Cornwall Final Day

 Flushed with the success of yesterday's day trip to Scilly and confident that my luck had finally turned, despite near total exhaustion I decided to have a final crack at the pesky Wagtail, that had been tormenting me all week!! Margie decided on a lay-in so I was on my own as I arrived at Marazion Beach at first light!! 

Curlew in dawn's early light

So it began again, disappointingly a dog walker was walking right down the middle of the seaweed!! Birds scattering everywhere!! I scanned them as they returned, lots of Wagtails, a few Waders I got to "the Pallet" where the bird was often seen, a  Wagtail ran out from the wall, 2 strong wing-bars, eye stripe, boom!!! (Or was it!) Now this a lesson for all, half-arsed birders like myself, the danger of seeing what you want to see!!! I was convinced it was the Citrine, took loads of pics, which I didn't look at to the next day!!! However on examing the pics, the realization dawned it was another poxy Pied!! (don't mean that I like a Wagtail!!) 

Not a Citrine Wagtail 😢 I know my excuse is it was gloomy and I was looking through wishful thinking binoculars😂

White Wagtail

Not a Citrine

Also not a Citrine

Dunlins and a Sanderling

Sanderling

Peregrine shot along the beach!

Flushed with success, or so I thought, I relocated to the Marazion Marsh in the hope of a view of the Purple Heron which had successfully avoided me all week!! No sign, but was very pleasant, watching the Reedbed come to life as the sun rose. Good views of Stonechat, Chiffchaff, Wren and Sedge Warbler, among the Robin and Dunnocks!

Grey Heron

Little Egret

Stonechat

Wren

Sedge Warbler

Chiffchaff

Stonechat

Little Grebe

A very nice start to the day, if ultimately, destined to be a failure😂😢 I got back by 9am, we decided to head into Falmouth, however a Pectoral Sandpiper reported at Stithians Reservoir, suggested a diversion would be in order!! On arrival a Kingfisher flew in, which was a bonus, The Pec Sand appeared in the same pool that the Wood Sand had been in the other night, were several Snipe showing as well !!!

Stithians Reservoir (M)

Wader Country (M)

(M)

Kingfisher

Flyover Great Spotted Woodpecker

Snipe

Pectoral Sandpiper with Snipe in front 

It had a little fly around

Pec Sand

Little Grebe chick

Little Grebe

Grey Heron

Seems late to have such a small chick

Grey Wagtail

Pec Sand 

A successful twitch!! We headed into Falmouth, somehow ending up in Pendennis Castle!! Got to be said this holiday has been a bit Castle heavy for my liking!! Margie says 2 is not Castle heavy!! Though she is forgetting we only usually go to the car parks!!! 😂This one was quite interesting, going all the way back to the Tudors, right through to the Second World War, only bird of interest a Wheatear!! A few pics from Margie below!!

Thick old walls!

Ave you seen the size of my Cannon!!😱😲

Good views from here

I would have been no good looking  for Stukas, would have spent the whole time sea-watching

Margie's started taking pictures of Wheatears, she's coming over to the dark side!

Conditions for the troops, were pretty crap down the centuries!

Amazing how our ability to kill each other has evolved down the ages!!  Still at least the cafe had Gluten free cake which is always a bonus!! 

Very Tasty

Well that was about it, a quick look for the reported Rosy Starling at Long Downs, no sign on the wires despite intensive scanning from various vantage points, didn't see any Starlings let alone a Rosy!! Back to base for the final time, before heading home to Sussex on the Saturday, journey was uneventful, I was under-whelmed again as we passed Stonehenge and apart from a slight hold up on the M25 made it home in good time!! The End of a very enjoyable week!!