After all the excitement of the previous day (Cornwall Delivers! - Day 1), I decided to walk from the house I was staying in and stick to the coastline immediate to me.  I knew the stretch of coastline well - after all it included one of our family's favourite swimming spots.  The circuit would take me out through Treleaver, along the mighty serpentine cliffs to Kennack Sands and then up a wooded valley before heading back across dairy farmland.

Of course, I hoped I might find a Yellow-browed Warbler with many being reported just the week before and the strong chance that some may have lingered.  I also dreamed of a rarer warbler - maybe in one of the wooded valleys along my path as I had noted the discovery of a Western Bonelli's Warbler further SW along the Cornish coast the day before.  But birds or no birds, it was going to be an enjoyable walk.

Halfway between Black Head and Kennack Sands I heard a wimpery bird call just ahead of me on the path.  I wasn't sure what it was but it recalled young Bullfinches or a young bird.  I turned the corner (probably too noisily) and saw a small bird fly into the one and only bush sticking out of the heather.  I got my bins focused and wow! A Wryneck!  Having never found my own Wryneck until just a month ago this was a real surprise not to mention a treat.

The bird stayed put just long enough for a quick 'record shot' before disappearing deeper into the undergrowth.  I waited for it to reappear but eventually had to move on leaving it to its disappearing act.

The walk through Kennack Sands produced very little else save a few Chiffchaffs and the ubiquitous Firecrests.  However, as I climbed out of the valley by Trevenwith Farm I encountered the first foraging flock of warblers and tits of the day along with more Goldcrests and Firecrests.  I began to hear what sounded like a Yellow-browed Warbler but very faintly.  However, as the flock moved through it called loudly a few more times and showed itself very well right in front of me!  I managed to capture one call in a short video.

The walk had indeed been a success as far as birds were concerned but the next day the weather closed in limiting my options.  However, in the evening I returned to Treleaver valley and was reward with my first Ring Ouzel of the autumn flying up the valley along with quite a few Blackbirds.

The following day (17th) saw me join local birder, Steve Wood, for a seawatch at the Lizard Point.  From 7.30 - 9am we witnessed the continuing (and extraordinary) passage of Cory's Shearwaters - at least 60 past - along with smaller numbers of Manx Shearwaters and a single Great Shearwater.  Seeing large shearwaters regularly off the Lizard has become expected in the last 5 years but prior to that they were very scarce so close in and certainly not as late as mid-October!  A group of 7 Choughs also left the roost noisily at first light.

After the seawatch I traipsed around the Lizard fields looking for rarer pipits but with no joy.  The highlight, however, was a group of 20+ Ringed Plovers roosting in a freshly ploughed field.

My final day on the Lizard saw me walk a long circuit of Kynance Farm and the surrounding moorland.  While the Bluetail appeared to have well and truly gone I was rewarded with another Ring Ouzel that dropped in near the ruins at Kynance Farm along with a flock of 60+ Golden Plover circling over Predannack Airfield.  Walking out across the moor and I encountered a couple of Dartford Warblers scolding me from the scrub along with 5 late Swallows heading south.  I finished the day with a late afternoon seawatch from Porthoustock that turned up very little save a steady flow of Mediterranean Gulls, a few Manx Shearwaters and a single Great Skua that I managed a distant photo of.

My recent visits to Potwells in North Mymms Park have helped me 're-imagine' birding in Herts and begin to believe that good birds might be found, more regularly...if we look!  The temptation is always to look and travel outside Herts for the best birding, or just to wait for others to turn something up, but I think the best rewards come from doing the legwork and discovering some local birds.

My decision to regularly 'do vismig' or observe visible migration from Potwells was long overdue and regular recent visits have rewarded me with a great selection of birds that I just wouldn't normally see in Herts, at least not every year - Goshawk, Tree Pipit, Woodlark & Hawfinch.  Usually I have to wait for a trip to Dunwich Heath in Suffolk or to Wykeham Forest in North Yorkshire but not only have I now seen these birds locally but also more than once!

Today I arrived at 6am - perhaps a bit too early as it was properly dark but I did get several Tawny Owls calling!  For the first hour, even hour and a half, passage was slow to non-existent but eventually Chaffinches and Meadow Pipits began to call and suddenly a Brambling was flying around overhead!

Siskins were plentiful but just after 7.30am I caught a glimpse of a large finch flying up the valley.  Unfortunately it disappeared before I could really confirm what it was but it made me think "Hawfinch".  I played the call and listened and realised I could hear a ticking call - it grew louder and I picked up the 'tseep' flight call too.  I knew it must be perched somewhere on the edge of the wood and, sure enough, there it was, a nice male Hawfinch!  At the same time I thought I could hear another bird but couldn't see it.

Once a Herts speciality, the Hawfinch is now a very rare breeder in Herts and scarce winter visitor.  I don't usually see them every year in Herts and only got to grips with their various calls during the big influx of the winter of 2017/18 when many birds were around in local woods.  It is still a real treat to find a Hawfinch - something I do every year when I visit a known stronghold at Lynford Arboretum in Norfolk - but this was extra special being in woods local to me.

I kept alert and 2 more Hawfinch flew over headed southwest soon after 8am and a further Brambling too.  Despite otherwise low numbers of passage birds the quality had not been lacking.  Swallows and House Martins also continued to make their way south but otherwise the skies were quieter than in previous visits.  I plan to visit again soon - surely Crossbill and Ring Ouzel must be likely potential additions...?