This was to be a big weekend as it is around the start of the Pelagic boat trip season and it was Karen Jayne's (@hobbylovinglife) 60th birthday. We'd booked a few nights in a hotel in Hayle - plans included a couple of sea watches and also a boat from Penzance. Three couples: Karen Jayne (Heath) and her partner in crime Dean (@worlebirder), Kevin (@kev07713) and Karen Heath (@karenheath62), and Charlotte and I met for breakfast near Bridgwater to kick off the trip, then travelled in convoy to Hayle and a toilet break.
In Hayle we had a coffee and made a plan of action for the afternoon, a trip to Pendeen for a spot of sea watching - it was scheduled to rain but we could (apparently) watch from the edge of a car park and be ready to hop back into the cars when the heavens opened. Arriving in Pendeen it couldn't have looked more beautiful - the six of us set up and started scanning the water and taking in the view. The major topic of conversation initially was how to number the rocks in front of us so that when we called passing birds, we would know where to look - this decided we continued, although Kev complained that the numbering wasn’t logical.
We watched as fulmars, gannets, shag, guillemots and Manx shearwaters streamed through. Dean was keeping count of the Manx shearwaters and eventually had almost 1,500. I also picked up a single puffin but it dropped from view into the waves before I could show it to Charlotte - hopefully we would pick one up during the weekend as she has never seen one. Kev took a phone call which informed us that our boat trip the next day (Sunday) had been cancelled due to forecast sea conditions - we were offered two options: our money back, or to transfer to a Pelagic trip on Monday (Karen's birthday). We opted for the trip as Karen was happy to incorporate it into her birthday. This would leave us free on Sunday and so would need to make plans.
The birds were mostly at distance but eventually Dean started to get on a handful of European storm petrels, singles each time - I managed to hop onto his scope and catch one as it dropped onto the sea and was lost to the swell. A life tick - hopefully we'd see more. A helicopter flew over, perhaps trying to escape the clouds heading our way - the skies opened, and we took refuge in the cars. The rain didn't last long, and we were soon back out and enjoying the views - Dean called a Cory's shearwater but I never got on it - damn. The two Karens went off for a walk and while away, the rain returned, and we jumped back into the cars – the Karens arrived but took a good soaking as the rain was now coming down very heavily.
Eventually we decided to pack up and go look for some choughs, just along the coast and where Dean had done some surveying previously. We walked along the coast and along the cliffs, ever hopeful. A peregrine circled above and at times could be seen tearing along the cliff-face looking for a meal. Another wonderful location and walk.
It was proving harder than we'd hoped to connect with chough but we were enjoying our walk and chat. There was a brief shower, but nothing like earlier and not enough to send us back. We turned back for the cars and to return to Hayle and check into our accommodations. As we walked back, two choughs called above us and flew over ... they were passed before I could get a photo. We retired to our accommodation and met for dinner. Kev relayed to everyone that Charlotte had suggested we get up early the following day and enjoy another sea watch at Porthgwarra - we agreed to meet for breakfast at 6.00am.
Our breakfast venue wasn't open when we arrived and so Kev kept us entertained by driving circuits around the car park (and us) - we were feeling rather dizzy watching him. Fuelled, we made for Porthgwarra and took up residence on a ledge elevated above the cove. There was just enough room for us all to be seated in a line with umbrellas at the ready - it was due to rain some more. The Manx shearwaters and gannets were already streaming through. We were watched by 6+ grey seals in the bay.
Out on the water we eventually picked out a handful of European storm petrels before adding great and arctic skuas (lifers for me), both at distance. There were more guillemots, fulmars and kittiwakes through, but I still couldn't pick out a Cory's shearwater – and Kev couldn't connect with the storm petrels. We were joined by a rather friendly robin and had groups of chough call and fly from cliff to cliff. There were a few rain showers but nothing too heavy - we were prepared with waterproofs on from the start.
