The Cornwall Blog

We are of slowly emerging out of winter, March is here, but for this month's blog post I wanted to revisit a special weekend last November at Marazion. It has to be one of the most magical places in Cornwall, an adorable village with a famous view that is ever changing as well as being ancient and immovable. A dear friend took me off to the lovely Godolphin Hotel for a weekend treat, and it really was perfect. The beauty of the colder months in Cornwall is the quietness, and it was just that, still, poignant and memorable. As you arrive in this little village, all attention centres on the island castle across the bay, and rightly so. The hotel itself is little but stylish, has a laid back charm and a playful feel. The kindest of people, they upgraded our room to one with a balcony and that fabulous view. The restaurant area was the perfect place to have a pre dinner cocktail and watch the sun sink into the horizon. I chatted with a chilled dad, who had snuck away while his kids we...

We are coming into Autumn, a season I truly love, and in which Cornwall shines - woodland walks to stunning sunsets, everything is aglow. From October through to December is also the best time to catch starling murmurations, the name given to the strange phenomena of flocks of starlings creating undulating shapes as they move through the sky. There is another reason why birds are on my mind, I have been working on our latest poster calendar at work as a graphic designer which has a bit of an ornithological theme. I have always found these strange clouds of black somewhat fascinating, experts are still not sure why the birds chose to do this. Is it to exchange information, to keep warm, to ward off predators - or perhaps just for the shear joy of it! Starlings are actually on the British birds at risk list, with numbers 80% down on what we had in the 1970s. In Cornwall though, we did see an increase last year, with areas such as Marazion Marsh seeing thousands of the birds returning....

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