The Cornwall Blog

Autumn is a season I truly love, and Cornwall seems to glow at this time of year, from woodland walks to those long, low sunsets. As the evenings draw in, there is another sight I start watching the skies for: a murmuration of starlings. What is a starling murmuration? A murmuration is the name given to those extraordinary flocks of starlings that gather together and move almost as one, twisting and folding into constantly changing shapes across the sky. There are thought to be several reasons for these huge gatherings. Flying together can make it harder for predators to pick out an individual bird, while gathering at a communal roost can help the birds keep warm and exchange information about good feeding grounds. Whatever the science behind it, watching one still feels a little bit magical. Birds were particularly on my mind when I first wrote this post in 2022. I was working on our 2023 poster calendar at Pickle Design, which had a distinctly o...

Grey Heron at Marazion, Cornwall - 20/10/09 Looking out to sea at Marazion you observe plenty of turmoil in the restless waters, sometimes a bit like life. Take a 180 degree turn and you face the opposite in the tranquil waters of the marshes. Look at the water the heron is standing in in the photo above - not a ripple! Bird watching can be so peaceful calming & relaxing. All you need is a modest pair of binns, a pocket bird book for ID and a little patience. Don't worry if you can't ID a particular bird...just ENJOY the bird. The whole ambiance of the experience can be rewarding and there are plenty of places in Cornwall to visit. This month the fabulous starlings are putting on a full roosting display at Roughtor car park Nr. Camelford. My wife Steph & I were there last Sunday, there were 100s of thousands of them, what a spectacle! You need to get there at about 4pm. Don't miss it. Norman Greaves

Thanks to all the people who added captions to this photograph. Norman has read through them and selected a winner. The winning caption was written By Estelle: "Now look 'ere, you said there'd be other gulls in fancy dress!..you mean I've got to stay in this swan costume all day?!..how embarrassing..." Thanks for all your entries, we will definitely have to do another one soon! To see the others have a look at the original post here ...

Regular Bird Watching Contributor to The Cornwall Blog, Norman Greaves has asked if we can find a witty caption to this photograph. He took the shot a couple of weeks ago on The Camel River, near Anneka's Bridge in Wadebridge. He also took some other eye catching images when visiting The Lizard that we will be adding to the blog shortly. To get the ball rolling, he suggested: "Out of the way shorty!" Without being rude, I think you could do better... To see the winning entry, take a look at the results here ...

If you are fortunate enough to live near the Camel Trail in Cornwall, no doubt you have had a stroll or bike ride somewhere between Padstow and Bodmin, maybe even ventured the full length. Whatever the case I am sure you would have delighted in the bird life found all along this trail. I wrote previously regarding bird watching on the Camel Estuary, and recently I took the plunge and purchased a scope to enhance my birding. It took me hours of research, visits to optic demonstrations in the field, and advice from other users before I finally made up my mind on which scope to go for. My decision?…Swarovski ATS 80HD with a 20 - 60 Zoom lens (pictured above). No, it was not cheap, but I had been saving for some time and reasoned that I only want to buy once, and so in my research decided to get one of the best on the market. It hasn't let me down. In my opinion the optimum Zoom for clarity is around 35 - 40 times. I am not a Swarovski salesman, nor am I suggesting you go out and buy o...

Visitors from far and wide winter in and around the estuary that stretches from Wadebridge to Padstow. They can be seen all along the well known Camel Trail, and if you want a close, clear, colourful view of these valued visitors, the best time is at low tide with the mid-afternoon sun at your back. They of course are waders, wildfowl, gulls and an array of other exotic species that we are privileged to have an acquaintance with at this time of year. Above you can see a shot of a Little Egret that I took on a journey to the waterside last Winter. My last visit was rewarded with a spectacular view of a kingfisher. It flew diagonally across the estuary, straight towards me and my wife, and suddenly stopped mid-air and hovered, like a Kestrel at the side of a motorway. We've often seen this little wonder but usually as it flashed by. This time with the sun behind us and in a hovering position he/she lit up like a rainbow. What a wonderful moment! There are many rewarding moments along...