September 2020

29th. We completed the Land’s End Way done, made into a circuit by including St Michael’s Way between Marazion and St Ives. Today was Trencrom to Marazion, via Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens. Peregrine and crossbill (heard) on route.

27th. Lamorna Cove to Marazion via Newlyn and Mousehole.

Some nice birds at Marazion, including 5 white wagtails, 3 sanderling, about 8 bar-tailed godwits, and 8 pale-bellied brent geese.

26th. Porthcurno to Lamorna Cove via Penberth Cove. The first common lizard on the coast path.

21st. Cot Valley to Sennen Cove. Another 3 chough.

20th. Morvah to Cot Valley via Pendeen Watch and Cape Cornwall. A great walk through the mining landscape. Ringtail hen harrier near Pendeen watch, 3 chough at Botallack. I photographed a flock of 17 golden plover at Pendeen Watch- apparently someone saw an American golden plover in presumably the same flock of 19 birds here, though I can't see one on my photo!

19th. We caught up on bits of the coast path that we had missed segments of, or previously done individually. First we walked from Nanjizel towards Porthgwarra, then back to Nanjizel and on to Sennen Cove via Land's End. We saw a peregrine, 2 chough towards Porthgwarra and 3 at Land's End, and watched 2 hobbies flying close by. A hobby flew over the Gordano valley on the trip down.

On 14th we walked the coast path from Gurnard's Head to Morvah, and saw 8 chough at Porthmeor Cove.

13th - Cornwall again given the good weather forecast. We went to see the very approachable juvenile Baird's sandpiper on the Hayle Estuary.

12th. Chew Valley Lake. 16 cattle egrets, a hobby, spotted redshank, kingfisher and an adult yellow-legged gull.

We stayed in St Ives for a few days, though the crowds were difficult to cope with after the tranquility of Scilly. We went to see the juvenile semipalmated sandpiper on the Hayle Estuary on 4th. It was approachable, though stayed asleep for most of the time, roosting with some dunlin.

1st. Back to the mainland on the Scillonian. A calm crossing. Two Arctic skuas over the boat, and several common dolphins jumping. In the morning I caught up with the juvenile spotted sandpiper at Porth Hellick, and there was a dark phase Arctic skua swimming in Hughtown harbour.

A lasting memory - just as many passengers on the inter-island boats, though (almost) everyone wearing face-masks.