December 2025

8th. At least 11 great northern and 2 red-throated divers from the Island.

7th. I caught up with the adult ring-billed gull, back on the Hayle Estuary and viewed from Lelant Station.

6th. There have been 10-15 common dolphins in the bay over the past 2 days. A red-throated diver was close inshore from the NCI lookout today.

At Lelant Saltings I saw an out-of-place kittiwake, 4 adult yellow-legged gulls, and a roving flock of birds included long-tailed tits, blue tit, 2+ goldcrest an at least one firecrest.

4th. 5+ common dolphins in St Ives bay including a small calf that leaps out of the water. One great northern and one smaller diver in flight. The blue colour ringed herring gulls W916 (3rd) and W917 (today) are still in the harbour.

3rd. ca. 15 common dolphin and 3 porpoise close in from The Island. Female-type black redstart, 2 stonechat and 2 chiffchaff here too. At Lelant Saltings I saw a great egret, dark-bellied brent goose, 15 goosander, a juvenile garganey, pintail, gadwall, 16 grey plover, 100+ dunlin and a peregrine. My new Swarovski BTX binoscope was great, though the instructions for attaching it to the balance plate were dreadful and it fell off at home, shattering the forehead rest!