Lizard Point, located on the southern tip of Cornwall, United Kingdom, is a prime birdwatching location with a diverse array of bird species. With its cliffs, moorlands, and proximity to the sea, Lizard Point attracts many coastal, wetland, and grassland bird species throughout the year. Birdwatchers flock to Lizard Point to catch glimpses of rare birds migrating through as well as resident species in their natural habitats.
Some key questions birdwatchers may have about the avian fauna at Lizard Point include:
- What are the most common bird species seen there throughout the year?
- What rare migrating birds can be spotted there during migration seasons?
- Which specific locations at Lizard Point offer the best birdwatching opportunities?
- What time of day or season is best for observing particular species?
- What wildlife conservation efforts help protect birds at Lizard Point?
Year-Round Residents
Several bird species make Lizard Point their year-round home. These birds tough out the winter seasons and breed during spring and summer in the habitats surrounding Lizard Point. Some of the most commonly seen residents include:
Bird | Description |
---|---|
Chough | Crow-like coastal birds that forage along the cliffs and can be identified by their red curved bills and “chuffing” calls |
Fulmar | Seabirds in the petrel family with pale gray plumage and stiff wings ideal for gliding over the ocean |
Raven | One of the largest passerine birds, ravens are intelligent corvids sometimes seen scavenging along the cliffs |
Shag | Small black cormorants that nest on ledges along the rocky coast and dry their wings while perched |
Stonechat | Tiny chat-like songbirds found year-round in scrubby coastal vegetation |
Linnet | Colorful finches that flock together and live in scrubland and farmland habitats |
These resident birds and more adapt to find food, shelter, and nesting spots along the dramatic seaside cliffs and scrubby vegetation. Hardy birds like shags, fulmars, and choughs thrive due to the fish, invertebrates, and plant material available at the coast and require minimal migration.
Habitat Preferences and Behaviors
The resident birds exhibit preferences for certain habitats and behaviors at Lizard Point:
- Choughs, fulmars, shags, and ravens frequent the steep coastal cliffs where they nest and hunt
- Stonechats and linnets prefer scrublands with low bushes and rocks where they can flit about while hunting insects
- Fulmars, shags, and choughs are aquatic birds that plunge dive or surface dive to catch fish and invertebrates
- Ravens scavenge on carrion washed up on shore or dropped by other cliff nesting birds
- Linnets and stonechats make cup-like nests woven into low scrubby vegetation to raise their young
These habitat preferences and behaviors allow the birds to carve out specialized niches within the Lizard Point ecosystem that provide enough food and shelter throughout the year without migrating great distances.
Seasonal Visitors
In addition to year-round residents, a variety of migratory birds stop at Lizard Point as they travel along their migratory routes in spring and autumn. The migrating birds take advantage of stopover habitats to rest and refuel during their long journeys between their wintering and breeding grounds. Some migratory species that can be spotted at Lizard Point include:
Bird | Migration Timing | Description |
---|---|---|
Wheatear | Spring and autumn | Slim songbirds with white rumps on their way between Africa and Eurasia |
Swallow | Spring and autumn | Swift flying birds like house martins and sand martins passing through on their way to and from Africa |
Whimbrel | Spring and autumn | Large curlews stopping to refuel on migration between the Arctic coasts and Africa |
Osprey | Spring and autumn | Fish-eating raptors that migrate between Africa and Europe to breed |
These migratory visitors provide excitement for birders hoping to spot rare species passing through Lizard Point during the migration seasons. Wheatears arrive in spring sporting their fresh breeding plumage, while young swallows on their first autumn migration form large flocks numbering in the thousands.
Stopover Ecology
When migrating through Lizard Point, birds engage in important stopover ecology behaviors:
- Resting to recover from physically demanding long-distance flights over the ocean
- Foraging to build up critical fat reserves needed to power further migration
- Sheltering in habitat that provides protection from predators and weather during vulnerable periods
The coastline, grasslands, and scrubby habitat offer good foraging and shelter sites for refueling. Swallows hawk for insects over fields, wheatears probe soil for invertebrates, whimbrels probe wet rocks and mud with their long curved bills searching for crabs and mollusks. Lizard Point provides a diversity of stopover habitat important for migrant survival.
Rare Vagrants
In addition to regular migratory visitors, Lizard Point attracts rare vagrant species that show up far outside their normal ranges. Vagrants are typically migratory birds that have been blown off course by storms or confusing wind patterns during migration. Some rare vagrants to look for at Lizard Point include:
Bird | Description |
---|---|
Cape May Warbler | A small gray and yellow wood-warbler that breeds in Canada and the northeastern US |
Cedar Waxwing | A sleek crested songbird named for red wax-like wingtips common across North America |
Wilson’s Storm Petrel | A small seabird that breeds on islands in the southern hemisphere and wanders north occasionally |
Vagrants represent exciting rarities at Lizard Point since they would not normally occur in the UK. Birders relish the chance to spot and photograph these off-course avian wonders far from their typical ranges.
