Return of the native
Mike Dilger arrives at Lizard Point where he is hoping to see red-billed choughs. He meets Claire, the RSPB's chough officer who explains that choughs became extinct in Cornwall in 1973 and last bred here in 1947. But recently, these birds have naturally recolonised Cornwall, coming possibly from Wales or Ireland, but most likely from Brittany. There are some great views of the choughs from the watch point, but you can also see them from the grassy fields along the coastal path. This land is managed by the National Trust to provide ideal chough feeding grounds. Choughs need short grass areas where they find beetles, invertebrates and ant eggs. There have been four successful chough breeding seasons in Cornwall so far, and the signs are good that a second pair may breed here.
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