Our plan this morning was to start at Trevose Head but as we drove towards the coast it looked so misty and horrible that we changed plan and headed for Walmsley Sanctuary instead as it was going to be high tide at 9am and at least it was dry ! It turned out to be a really brilliant visit with probably the best variety of birds I have seen there this year. It all started with a Bittern I picked up flying across the reedbed in the corner of the reserve ( definitely a Eurasian I'm afraid!) , luckily Pete got on it just before it went out of sight as we didn't see this elusive Heron again... The next bizarre record was a very late Wood Sandpiper. We picked up 3 Snipe flying towards us with a smaller wader tagging along which was obviously a Sandpiper in shape and flight style , as it banked and turned side on I realised I couldn't see a white rump or any contrast at the rear end of the bird and when it got closer still I saw that the rump was barred , now being October alarm bells were going off in my head when thankfully it called and I realised we where looking at a very late Wood Sandpiper! The first one we have seen on Chough Junior ( and quite possibly the only one we will see in October) . As we walked back to the car we noticed a few Mistle Thrushes sat in the dead tree's at Trewornan Manor so we stopped to admire them for a few minutes when came apparent that small groups of Mistle's where flying from tree to tree , so I started counting 1-2- 10- 15- 18- all the way to 58 Mistle Thrushes! A very welcome and heart warming sight to see so many as I had noticed a decline in recent years ( where had all these birds come from? Perhaps Bodmin Moor...)
Back in the car and after a pasty stop for Pete we made our way to Davidstow Airfield , whilst dodging the film crew currently up there ( and avoiding all the security!) we saw a nice bunch of Golden Plover , some Dunlin and a late Curlew Sandpiper , it was so foggy up there that we could have missed anything, it wouldn't surprise me if more waders are to be found , so long as it stays mild...
Back on the Camel and as we had all day I wanted to check all the sites around the Estuary , even Treraven Meadows! ( a site which is pretty good but I'm not really very keen on. ). Pete was avidly looking through a big flock of Black-headed Gulls for colour rings ( he picked up a bird from the Thames Estuary) whilst I scanned the skies for anything different. Firstly I was enjoying two Peregrines flying over the town and displaying with one another when I started to scan across Egloshayle I picked up an interesting passerine with a bounding flight, I quickly shouted directions to Pete as he needed to get on this bird. Reminding me of a small woodpecker almost , it was showing a rather bullish head, long body and with white flashes in the wings I was sure we where looking at a Hawfinch! Pete soon got on the bird as I actually gave good directions and we enjoyed this stonking finch for a few more seconds before it dropped into Treraven Wood, I was actually a little concerned that I could see a bit of a tail sticking out on the Hawfinch which I wasn't sure was right, but a quick google put my mind at ease and we where both super excited to see another Hawfinch in Cornwall ( almost 7 years to the day since my last one at Trevose Head).
My luck seemed to be in today but little did I know I was about to see another quality bird! Pete had gone to Lidl to do some shopping so I decided to walk along the river through Wadebridge to get Kingfisher and Common Sandpiper for our week off... this proved easy and as I got to the Car Park at Town Quay I saw another color ringed bird, this time a 1st winter Med Gull , without a scope I phoned Pete and he drove across , got on it and read the ring in no time, boom! Pete was then chatting to a mate of his whilst I kept scanning the skies for no particular reason.... I saw a bird circling across from us on the opposite side of the river , I thought surely not ! But I was looking at a Glossy Ibis!! Pete seemed a little stunned as I shouted ' Glossy Ibis' ( I mean we where stood in a car park in Wadebridge!) but he got on it quickly as it continued to circle but slowly lose height we lost it behind some trees as it appeared to head for the Chapel Amble, Walmsley area ( so hopefully it will turn up again). The rest of the Camel was still very good and I was buzzing after the last couple of hours! In amongst a plentiful array of waders and gulls we finally caught up with the Cattle Egrets at Pinkson Creek, seeing 5 of the 8 birds present , feeding in a cattle field behind the creek , all in all an amazing red letter day on the local patch! When I least expected it! Typical birding...
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