Spoonbills & old folks.

Hayle: 12 October 2007

After my last brief stint over to the estuary and my failure to spot the spoonbill, I wanted to make sure this new stint was a success; my parents, fresh from another bout of Natures Calendar, were coming over.

We arrived (Mumsy, Daddykins & Tracee baby) at around 1.30pm and parked up at Ryans field. A Curlew dropped in followed by 3 kingfishers (making their presence known in the usually squeaky fashion). A pair of Grey Wagtails pondered their existence whilst a Robin gave my mummy the run-around as she searched for the Kingfishers.

We spent a moment or two in the hide before playing chicken with the traffic to set up camp overlooking the main estuary.

Gulls (the tiresome variety), plenty of Teals and a large gathering of Widgeon stood or sat (depending on water temperature) around the waters edge. Little Egrets stabbed at the sand, a Curlew was busy picking the legs off a crab and Grey Herons sat on the far bank waiting for the train to pull in.

In the distance, a large white bird could be seen shovelling his beak through the water as if panning for gold after taking a large dose of ProPlus. Yes, it was the Spoonbill, who was hanging around with the Canada Geese and a few Graylags.

We watched the beast for 10 minutes or so before deciding to head of to Carnsew Pool and so we could head back onto the main estuary from there (giving us a closer viewpoint). My father stayed in the pay & display across the road from Jewsons, so we (Mother dear, Tracee and my good self) wandered over to the Pool. The first bird we hit was the Red Breasted Merganser, who cut a lonely figure in the water. Curlews, Red Shanks and probably other waders skipped away over yonder, but we had to rush to get the last viewing of the Spoon before heading back home.

By this time, the Spoon had parked up and shoved his head where the sun don’t shine, but luckily he did come out for some fresh air (or when disturbed by the aerobatics of the Geese). The extra walk paid off then.

I’m back in Hayle on Thursday for a ‘nearly’ full days birding, if anybody is around on that day, I’m the one who looked like he’s just escaped from the loonybin.