BIRDING DRIVES ME CUCKOO

Hope's were high when leaving work at 12.30pm today, with Mark another work colleague headed off to St Just near Lands End to see a Gt Spotted Cuckoo that had been there all week, at a place called Carn Brea. When we set out it was quite sunny and bright with hazy visibility, as we neared the Penzance area the conditions started to get very overcast and dull. Arriving at the car park at Crows-an-Wra we set off on the long trek to the top of Carn Brea, 35mins later we met my Birding friend Mark (yes another one) at the top. He told us that a lot of other birders had been around all day and the bird had not been located, but he had seen a Ring Tailed Hen Harrier, and Dartford Warbler. well we trekked around the area for an hour but nothing was seen and the cloud was closing in, so in the end we called it a day and headed for home. Disappointed yes as this would have been a Lifer for me, but there's always tomorrow. Anyway Mark had this bird on Thursday afternoon and managed to get a record shot, which can be seen on the Cornwall Birding Website. So not having posted any thing since Monday I have pulled a couple of shots from the old library.

First is a juvenile Spotted Flycatcher taken at Nanquidno Valley about 5 minutes from today's location. The second is a Snipe at Stithians Res showing it's beautiful under wing pattern.