Tuesday 13 January 2009

Final Cornish post.

We spent some time birding around the town of Penzance which is at the western most tip of England. Here are a couple of photos of St Michael's Mount. Click here for some history of this small island www.stmichaelsmount.co.uk . Although it doesn't look it, there was a stiff south westerly wind coming in off the sea that made sea watching difficult. Also in this photo and the next, you'll see that there were some kite surfers enjoying the wind which might have resulted in the lack of any divers (loons) or grebes in the bay.
I decided to put in this very VERY cropped Northern Gannet as I haven't got many bird photos for this last post. This bird was MILES away. (-:On the land side opposite St Michael's mount is Marazion marsh. This place is great for Bittern in the winter and Aquatic Warbler in August. Unfortunately for us, all we saw here was a Grey Heron and a couple of Mute Swans. It's a lovely area and those reeds have a lovely soft look to them.Our last stop of the day was in the town of Helston. There were supposed to be a couple of Ring-billed Gulls loafing around here, but by the time we got there in late afternoon, they were nowhere in sight. I liked the reflection of these Black-headed Gulls and the Pampas grass on the frozen water.These Moorhens were feeding each other tit bits, strengthening the pair bond I guess. As you can see some of the lake had thawed a bit.I got a photo of this male Tufted duck just as he started to swim away from me.
Thanks go to my two birding friends, Jane and David who came along with me on this day trip down to Cornwall. I wouldn't have made the trip on my own and so wouldn't have had the opportunity to see that amazing Snowy Owl!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jen,
I bet there is a lot of chattering going on in 'them there' reeds in the summer.
The BH Gull shot is marvellous. You could make a big picture of that one.

Anonymous said...

What a fun trip and an interesting set of posts. Thanks for bringing us along.

Eve said...

Oh yeah Jenny these pictures big are stunning! Especially that BH gull shot like Roy mentioned. Wonderful post my girly girlfriend!

Mary said...

That island sounds fascinating and I would love to go up to the castle on top. Gosh...I'd be thrilled with a Grey Heron and a couple Mute Swans! That reflection shot is really perfect with those tall grasses and the gulls! How sweet that the moorhens feed each other! It looks like the whole trip was a wonderful experience and we certainly appreciate you going and taking all the wonderful photos for us to see! I would so love to see that Snowy Owl....or any owl!

Jenny said...

Hi Roy, yes it must be filled with Reed and Sedge Warblers. I've just gone and got a permanent job for 2 days a week so I might print that BHG one off for my office wall! Good thought! (-:

Hi Steve, thanks for coming along on the adventure! (-:

Hi Evie, thanks, I scanned those gulls to try and find the Ring-bills we went there to see, shame they weren't in amongst them.

Hi Mary, is there a local bird group that you know of, that could maybe point you in the right direction for finding local Owls? Just a thought...... Glad you enjoyed my Cornish trip. (-:

Quiet Paths said...

Super, just super shots. The reflections in those two are wonderful. Very much enjoyed these posts, Jenny. Thank you for the excursion to Cornwall! More, please...

Shelley said...

You take me to beautiful places I've never been before w/ your wonderful posts! I especially likes the gulls w/ the reflection against the water.

Quiet Paths said...

Jenny, I've seen photos of Cornwall as the English Riviera with palm trees. Have you seen palms there?

Jenny said...

Hi Christine, glad you enjoyed the trip to Cornwall, more trips on the way hopefully...... er......I THINK I've seen palm trees etc down there, but to be honest I'm usually concentrating on birding when I'm down that way. It is a pretty mild climate down in the South West of England.

Hi Shelley, I'm glad you're enjoying my posts. The feeling is mutual. I soooooo love your photography and the beautiful light you get over there in Michigan.

Celeste said...

Thank you for the memories of Cornwall, my parents live in Newlyn and when I visited them at the beginning of December we went to the same marsh near Marazion - probably saw the same heron as you too :)