October 2022

31st. St Ives Island, 08.30-09.30: c25 kittiwakes/min, c150 auks/min, 1 Manx shearwater, 1 Balearic shearwater. Afternoon: female/1st winter black redstart, 2 purple sandpiper, Pomarine skua W. 2+ Atlantic bluefin tuna - apparently they were very active yesterday, then disappeared soon after today. 

29th. Four ring-necked parakeets in Barn Wood, Stoke Park, Bristol. They flew to a cedar tree on the edge of Lockleaze where we had good views.

22nd. Collared pratincole catching wasps at South Lake, Slimbridge.

Collared pratincole

Collared pratincole

Collared pratincole

Collared pratincole

17th. A snow bunting flew in off the sea to land in the cove under the lookout on The Island.

Snow bunting

A male kestrel posed in the sunshine, and 3 rock pipits were present.

Kestrel

Kestrel

Kestrel

Rock pipit

A clouded yellow butterfly appeared to be laying eggs.

Clouded yellow

A group of about 5 Atlantic bluefin tuna has been present for a few days. They caused garfish to leap from the sea, and a grey seal took advantage of the chaos.

Atlantic bluefin tuna

Garfish

Atlantic bluefin tuna and garfish

Grey seal eating garfish

View to Godrevy.

Godrevy

St Ives Town.

St Ives

16th. Kenidjack: Five whooper swans (2 ads) flew over. A pale phase buzzard gave good views, and 2 choughs flew over.

Kenidjack

Cape Cornwall

Buzzard

Cot Valley: one firecrest.

Cot Valley

15th. I missed the red-eyed vireo at Tregeseal by an hour, and have yet to catch up with yellow-browed warblers anywhere, despite there being several around.

14th. Pied flycatcher at Pendeen Church. Lots of lungwort on the trees.

Lungwort, Pendeen

13th. Two choughs on the Island in the morning, and 5 Atlantic bluefin tuna turned up in the afternoon. There were some seen off Pendeen yesterday. Pendeen in the late afternoon: the juvenile woodchat shrike was approachable and caught a shieldbug. Two choughs here too.

Woodchat shrike

juvenile

11th. The Island: Balearic shearwater, 5 common scoter, 20-100 auks flying west/minute.

9th. Cycling around the Hayle Estuary. There were at last 10 bar-tailed godwits present. I also saw a kingfisher, and there was a wheatear near Carnsew Pool.

Bar-tailed godwit

The main birds of interest were two juvenile lesser yellowlegs. I never saw these together, although each gave great views in Copperhouse Creek.

Lesser yellowlegs

Lesser yellowlegs

Lesser yellowlegs

Lesser yellowlegs

7th. Arrived in St Ives for Hetty's exhibition at the Salthouse Gallery, where I also showed some photos.

Early in the month I saw 19 cranes, 3 spotted redshank and 4 curlew sandpipers at Slimbridge.

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