Causes and Effects of Vagrancy
Vagrancy occurs due to:
- Navigational errors where birds veer off their normal migration route
- Getting carried off course by major storms like hurricanes
- Young naive birds on their first migration wandering astray
Effects of vagrancy can include:
- Increased risk of mortality due to exhaustion, starvation, and predation in unfamiliar habitats
- Not reaching breeding grounds in time to secure prime territory and mates
- Providing an influx of rare birds outside their normal ranges for birders to spot and enjoy
While vagrancy represents a hazard for affected birds, it does provide rare birding opportunities for observers eager to see exotic species far from home.
Ideal Birding Locations
Certain spots within Lizard Point give birders the best chance to observe the peninsula’s avian diversity:
Kennack Sands
This beautiful beach on the eastern side of Lizard Point offers sightings of coastal species like oystercatchers, turnstones, ringed plovers, and sanderlings foraging on the rocky shores and sandy beach. The saltwater marsh habitat behind the beach also hosts shorebirds and seabirds.
Lizard Point Cliffs
The imposing sea cliffs on the southernmost tip of the peninsula host most of Lizard Point’s seabird residents and are the premier place to observe breeding choughs, fulmars, shags, and other cliff nesters. Listen for the eerie wails of fulmars through the windswept cliffs.
Polpeor Cove
This secluded cove features a mix of rocky shoreline and sheltered waters that attract shorebirds, gulls, cormorants, and divers/loons. Scan the cove from vantage points on the cliff tops.
Predannack Airfield
Birds like short-eared owls, linnets, stonechats, and wintering raptors hunt over the airfield’s wide open grasslands. This is a good spot for witnessing the huge flocks of swallows and other songbirds passing through on migration as well.
With this mix of habitats, any nature lover exploring Lizard Point should be prepared to encounter a diverse array of resident species and migrants when visiting these premier birding sites.
Best Times to Go Birding
The top times to visit Lizard Point for birding include:
Spring Migration (March – May)
Spring migration brings large numbers of swallows, martins, wagtails, wheatears, warblers, and other songbirds to the peninsula as they return to northern breeding grounds. Listen for the dawn chorus of birdsong each morning.
Seabird Breeding Season (April – July)
Late spring and early summer offers views of mating rituals, courtship displays, and parents feeding chicks among the cliff nesting seabirds like fulmars, shags, and choughs.
Autumn Migration (August – November)
Southbound migrants make landfall at Lizard Point during autumn migration. October tends to be peak time for rarities when storms and winds blow vagrants off course from North America and Siberia.
Winter Birding (November – February)
Some birders prefer the solitude and drama of winter birding when resident species battle harsh weather. Scan rough seas for divers and grebes while watching rockpipits and turnstones forage on wave-splashed rocky shores.
Paying attention to seasonal events like migration and breeding when planning a visit maximizes chances of encountering target bird species throughout their annual cycles.
Conservation and Threats
Although Lizard Point provides excellent bird habitat, some threats face birds there, making conservation vital:
Climate Change
Rising sea levels may gradually flood nesting sites, while warming ocean temperatures affect food supplies of seabirds and migratory shorebirds that rely on certain fish, invertebrates, and intertidal vegetation.
Invasive Species
Non-native plants and predators may outcompete and prey upon native bird species and degrade habitats.
Disturbance
Increased recreation and development leads to more human disturbance which can displace birds from preferred nesting and foraging areas.
Thankfully, conservation groups like the Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) are taking action to protect birds at Lizard Point by:
- Monitoring threatened seabird and shorebird populations
- Managing invasive vegetation that threatens native plants
- Installing signage and trails to direct people away from sensitive areas
- Pushing for climate change policies to limit future impacts
With sustained conservation efforts, the rare and diverse birds of Lizard Point will continue brightening the days of birders for generations to come.
Conclusion
Lizard Point offers abundant year-round, migratory, and rare vagrant bird species thanks to its unique location jutting into the Atlantic. Birders flock to Lizard Point to observe seabirds along the cliffs, songbird and shorebird migrants, and rare vagrants blown off course. By understanding the coastal landscape, seasonal patterns, and conservation needs of Lizard Point, any birder can have a rewarding avian experience at the crown jewel of Cornwall’s birding hotspots.