Birding in United Kingdom (England and Wales)

Europe is a series of peninsulas within peninsulas and islands, giving it a coastline longer, in proportion to its size, than any other continent. It is only marginally larger than Canada, and the only continent (apart from Antarctica) that has no tropical lands. Its vegetational and climatic regions form slender bands ranging from the sub-tropical Mediterranean in the south through the broadleaf and coniferous belts to the Arctic tundra. The arrival and departure of migrant birds depend on the climatic conditions, and the ability of many small life forms to survive warily in competition with man is demonstrated even in those areas where intensive agriculture, and even industrialisation, is found.

The forests of Europe are of two main types, the boreal coniferous, or taiga, and the temperate deciduous, underlying rock is of great importance. The boreal forest extends from Norway across Sweden and Finland to Siberia, and has a severe climate. The deciduous forest lies immediately to the south, extending from the British Isles and northern Spain, across central Europe into Russia. 

The glories of Europe's freshwater marshlands, estuaries and other wetlands are their bird population.

The marshy nature of the terrain has the additional advantage that terrestrial predators find the going difficult, if not impossible. To these well-provided sanctuaries birds flock in their thousands. The appearance of each species of bird is an indication of the form of food or feeding niche to which it is adapted. Beak shapes vary considerably from the dagger-like bill of the heron, for spearing fish, to the flattened type of the spoonbill, which sieves small organisms from the water.

Some mammals share the moist habitat with the birds, among them species of vole, small herbivores attracted to the vegetation. 

Those shores exposed to the high tides of the Atlantic Ocean compare favourably with those of the faunally poor fringes of the almost tideless Mediterranean. The most fertile of all types of coast is the rocky shoreline, where the mark of the tide is strong and rock pools left by its retreat provide both permanent and temporary habitats. On sheltered shores, where the force of the tides is felt less strongly, fine organic material is deposited and sand gives place to mud. Habitats such as these are common around river estuaries and the animal species which are found there show a distinct tolerance to variations in salinity.

We visited the United Kingdom in the mid of August (2023), starting from Surrey, which is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It shares its borders with Kent to the east, East Sussex to the south. One among its many notable beauty spots is Box Hill. We drove to Box Hill, which has the oldest untouched area of natural woodland in the UK and one of the oldest in Europe. As it’s a part of the National Trust (Europe’s biggest conservation charity), we could park  our vehicle at a well designated spot. Along the edge of the road, there was a well paved walkway that took us to the pathway. The pathway had many enthusiast who were either walking or running. The bird activity was low. (Well I will be using this term often, as at the back of the mind , we kept comparing with the activity we are used to seeing in the forests and other locations in India). 

Box Hill is a the perfect place to discover and explore the beautiful Surrey Hills. Forming part of the North Downs, Box Hill has breathtaking views across the surrounding countryside. We did see a few Eurasian Magpie here apart from Great Spotted Woodpecker, Common-wood Pigeon and Carrion Crow. The views from the summit of Box Hill are truly breathtaking – a panorama over the Weald to the South Downs, which was a few miles away. As we kept walking downhill and through the woods, reached an open area, where there was a large grassland. On the right was woodland and to the left the slope that over looked the town of Dorking. 

We could hear the calls of the birds, that were far at a distant.  There were fields to the extreme left bottom, where we saw some bales of Hay. These bales were laid in a very systematic manner.

Earlier on the same day, we took some time out and visited the BANSTEAD WOODS NATURE TRAIL in the morning. From the car park, we took the path which lead us directly away from the road, going through a small gate and the narrow path soon transformed into a decent sized pathway. We were greeted by many individuals (walking with their pet), all along we had hoped to see some birders, whom we could take some tips from, however being a working day, did not bump into any. The bird activity was better here, we saw the Song Thrush that was foraging under the log of a fallen tree. The Common-wood Pigeon was seen roosting in the shade. The pathways were very well marked, as we moved up saw a beautiful sculpture, only to learn later that they have been carved from the using the site’s own existing natural resources, a standing deadwood using a chainsaw by a sculptor named Ella. 

