West Cornwall 31st August

I returned to Pendeen this morning despite a lack of wind, hoping to chance upon one of the rarities seen yesterday. Unfortunately my gamble did not however pay off, with only gannet, fulmar, Manx shearwater, kittiwake and my first European storm petrel, Britain's smallest seabird at only 15cm long, of the year going past. We then headed to Marazion in search of the buff-breasted sandpiper reported last night. Again we missed it, seeing only oystercatchers and a small group of black-tailed godwits fly over.

Back at Cape Cornwall, I saw three wheatears which were making a final stop before migrating back to sub-Saharan Africa for the winter. We then walked to the Kenidjack Valley, seeing huge numbers of pied and grey wagtails and rock pipits on the rocky beach. As we entered Kenidjack, I saw two leg-ringed choughs remarkably close and in the valley itself, a sparrowhawk, a chiffchaff and a willow warbler.

To add to that, I also saw a new dragonfly for me, the resplendent beautiful demoiselle in the Kenidjack Valley:

Beautiful Demoiselle Dragonfly, Kenidjack Valley, 3/9/12