After a day off I’m obliged to wander the cliff tops looking out for choughs again.  Our pair are mildly agitated by what I’m fairly sure is a female peregrine today.  But she (the peregrine) doesn’t give them the same stick as in previous days.   My impression is that it’s the smaller male that seems to take pot shots at most birds.  Not that I’m able to spend time tracking the peregrines to know whether it’s just the one pair that I’m seeing, or how successful they are, but I get the impression that the male I’ve seen is a bit more laid back and mischievous than the female, who’s probably just battering prey out of the sky while I’m not around (peregrines tend to hunt early).

It’s a bit damp first thing today, but the sun comes out before I start walking, and I hear a plethora of bird song as I hit the coast paths.  Blackcaps, whitethroats, chiffchaffs, finches, tits, swallows, blackbirds, song thrushes, etc.  I’m lovin’ it.

Ha, Saxicola rubicola.  Such a quality name.  Saxicola means rock dweller, and rubicola means to drink red fizzy pop.  These birds are also known as stonechats, because they often make a call exactly like the sound of two small stones being knocked together.  On the coast they hang about in the scrub, eating insects; further in land they like heathland and small scrub.  Whilst walking this evening I was lucky enough to see male and female feeding a juvenile.  I’m afraid I only managed a decent shot of Mrs Rubicola, but I think it’s one of the most exciting photos I’ve ever taken.

The male, by the way, really is a striking fellow.  See a previous shot of him here (not the same one you understand, there are more than one pair in Cornwall, thankfully)

In other news, a peregrine was about today, at one point giving the choughs quite a hard time.  They both kept low on the rocks for a while, until it moved on.  It also swooped for a gull, and a house martin while I was watching.  It didn’t seem to be putting much effort in, just gliding along and then darting towards something before gliding on again.  Magic to watch.

I walk about in the sunshine wondering if all is ok (see previous entry).  Apparently the choughs haven’t been seen at their usual feeding site this morning.  But then I see one, and then the other.  In fact they spent a lot of the day feeding near me.  And it’s beautiful day, and I maybe get a bit carried away, taking pictures of everything I see…

I’ve returned to Cornwall to join up with the chough project again.  My role is, essentially, to monitor the young pair that I was observing before the Scotland trip.  I will be camping, and wandering up to 5 or 6 km of coastal path on a daily basis.  Why am I doing this?  Ha, you’ll see.

On my first day back I catch up with the male Brownblue first thing.  He seems well, and a little while later both him and Whitebrown are feeding within a few metres of me.  When I last saw them they had eggs, now they are parents.  We think it’ll be about 3 to 4 more weeks to fledging time.

I also see stonechats, whitethroats, kestrel, jackdaws and gulls a plenty.  And there are so many other species of plants, invertebrates, etc here that it gives me a great opportunity to indulge the nature geek in me.  It’s a great day right up to point where a raven comes a calling.  Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against ravens, (in fact, like all birds, they are my favourite bird) but they are known to take other bird’s eggs and young.  Our young choughs are well aware of this and make a point of attempting to beat the crap out of any raven that passes over their territory.  As they do this the raven glides along and skilfully performs its 180 degree evasion technique, where it turns upside down whilst flying.  It’s amazing to watch.

Anyway, last thing today there was a big commotion involving a raven, the choughs, some jackdaws and, I think, a kestrel, although I was surprised to see the kestrel flying away from the seen, as they usually don’t get involved.  As the raven flew away it clearly had something small and black in its mouth.  I couldn’t see what it was, but the other birds were disturbed.  Unfortunately, I had to leave shortly afterwards, so I walked home feeling a little worried…