April 2026

11th. A pair of greenfinch on The Island in the morning, 3 Sandwich tern in the afternoon. Wheatear on a windswept Rosewall Hill, and a willow warbler singing at Nance Fishing Lakes. At around 09.50h, Liam called to say he has a singing yellow-browed warbler in Trewyn Gardens, about 100m from my house! I managed a few photos.

The Hepworth Sculpture Gardens look beautiful with the Spring blossom.

10th. Some good birds on The Island - a female-type merlin flew past at close range, a swallow and a red-throated diver passed by, 2 rook circled overhead and a greenfinch was on the south side. Still no ring ouzels for me, and I also missed the woodchat near Nanquidno. My camera also fell out of my rucksack and smashed the 100-500mm lens mount.

9th. A red throated diver flew west past The Island. A strong passage of auks and Manx shearwater offshore.

8th. A beautiful , still, warm and sunny day. We went to Gunwalloe where I heard my first reed warbler of the year. An adder approached us closely as we settled for a rest in the grass. A slender groundhopper was also present.

7th. Five wheatear on Rosewall Hill. The dusky warbler showed very well at Boscathnoe Reservoir, and had its bill open much of the time as though it was trying to sing.

An oak eggar caterpillar on Rosewall Hill.

6th. I was surprised to find a grey plover on The Island this morning - first one I've seen there. There were also 19 purple sandpiper still present.

5th. A strong passage of Manx shearwaters from The Island. Back to Chapel Amble with Liam, Billy and Tim in better weather. The killdeer was more distant however. We saw c125 sand martins, a house martin, ruff, greenshank and 2 marsh harriers.

4th. Nanquidno, where the strange chiffchaff that may be an intergrade common/Iberian is singing.

3rd. I went to Chapel Amble to see the KILLDEER, my first new bird for 2026. A few record shots in poor light below. Also present in the area were a green sandpiper, swallows, sand martins and a red kite.

2nd. Whimbrel and a Sandwich tern past the Island. Two chough over town.

1st. I walked from Trevescan past Nanjizel onto Porthgwarra. Swallows are back around the farm at Trevescan. there were 8 wheatear and 7 chough at Porthgwarra. I missed the orcas off the Lizard by going to the far west.