Thursday 19 March 2015

Back in Cornwall - part 1

Thanks to Lisa, I once again had the chance of a stay in Mousehole, SW Cornwall, this March. Had a couple of great birding days out with Jayne, and also some nice walks locally. There are, of course, a ridiculous number of photos but I'll try to break them down a bit. First of all, the local things.

As with March last year, there were not nearly so many seabirds around the Mousehole area as there were in February. I saw no auks or divers at all this time, nor any Kittiwakes. Even all the Shags I saw were young birds, presumably the adults are back at their colonies.

This one was just offshore at Mousehole. Also a couple in Newlyn Harbour.

Grey Seals were often offshore. I watched this one for ages as it loafed and dived in the lea of the lido.

 The afore-mentioned lido.


And while we're doing scenery, two views of Mousehole village - from harbour-level, and from way up on a path I found along the top of the village.




Back down to earth. Pied and Grey Wagtails and Rock Pipits found plenty to eat on the strandline.

I've noticed that the Fulmars that I suspect nest just around the corner towards Lamorna only seem to overfly the village on gloomy days. These two were way out over the sea, and sharing the airspace with the odd distant Gannet.


On my last-but-one day I walked west along the South-west Coast Path with my landscape lens, taking these pics among others. It was a sunnyish morning and in sheltered spots there were a few Small Tortoiseshells out and about.




Going the other way, towards Newlyn, where the South-west Coast Path is not a pretty rural pathway but just the pavement by the road into Penzance, I found a few random birds - House Sparrow, Collared Dove and Long-tailed Tit.


Also a few random plants - Gorse flowers, and a hyacinth sprouting in the tiny garden by the old lifeboat station at Penlee Point.

As usual, Newlyn harbour was thronged with super-confiding Turnstones...

... and Great Black-backed Gulls.

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