2nd April-18th April

A fantastic two weeks off patch, holidaying down in St Ives, Cornwall with all the family.  We stopped of in Wilshire on the way down and I spent a couple of hours at Liddington Hill looking for Ring Ouzels, no sign of them, but fantastic vies of a Red Kite 'playing' with a tuft of grass, throwing it in the air and swooping down to catch it.  Four Wheatear were seen on the hill, and a female Merlin perched out in a nearby bush, eyeing the displaying Meadow Pipits.  The largest parcel of Linnets I have ever seen lined a fence - 150+ birds, undulating in flight and swooping from the fence down to the ground and back.

In Cornwall most time was spent on the beach soaking up the unexpected sunshine but I managed a bit of birding.  Manx Shearwaters, Gannets, Fulmars, Kittiwakes and regular streams of Auks were easily picked out from the caravan we were staying.  I didn't even need to search out Buzzards and Raven - they just appeared.  Sand Martins, Swallows, Stonechats and Wheatear were daily ticks, and a few passing Sandwich Terns fished off the harbour one afternoon.  Hoopoe, Woodchat Shrike (inc Balearic), Dotterel and Great White Egret were all on offer, but I was unlucky in not seeing of them when I finally wrenched myself away from the beach.  However I spent a few sunny mornings walking the Polgigga circuit, Nanquidno Valley , The Lizard (Windmill Farm and Church Cove) and Rosewall Hill, St Ives.  Bird of the holiday ahd to go to the fine Ring Ouzels that seemed to be turning up everywhere.  I had one at Windmill Farm (The Lizard) and four (2 m, 2f) on Rosewall Hill, St Ives, all showing extremley well.  I met a lot of local patch watchers who were all extremley knowledgable, friendly and helpful, one even pointing me in the direction of a Dartford Warbler near Eagles Nest, nr Zennor (of Snowy Owl fame).