March 2020

31st. Iceland gull, glaucous gull, 2 Sandwich tern from the window today.

The view from the bedroom was great for birdwatching. Here's the view across to Porthkidney Sands and St Uny's Church.

30th. Great northern diver, 2 common scoter, 5 Sandwich tern, 4+ dolphin sp.from the window.

29th. Black-throated diver, 2 common scoter, 4 Sandwich tern and 2 common dolphin leaping seen from the bedroom window.

28th. 1 red-throated diver, 5 common scoter, 3 Sandwich tern from bedroom window.

22nd. At least 2 black redstarts on the Island, and one on the roof of the Beer and Bird in town. Nothing of note at Cape Cornwall.

21st. Hayle Estuary - the first wheatear of the year. A moulting Slavonian grebe on Carnsew Pool, with 2 red-breasted mergansers. and there was a mixed flock of bar-tailed (16) and black-tailed godwits at Ryan's Field. A strange-looking teal with a weird head pattern also there. We watched the purple sandpipers (8 visible) at high tide next to the Jubilee Pool at Penzance. Two eider in Newlyn Harbour. A wheatear, 10 sand martins and a water pipit were at Marazion Marsh, and another wheatear at Trencrom Hill.

On 20th I travelled with Adrian Woodhall to St Ives for some weekend birding. Adrian left on 22nd, and Hetty and Martha arrived. The country went into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic on 23rd, so we stayed in Cornwall for 3 months! The initial stages of lockdown involved one exercise trip daily, though we were spoilt for choice with walks from St Ives.

15th. The short-eared owl at Aust Warth.

Then rainbow and sunset in the Avon Gorge.

14th - as Britain gets affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, we headed to the Forest of Dean - photographs of coal tit, nuthatch and robin from Speech House, mandarin at Cannop Ponds. No goshawks at New Fancy.

1st - Chew Valley Lake. Marsh harrier and great white egret at Heron's Green. The ringed yellow-legged gull is present, and consorting with a lesser black-backed gull. The bird was first seen at Chew on July 25th 2016, and ringed at Sempech, Switzerland on May 25th 2016 as a chick. 

A barn owl flew around the pond side.