the shearwater flies but there was no sign of it in the 20K area.  If it does turn up around St Ives, the town beach at Lambeth Walk might be a good place to start looking for it.  Liam had 2 Common Sandpiper and 2 Wheatear on the Island late this afternoon.

Bit of a slow few days in the St Ives area - James had a Hobby over the Tate today which is a cracking recor; plenty of hirundines moving east; a Ringed Plover east over the town and a Whimbrel over - with a rescue of a Pigeon.  

A Puffin and 12 Common Scoter went west this morning and a Great Northern Diver off the Island.  

Bussow Res delivered a Common Sandpiper and a Sedge Warbler early this morning.  Nance and the Island delivered House Martins and other Hirundines. Liam had 2 Stock Doves from the Island.  2 Little Terns were seen briefly off Porthmeor along with several Sandwich Terns throughout the afternoon. A probable 1CY Little Gull zoomed past the Island early evening. Attention today was understandably spread a little thin with Garganey's and Kentish Plover on the menu ...

And still the East wind blows ... Gareth located the Pallas's Warbler again this morning at Trewyn Gardens.  There were Wheatears on the Island, Man Head, Clodgy Point and Bussow Reservoir.  Common Sandpipers were on the Island and up at Bussow again with 4 Swifts over there late afternoon. 

The howling East wind continues to keep the birds down. The day was notable for our first Swifts of the year - 1 past the Island just offshore early morning and then another over the Tate (where else?) late in the afternoon.  One Purple Sandpiper at the Island early morning, Gareth heard a Ringed Plover, a Common Sandpiper also on the Island with another at Bussow and between 3 and 5 Red Kites over Bussow heading SE.

A strong East wind all day kept many birds down but not the hirundines.  A big arrival with Swallows everywhere with 20+ past Clodgy early on, 100+ over Bussow Res early afternoon and a similar count over/around/through Nance Lakes.  4 Wheatears on the Island, 4 on Clodgy Point and 2 on Buttermilk Hill.  2 Red Kite over Bussow both heading East 30 minutes apart.  2 Common Sandpiper and 2 Green Sandpipers at Bussow - 1 heading East and over the reservoir, 1 on the tiny muddy pool at base of dam before jumping over the wall on to the reservoir itself. The Pallas's Warbler is still present apparently ... but not seen by us.

Another good day.  Spring, and continual effort, continues to deliver.  The morning started with 3 Common Sandpipers, a Purple Sandpiper and between 3 and 5 Wheatears at the Island. The Pallas's Warbler at Trewyn was refound by Gareth by 9am.  Clodgy Point had a Wheatear, 2 Chough and a probable Green Sandpiper heading west high ...  A Grasshopper Warbler reeled briefly for James at Zennor who also had a Wheatear there.  Tara then found a Ring Ouzel up Buttermilk with yet another Wheatear.  Gareth in looking for (and finding) the Ring Ouzel, then found a Green Sandpiper at the small pool in the cow field.  Meanwhile, the Common Sandpiper invasion continues with 6 now at Bussow Reservoir this evening taking today's total to 9!  And talking of invasions, the Annual Red Kite Next Day Return to Cornwall seems to have started with 230 at Lands End - and James had 1 over Zennor heading east late afternoon.

2 Chough possibly 3 on the Island hassling the resident Crows this morning with a Chiffchaff and Greenfinches. The Purple Sandpiper flock is now at least 8 on the Island. There were at least 7 Wheatear on Buttermilk Hill. A Cuckoo up the Foage valley turned into 2 by the afternoon.  A third Cuckoo of the day was at Bussow Reservoir later in the afternoon with a Common Sandpiper.  The Pallas's Warbler is still around Trewyn Gardens but Gareth saw it further up the hill so it's roaming about.

A great day to be out in the area.  The seabird passage between 7am and around 10am was epic.  Manx were passing at 1000/min.  Between several of us at least 100K Manx Shearwater passed the Island and Clodgy.  As usual though it dried up by around 11.  Wheatears were at the Island (1) and a male and female together on Man Head.  2 Arctic Terns were off Porthmeor mid-morning, but that increased to 4 and then there were 8 at least past the Island in the afternoon. They were joined by at least 1 Common Tern and a few Sandwich Tern.  The Pallas's Warbler is still present in Trewyn and seems to be getting easier to see in the sycamore. Billy reported a Yellow Wagtail and Osprey over Buttermilk and there were 9 Purple Sandpipers at the Island for the early evening high tide.

The Yellow-browed and Pallas's Warblers are still performing in Trewyn Gardens today.  James has delivered on the Swift front - unfortunately they are Common Swifts but they are the first 2 of the year for the St Ives 20K area. Swallow, 2 Whitethroats and a Rook also around.  

The Yellow-browed and Pallas' Warblers still present in Trewyn Gardens.  A Grasshopper Warbler heard reeling at around 9am near the "sparrow bush" on the Island.  The "sparrow bush" is the large bush in the scrub on the left hand side of the path as you walk up towards the NCI lookout.  It's the bush that very often has sparrows in it.  We're nothing if not inventive ...

Today was a day! The 2 Yellow-browed Warblers actually turned into a YBW and a Pallas's Warbler.  Both in Trewyn Gardens and both vocal and active.  On top of that 2 Little Terns performed well in front of Porthmeor Beach between Man Head and the Island.  We get a few Little Terns in autumn but they are rare in Spring - so to have 2 together is excellent.

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.

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

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 ... 

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...

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 ... 

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. 

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!!

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 .... 

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 ....   

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.