November 2022

20th. Meare Heath - drake American wigeon showing quite nicely.

Chew Valley Lake: from Herriot's Bridge - redhead smew, female red-crested pochard, 5 Bewick's swans (1 juvenile).

19th Red fox in the garden next door this afternoon.

13th: St Ives Island: (09:00-10:30) 34 common scoter, 1 wigeon, 2 great northern diver, 1 probable black-throated diver, 1 sooty shearwater, 2 Manx shearwater, 1 Arctic skua, 2 purple sandpiper, 1 black redstart. 

12th: St Ives Island 08.30-10.00h: 3 great northern diver, 1 sooty shearwater, 6 purple sandpiper, 2 Arctic tern, 1 black redstart. Lots of gannets plunging offshore.

Kittiwakes

Mediterranean gull

Harbour porpoise

11th: St Ives Island, 14.30-16.30: 4 great northern diver, 1 red-throated diver, 2 Leach’s petrel, 1 Manx shearwater, 2 Arctic skua, thousands of gulls feeding on small fish at dusk including 2000+ kittiwake, ca. 5 common dolphin, 2 harbour porpoise, 2 Atlantic bluefin tuna.

A splendid week of seawatching usually in the mornings. I also saw a harbour porpoise and a dolphin (bottlenose?) in the Bay.

5th. St Ives: 2 pale-bellied brent geese flew over town heading W. Three female/first winter black redstarts – Island, behind Fore St and Barnoon Cemetery.  Wheatear seen by John and Michelle in Cemetery could not be relocated.

4th. A strong NW wind overnight brought the promise of seabirds in the bay, and it didn't disappoint. St Ives Island (07.15-09.30): 5 common scoter, 1 pale-breasted brent goose, 4 great northern diver, 30+ Leach’s petrel, 2 fulmar, 3 Manx shearwater, 2 Arctic skua (one attacking a Leach’s petrel), 1 Pomarine skua, 3 Mediterranean gulls, 2 grey phalarope, 1 black redstart, ca. 80 redwing. Female black redstarts at Barnoon Hill (2), Kenidjack and Tregeseal. Small starling murmuration at Marazion Marsh.

Kestrel male.

Leach's petrel

Pomarine skua

Marazion Marsh

3rd. St Ives Island 07.40-10.00h. 7 common scoter, 1 great northern diver, 1 fulmar; 15 Manx shearwater, 1 sooty shearwater; 1 Great shearwater (07.55h - my first from St Ives and >30 seen from Pendeen same day)), 3 Arctic skua, 2 Arctic tern, 1 Sandwich tern, 1 black redstart (female/1st winter). Also black redstart (female/1st winter) still bottom of Barnoon Hill.

2nd. St Ives Island (0815-1030): 13 common scoter, 2 great northern divers, 1 red-throated diver, 1 Manx shearwater, 1 Arctic skua, 2 black redstarts (ad male and female/first winter). The male landed very close to me, and was not as flighty and shy as most individuals of this species.

Surfing conditions were great.

1st. St Ives Island, (08.30-09.30): Approx 25 gannets/ minute, ca. 50 auks/ minute; 1 great northern diver, 8 common scoter, 5 Mediterranean gull, 3 Manx shearwater. Also, female/ first winter black redstart bottom of Barnoon Hill and on the wall of our pathway, and hummingbird hawk-moth in town. 13.30-16.00, the Island:  16 common scoter, 3 great northern diver, 2 red-throated diver, 1 fulmar, c30 Manx shearwater, 8 Arctic skua, 1 great skua, 1 juv Sabine’s gull at 13.40, 1 Arctic tern, 6 grey phalarope.