Nigel Wheatley

That's two of the 1987 Texas crew who have found wintering Least Sandpipers in Britain now! @Vaasetter and @nickwall865 Three to go.

A canny seawatch from Cape Cornwall this morning 08:00-11:00 with @raoulhumph - Juvenile Sabine's Gull (at 10:55), 17 Balearic Shearwaters, 3 Sooty Shearwaters and 4 Arctic Skuas.

At last, with the wind in the east, some birds to report on the patch between Cot Valley and Boscregan; Wryneck (near Letcha, south side of Cot), Water Rail, 4 Whinchats, 2 Firecrests and a Tree Pipit.

Still no large shears off Cape Cornwall but a bloody Humpback breached three times behind The Brisons this morning! That was between 08:40 and 08:45. Then a few blows as it seemed to move off north. Mega.

Looks like if I hadn't gone birding this morning I would've seen a first for Britain, since the Booted Eagle flew over a house just down the road from mine in St Just🙄🙁😒. I got the call but was on the patch at Boscregan, just too far south, and just the c200 Red Kites for me.

Classic patch birding. 'Nothing to report' on repeat for weeks & weeks then bang bang; a sprig of gorse at the top of Cot Valley at 08:30 turns out to be a mega male Golden Oriole which then flew up Cot where a Purple Heron was flying around, before heading off south at 08:45!

I've read this book every winter since it came out and I'm about to finish it again. It's brilliant. Lars Jonsson is not only a great bird artist he has a deep knowledge of birds and writes about it so well. Highly recommended.

The usual Porpoises, some unusual Common Dolphins, and a most unusual Humpback Whale off Cape Cornwall this rare, relatively calm morning in winter 2023-24. The whale drifted slowly north between 10:30 and 11:00.

Many thanks Steve. You've just made my day.

A December Sooty Shearwater past Cape Cornwall this morning, and 11 Manx.

There's rarely a dull day #seawatching at Cape Cornwall. Today, a Humpback Whale loafed about on the surface, did a big blow, then dived, just southeast of the offshore stacks called The Brisons, at 10:15. A Perg was perched on said stacks, & a Bonxie was on the sea off the Cape.

I thought it was all over. I was wrong. A fine late flurry of #vismig over Cot Valley, with 1250+ Wood Pigeons, 95+ Stock Doves, 50+ Fieldfares, 50+ Redwings, 50+ Chaffinches, a Reed Bunting and two Swallows, mostly north.

There was a deathly end-of-season silence in Cot Valley this morning (virtually no #vismig ... again!) then a Yellow-browed popped up to make my day. Same place as one on 25th Oct - by bridge to ruins half way down the valley - but probably a new bird.

Great views of Great Shearwaters #seawatching off Cape Cornwall this morning, best in the 15 years I've been here! A patch record of 42 as well, plus 5 Sooties, 13 Manx and a Grey Phal. Mega.

At last, a day without wind in West Penwith! And therefore some much-missed patch #vismig including 110+ Redwings, 87 Fieldfares, 160+ Chaffinches, Brambling, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting, and 700+ Wood Pigeons (with many more inland).

Great write-up Reuben. Honest, straightforward and exciting.

Managed to squeeze in a couple of hours #seawatching at Cape Cornwall 10:00-12:00 when still WNW7 and saw 1 probable Leach's, 10 Arctic Skuas, 5 Sooty Shears, 2 Balearic Shears, 2 GN Divers, 1 Rt Diver, 3 C Scoters, and thousands of Kittiwakes and Razorbills.

Another grand morning on the Cot Valley-Boscregan patch. Not much #vizmig ... apart from a remarkable flock of 16 Grey Herons and a Great White Egret north at 09:40! And grounded migrants included a Lap Bunt, 3 ROuzels and a Brambling.

Ahhh the wonders of #vismig Patch tick Spoonbill E over Boscregan 09:30. Wasn't expecting that! Or the Grey Plov N. Usual birds incl Lap Bunt N, 167 Chaffinches, 25 Siskins & a Merlin. Spooner wasn't bird-of-the-day either - a Barn Owl (rare here) flew out of some ivy by my head!