Many thanks to Nick Watmough for reviewing this week’s photographic compilation of Cornwall’s birds.

“This week’s submissions were bookended by two super images of waders. On Monday serial POTW winner Alex McKechnie set the bar high with a lovely portrait of a summer plumage Turnstone from Penzance Harbour. And at the end of the week Steve Wood evidenced his excellent self-found Temminck’s Stint at Brays Cott on the Lizard with a photo of it next to a Dunlin showing its size and yellow legs. In between John St Ledger and Simon Willson had a go at capturing the Wood Sandpiper that has been frequenting the Golden Lion cutoff at Stithians, but along with the other waders there it remains too far away from the hide.

August means it must be seabird season which this year has been characterised by record numbers of Wilson’s Petrels in Cornish inshore waters. Back in the day I travelled from Tyneside to Penzance to sail with Peter Harrison on the Chalice to the famous “Wilson’s Triangle” to try and add this long-distance migrant from the Southern oceans to my list. Fast forward 37 years and much has changed! It seems you can rock up to any Cornish headland in suitable conditions and see them passing offshore. Which means taking a boat offshore offers an excellent chance to photograph them. That is exactly what Gill Fisher did and was rewarded with nice images of Wilson’s (complete with yellow webs) and a gorgeous Cory’s Shearwater, which was a strong contender for POTW, from a cruise on the Mermaid out of Penzance. Further trips are planned on 19th and 22nd August and can be booked at https://phpstack-1062218-5178801.cloudwaysapps.com/pelagic-trips

Not to be outdone, intrepid paddler and multiple POTW winner Rupert Kirkwood took his Kayak out into Mount’s Bay. No Wilson’s for Rupert but he did submit an excellent flight shot of a European Storm Petrel which is remarkable as this tiny fluttering tubenose is the toughest of our regular seabirds to photograph at sea and consequently this was also a strong contender for POTW.

Back on land there was a selection of lovely images, and whilst I can’t give a shout out to everyone who contributed I especially enjoyed Caroline Taylor’s Cirl Bunting (Roseland), Jeff Horsey’s Green Woodpecker (Tregeare, Launceston), Robin Chiffers’s Kingfisher (Middle Amble) and Allistair Swansons’s Little Grebe (Siblyback Lake). In fact, it is another of Allistair’s contributions that gets my vote for POTW – this is his flight shot of a Gadwall coming into land taken at Walmsley. Not only is it tack sharp (look at the exquisite feather details), but also beautifully exposed with the muted greys and browns of the duck’s plumage showcased by the soft green background.

Thanks to everybody who submitted their sightings and the accompanying photos – it was as ever an absolute joy to review them, and I look forward to seeing what the rest of the autumn brings.”

Congratulations Allistair on winning your first POTW!