It started off with 3 Red Kites along the M4 on the way down on 1st October and there wasn't enough time to do much birding when arrived later that day.
It wasn't ideal seawatching weather on 2nd October, but there was enough of a NW wind to make me think it was worth a shot - after all, it looked like it would be the best chance all week. So I headed up to Pendeen fairly early. I didn't expect a huge amount, but it was even quieter than I thought it should be. Eventually I notched up 28 Balearic Shearwaters, 27 Max Shearwaters and a couple of Sooty Shearwaters. One bird made it worthwhile though, as a fantastic Great Shearwater cruised by giving some pretty decent views. There were also a couple of Great Skuas and a Mediterranean Gull, but very small numbers of other birds (e.g. just a couple of Kittiwakes).
I spent the rest of the day with the Mrs hoping to earn enough brownie points to be able to spend more time birding later in the week.
Next day we walked from our cottage down the Penberth valley. It was pretty quiet, though one bush that was in the sun during one of the short periods it came out had about 5 Chiffchaffs in it, and there was also a Firecrest there. There were at least 30 Meadow Pipits on Treen Cliffs as we headed over to St Levan.
Meadow Pipit, Treen Cliffs, 3rd October
Robin, Treen Cliffs, 3rd October
I couldn't find much at St Levan and with mist preventing nice views along the coastal path we cut across the fields to Porthgwarra where we quickly located the juvenile Rose-coloured Starling in the mist at Rosketal Farm.
Rose-coloured Starling, Rosketal Farm, Porthgwarra, 3rd October
The mist was quite patchy so we carried on up to the moor at Porthgwarra, stopping to watch this Peregrine on the cliffs.
Peregrine, Porthgwarra, 3rd October
We'd heard Choughs on the moor but couldn't see them in the mist but as we passed Faraway Cottage and headed up to Higher Bosistow there was a pair on the wires that stayed put even as we walked beneath them. I think these were the best view of Chough I've ever had!
Choughs, Higher Bosistow, 3rd October
I was keen to photograph them in flight but not wanting to deliberately flush them I had to stick around a while before they eventually decided to fly on their own accord!
Chough, Higher Bosistow, 3rd October
Next day I headed back to Porthgwarra for some early birding and had a quick walk round. A Spotted Flycatcher was the best I could muster up, with Lesser Whitethroat the only other migrant apart from Chiffchaffs.
There were some Golden Plovers in the fields near where we were staying at Tresidder, and a drive round the south coast produced a Guillemot in Mousehole harbour.
It was hard going at Porthgwarra the next morning too, with 2 Wheatears being about the best in the way of passerine migrants. There were at least 40 Golden Plovers, 2 Snipe, Raven and Chough. Apparently there were a few migrants turning up that morning, but they weren't giving themselves up to me!
I heard another Chough at Lands End but the best I could find between there and Sennen was a couple of Chiffchaffs. I love going to Kenidjack Valley - not sure if it's the views or the memories of that Yellow-throated Vireo (probably both) but it's always a pleasure even when I don't see anything, as was the case this time (at least a dozen Chiffchaffs but nothing better).
Kenidjack Valley, 5th October
Kestrel, Kenidjack Valley, 5th October
My wife had been nagging me about visiting St Ives all weeks so on 6th I finally took here there. There were at least 3 Mediterranean Gulls in the bay, and a couple of Kittiwakes. But no, the fact that we were tripping over Turnstones does NOT mean we were birding...
Turnstone, St Ives, 6th October
After we were done there we headed up to St Gothian Sands, a place I always fancy for finding something good like an American duck. No such luck today - a Wheatear was best.
Stonechat, St Gothian Sands, 6th October
Carrion Crow, St Gothian Sands, 6th October
Hayle Estuary was quite disappointing. I couldn't find anything of interest on the main estuary, except for at least 30 Mediterranean Gulls. There were a few waders at Ryan's Field including a Whimbrel, both godwits and 148 Curlew.
Curlew, Hayle, 6th October
Carrion Crow, Hayle, 6th October
I didn't have very long before we needed to leave the cottage on our final morning, so just long enough to have a rapid whizz round Porthgwarra. I glimpsed what I thought was the Wryneck at Faraway Cottage but couldn't get a confirmatory view (but it was seen in exactly that spot a little later on) and I heard a Firecrest. There were 2 Ravens and a Wheatear, and finally as I headed back towards Three Chimneys I flushed a Short-eared Owl.
Grey Wagtail, Trevean Pool, 7th October
Robin, Porthgwarra, 7th October
Short-eared Owl (with Rook), Porthgwarra, 7th October
I had to take the Mrs to Padstow on the way home so stopped at Davidstow Airfield. I always hope to find some American waders feeding in the puddles here, but I couldn't even find any Palaearctic waders. Probably didn't help that there were two horses in the puddles...
the wader pools at Davidstow Airfield, 7th October
Saw a Kingfisher in Padstow and then 6 Red Kites on the way home the next day.
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