Common Wood Pigeon - Image by Aseem Kothiala

Song Thrush - Image by Aseem Kothiala

We had walked far away from the car park and reached the open grasslands, seeing no activity and hearing no calls, decided to walk back to the car park. We sighted the Great spotted Woodpecker, who was busy foraging within the branches and only obliged us with some odd angled head and belly images.

A week later, we hired a car and drove to our next major destination that we had choosen, Anglesey, in Wales. The welsh call it : Ynys Môn, trust me I could not even pronounce it right. This island which was off the north-west coast of Wales is by far the largest island of Wales and the fifth-largest island in the British Isles (and the largest outside Scotland). Anglesey is also the largest island in the Irish Sea by area, and the second most populous island in the Irish Sea. A historic county of Wales which was later administrated as part of Gwynedd, Anglesey today makes up the Isle of Anglesey County along with Holy Island and other smaller islands. 

After we reached the town and settled down, drove two odd miles towards the west of Holyhead to reach a place called South Stack. Surely the place gives the most excellent views. We were not here at the right time of the year, so we could see was a statue of a Puffin and some Red-billed Chough. Thousands of Guillemots, Razorbills, along with the Puffins that are seen here between May and June had flown off!

View from the RSPB Centre - South Stack

We were not surprised as we knew the time was not right, but the place was. The place is a relatively low-lying island, with low hills spaced evenly over the north of the island. The highest being the Holyhead Mountain.  

It was a cloudy evening and the sea was venting its fury against the vertiginous South Stack Cliffs. We saw the office of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) that had closed for the day. Apart from the Red-billed Chough, we sighted the Hooded crow, who was feeding in the low field grass along the slope. We saw a small flock of Rock Pipits, that was flying around and landing, only to stay safe from a lone Peregrine falcon. Just along the cliff we saw the same Peregrine falcon chase a larger bird (identified as the Northern Wheatear) that would manage to give it a slip and settle in the cervices of the rocks.

Rock Pipit - Image by Aseem Kothiala

Hooded Crow - Image by Aseem Kothiala

Eurasian Jackdaw - Image by Yash Kothiala

We walked further that lead us to a steep, serpentine flight of steps until we reached the point close to the suspension bridge that was closed. We could not go further towards the South Stack Lighthouse. It was almost dark, but the place was so mesmerising that we returned again the next morning.

Overlook the South Stack Lighthouse (Left) and The Range (Right)       

We walked all along the well paved bird walk, that passed along the edge of the Holyhead. We did see many Gulls flying in from the horizon as the day broke, some we could identify as Great-black backed and Herring Gull. We realised by now that a birding scope is a must to watch birds here. During our last trip had given off the binoculars and we were traveling just with our camera. Surely, not the right strategy for this place. 

Great Black-backed Gull - Image by Aseem Kothiala

Thanks to the keen sight and better sighting skills, Yash spotted a lone Northern Gannet flying over the ocean. A lifer for us and we were happy.

Northern Gannet - Image by Aseem Kothiala

While we were driving to this place, had seen another diversion, that went left before we took the final right turn towards South Stack. We decided to drive towards to that diversion. It happens to be “The Range”.  It was flatter region and had beautiful flowers, the European Robin was seen in good numbers here, they would keep calling. We kept walking the trail that was used by the locals. We did meet a few locals or maybe tourist who were there with their pets. At a far distant location, along the edge of the ocean we saw a bird, we kept walking close to it in a zig-zag manner. We got to place, from where we could identify it as a Common Buzzard. No sooner we took a few more steps, it flew to a location quite far. Nevertheless, we kept walking and spotted a small rocking patch on which there were a few European Shags and Eurasian Oystercatchers. Their prominent and unmistakeable orange-red bill was seen as they kept moving along the rocks, that was a safer haven for them.

