A few months ago I watched a rerun of a TV show about Cornwall, I had a holiday planned and wanted to find out a little more about the area from a local perspective (the presenter has grown up, lived and worked in Cornwall for many years).
One of the things he highlighted while visiting Lands End was the growing population of Choughs in the region, a bird from the Corvid family that has long had a presence in Cornwall but whose numbers had declined significantly but were now beginning to gain a foothold once again. They are distinguishable by the curved bright red beak and red legs and are quite at home on the exposed rocky coastline.
I had seen them previously at a distance in Anglesey near South Stack but not close enough to photograph them. Visiting Lands End I hoped to see some a bit closer but although I did spot some they were never quite close enough.
I was staying in Newquay and one morning I went for a walk along Pentire Headland which provided some great views across Fistral Beach and along the coast. I spotted a small flock of Choughs along one edge of the headland and slowly approached them with my camera at the ready, fully expecting them to fly off but although they were a little wary they were too busy feeding to take much notice as I gradually inched towards them down on their level.
It was so rewarding to see them knowing that not so long ago this would not have been possible and hopefully you will agree that they are quite cool looking birds and you will see why I was so "chuffed" to capture these shots.
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