A long overnight journey for a day out in Cornwall started with a Barn Owl hunting the motorway verge north of the M4/M5 junction and another flew across the A30 on Bodmin Moor. The key bird we were going for was the first winter Snowy Owl which was on the moor below Sperris Quoit south of the coastal B3306 three miles south west of St Ives and after a short walk it was located on its regular fence post, a magnificent beastie, showing well. Also in the area were Stonechat, Raven, Peregrine, Sparrowhawk, Short-eared Owl and female Merlin. After breakfast in Penzance we searched nearby Jubilee Pool for Purple Sandpipers and found 17 and a first winter Iceland Gull off shore heading for Newlyn while a search of the sea at sandy Cove produced both Slavonian and Black-necked Grebe. No sign of last weeks Pacific Diver in St Ives Bay, just 3 Great-northern Divers or the Bittern at Long Rocks pool so moved on to Helston Boating Lake to see the first winter Ring-billed Gull and found two present with over wintering Yellow-browed Warbler nearby. Ended a good day adding Chough to the day list. Apparently we had another Barn Owl on the way home but I was fast asleep – what a surprise.
Richard
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