1st November 2019
In the last two weeks I’ve been lucky enough to find 2 Red-throated Pipit, including this individual this afternoon at the golf course.
This morning, in the fog and drizzle, there were 2 Swallow flying around the house. Only a stones throw away, a Ring Ouzel was next to the tennis courts and over 100 Redwing were on the football field, Garrison. I walked Little Porth/Porthcressa and counted 10+Black Redstart and 2 Pied wagtail. I also had a chat to Viv Stratton who told me that he saw the Little Bunting at Porth Mellon earlier on that he found yesterday. However, ten minutes later when I was there, there was no sign of the bunting but it was seen by others later in the day.
Shortly after 11.30, Jo and I went to feed Graham Gordon and the other three at Porthloo Duckpond and then made our ways to the golf course. While taking pics of a Wheatear and Lapwing, I heard a Red-throated Pipit from behind me and just caught it land in the grass next to the bowling green. I immediately located the pipit feeding with a single Meadow Pipit and both birds showed well. I put the news out and continued to cover the rest of the golf course and all I got were 100+Fieldfare and Redwing. Birders were on the pipit when I returned and there were now 2 Wheatear.
The Red-throated Pipit feeding in the wet grass at the south end of the golf course
2 Wheatear were also on the golf course
With this single Lapwing.
Getting wet from the rain, we went home for dinner and an hour later we were back out on the road at the stables. sheltering in me wagon, I scanned the 70+Fieldfare and 120+Redwing and picked out a Icelandic Redwing with them. There were only 2 Black Redstart and while I was still goin through the thrushes, 2 Sparrowhawk spooked everything up including the Mistle Thrush. Then I heard three times a Tree or Olive-backed Pipit nearby and went searching in the area where I thought it might be. After kicking a lot of fields all I got were 2 Siskin and a single Swallow.
The rain was turning heavy and at Newford Duckpond there were 4 Siskin and the Yellow-browed Warbler was vocal and up road we had another Yellow-browed Warbler at Content where there was also 2 Woodcock and a single Black Redstart. It was now getting late and making our ways home, most of the fields were loaded with winter thrushes. Checking out the Black Redstart on the beaches at Porthloo there were 11+ with 4 next door at Sharks Pit. The forecast from this evening into Sunday, is looking bloody windy from the WSW and looking good for more yanks to turn up!
Comparison of this Icelandic Redwing, back bird, with a Scandinavian Redwing at the stables
Pied Wagtail
Wood Pigeon
There were only 2 Black Redstart also at the stables
Altogether we saw up to 30 Black Redstart including two cracking males
For 30 minutes, Jo and I did some Ivy bashing around the digs and from the french windows we got 12 Whitespeck, 2 Angleshade, 3 Dusty Dot Pearl and single Silver Y, Twenty Plume Moth, and above, Marbled Carpet and new for us, Cyprus Carpet.
Also yesterday, the Whooper Swan reappeared and we caught up with it over Porth Hellick
There were up to 60+Chaffinch on Porth Hellick Beach with other large flocks at Carn Vean and Dump Clump.
jkl
SCILLYSPIDER 2 