Common Buzzard - Image by Aseem Kothiala

Today we drove towards Snowdonia, which is the heart of North Wales. The Snowdonia National Park, encompasses an area in and around Mount Snowdon that covers the majority of the county of Gwynedd as well as parts of the county of Conwy. The park boasts on its vast areas of natural beauty and unique scenery. It is known as Eryri in Welsh a name that can be translated as “the place of the eagles”.

Mount Snowdon is climbed every year by thousands of enthusiasts and tourists. As it was a very cold day, we opted to take the popular Snowdon Mountain Railway (the only rack and pinion railway in the UK), instead of walking on the many paths that would lead us to its summit, opted to take the train. The walk would have taken us a good 4-5 hours but we reached the summit in about an hour. It was too foggy and too windy, there was no way we could have done any birding here. The visibility was obviously very low. Enroute, after we had ascended could seen some activity of Pipits, but there was no way we could ID them from the moving train, though the speed was very slow. 

Snowdonia National Park

On our return we did spend some time in the Padarn Country Park, where apart from the European Robin, sighted Mallard, Mute Swan and Jackdaw. The regions most northern most town is Bangor, which is home to Bangor University and sits on the western headland looking down towards the town centre. Had to mention this location as the meal at “China Hot Chilli Chinese Restaurant”  was one among the many fine dining experiences we have had. In fact we returned here again before traveling back to London from Wales as well.

By now we were getting accustomed to the type of birding we could expect. We were also in touch with two fellow birders. Mr. Kit Britten and Mr. Mike Barth. Between them, they had a lot in common and would keep suggesting and guiding us on the locations we could possibly explore for bird watching. 

One such location suggested was Penrhos Coastal Park, situated on the stunning coastline of Anglesey.  Penrhos is indeed abundant with local history. Parts of the woodland here were created in the early 1700’s. We later discovered that the area has been part of an AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) since 1967, with sandbanks and mudflats of the Beddmanarch Bay being part of the Beddmanarch & Cymyran Site of Special Scientific Interest. (SSSI). 

For once we found a place where parking is free!, unlike other places where we would pay and keep converting the amount into INR and bless ourselves for taking things for granted on the privileges we get here in India. Well, it was a Monday and there was hardly anyone here, accept the pet lovers, who had come to have a morning stroll. The view out into the sea was amazing, the blue sky felt even more clear today. It was a plain walk along the shore. Like many other locations, there are a lots of benches along the edge to sit and relax. The walkway lead us into the woodland. To our surprise there was a pet cemetery with loads of little gravestones, something we had not seen earlier. As we walked saw the first Eurasian Wren of the trip. As we kept walking, noticed a lot of activity along the shore where there were shrubs and decided to leave the trail and get back to the shore.

European Robin - Image by Yash Kothiala

It was a rewarding decision as we sighted the Spotted Flycatcher, European Greenfinch, Common Chaffinch to name a few (refer to the checklist for more details on eBird). The walk over the sand and gravel was so enjoyable. Undoubtedly the beaches are very clean. At a distance we sighed the Great crested Grebe in small number, most likely they were on the nests that were floating. 

Spotted Flycatcher - Image by Yash Kothiala

Eurasian Blackbird - Image by Yash Kothiala

Conwy nature reserve was the next destination that we were to visit as suggested by Mr. Kit. It is a place that was once a waste material dump yard now developed into a reserve. It indeed has been transformed into a haven (wetland) for wildlife. Due to a leisurely start we reached the place only around 4PM in the evening. We were told they strictly that they close the place by 5.30, most important was we had to come and take the car out of the parking as once closed, we would not be able to take it out until the next morning. Inspite of the shortage of time,  we did not want to miss this opportunity. We took a stroll along a boardwalk, through a reed bed. The moment we entered we came across a bird feeder, due to shortage of time, did wait there briefly and sighted the common garden birds and continued to walk further. Later we came across two lagoons, one with shallow water and the other much deeper, which attract waders and waterbirds.  

We walked on the trails through mixed scrub and grassland, dotted with temporary pools. The final part of the circular trail took us along the edge of the estuary, overlooking mudflats and salt marsh, with a backdrop of the Carneddau mountains beyond. These would have been best for birds at high tide, when the river would push waders to roost and feed on the islands. 

