BBB; Browed, Breasted & Barred. 12th October 2019

I knew that I should have been more humble when choosing the title of my last blog. Assuming birding was easy was a big mistake! After "cleaning up" with three super birds and year list additions on Thursday, Friday was almost a complete washout with continuous rain making walking the Cornish valleys extremely uncomfortable and most birds were hiding away in the cover. The only birds of note that we saw that day was the Red-breasted Flycatcher again in Nanquidno and a couple of Blackcaps in Kenidjack. We spent a large portion of the day drinking coffee in various cafes and tea rooms. At least I'd be wired ready for Saturday morning!

Red-breasted Flycatcher

It was still raining on Saturday first thing but at least it had eased to a steady drizzle. All of our birding holidays have been blighted by wet weather this year. We elected to "work" Nanquidno once again since we're staying just a few miles away and we were parked up next to the only other car before it was properly light. We found ourselves drawn to the Red-breasted Flycatcher again, just to check if it was still present, and spotted it flitting around in a Horse Chestnut tree right next to the road. A fellow birder joined us and I was happy to share the Flycatcher with him but Josh, well met, is a fine birder and would have found the bird by himself anyway. He in turn told us that he'd located a Yellow-browed Warbler higher up the valley which we were eager to see for ourselves. Yellow-browed Warblers have always been a big favourite of ours ever since we saw our first in the Cot Valley years ago. Although this time it wouldn't be a year tick since we'd already seen one in the Cotswolds (see YBW) in January.

We found the spot described by Josh and waited while straining our ears for the distinctive "tsweeeet" call of the Yellow-browed. We were stood by a clump of Willows that bordered a gurgling stream, the noise of which wasn't helping much. Viewing was tricky since we couldn't see past the first line of trees but over the next few minutes many common species of birds had either flown in, flown out or showed briefly at the edge of the trees. We heard the Yellow-browed calling but couldn't see it and were duped in turn by a Goldcrest and then a Chiffchaff that emerged from the foliage. Mrs Caley heard the YBW calling again and this time it was close. We knew it was in a Willow right above us but frustratingly still couldn't see it so we backed away up hill so that we'd get a better overview although we'd be further away. Then the small warbler broke cover by flying out of the Willows and into one of those "Laurel" type shrubs, I really must find out what they are, and showed beautifully for a whole thirty seconds or so.

Yellow-browed Warbler

The YBW then flew into a large Conifer tree at the top of the hill where we could still follow it but the overcast conditions and darkness within the overhanging needle laden branches made further photography futile. After another minute the Yellow-browed flew out and down the adjacent hillside and was lost to view.

We returned to the Red-breasted Flycatcher where a couple of expectant birders were watching but they hadn't seen the bird in nearly an hour. Cue Old Caley to instantly spot it then and show them the bird. On three successive days now I've latched onto the RB Fly within minutes on four separate occasions but then I always tell people that I have terrific peripheral vision despite being mostly blind and needing to wear specs! The Flycatcher was still hunting around the same trees but was mainly keeping to the outer branches making it easier to watch and photograph even in the low light levels, I even secured a ropey flight shot that showed the tail spread. But we were on a mission so didn't linger.....

While at the top of the hill watching the YBW, I actually managed to get some mobile reception, not always available in the valleys, and saw that a Barred Warbler had been found on the Lizard peninsular. Barred Warbler would be a year tick so it was a no-brainer to get down and see it for ourselves. I'm only vaguely familiar with the area so deciphered the location details as best as I could.

The bird had been found in a part of the Caerthillian Valley but very helpfully the finder had added "in scrub by the Pump House". The valley leads into Caerthillian Cove which was where the Brown Booby that we twitched on a brilliant day in September was seen. I parked in Lizard village and consulted the map and found the valley and the most likely access road and paths. Halfway along Pentreath Road I saw the small Pump House building but couldn't see any way down to it! There must be direct vehicular access for maintenance so obviously there was another more accessible path straight to it but rather than double back we carried on towards the cove thinking that we could pick up the coast path, follow that and come across the correct path that way. A little further on I spotted a group of around ten birders stood overlooking a small scrub lined valley that led down from the Pump House to the sea. It took us another twenty minutes or so to reach the site and then we managed to go the wrong way, ignoring the obvious path where only one birder stood, and had to navigate through high and very wet tussocky grass and scale a broken gate to reach the other birders. We joined them and I asked if anybody had seen the bird, the local eminent birder John Chapple replying" not for the last hour and a half". The area being scrutinised was a line of Sallows that grew in a deep ditch. I lifted my binoculars and announced "it's there at the left end!". It had taken me seconds to find the bird and continued my run of almost instantly connecting with birds after quickly finding the Red-eyed Vireo and Red-breasted Flycatchers on Thursday.

Everybody rushed to where I was stood in order to see the Barred Warbler, #273 for the year, but the bird quickly left the sallows and hopped into surrounding bramble bushes. I managed a quick burst of shots, none of which managed to capture the birds head! Mrs Caley had missed it so was delighted when the bird broke cover and flew further down the valley giving her some flight views at least and me the chance to get more ropey flight shots!

