BIRDS
of CORNWALL
The
common land birds are all familiar British species. The sea birds are more
interesting. They fall into five main groups :- cormorants, gulls, auks, petrels
and waders.
Gannets
are to be seen cruising above the water and diving spectacularly from a considerable
height. Various gulls can be found -great black-backed, lesser black-backed,
black headed, herring, kittiwake common tern and roseate tern. Take care if
you are eating in the open around St Ives as you are liable to lose your lunch
to a swooping gull.
The most abundant breeding auks are
the guillimot and razorbill.
Puffins are rarely seen on the mainland but some breed
on the Scillies.
The
Manx shearwater breeds on Scilly too as does the fulmar petrel.
Of the waders you may find the ringed plover, turnstone, snipe, sandpiper, curlew and oystercatcher in and around the estuaries.
Of the waders you may find the ringed plover, turnstone, snipe, sandpiper, curlew and oystercatcher in and around the estuaries.
Cornwall
is renowned as a haven for migratory birds and birds of passage. Each spring
and autumn bird watchers descend on the County in ever increasing numbers
when a rare species is spotted. In May 2002 a rare sighting on Scilly of a
lesser kestrel brought over 2000 twitchers to the islands.