On that particular day it was relatively dry and there was hardly any birds except curlews on the outskirts, while within the reserve the activity was good. Whilst walking around the reserve got some great views of Conwy Castle which is just on the other side of the estuary.

Northern Wheatear (female) - Image by Aseem Kothiala

The lagoons had provided a refuge for waders that moved in from the estuary. Vegetation on the islands is cut short each autumn to make them suitable for roosting Curlews, said a fellow birder who was passing by. Common Redshank was seen grazing amongst Teals and Ducks. The islands was well shaped, making it sure that there was plenty of muddy edges for waders to feed. Water in the lagoons is fresh, not tidal said another fellow birder.

It was nice to see birders were exchanging notes and sightings as they crossed each other here.

A day latter we drove to Durdle Door, probably the most famous stone arch anywhere in the world. It was created when the sea pierced through the Portland limestone around 10,000 years ago. Looking west over the beach, isolated stacks out at sea show where an older coastline once lay. This part of the coast is formed from merged bays and shows how Lulworth Cove and Stair Hole may look in several thousand years time.

Lulworth Cove 

Durdle Door

We walked by the natural cliff on the path down towards Durdle Door beach. At the base of the chalk cliffs a number of caves could  be seen which had been carved out by the sea. The birding activity was not much, however the commoners were seen but in very small numbers (Refer to the eBIrd checklist).  The walk was long and a little steep. To our luck we sighted a parliament of Rooks. They are normally shy, but here they had got used to the humans and kept foraging on the ground very close to us. We had to use our landscape lens to take some images.

Rook - Image by Yash Kothiala

Hale Head Lighthouse in Merseyside, Cheshire was our next destination, here we were accompanied by a fellow birder cum friend Mike Barth. He picked us very early in the morning and we drove towards the village of Hale which was about an hour from where we started. Crossing the village we walked towards the banks of the River Mersey. We followed the path along the Mersey Way to reach the lighthouse at Hale Head. We were greeted by the noisy chirping of the House Sparrows. There was plenty of bird calls, but spotting them was not so easy in the dense hedgerows, although we got good sightings of the Great Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting apart from many other birds (Refer to the eBird Checklist).  Today we were getting better views of the birds as Mike had carried his birding scope and two pairs of binoculars for us.  Couple of Little Egret amongst the flock of Canada Geese were seen. We also sighted the Mallard, Common Shelduck and a few other waders (refer eBird Checklist). Our target for the region was the Grey Partridge, after scanning the area for almost an hour we saw them foraging in the fields, they were very far from the pathway.

Mersey Way

Grey Partridge - Image by Yash Kothiala

Sedge Warbler - Image by Yash Kothiala

After a quick lunch, Mike drove us to Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB Reserve, which was originally only open to RSPB members but over the years it is open for general public as well, upon paying a small entrance fee.  We were greeted by the friendly staff who were very helpful on giving us information on the recent sightings and the locations within the reserve. A Memo board was also put up that read what birds have been seen recently, which was obviously helpful. 

There are two walks from the Visitor Centre – one to a small open hide overlooking the same ponds as the Centre and the other to a large pathway that led to another viewing centre with windows on three sides again overlooking ponds and scrapes with a large variety of wetland birds.  Both of these walks are totally paved with green cover on both the sides, mostly sedges and rushes with very little flowering. It was a very sunny day and the activity at the water bodies was better than at the periphery. We settled at different hides that were strategically placed along the water bodies, mostly waders, geese and ducks were seen dabbling and moving around from one island to the other. We had sighted a lifer here as well, the Barnacle Goose.