We had a great morning and enjoyed the range of birds - we were so close to Land's End and so just had to drop in and due to the hour opted to have lunch there. It has been years since Charlotte and I visited as kids, so it was interesting to get back - Cornish pasties all round then.
We were keen to follow up with a Cornish cream tea and travelled a few miles but found our first choice had annoyingly run out of scones ... Karen checked out the interweb and found a recommendation for a café in Hayle. What a result - beautiful home-made scones, lashings of cream and jam, and a terrific hostess.
Once we'd had our fill, we bid our hostess farewell and made our way back to Pendeen to finish our birding day there. Gosh was I lucky - Dean picked up a Cory's shearwater and this time I got on it - another lifer! I also picked up another European storm petrel and we had a great chance to watch it fluttering across behind the rocks. There were fewer Manxies, but we had a nice sea watch – I could get used to this. Kev made friends with a herring gull and eventually emptied the remainder of his open biscuits to feed his companion.
We'd had so much food during the day that none of us felt like a full meal and so ended the day back at the hotel with drinks and some nibbles before retiring for the night.
The next morning at just after 6.00am, Kev and I grabbed a coffee on the way to RSPB Hayle Estuary to meet Karen and Dean, leaving the wives to have a lie in - it was Karen's big birthday and we met to start of the day in style … while we were watching the pools she managed to have a video call with her daughter and grand-daughter in Australia. We walked across the reserve to look across the reserve and picked out whimbrel, Mediterranean gulls, curlew and more. Steve Rogers (Southwest Optics) joined us and we chatted to him about the Pelagic trip we were scheduled to be taking later that afternoon and how lucky we were to be on a boat lead by Martin Elliott - a top birder / gull specialist. Steve made for work while we returned to the hotels and met for a birthday breakfast and family presents.
It was a great way to start the day, and of course more was planned not least a visit to play crazy golf before we headed to Penzance for our boat trip. We split to play, boys versus girls, and we all had a laugh at (and with) each other as we negotiated the course. As a birthday treat, we'd been offered a second round by the owner but there was a desire to get to Penzance and get parked up well ahead of time, to ensure we had no issues.
We had some time to spare and so we stopped for a coffee but soon were checking in to board our boat. Pelagic seabirds are a magnet for keen birders and being from land-locked Oxfordshire these are a type of seabird that would not normally be encountered. On our trip we were to head offshore to the best areas, and we'd then attract several species by chumming. This usually gives a great opportunity for photography. There was to be a residual swell from the previous day's weather, so we had all our fingers crossed for finding our sea legs for the trip. We watched as the Mermaid II boat came in from a previous wildlife cruise and climbed on board, setting off with magnificent views of St Michael's Mount.
It took a little while to start seeing a range of birds, but we were soon on yellow-legged gull (juv), kittiwake, fulmar, and Manx shearwater. The trip out was uneventful but as we stopped and turned off the engine, three people struggled with the motion of the boat as it rocked on the swell. A couple of chaps excused themselves as they were ill while Charlotte went quiet but soldiered through.
We added Balearic shearwaters before our first European storm petrel fluttered through - much better views than we'd had on our sea watches over previous days. I was hoping for a Wilson's storm petrel but never connected. However, after an hour or so, we had a great flypast from a sooty shearwater - another lifer for me. I was chuffed. It was frustrating to only have a 500mm prime lens as this made locking on passing birds a bit tricky, especially with the motion of the boat - a lesson learned.
We eventually had to return to shore and once back under sail everyone that had suffered on the swell felt a bit better. Charlotte proved that she had recovered fully when we managed to get a table in a fish restaurant in Penzance and she ordered fish and chips, tucking into a delicious plate.
At breakfast the following morning we discussed the day ahead - Charlotte and I decided to visit a few places we used to go when in Cornwall on holiday as children. The others made their way back home, Kevin and Karen dropping into Goldcliff Pools, Newport on the way.
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