A day out in North Cornwall

A lovely sunny day in Cornwall with my aim being to look for Short Eared Owls on the coast before going on to Walmsley reserve later in the day. No luck with the shorties but a pair of obliging Kestrels and some stunning scenery made up for it.

At Walmsley the Marsh Harrier showed really nicely as it quartered the marshes in search of a meal, and later in the day a pair of Barn Owls took their turn to search for prey, I was lucky to have one flying close to me in the late light in a nearby field.

Pink Footed Goose

Pink Footed Geese are fairly scarce down here in Devon and Cornwall , with just a handful turning up each winter, so it was a bit of a surprise when I found this one mixing with the few resident Canada's on a large farm pond at North Petherwin in Cornwall. I took a few record shots and planned to go back in the next day or two with a small hide to get some better photos, but alas he had gone on his way.

Firecrest

I found this little gem feeding around the beachside scrub at Looe in Cornwall, always on the move and never with a clear background.but still quite pleased with the photos and always nice to see.

Booted Eagle in Cornwall.

When a very rare Booted Eagle was reported near Marazion in West Cornwall I had to go and try and see it, having seen only one in the U.K before which was at nearby drift reservior twenty five years ago, but that record was'nt excepted by the powers that be, ( although I believe it is going to be under review now),but this one seems to be genuine though. I first went down on 13th January and after standing in a layby on the busy A30 for a couple of hours, eventually saw it distantly for a couple of minutes!.

Luckily it has stayed around the area, so on 31st January I went back in the hope for a better view, this time from a pavement on another very busy main road where the Eagle put on a good display , one time flying directly over the heads of an admiring crowd of birders.

ce.

Glossy Ibis

15th January 2025. Not the rarity they once were, but still if one is showing well not too far from home, than it would seem rude not to go and take a look. This beauty was on Bude marshes in North Cornwall.

Female Bullfinch

This female Bullfinch was feeding on the Brambles right outside of my hide/shed,almost too close to photograph, still waiting for the male to show up. ( I see them quite often in and around the garden but not yet by the hide, frustratingly when a friend spent an hour there one came and bathed in front of him!)

Slimbridge

November 2024. My annual trip to Slimbridge WWT while Joyce goes out shopping with her sister. It was a sunny but cold day and the recent snow had all but gone. The usual birds were on show, nothing too unusual except for a lone Spoonbill, the Bittern failed to show as usual and I could'nt find the Green Winged Teal, however the light was fantastic and walking through some of the collections of wildfowl I watched as a few wild Mallard and Shelducks flew in and land beside some lovely orange reflections of the nearby Larch trees.So I waited here to try and get some shots as they swam close by.