She Wore Blue Elvin

 
 
 

I mistakenly assumed that St Ives, like most of West Penwith, was built on granite but now realise that it is built on a much more dense and therefore heavier rock called Blue Elvin. I have looked it up and can find very little about it except that most people seem to call it "Blue Elvin" granite. I'm not so sure that it is granite as it is very different in appearance, texture and density. You cannot break it with a hammer and I would be intrigued to know how the bronze age people that built the local stone walls managed. The few people I have asked seem to think they probably heated it and then poured cold water over it. It would then shatter due to thermal shock.
All the walls around here are built of this stuff and anyone could be forgiven for thinking it was all granite because of the pale colour but this is just the lichen that covers most of it.
Anyway, on to the birds and migration has been very stop and start, so far after that first Wheatear. It was quite a while until 2 more turned up at the point on the 27th whilst the previous day saw 9 Sandwich terns feeding off the harbour. Linnet numbers peaked towards the end of March with 8 birds on the Ayr playing fields on 21st along with 10 in Tom Major's big field and another dozen or so down at Clodgy.
The first Hirundines appeared on the 27th too with 2 Sand martin moving through and 2 Chiff chaffs and a Willow warbler the same day.
The footpaths are now spangled at the edges in many places with Celandines, and Primulas have also finally decided to put in an appearance.
A Water rail was still present on the 2nd April along with a Snipe but the first Swallows didn't appear until the 4th when 3 flew quickly through West. The same day saw the return of Manx shearwaters with good numbers moving West but the following day there was a feeding party very close inshore of about 300 birds along with others passing further out.
Also on 4th there was a Long Tailed duck and a Great northern diver sitting about half a mile off the point.
The dead Water shrew and Common shrew in the photo's were found in exactly the same place along the lane but a week apart. I have now named this part of Burthallan lane "Dead shrew alley".
There was more migrant interest on the 8th when there was a Grasshopper warbler at the bottom of Tom's fields and a sedge warbler at the back of Clodgy. The same morning a Great spotted woodpecker was briefly on the ash trees next to the chicken run. Another Grasshopper warbler the next day was "reeling" from the reeds just West of Clodgy.
Odds and sods of Swallows and Sand martins have continued to trickle through whilst on the 11th an adult summer plumaged Mediterranean gull was off Porthmeor and a single Sandwich tern moved through with 2 "Commic" terns. Of further mammal interest, there was a Weasel at Clodgy on the evening of the 11th along with a dozen male Wheatears.
As soon as the weather warms a bit more I'm expecting a burst of migrant activity with the first Whitethroats appearing along with more Grasshopper and Sedge warblers and who knows what else. Here's hoping.
P.S. The drawing is the lane as it approaches Burthallan farm.