Aseem Kothiala, Yash Kothiala, Mike Barth (L-R)

Barnacle Goose - Image by Yash Kothiala

Canada Goose - Image by Yash Kothiala

Egyptian Goose - Image by Yash Kothiala

Mike had planned to take us to another birding spot to see the Willow Ptarmigan (Red Grouse) that was located in the Peak District National Park, around Derbyshire Bridge . The location was not far from the city of Macclesfield, where we were staying. It had beautiful views created by contrasting landscapes and dramatic geology. It was evening time by now and we kept driving on the roads that were not too wide. The Red Grouse are usually more active during the evening, it was almost an hour since we were looking for them and we had not sighted them. We did sight a small flock of Ring-necked Pheasants (mostly all females). A loner Carrion Crow was flying around sitting on almost every pole it could find around us.

The Peak District is an upland area in England at the southern end of the Pennines. It is mostly in northern Derbyshire but also includes parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire and Yorkshire.

There were no sharp mountain peaks here, just hills. The place had a lot of ticks like insects, that were flying around in large numbers, making it a little difficult for us to wait at any spot for long. Their distinctive calls could be heard, however getting close enough to photograph them seemed to be a tricky affair, Mike understood their behaviour well and to our luck, we sighted a pair at a distance, they were foraging on the ground. It was a great place for these iconic species and they looked amazing in their natural habitat on the heather moorland. 

Red Grouse (female) - Image by Yash Kothiala

Red Grouse (pair) - Image by Aseem Kothiala

Today we were to travel to Daisy Nook Country Park that had a varied landscape in the heart of the Medlock Valley and is managed by both Oldham and Tameside Councils. After parking the car we walked into the park, there were waterways, a lake, a canal, some woodlands, where we saw the Stock Doves, who just took off and settled high and deep into the high trees. The park apart from having footpaths also had bridleways for horse riding that link to neighbouring countryside areas. We met up with another bird watcher who was known to Mike, he suggested a good spot for us to wait. It was near a feeder and number of birds and close proximity to them was nothing compared to our previous encounter with birds in UK. Eurasian Bullfinch was the highlight and a lifer for us at his park.

Great Tit - Image by Yash Kothiala

Eurasian Bullfinch - Image by Yash Kothiala

European Greenfinch - Image by Yash Kothiala

Eurasian Nuthatch - Image by Aseem Kothiala

Common Chaffinch - Image by Yash Kothiala

After about an hour and half we decided to travel to another location, a small reservoir called Sutton Reservoir. Located to the south of Macclesfield and its waters enter the canal just north of bridge. The reservoir itself is a couple of hundred metres away across the other side of the main road.The walk started at the eastern end of Sutton Reservoir where there is a lay by for cars to park. Just along the reservoir we got some nice views of the Great Crested Grebe across the water. Mike mentioned he had been photographing a chick almost from the time it fledged and until it become an adult. As we walked through the woodland, sighted the Goldcrest and Eurasian Treecreeper. 

With a few hours to spare before we board the train out from Macclesfield, decided to explore Etherow Country Park, primarily as the Mandarin Duck was being seen, probably a resident now. The park was  beautiful, but we had not realised that it was a Sunday until we saw many picnicker amongst the calm woodland. We continued walking around the mill ponds that had a very large flock of Canada Geese, a river and small canal which provided a good feeding ground for the ducks. It was again very bright and sunny and activity of other birds was less. We finally thanked Mike for his time and expertise and moved to our next destination Cornwall.

Mandarin Duck - Image by Aseem Kothiala

Aseem Kothiala, Yash Kothiala, Seema Kothiala, Mike Barth (L-R)

We took a train from London Paddington to Penzance Cornwall, which is a very long county, almost 86 miles when measured from the north Devon border to Land’s End. The best time to visit here is in the winters, especially when severe weather sets in the upcountry, forcing huge numbers of waders and thrushes to move southwest in search of milder conditions. Though we were not here in the best season, still wanted to explore the locations. As we approached the station, the train had slowed down and was moving paralleling to the ocean. We could see many birds (mostly Gulls) flying past. Our journey into the Mecca of bird watching was about to begin.

After we reached Penzance at about 8am in the morning after a long night journey, hired a car from just outside Penzance station and drove towards St Ives, this is where we had planned to stay for the coming week and go birding around the region. As it was too early to get the accommodation we had booked, thought of visiting a few places close by.

