Cornwall

Last Sunday I started my university studies based at Exeter's Penryn Campus nestled in the shipping town of Falmouth in Cornwall. The first step whilst settling in was to find a good patch to work. Falmouth has a few good sites, College and Argal Lakes, Pendennis Point for seawatching and Carrick Roads is a good spot for wintering grebes, divers, scoters etc. However, one site stood out from all the potential sites, was the Lizard. Only a half an hour drive from campus the most southly tip of Britain has an excellent track record and is fairly easy to cover. I will no doubt bird regularly around the sites in Falmouth because they are so close but for an actual patch, the Lizard is perfect.

Away from deciding on a new patch to work, I got out to a few sites to see what Cornish birding had to offer. The highlight of a short seawatch from Pendennis Point on the 12th were 2+ Balearic Shearwaters. Later that same day I went to Perranuthnoe to see the long-staying HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL, which showed very well throughout the visit.

Brown rump just visible

HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL

I had my first visit on to the new patch on the 13th and it was amazing. A brief hour seawatch from Lizard Point resulted in 7 Balearic Shearwaters, 4 Manxies, 2 Guillemots and good views of a superb Cory's Shearwater that lingered offshore for two minutes before carrying on west! Migrants on the land included 2 Whinchats and a *Turtle Dove*, my first in Britain!

On the morning of the 14th a twich to Argal Reservoir was rewarded with fantastic views of a juvenile Whiskered Tern. Often very mobile, travelling between College and Argal Lake, still some great views were had.

Whiskered Tern

Another visit to the Lizard on the 15th was a bit quieter, with 6 Wheatears, a Whinchat, 10 Chiffchaffs, and 15 Stonechats, plus great views of a Balearic Shearwater past the point.