PACIFIC DIVER at Marazion

With Royston at the far end, then Taffy, Higgo and at the front in his all time favorite coat, Bru. We all had a great afternoon and topped it all by just seeing the PACIFIC DIVER!

  Yesterday, I made my way down from Shropshire, on the train, to the south west of Cornwall. Bru, Ren's step-father, picked me up from Penzance station at 20.00, to take me to his house in the sticks at Sancreed. Here I was staying till first thing on Monday when I return home to the Scillies. I was greeted by Ren's mum, Almar and from the Lizard, David. We had a great evening with excellent home made food and booze!

  The following morning, Bru and I teamed up with Higgo and Royston at Long Rock, Mount's Bay, Marazion at 12.30 to look for the Pacific Diver, that's been returning to this bay every winter for the last three years. Higgo came over from the Scillies last Friday to stay with Royston for a few days. From the bay we had a Red-necked Grebe very close inshore. There was also an adult Mediterranean Gull.  We then all moved to Penzance Harbour and on arrival we found a first winter drake Eider followed by a Slovonian Grebe, 4+Great Northern Diver, 2 Guillemot and 14 Bar-tailed Godwit.   After half an hour or so we all moved to Sandy Cove where it was more sheltered.  In Mount's Bay there were 5 imm/fem Common Scoter, a single Razorbill and just below us there was an adult Mediterranean Gull showing very well.  There were Kittiwake, Gannet and Fulmar also out in the bay. It was at least another half an hour later when I found a distant Black-throated Diver at almost the same time as Higgo got on to it. This looked like the bird we were after and when Royston got to it, who's seen it many times, his response was 'That looks like it matey. Yep, that's it!'. we had finally connected with the adult PACIFIC DIVER and not too far from the Pacific, for comparison, there was a Black-throated Diver! The PACIFIC DIVER was distance, but you could clearly see all the main ID features on the bird as it came closer and closer.

1st winter drake Eider just off Penzance Quay

Adult Mediterranean Gull off Sandy Cove

All of us enjoying the Red-necked Grebe off Long Rock, Marazion

At Bru's garden, Herring Gull and Ren 

Bru and I going down to the pond in Bru's garden to feed the 70+Teal in the pond that he dug out. In this area he has seen, Hume's Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Wryneck and Gull-billed Tern. He was also the first one to see the Northern Harrier here when it arrived in Cornwall this winter. And you remember the Yellow- browed Bunting on St Agnes, '94, well Martin Elliot and Bru found that bird the day before myself and 100's  saw it. Him and Alma were the folks who also created Walmsley Sanctuary CBWPs, along with David from The Lizard. They all did a great job on the project.

     Higgo was in tremendous form, was it because his beloved Wolves had beaten Man U!!?

Higgo casting an invisible fishing rod!