CHURCH COVE (GUNWALLOE) - KYNANCE COVE - THE LIZARD - HAYLE
WEATHER: once again very windy with heavy showers (rain and hail) some sunshine in the morning. Temp 9C
THIS IS NOT A BIRDING HOLIDAY.
Despite a much better weather forecast it actually wasn't that much better, maybe the winds were a little lighter but the amount of rain was about the same.
After breakfast all five of us set off for the Lizard with planned stops at Church Cove and Kynance Cove, it was around 11am when we reached our first destination. Luckily for us a break in the clouds gave us bright sunshine for the hour or so we visited Church Cove, but my god it was windy.
Church Cove with the church of St Winwaloe (Winwallow) nestled behind the hill.
the headstone of St Winwaloe at Church Cove cemetery
Te church and cemetery were relative sheltered and the north end of the beach. I saw a Black Redstart in a tamarisk on the edge of the beach, it flew to the nearby rock face where it was joined by a second one. Wow! Not a bad start. I walked onto the beach and tried to get nearer to the two birds but they were having none of it. Off they went further up the rock face and much further away.
you will just have to believe me that this is a Black Redstart
I tried to get a picture of one of them but you know what they are like, never still and never close! This picture below is my best effort, taken with my phone through my binoculars.
Goose Barnacles attached to a piece of flotsom
here you can see the long necks of the Goose Barnacles - it is what they get their name from
Three Rock Pipits were dashing about on the beach and after a short walk around the cemetery I noted Dunncok, Wren, Blackbird, two Common Kestrels and 3 Robins.
a Rock Pipit
We walked up the hill at the southern end of the cove where a nice view of the cove could be had with the local golf links behind us. On the way back to the car a pair of Ravens flew over us.
looking back over the Cove from the southern hillside - taken by Dawn
Kynance Cove was a different story, it was a fairly long walk down the coastal path into the cove, it was steep at times. We had lost the sun and rain threatened all the time. Down at the cafe in the cove we had a hot drink and ate large chunks of Shortbread Courtesy of Rachel.
looking into Kynance Cove showing the cafe
Just as we got back up to the car the skies opened up and we had a torrential down pour. This continued all the way down to the Lizard (the most southerly point in the UK). We hardly got out of the car at the Lizard, but I did manage to see a pair of Red-billed Choughs from the car park. It rained again so we abandoned our planned walk.
Kynance Cove from the top of te coastal path
It was 3;30pm when we left, we drove to Hayle to visit my good friends Brian and Mary and their son David and of course Fred the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. We ended up going out for a curry at the local Indian restaurant. It was alovely meal and Mary joined us, she is such good company. End of day 5.