The first place we explored was St Ives Head, which is known for its spectacular Autumn seabird passage. We were greeted by a large flock of European Starling at the parking lot itself, we then took the path down from the lighthouse, where we could see the European Shag and a small flock of Ruddy Turnstones, most of the them looked like juveniles. Tall cliffs, especially along the north coast, delineated much of the coastline. The weather was nice and like always the birds were flying at a distant. From here we drove towards Porthmeor beach, one can also walk from St Ives head. Here as well we could see the Herring Gull which is a resident bird and can be seen throughout the year. The Black-headed Gull was also seen in good numbers. We were keenly looking out for the Mediterranean Gull as there was a chance of sighting them.

European Starling - Image by Yash Kothiala

The sun was bright and the sea was calm, just from the cliff we could see an Atlantic Grey Seal float and pop its head out at intervals. A song played in my mind “Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore” but here the waves were engulfing the rocking edge and smoothly retreating to come again and again, it’s a peaceful phenomenon which we enjoyed watching.

Later in the evening we drove to Marazion Beach, it was mostly sandy with a few pebbly patches. The St Micheal’s Mount situated just offshore the island castle makes quite an impressive backdrop for the birds that were flying. One who is interested can access the mount either at low tide by way of a granite causeway. Whilst at high tide a gentle boat ride can take visitors to the historic castle on the island. We opted to rather walk on the beach and look for waders and other birds. The activity was very low that evening, except for Black-headed Gulls could not identify any birds. At distances we would see some birds fly and we were again without a birding scope and the challenge was even higher to even spot some. 

Rock Pipit - Image by Yash Kothiala

So we quickly decided to drive out to Pendeen Watch, the north facing slopes here reminded us of South Stacks (in Wales). We stood by the rocks at the top of the cliffs and hoping to see any birds that would be passing by. We knew before we came here that the late summer would mean only one thing, do pelagic birding - some refer to it as Seawatching!

We waited on the cliff, the wind was blowing, just from the base of the cliff we sighted a bird that came and sat at the edge for a short while and took off, it was none other than an Eurasian Linnet. Later we sighted Northern Gannets, flying over the ocean.

The next morning we headed back to Marazion beach, the activity was far better than the previous evening. Kit had informed Yash that sightings of a Buff-breasted Sandpiper was being reported. We scanned the area, but with no luck. We did sight the Dunlin and a few other waders including a Red Knot, which was a lifer for us. Post lunch we drove towards Britain’s best loved landmarks, famous for its unique location, natural beauty and stunning scenery, the Land’s End.

Common Ringed Plover - Image by Yash Kothiala

Red Knot - Image by Aseem Kothiala

Land's End is the westernmost peninsula of the county of Cornwall England, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. A place that was majorly composed of  granite mass, its tip is the south westernmost point of England. One can see the first and last post box of England (which is currently out of use) and we did try out some unique flavours of icecream at the First & Last refreshment house in England.

The first and the last restaurant and post box (Land's End)

We came across a signboard that read “Just as the plants that live here have adapted to salty living conditions, so too have the seabirds that you can see nesting on the cliff ledges and stacks during summer. Many of them only come ashore to breed. So they drink seawater, extract the salt and get rid of it through their nostrils. The largest nesting colony at Dollar Cove is made up of about 500 pairs of Kittiwakes, members of the gull family. They use mud to cement together their deeply cupped nests of seaweed, moss and grass. Pairs of Herring Gulls and Pair of Great Black-backed Gulls also nest close by, including Pairs of Fulmars, that are distinguished by their stocky shape and tube nostrils”. It was a little disappointment that we could not see this sight as the time was not right, nevertheless it did not stop us taking the amazing coastal views. 

