Pendeen. Watch.

It had to be done. I try to get down to cornywall at least once a year to do some seawatching, and with the wonderful-looking forecast, Pendeen was the place to go. [Plus I've not been there for far too long].

Something of a good call, there.

As I've said before, when you've gone somewhere to seawatch and The Boss turns up, you know you're probably going to do very well indeed. This was once again proved true, oh yes.


There were birds in vast numbers - a Manx passage rate in excess of 4500/hour at one point! - and in great variety. The weather; a lot less rain than forecast, with only a couple of showers hitting, and it being more a sunny very windy day. But the damage was done and the birds were there and they had to go past.. It reminded me not a little of the Day of the Big Shears at 'Gwarra a few years back.


Oh, where to begin?


I'm going to split this into two, as there are just too many pictures I want to put in.. [Yes, be afraid]

This is the 'nice' one, with more yakking.

So, Pendeen. This place;

Pendeen Watch Lighthouse

The 'main' seawatching spot is right next to that great big foghorn, there...
But not the only one. Follow the wall in front to the right just out of shot and you reach the 'lower car park', where some watch from. To shamelessly pinch The Boss' operatic euphemism, this would be The Gods. There is a small gate by the compound gate you can see, go through it and down the steps and there's a big wall to your left, watching from here would be The Box, carrying on down and around the edge of the lighthouse compound, back up to in front of that foghorn and you're in The Circle. If instead you keep going straight down the slope at The Box, you'll find some rocks to cower behind, low down the slope. This would be The Stalls.

Sat down, set up, what's out there..?

Three little rocks

Not quite in a row

Tide's a bit up, here.

And again, a little later

So, those rocks. Main passage is usually a little outside them [as is normal with coastal islands/lets, it seems], but birds can and will be going by at every range from horizon to right down under your nose over the rocks at the cliff foot - which you can't see when looking towards the rocks from where this was taken - [Long-tails are fond of that line. So are Tropicbirds....]


Anyways, getting there a little later than planned, I saw a line along the Box, figured the Circle might be full, and as it was blowing an utter hoolie, ruled out the Stalls [Gods? Hah. Hah I say]. The chaps there were a crew down from Leicestershire, and a good bunch they were. We had an interesting day.

Many were the reports coming from the Circle [and later Gods] of Leach's passing 'just beyond' or 'lingering over' those there rocks. None did we see, however. There may have been a few wondered thoughts about all the EUSPs [I got on 10; definite one and all] that were seen.. [Ahem.]

Eventually, however, an actual Leach's Storm Petrel did show up. Clear and obvious and glorious it was, too! :D
Two more would follow, and we counted ourselves very happy.

The Goddess of Birding gave great directions

Also very notable was the one and only but soooo beautiful Great Shearwater.. As with all three Leach's, it was beautifully lit, didn't go screaming through, and was just made of win.

I didn't even try photos. I was far too busy enjoying watching them. While the Leach's were never realistic [too far, too small and dark; blobs at best], the Great could have been possible, but I thought 'Life's too short.' 

And then there were the Sabine's Gulls. In groups of up to four [four!], and eventually no less than 16 went by. Ye Gods and Little Fishes... Sixteen. Of interest, only the very last was with Kittiwakes.

Three!

Wandering back to shearwaters, I counted no less than 33 Sooties - including one very tatty-looking one which was clearly not a happy shearwater - but a mere 3 Balearics.

Spot The Sooty

With excess of 15000 Manxies* passing, this gives a 1 in 5000 ratio, which I hope is acceptable?

There's Always One Show-off..

Now then, about skuas. Oh, there were skuas. Not as vast numbers as I've met in days past [a time or two at Berry Head spring to mind], but any day involving Long-tails is a good one. Three of the cutest passed [possibly a couple more, but they were bashful], as did a lone Pom**, a very pleasing 33 Arctic, and a mighty 51 Bonxies!

The 51st Bonxie

Many of the Arctics passed inside the Rocks, as - as you can see up there - did a few Bonxies, bringing them into range of my little camera [uh oh..]. The Long-tails were playing the shore-skimming game, which would have given crippling photos IF I was psychic enough to be set up waiting.. If. Oh well.

Synchronised Skuas

Terns were also notable, with vast numbers [relatively speaking] of Arctics and a mere scattering of Common and Sandwich. But this is the north coast, I suppose?

Closer to, a Chough flew about a couple of times, but was far too agile to catch on electrons.. It even landed at one point - helpfully called by one of the lads - but it saw me aim my camera and flew off just as my autofocus stopped pouting and locked on.. :(
A Kestrel was more agreeable;

Probably wishing those pesky humans would cut the grass a bit...

Eleven hours came and went, with only the odd brushing shower to interrupt the sunshine.. Eventually the light gave up, so I toddled myself off. Driving home through darkness and all the rain that hadn't shown up was a pleasure of joyful memories..

Sunset

It had been far too long a gap from my last time there.
Since that day, I've been sorely tempted to head back.. Ah, the lure of Leach's [plural].. Hah, just the Manx stream is worth the trip, really.


Be Seeing You..




[[*And this is based on timed counts and is being very conservative, I wouldn't be surprised if the true number was well in excess of 20000]]
[[**Which is odd, if you ask me, but the Arctics were pretty clear; have a look.]