Another Sunny day and I thought I'd start my wanderings about as close to my old haunting ground as possible without leaving dry land. Lands End to Cape Cornwall. Clear skies and the Scillies in view I along with approximately 25000 Chinese visitors dismounted the open top double decker bus at Lands End and bee-lined towards the cliffside.

 

 

In all honesty I was cringing a little looking at the sheer number of people and feared I had made the wrong choice of destination but then looking at the vistas and the expanse of blue sea and sky it was no wonder why everyone and their dog had decided to make their way out to the most westerly point of the British Isles. That said I made my way towards Sennen and a little peace and quiet as quickly as possible.

 

 

After less than a quarter of a mile I decided I was close enough to half way through my stroll that a lunch stop was justified. Perched on a boulder munching on sandwiches. The expanse of healthland provides the usual list of suspects lined along the cliffside. These male stonechats (named for their teeth/stone grinding sounding call) love to pose for the camera.

 

Pairs of Linnets dotted the headland although quite pretty I always think they have slightly evil looking eyes.....

 

 

 

 Although all rather beautiful I kept walking on through Sennen Cove and Gwenver until the people got sparser and the things to see got a little more abundant...

 

 

 

 

 

Currently the Sea Thrift is blooming and is hosting innumerable number of insects and critters, above is one of hundreds of Common Blue Butterflies enjoying the sunshine and newly available nectar. I spent quite some time tripping over boulders and tufts of grass trying to photograph this Six Spot Burnet moth. Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries seem to be dotting the coastline at the moment too...

 

 

 While my head was facing the floor chasing my little insectual friends I inadvertently sent this Kestrel flying from his perch. Although the picture is a little dark I was quite happy with the way his eyes seemed to meet mine down the lens.

 

 

Venturing a little down the way and I was headed towards what was my unconscious desire to venture on this particular walk. Being the avian symbol for Cornwall I decided to go Chough hunting. The numbers around the county are pitiful to say the least but as well as the Lizard this little stretch of coast is home to a small but noisy little 'Chattering' of Choughs ( a wonderful collective noun methinks...)

 

 

After taking this picture I heard a very distinctive call and turned around to witness a fly-by by an inquisitive red beaked black bird.

 

 

After I wiped the strange little smile off my face and decided to loiter and see if they would put on a show. They did a little too.

 

 

 

I'm really not sure what they were getting up to in this picture but I like the tangle. Finally one decided to pose for the obligatory 'on a post' picture....

 

 

 

Almost there and after unsuccessfully trying to picture one of the hundreds of Swallows that were up to their usual tricks plucking insects out of the sky I decided to chase yet more butterflies into the hedges.

 

 

 

Speckled Wood and a Female Common Blue.  Then I started to look at stuff even closer.....

 

 

After scrutinising several random patches of hedge and some rocks I realised that the Cape was upon me. Although wanting to venture further on I thought that I already had a few too many hundred pictures and it would take me longer to look at them than the time it took to do the walk itself.

 

 

This stretch of the South West Peninsula is always different and always stunning. There are amazing cows en route, cliffs, tiny little flowers, minestacks, streams, little bridges over streams, sunsets, the Scillies on the horizon, coves, choughs, ......

 

 

Oh and 10 points to anyone who guessed it was a Grey Squirrel.