As Its summertime, the large crescent of sandy beach faced the full force of the Atlantic Ocean making it a popular spot for surfers. Today we visited the Sennen Cove Beach, which is just across the Sennen village and not far from Land's End and Penzance. It is probably the most westerly surfing hotspot in the country.  The beach at Sennen Cove is called Whitesands Bay and it almost lives up to this name with almost a mile of fine sand stretching around to neighbouring Gwenver beach. Near the middle of the beach a shallow valley with a small stream runs down to the sea. The sand dunes here offer shelter and it is generally a little quieter on the far side of the stream. We sighted the Eurasian Oystercatcher, Red-billed Chough (also called the Cornish Cough) amongst the flock of Herring Gull, a couple of Little egret were seen. 

At the back of the mind the Buff-breasted Sandpiper was still there, every day it was being reported and our last two visits to Marazion beach were not fruitful. So today we decided to reach a little early before sunset. We walked towards the cafe and on the beach, We sighted the Common Ringed Plover that was seen along with a flock of other waders. Rock Pipit and Wagtail would pay a surprise visit at the beach, before flying back to the adjacent gardens, there are planted along the paved walkways. After about an hour we saw a bird amongst the flock, that had been moving around for a while, which looked different but fitted the description we had been reading. We moved slowly and cautiously towards the bird, it had stopped feeding and was roosting near the weeds, most likely it was our last chance to get a little more closer to the bird. We were thrilled as we finally saw the much desired bird of the trip, that we had not thought of seeing.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper - Image by Aseem Kothiala

No trip to Cornwall is considered complete unless one has done a pelagic boat ride, to avoid disappointment, we had made reservations in advance and the day arrived. We drove towards Penzance to take a boat ride primarily for Pelagic, the trip starts Offshore South of Land's End.

Birds that live in the ocean have always fascinated us, seeing them it seems and one can surely agree that they live in a separate world. They spend most of their lives in an environment that we seldom visit it. This gives them an aura of mystery and puts them in a class of their own. This pelagic trip was heading out from Penzance, after getting offshore and heading west, traveled a few miles south off the coast and passed by Newlyn, Lamorna Cove and the Minack Theatre on the return through Porthcurno. In a three hour trip we could sight species like  Manx Shearwater and Balearic Shearwaters that were feeding on a dead carcass. 

Balearic Shearwater - Image by Aseem Kothiala

Common Murre - Image by Aseem Kothiala

Black-legged Kittiwake - Image by Aseem Kothiala

Manx Shearwater - Image by Yash Kothiala

Manx Shearwater - Image by Aseem Kothiala

Northern Gannet - Image by Yash Kothiala

The sea was calm and saw a Black-legged Kittiwake that quickly passed by us. Northern Gannet was roosting along with a flock of Herring Gull and Common Murre. We were hopeful but could not see the Great or the Cory’s Shearwaters, that are normally seen at this time of year as well. (Refer to ebird checklist). We also saw the Grey Seal and Common Dolphin, that came too close to the boat apart from many types of jelly fish. On the return journey we got some amazing view of The Minack Theatre, that is Cornwall's most famous open-air theatre, which is carved out from a the granite cliff and overlooks the spectacular panorama of Porthcurno Bay.

The Minack Theatre

The Lizard Peninsula is the most southerly tip of United Kingdom, that is surrounded on three sides by ocean and the Helford River to the north. We went birding around Porthhleven Beach, Kynance Cove, Lizard Point and the road that was leading towards Lizard village. Here we saw a large flock of European Goldfinch, Barn Swallow to name a few. We got another lifer the European Stonechat  here, surely if we had a good birding scope would have seen and identified more species that we were missing due the distance at which the birds were being seen.

European Stonechat - Image by Aseem Kothiala

We were also hearing about the passage migrants that were being reported by other birders from UK. Unfortunately or must fortunately we were not bumping into any birder here, this was making birding more interesting for us. Today we were to explore Britain’s most westerly hill, the Chapel Barn Brea, which is a popular spot for birdwatching, a place again under under the conservation by the National Trust. 

We started our walk along the pathway and also deviated from it at will, we had some amazing sighting of the Northern Wheatear. From the top of the hill we saw a pair of Kestrel and a lone common buzzard that was circling the vast open land. We were hopeful to even sight the Whinchat that was being reported from this location. We did not release that we had trekked almost two miles and reached the other side of the hill. 

