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Description
Porthgwarra has a bit of everything, habitat wise and a full day here can turn up a surprising amount of birds.
The car park has a small wooded copse to its north and this is often a good place to start your day. Britains first Пісняр горихвістковий was found here years ago and more recent rarirites include Дрізд-короткодзьоб плямистоволий! During Autumn migration the wood is good for Мухоловка строката and Мухоловка сіра, Вівчарик лісовий, Золотомушка червоночуба and possibly something rarer such as Мухоловка мала or Вівчарик зелений.
From here walk up the valley and after the wooden five bar gate take the path to the left and down into the wooded valley known as 60 Foot Cover. On a calm sunny morning take time here to stand/sit and observe the copse. A Кукліло північний was found by a visiting birder in October 2014. This area is also good for warblers which can include Кропив’янка чорноголова, Кропив’янка сіра, Кропив’янка прудка, Вівчарик весняний, Вівчарик-ковалик and Кропив’янка садова.
Go back out of the valley and take the footpath right again onto the moorland. Just before the wall that cuts across the moor is the 'Dried up Pool'. Despite its name its not always dried up, but this is a good place to look for Крутиголовка звичайна in the Autumn. The moor is a good spot for Сивка звичайна in the winter and Pipits and Buntings during the Autumn. Подорожник лапландський is a regular Autumn migrant here and Кам’янка звичайна and Трав’янка лучна can be found amongst the heather. Трав'янка чорноголова are very common too. Keep a look out for birds of prey. Сапсан, Лунь польовий, Лунь очеретяний, Підсоколик великий, Підсоколик малий, Боривітер звичайний, Сипуха and Сова болотяна have all been seen here.
A walk further towards Lands' End will find you at Trevean Pool. The pool itself is pretty much inaccesible but the surounding woodland is great for spring and autumn scarce migrants and overshoots like Берестянка звичайна, Берестянка багатоголоса, Сорокопуд терновий and Сорокопуд червоноголовий, Кропив'янка червоновола, Одуд and Даурська ластівка. Keep a listen out for flyover Щедрик європейський in Spring too! Anything can turn up here.
Resident birds include Клушиця, Крук звичайний, Жайворонок польовий, Щеврик лучний, Кропивник, Тинівка лісова, Вільшанка and Щеврик острівний.
From July through to late September, Porthgwarra becomes one of the UK's top seawatching hotspots. Some of the country's rarest seabirds have been seen from the cliffs at Gwennap Head including Альбатрос чорнобровий, Тайфунник азорський, Тайфунник тринідадський (yet to be accepted) and Океанник вільсона. When conditions are right (South-westerly gales are best!) there can be thousands of Буревісник cередземноморський, Буревісник великий, Буревісник сивий, Balearic Shearwater and Буревісник малий with a supporting cast of Качурка морська Буревісник кочівний, Сула атлантична, Поморник короткохвостий, Поморник довгохвостий, Поморник великий, Поморник середній, Мартин вилохвостий, Плавунець плоскодзьобий, Качурка північна and all manor of divers, ducks, auks, terns, gulls and waders flying past!
Details
Access
From the A30 near Land's End take the B3315 to Polgigga, just after the duck pond take the road signposted to Porthgwarra. This is a very narrow road and can be busy during the summer and weekends. Get there early to avoid the crowds! There is a pay and display car park, toilets and a nice cafe that does great coffee, cakes and pasties!