St Gothian Sands near Gwithian, Godrevi Head, Mutton Cove, Bartinney Downs and Castle, Crowns Engine Houses, Botallack Mine and Lanyon Quoit, Cornwall, Britain.

More Choughs and a few sites in West Cornwall.

Trip to Uk, Day Twenty Five.

 

Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax).

We again headed out for the North Coast and started off the day at St Gothian Sands where we parked on the roadside and walked out to a pool which was surrounded by Dunes, we started with nice views of a couple of Ravens (Cuervo / Corvus corax) one of which sat for us but was in some deepish grass, Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii) and Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).

Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax).

Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii).

Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii).

On the pool we soon found several Tufted Ducks (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula), Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Little Grebe (Zampullín Común / Tachybaptus ruficollis), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus), Lesser (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and Great Black-backed Gulls (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus) and out on the more gravel and dune areas Rook (Graja / Corvus frugilegus), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) and Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris).

Roosting Eurasian Oystercatchers (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus).

Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax).

We crossed the Red River and walked out on to the headland firstly along the coastal cliffs where we saw lots of roosting Eurasian Oystercatchers (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus), Shag (Cormorán Mondudo / Phalacrocorax aristotelis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), a high flying Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) and a couple of Atlantic Grey Seals (Halichoerus grypus) out at sea.

Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax).

Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax).

Red-billed Chough (Chova Piquirroja / Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax).

We started cutting across the grassy areas to Mutton Cove, on the way we saw two more Red-billed Chough but they were flushed by a couple of walkers before we got to them, however we were to catch up with them again up on the grass above Mutton Cove where they performed very well for us, it was just a shame the light was so bad.

Atlantic Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus).

Once we had got some shots we looked down onto Mutton Cove where there were a few more Atlantic Grey Seals (Halichoerus grypus) and feeding Ruddy Turnstones (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres).

Godrevi Lighthouse.

We took the coastal route back around the head getting views of the Godrevi Lighthouse and masses of Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus) battling there way South West against the stong wind. As we returned to the car we also had several Gull Species, Rock Pipit (Bisbita Costero / Anthus petrosus), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus) and Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus). 

Crown Engine Houses Botallack Mine.

We reached the car and then Steve took us out to a spot on Bartinney Downs where in the past he had seen Short-eared Owl (Buho Campestre / Asio flammeus) hunting during the day but after a good walk around the site we had to accept that they just were not hungry enough to venture out in the windy conditions. We did see Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica) and Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus) which were new for the day.

Another bit of Botallack Mine at the top of the Cliffs.

Our next stop was at the famous Crown Engine Houses along the coast near Botallack and what a spot it is, so pleased we got to see these bit of Cornish history in such stunning locations.

Remains of an ancient megalithic tomb, Lanyon Quoit.

Remains of an ancient megalithic tomb, Lanyon Quoit.

Remains of an ancient megalithic tomb, Lanyon Quoit.

Our final stop of the day was at another bit of Cornish history but somewhat older, just off the roadside Steve took us to Lanyon Quoit, the remains of an ancient megalithic tomb with yet another Engine house off in the distance but I cannot remember the name of this one but sure Steve will tell me at some point. A brilliant day in even more great locations, Thanks Lynn and Steve.