Nanjizal, Cornwall - 16th September 2020

We arrived a little earlier today as we were to drop the nets. KW had kindly charged and set out the audio-lures, so the nets being opened a little later (to avoid negotiating the narrow boardwalks in the dark) wasn't too much of a problem. The site didn't appear very busy with small passerines, but we did see a Barn Owl as we opened up.

The first two birds from the first net were a couple of Pied Flycatchers. Promising to say the least. Seeing birds such as this is the reason why we ring in locations away from our home sites. The chances of any flycatcher is remote indeed.

It was clear that many birds from the previous day were still about including most of the Sedge and Reed Warblers done in the last day. The numbers of retraps compared to new was well up on previous days. New birds were fairly low but in addition to the Piedflys and Blackcaps there were more Chiffs, a couple of Willow Warblers, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Grey Wagtail.

Towards the end of the morning we tried for Siskin and Swallow but to no avail.

It was possible to sex the first year Pied Flycatchers using TFs. Note the female (above) does not have the window panel as seen on the male below.

Spotted Flycatcher, age 3

Grey Wagtail, age 3

Totals: 63 (19)

Grey Wagtail - 1

Wren - 0 (2)

Robin - 3
Dunnock - 1
Grasshopper Warbler - 0 (1)
Sedge Warbler - 0 (2)
Reed warbler - 4 (3)
Garden Warbler - 0 (1)
Blackcap - 35 (7)
Willow Warbler - 2
Chiffchaff - 11 (3)
Goldcrest - 1
Spoted Flycatcher - 1
Pied Flycatcher - 2
Great Tit - 1
Chaffinch - 1

While closing, we had a call about a European Bee-eater over fields, between St Leven church  and Roskestal Farm. We drove straight there from the ringing site and struggled to see or hear the bee-eater for a while, before, out of the blue literally, seeing the Black Kite drift past. This bird can be seen over quite a large area, but until today we had not managed to see it. Then the unmistakable call of Bee-eater was heard, but could not be seen. A little more perseverance and we were rewarded with views directly overhead as the Swallows gave it a hard time. All in all worth having to wait until 2:30pm for lunch.

Later in the afternoon we spent a couple of hours on a walk across the fields and down to the coast at Nanjizal. We noticed an increase in the numbers of Robins around and a couple of Wheatears. Stonechats were very common in the areas of bracken.

The ringing site from our path to the coast

Nanjizal beach, Mill bay and Zawn Peggy

Stonechat in the bracken

One of several Robins in the area

The sea fog had been hanging just off the coast all day and as the sun sank lower in the sky, as the Land's End foghorn continued to sound, it was it was still there. We'll wait to see if it affects us tomorrow.

Fogbank from Faraway Loft.

There were Wheatears on the wall as I returned to Faraway. We'll have to wait to see what's about tomorrow.