Rock Pools & Rock Thrushes

Thursday 12th dawned and found myself and mrs Badger plus the mutt excitedly on our way down to Kernow to spend a week with my auntie, uncle and mrs Badgers parents.

All was well as we circumnavigated the various roads and juggernauts and partaking in what has now become the tradition of The Sedgemoor services with all of its pastoral delights (see below).   

Wholemeal vegetarian? Oh yes please sir!!

Cornwall in October can also be rather good for the old bird spotting game and I was very much looking forward to visiting those enchanted little valleys at the very end of Britain in search of 

kinetic dancing sprites and feathered waifs. 

I would also plan a few trips to the Hayle Estuary near St Ives to optically needle my way through 

the throngs of wildfowl, waders and long-legged beasties that inhabit, albeit temporarily, these tidal mudflats at this time of year.

I would also hope to rekindle my love of surfing and get back on the board after all of these years 

and catch a few waves. 

Well this was my plan... 

Cornish mizzle at Hayle. 

Celtic Connections.

A weekend of rest and relaxation spent within the family bosom would include time together and 

enjoying the spectacle of Floki's (the newest addition to the gang) first time on the beach.

I had visions of a joyous mutt running in slow motion along the shoreline, the Black Beauty theme

tune playing in my head as I looked on all misty eyed with quivering lip and bursting pride...

This all came crashing down around me when news of a Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush in Wales found me, and I had to explain to the mutt why the greatest event in dog and mans history had to end,

to be fair, man's best friend took it better than man's wife.

A30...  M5...  M49...  M4...  Sat Nav.

So having recently made most of this journey from Abingdon to Cornwall a day or two previously,

Saturdays 5am alarm duly bellowed like the evil timekeeping nazi it is, and under the cover of darkness I slipped out of the driveway like a thief in the night, the journey to the Brecon Beacons had commenced...

The nearly Severn (pound) crossing.

My journey took me up increasingly narrowing and winding roads through grey and damp scenery

before a congratulatory "you have arrived at your destination" recorded voice snapped me from my cosy and drifting solitude.

I had arranged to meet Elimenterry and the Mauve Hawk on site and eventually I found them on a hillside gazing longingly in to an empty quarry. 

Mauve Hawk all chillaxed and sh*t whilst captain foreground hits the crack pipe. 

I had surmised that the bird hadn't shown itself for some time due to the general milling around, any sort of milling, not only general, is never a good sign at a twitch, but people running, well that's usually a very good sign and true to form resulted in a scopeful of Rock Thrush.

(Thanks to Terry & Andy for the photos).   

Rock Thrush (big) BOOM.

Rock Thrush (small) BOOM.

Rock Thrush (on twig) BOOM.

Rock Thrush on a Rock hahahahahaha K-K-BOOM!!!

wObBLy bit of video of the star bird please view at 1080p HD ish.

This was the first time I had seen this attractive Thrush in the U.K and only the second time I had ever seen one, the first was a female on Lesvos in 2016. Rufous-tailed Rock Trush (to give it its full name) are usually seen... this is where I would normally copy info verbatim from a handy guidebook or website, it would imply a near encyclopedic knowledge of European birds and I'd sound like a top bird spotter, but we're all adults here so over to you Mr Collins.

Whilst watching the bird, familiar voices started to filter through, familiar voices from Oxfordshire.

It seems that the slim ornithological pickings currently available in our county had driven a small band of desperado's to leave in search of birds, any birds. 

Oz and Steve.

Living in a county so far from the coast means Oxfordshire doesn't get many rares, and geographical limitations combined with a seeming inability to manage water levels on a few of our key nature reserves within the county, sees birders running to the hills. 

From left to right: Stuart Thomson, Terry Sherlock, Jon Uren, Andy Last, Steve Roby, Steve Heath, and me.
As seen in this picture, Steve still has his electronic tags on but was willing to risk going 'back inside' for the

             chance to look at a bird.

So after saying my goodbyes to my birding chums, eleven a.m saw me retrace my journey, and three and a half hours later I was back in Cornwall in time for tea and medals.

Cornwall was on the whole pretty quiet for the remainder of the week with the much anticipated tail end of hurricane Ophelia bringing 80mph winds to the south west but little else.
It was even a little too wild to get the wet suit on and hit the surf at Newquay. 

The Coastguards Cottages at Porthgwarra

This Short-toed Lark near Sennen was nice to see (photo taken by Darren Underhill)

I was delighted to meet up with Mr & Mrs Old Caley a.k.a Nick and Anne Truby one morning at Kenidjack to explore this delightful little valley on the edge of St Just.

Hawfinch courtesy of Nick Truby

It wasn't long until we managed a view of one of the three Hawfinch that had set up residence and were part of a larger influx from the continent.

Read more about Nick & Annes Cornish trip in due course on the fantastic Old Caley's Diary

The man the legend Old Caley in his favoured habitat.

Although the species number was fairly low October 2017 will be very fondly remembered for the
many Firecrests present they were seemingly everywhere.

Firecrest above and below courtesy of Nick Truby

Evocative calls from iconic birds...Cornish Choughs courtesy of Old Caley. 

This Spoonbill was at the Hayle Estuary on the RSPBs Ryan's Field.

So another wonderful trip in October birding the valleys and estuaries and spending time
with family and friends, always different, always wonderful, thank you Cornwall.