Northern Wheatear - Image by Yash Kothiala

Faint bird calls, made us take a path, that unknowingly led us to a house. Not sure of the way out, we asked the lady. During our very brief interaction, she recognised we were birders and introduced us to her husband, who turned out to be a veteran bird watcher. He showed the balcony from where he had been sighting birds and named some rarities that he had seen and ticked. They were very kind and showed us around their farm house, where they had created a home with large poles with a shelter for the Barn owl, that visit them every year now. The challenge now was to head back to the car that we had parked on the other side of the Hill. It was mid noon by now so Instead of trekking back over the hill, took  the path towards the main road and walk almost 2 miles towards the car. After a few meters Yash thought of taking a run, while we waited along a location, where he picked us up after almost an hour. 

Aseem Kothiala, Yash Kothiala, Seema Kothiala, with the Senior birder (L-R)

Our journey at Cornwall came to end and we boarded back for London Paddington, the place is a must visit not only for bird watching but also for breathtaking view and the food that all along was amazing.

There were two more locations we covered after we arrived back to the city of London along wIth our friend and fellow birder cum friend Kit Britten. Church Norton was one of locations, where we saw the Great Spotted Woodpecker the moment we reached the parking lot. Then we walked toward the field that is behind the hide and the church yard. It was a good place where we saw the Eurasian Blackcap, Greater Whitethroat, Common Chiffchaff to name a few.

We walked towards the harbour, there was a large water body all along the left side, which was bustling with waders, again thanks to the birding scope Kit was carrying could see and identify many waders and ducks. (Refer to the eBird Checklist)

Later we took a right turn and walked over the gravel, to our left were the shrubs, we did sight many birds but at a good distance. The Meadow Pipit obliged and flew close to us. The Northern Wheatear would typically keep a distance from us, it would fly and perch at a distance and the moment we got closer, would again fly and settle on a perch far from us. Call  of Cetti’s Warbler kept coming from the shrubs, they would be out in the open and get into the shrubs in no time. Simply, they were faster than our reflexes. 

Meadow Pipit - Image by Aseem Kothiala

Just along the field, behind the bushes we sighted the Eurasian Green Woodpecker feeding on the ground, we got good sightings through the scope. There was a large flock of Barn Swallows, that were flying over the water body (to the right side).

The last location during our trip was the Medmerry RSPB Reserve, that is situated near a small village of Earnley in West Sussex. As we neared the reserve, the noon sun had  got brighter and there was blazing sunshine. Either side of the walkway had the farmland to our right and a pool to our left, before we could head out to the main area. A large flock of Black-headed Gull was seen circling the area and to our joy a Mediterranean Gull in non breeding plumage was also sighted. It soon disappeared to the pool beyond the reach of our lens. A very large flock of Stock doves could be seen through the scope. The bright day may have motivated them to roost and were not too active. 

As we had time on hand we were counting the possible lifers we could get here, a name came across the Red Kite, a bird that we had missed seeing at some locations, where they are easily seen. Far at a distance we noticed two raptors circling and they came close enough to be identified. One of them was the Red Kite and the other one was Osprey.

Osprey and Red Kite - Image by Yash Kothiala

The field to the right had a few carrion crows that were feeding along with Rook (At a distant). As the day was getting brighter and hotter, decided to call off the day.

We returned to the parking lot and packed our equipment. 

Sincerely thank Yash Kothiala and Seema Kothiala who were a part of this amazing journey. Special thanks to Mike Barth and Kit Britten, who provided valuable company and information to us during our travel here from 20 Aug – 9 Sep 2023 (21 days). We saw in all 112 different species of birds, out of which around 49 were lifers! 

Anuj, Yash Kothiala, Kit Britten, Aseem Kothiala (L-R)

 

We are sharing the complete eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/india/tripreport/175670

The Route:

The Birding Locations

Happy Birding!

You can connect with me