October 2022

31st. St Ives Island, 08.30-09.30: c25 kittiwakes/min, c150 auks/min, 1 Manx shearwater, 1 Balearic shearwater. Afternoon: female/1st winter black redstart, 2 purple sandpiper, Pomarine skua W. 2+ Atlantic bluefin tuna - apparently they were very active yesterday, then disappeared soon after today. 

29th. Four ring-necked parakeets in Barn Wood, Stoke Park, Bristol. They flew to a cedar tree on the edge of Lockleaze where we had good views.

22nd. Collared pratincole catching wasps at South Lake, Slimbridge.

17th. A snow bunting flew in off the sea to land in the cove under the lookout on The Island.

A male kestrel posed in the sunshine, and 3 rock pipits were present.

A clouded yellow butterfly appeared to be laying eggs.

A group of about 5 Atlantic bluefin tuna has been present for a few days. They caused garfish to leap from the sea, and a grey seal took advantage of the chaos.

View to Godrevy.

St Ives Town.

16th. Kenidjack: Five whooper swans (2 ads) flew over. A pale phase buzzard gave good views, and 2 choughs flew over.

Cot Valley: one firecrest.

15th. I missed the red-eyed vireo at Tregeseal by an hour, and have yet to catch up with yellow-browed warblers anywhere, despite there being several around.

14th. Pied flycatcher at Pendeen Church. Lots of lungwort on the trees.

13th. Two choughs on the Island in the morning, and 5 Atlantic bluefin tuna turned up in the afternoon. There were some seen off Pendeen yesterday. Pendeen in the late afternoon: the juvenile woodchat shrike was approachable and caught a shieldbug. Two choughs here too.

11th. The Island: Balearic shearwater, 5 common scoter, 20-100 auks flying west/minute.

9th. Cycling around the Hayle Estuary. There were at last 10 bar-tailed godwits present. I also saw a kingfisher, and there was a wheatear near Carnsew Pool.

The main birds of interest were two juvenile lesser yellowlegs. I never saw these together, although each gave great views in Copperhouse Creek.

7th. Arrived in St Ives for Hetty's exhibition at the Salthouse Gallery, where I also showed some photos.

Early in the month I saw 19 cranes, 3 spotted redshank and 4 curlew sandpipers at Slimbridge.