Hello
Today we took a journey down to the south west of the country, stopping briefly in Gloucestershire and Devon before arriving in Penzance, Cornwall. A beautiful, sunny day with high temperatures in the afternoon, the mildness overnight and lack of a breeze also causing some lingering morning fog and mist.
The excellent Gloucester Services on the M5 just south of Gloucester do a mean breakfast and also provided avian entertainment in the form of a Grey Wagtail and tame Moorhens on the pool there.
Our next stop was Great Haldon Forest near Exeter where we were greeted by a party of Common Crossbills in the visitor car park. Other finches included plenty of Siskins and a few Redpoll and Nuthatches were vocal as we trekked the Raptor Trail. The only raptor we did see there were Common Buzzards! Feeders by the cafe attract Nuthatch, Jay, Great Spotted Woodpecker etc.
Travelling deep in to Cornwall along the A30, we stopped at the Hayle Estuary, a favoured venue of ours since the eighties. Up to ten Mediterranean Gulls were easy to see among their more common cousins, the best of the waders were Whimbrel and Spotted Redshank and several Blackcaps flitted in the brambles. The beach at Long Rock near Penzance was busy with people and dogs but birds on show included Gannet, Sandwich Tern, Mediterranean Gull, Grey Wagtail and Wheatears.
And so our autumn holiday has begun...
Regards
Neil M
Today we took a journey down to the south west of the country, stopping briefly in Gloucestershire and Devon before arriving in Penzance, Cornwall. A beautiful, sunny day with high temperatures in the afternoon, the mildness overnight and lack of a breeze also causing some lingering morning fog and mist.
The excellent Gloucester Services on the M5 just south of Gloucester do a mean breakfast and also provided avian entertainment in the form of a Grey Wagtail and tame Moorhens on the pool there.
Our next stop was Great Haldon Forest near Exeter where we were greeted by a party of Common Crossbills in the visitor car park. Other finches included plenty of Siskins and a few Redpoll and Nuthatches were vocal as we trekked the Raptor Trail. The only raptor we did see there were Common Buzzards! Feeders by the cafe attract Nuthatch, Jay, Great Spotted Woodpecker etc.
Travelling deep in to Cornwall along the A30, we stopped at the Hayle Estuary, a favoured venue of ours since the eighties. Up to ten Mediterranean Gulls were easy to see among their more common cousins, the best of the waders were Whimbrel and Spotted Redshank and several Blackcaps flitted in the brambles. The beach at Long Rock near Penzance was busy with people and dogs but birds on show included Gannet, Sandwich Tern, Mediterranean Gull, Grey Wagtail and Wheatears.
And so our autumn holiday has begun...
Regards
Neil M
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| Three Mediterranean Gulls with a Black-headed Gull in the foreground. |
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| Adult Mediterranean Gull. |
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| Juvenile Common Crossbill. |
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| Grey Wagtail. |
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