CORNWALL BIRDING PELAGICS

Cornwall Birding Pelagics can now offer 14 dates throughout July, August and September 2010 for Pelagic Seabird excursions off St Ives looking for Wilson’s Petrels. We may also be able to arrange other dates for interested groups or parties. We may be getting a new boat in 2010, so we’ll keep you posted!

See the Pelagics Link at the top of the Home page for booking and further details.

Apologies to all those who have booked on this saturdays Cornwall Birding Pelagic but Im afraid we have had to cancel it again due to the weather forecast for saturday morning. We have secured one more date for 2009 which will be Saturday 12th September. The boat will leave at 6am returning to St Ives for around 12 noon. Please contact us for booking and further details. Once again, sorry about this coming saturday!

Once again the weather has spoiled our plans for the third Cornwall Birding Pelagic. Saturdays trip is now cancelled. There are just two places left on Saturday 5th September or we could run one more on 12th September if there is enough interest.

The Cornwall Birding Pelagic from St Ives on the 22nd August 2009  - *CANCELLED* Sincere apologies but this weekends Pelagic has had to be cancelled due to adverse weather forecast. The north coast of Cornwall is expected to have near gale force gusts on Saturday after three days of SW/W strong winds. Although they are southerly (which would be fine usually) there is a 20ft spring high tide and huge ground swell. This would in theory mean we wouldn’t even get out of St Ives Bay!

Next available places on Cornwall Birding Pelagics are on Saturday 5th September 2009.

Two more WILSON’S STORM PETRELS were the highlight of the second Cornwall Birding Pelagic out of St Ives this morning. The first was seen approximately 7 miles NNW of St Ives and the second a bit nearer land at 3.5 miles. With the wind SW, other birds were lacking and only three Manx Shearwaters were seen. Thirty European Storm-petrels followed the boat along with plenty of Gannet, Fulmar and Gulls.

Wilson’s Storm Petrel, 7 miles NNW of St Ives from Cornwall Birding Pelagic (Photo:Ash Hugo)

We are pleased to confirm another two dates for Cornwall Birding Pelagics leaving St Ives this August. Saturday 22nd and Saturday 29th August 2009 are now confirmed and places available for booking. See PELAGICS link at the top of the page for details and booking.

The Cornwall Birding Pelagic on August 15th is now full. Thankyou for everyones enquiries and there will hopefully be further Pelagics on 22nd and 29th August which will be confirmed over the next few days.

After the success of the first Cornwall Birding Pelagic we have now secured another date and will be leaving St Ives Harbour on Saturday 15th August 2009. (Weather dependant). The cost is £35 and we leave at 05.00hrs returning at 11.00hrs. There are only 6 places left for this date (We will be running others later in the month). Please e-mail us at Cornwall Birding for details and to secure your place. First come first served.

South West Optics’ Steve Rogers organised another North Cornwall pelagic today, this time from Newquay and on a faster boat (with toilets!), the Atlantic Diver. At 30 knots the boat soon powered to 20 miles NNW of Newquay. No Wilsons this time but great views of Balearic Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater (2), Storm Petrel (80), Arctic Tern, Arctic Skua and Great Skua and large numbers of migrating Common Terns. The sea conditions were  much calmer this time so we look forward to Steves photos appearing on his blog soon.

The first north coast Pelagic off Cornwall this morning saw twelve of the counties birders leaving St Ives at 5am in search of Wilson’s Petrel. There have been sightings from boats off Padstow of Wilson’s this year and last and this was our main reason for arranging a Pelagic today. As light broke our first bird appeared in the form of a Balearic Shearwater, followed soon after by a European Storm-petrel. The engine was cut at about 7 mile NW of St Ives and the ’chum’ put overboard. Within minutes the backof the boat was awash with European Storm Petrels and Fulmars. At about 07.20hrs a slightly larger Petrel appeared from the east of the boat and the shout went up, “WILSONS!” Eventually two Wilson’s Storm-petrels showed superbly down to approximately 30m. They were seen again on two further occasions slightly further away. Other birds of note were Arctic Skua (2), Manx Shearwater (numerous), Balearic Shearwater (2 more), Arctic Tern (3), Common Tern, Puffin (3), large shearwter sp. and Med Gull. As we entered the quieter waters of St Ives bay on our return, we paused to throw off the rest of the ‘chum’ and were rewarded with close views of two Risso’s Dolphins and an Ocean Sunfish!

A great morning providing more evidence of  Wilson’s Petrel in north cornish waters. Thanks to all who joined us aboard and especially to Royston who did a sterling job with the chum! For further photos and an alternative trip report see Steve Rogers Blog HERE