Trip Retrospective

I like to reflect on my trips down to Cornwall, on what I enjoyed and what I didn't. Although this last one was only three days I found it to be very enjoyable. Interestingly, the weather played no small part in this: whilst it was very cold it was wall to wall sunshine the whole time and I spent much of the days outside so was able to enjoy this dose of sun to the fullest. At this time of year sunshine is a precious commodity which we don't see very much of so I'm sure that this contributed in no small way to my enjoyment of my time down in Cornwall. The bright light also helped tremendously with my photographic efforts and I took far more successful photos than usual. By "successful" of course I merely mean that you can actually see what the bird is but I was pleased with my efforts.

As far as the birds were concerned there was nothing out of the ordinary. In terms of scarcities there was just the lesser scaup and the yellow-browed warblers but much of the enjoyment actually came from chasing down county ticks. I managed five of these this time: treecreeper, smew, glaucous gull, black-necked grebe and red-breasted merganser and am now poised just a couple of ticks below my paltry Oxon county total. In terms of what I missed marsh tit and avocet were the main ones and I notice that the day after I left some avocet were seen at St. Clements on the river but that's birding for you.

Highlight of the trip has to be the trio of yellow-browed warblers at Carnon Downs sewage works though I also really enjoyed picking through the chiffies at Helston sewage works and finding the tristis in amongst them. Low points? To be honest there weren't any, it was all too much fun.

Here is some "left-over" video footage of some dunlin at St. Clements. Unfortunately, I didn't check the vignetting before I started shooting which somewhat spoils it but the light was good and the birds were reasonably close.

Anyway, I'm coming back down in a week or so with the family for half-term. I don't know how much birding time I'll have with the rest of them around but I'm sure that I'll manage to squeeze something in.