Perfect timing for Kynance Cove Brown Booby (Cornwall day 1)

Brown Booby (Chris Bromley)

Kynance Cove

The Lizard

St Ives Booby (Paul Freestone)

When in Cornwall

Chough

Birding is a funny old game and it's impossible to guess what will be the next rarity that you get to see. For sure, a Brown Booby would have never been on anyones list.

This first British record was discovered by a birder on holiday with no optics whilst sat on the stunning St Ives beach. It proved very illusive until Saturday 31st August when it perched up close to beach giving amazing views. Hugh number of birders then headed to Cornwall hoping to see this fantasstic bird on the Sunday only for the bird to disappear leaving hundreds of birders with nothing but a long drive home. Thankfully for us we decided the traffic would be impossible to beat so it would be just one bird we would miss.

Then on Monday 2nd September, a different bird was discovered at Kynance Cove on the Lizzard also in Cornwall. With two days booked off on the Thursday & Friday would it stick? So we hatched to plan to leave early Thursday and stay over one night giving us a couple of chances.

A 4am alarm clock is never easy on the body but Roland drove us to our destination in quick time and we were blessed with positive news within 30 minutes of our final destination. The walk down to the viewing point was about 300 metres and there were around 50 birders present with numbers growing during the morning. The Brown Booby made us wait for our sighting. It was well over an hour before the sea bird emerged to fly similar to a Gannet and fish in both bays either side giving us some excellent views. The bird was too quick for my camera so I concentrated on watching the bird well. Thankfully the above photos were taken by two birders who I know, credits detailed. 

For those who are not aware the Brown Booby is a large sea bird that is usually found on the far side of the Atlantic around the Caribbean. 

Other sightings included 7 Chough, a Whimbrel, Peregrine, Sparrowhawk & Meadow Pipits. We moved over to Pendeen in the afternoon but other than Gannets, slow movement of Manx Shearwaters & a family of Stonechats. On the evening we met up with our Scilly Captain, Paul Freestone, for a hearty meal and a couple of pints to celebrate a great day.