Barred Warbler

The Barred Warbler now had to be found again, it had landed in bramble bushes by the coast path but wasn't showing. They are renowned skulking birds often hiding away for hours before emerging briefly. We only had two on our lists before, the first in Aberdeen years ago and a wonderfully confiding adult at Titchfield Haven in December 2017 (see Barred Warbler). This was a typical juvenile, being a very pale beige and grey bird, and was more than a little reminiscent of a Wryneck when in flight and in size. A fellow birder had the foresight to walk around to the other side of the valley, there was a bridged path across the ditch next to a pond, and spotted the bird on the outer edge of a bramble patch. Initially I couldn't get on the bird so climbed the gate again and used that for added elevation. The Barred Warbler moved slightly and was now in full view although a fair way off but I rattled off some frames. Annoyingly my lens had fogged up slightly again, I must get that fixed when home, and I was finding it tricky to locate the bird through the viewfinder. Thankfully Mrs Caley had got decent views of the bird this time.

The Warbler then flew back into the sallows and became very elusive so all of the other birders, having seen enough, wandered off leaving just myself and Mrs Caley to it. I'm never satisfied and almost always overdo it and spend too much time with individual birds but it's not every day that I get to see a Barred Warbler! We had fine, if sporadic, views over the next hour or so but it was difficult to pin the Warbler down for a decent image so I had to be happy with what I had.

We left for some lunch and to catch up on the bird news by finding a cafe with wifi. There was nothing new or interesting enough to chase so on our way back towards the Penwith Peninsular we dropped into Helston Boating Pond to see a male Ferruginous Duck. The pond was the site where we saw a Ring-billed Gull once. The "Fudge" Duck, as they are affectionately known, isn't a completely wild bird so can't be listed, since it had been released at the pond, even though it is now living wild and free. By the time we reached the pond it was raining quite heavily again but thankfully it took only a few moments to find the duck. Annoyingly, although you couldn't blame it for doing so considering the weather, it was asleep with it's head tucked away!

Ferruginous Duck

The Boating Pond held plenty of other Ducks and Gulls but in the teeming rain we couldn't be bothered to tarry and hurried away although I spared a moment to snap a fine looking Coot!

Coot

We were now at a bit of a loose end, it was only mid-afternoon but the weather was against us doing any intrepid walking down valleys or over cliffs. Fortunately a signpost for Hayle presented itself and we thought the hide at Ryan's Field would make a useful place to idle away an hour or so. Even better we could sit and eat one of Cornwalls famous pasties while we watched birds!

Armed with our delicacies from the local Philps, some people rave about them, others don't, but right there and then they were delicious, we took our seats in the rudimentary and empty shelter that counts as a hide. Ryan's Field forms part of the RSPB's reserve at Hayle and acts as a refuge for many birds particularly when the main estuary is flooded by the incoming tide. We had luckily timed our visit well and there were plenty of wading birds to search through. I usually fit in a trip here to see Bar-tailed Godwits and they were present in decent numbers. Around twenty or so fed reasonably close to the hide and as we scoffed away on our own afternoon tea, the Godwits found and devoured their own, less appealing looking snacks.

Bar-tailed Godwit

There was a lone Black-tailed Godwit as well but it was too far away for a photo. At the Hayle, Barwits seem to be more common than Blackwits unlike at most places nearer home. Most numerous were the Redshanks and they were also the most animated, continually running from one place to another and calling incessantly. I noticed a Spotted Redshank feeding amongst its commoner cousins. 

Spotted Redshank & Common Redshank

A Kingfisher sat sentry on a bush at the edge of the scrape and Curlews flew in from the main estuary calling to others of their kind to announce their arrival. Good numbers of Curlews winter at the Hayle and there were more than fifty on the marshy area to the right of the hide. In with the Black-headed Gulls were two adult Mediterranean Gulls which have become much more common in these parts in recent years. A beautiful Greenshank suddenly materialised just in front of the shelter and promptly went to sleep although it did have a good look at a passing Buzzard first. 

Greenshank

In the hour we stayed there was no sign of the hoped for Osprey, that had been present for the last few weeks, anywhere around the estuary, I checked Copperhouse Creek too where we did see a small group of four Pink-footed Geese in the much larger congregation of Canada geese. We finished our day by driving down Cot Valley to the small cove, Porth Nanven, where you sometimes get a Black Redstart or Wheatear feeding amongst the rocks. None there this time but there was a couple of Mediterranean Gulls just offshore although I doubt they were enjoying the constant harassment they were getting from the local Herring Gulls.

Mediterranean Gull & Herring Gull

A common sight in the Cornish coves, a Seal (Atlantic Grey?) stared forlornly, or maybe optimistically, at me from the sea. I always wonder about what Seals are thinking about when they pop their heads up and look straight at us stood on the land. Maybe they've had enough of fish and can smell the pasties. Or maybe they're saying "so you've managed to destroy our habitat, how about we come up there and wreck yours!". Of course they wouldn't need to since we've made a pretty good job at doing that ourselves.

"You B******'s!"

On that happy thought we called it a day, it had been a pretty decent one at that!