Nothing to do with Shustoke

Got back early from Cornwall after two tremendous days birding. Started off yesterday with a Long-billed Dowitcher at Stithians Reservoir, Cornwall, from there we went to Drift and saw Lesser Yellowlegs. We then connected with two Black Kite near Lands End.

Sea watching at Pendeen then netted, 400 Manx Shearwater, 20 Balearic Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, 40 Bonxies, 30 Arctic Skua, 2 Black Tern, 1 Fulmar and around a dozen Grey Phalarope. We had a bit of a problem find B&B but eventually stayed the night in Penzance.

We got to Pendeen again at around 9am and it was heaving with both birds and birders. During a two hour period we saw 600 Manx Shearwater, 40 Balearic Shearwater, 2 Sooty Shearwater, 1 Leach’s Petrel, 80 Bonxie, 40 Arctic Skua, 3 Long-tailed Skua, 2 Pomarine Skua, 3 Sabine’s Gull, 4 Kittiwake, 20 Arctic Tern, 60 Fulmar and 800 Gannet.

We returned to Drift were we saw the Semipalmated Sandpiper that we missed yesterday. All in all a fantastic weekend.

Semipalmated Sandpiper, Drift Reservoir, Cornwall

Semipalmated Sandpiper, Drift Reservoir, Cornwall