The far west of Cornwall ranks as one of the top spots in the
UK for seabird-watching , and dedicated birders spend hundreds of hours every
summer and autumn - often in grim conditions - on the local headlands in the
hope of catching a glimpse of a really rare seabird.
Soft-plumaged
Petrel......South Polar Skua even...who knows ? |
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Uniquely situated exactly at the junction of the English Channel
and the Celtic Sea , Gwennap Head, Porthgwarra must be the site -
regularly producing large counts of unusual seabirds and consistently turning
up real rarities. |
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Cory`s Shearwater- South-west Cornwall speciality ,
Porthgwarra is the top site , Pendeen and St.Ives Island can also produce in
the right conditions.
(Image - Peter
Walsh) |
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On the North Coast, Pendeen Lighthouse is the place to be ; and
this site`s track record comes pretty close to Gwennap Head. St.Ives Island,
further to the northeast, is also a hotspot in the right conditions. |
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The main requirement for successful
seawatching - other than patience - is a good understanding of the weather. The
prime time generally is during or just after onshore gales. Winds between
southeast and west favour Gwennap Head ; between west and north favour Pendeen.
Strong northwesterlies or northerlies entrap birds in the confines of St.Ives
Bay, bringing St.Ives Island into its own.
Gwennap Head has an exception to
this in that , particularly in July and August, light southeasterlies can bring
significant numbers of Cory`s Shearwater reasonably close inshore. |
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| Other Seawatching Sites |
| Cape Cornwall is a good vantage point , probably underwatched, and
on `good Pendeen` days will no doubt perform. Access from St.Just , resonable
amount of parking. |
Lands End is generally not so good (though worth a look). From the
north, the birds seem to leave Cape Cornwall & the Brisons and move
seawards, passing well offshore at Land End.
Probably fair to say that if
its good at Lands End, then you`re missing something pretty spectacular at
either Pendeen or Porthgwarra !! |
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| Pendeen - Travel Information |
| From Penzance , take A3071 for St.Just. After Newbridge veer right
onto B3318 for Pendeen. At Pendeen, go straight across cross-roads and down
unclassified road to Pendeen Lighthouse. Reasonable amount of parking above
lighthouse.. |
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