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| January 2007 Archive |
| 7th, January 2007 Local Bird News - Pennance Point - Black Guillemot (south off point in the morning) probably still in the area and worth checking out. Swanpool - Med Gull (at 2.30pm) |
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| 10th, January 2007 First visit to the local patch for the new year (College Reservoir) and what a visit! Kingfisher (new patch tick) showed excellently, fishing and perched. A Ring-necked Duck female was still present along with single Little and Great Crested Grebes, 2 Goosander (new patch tick also) and at least 100 Wigeon amongst the many ducks. A lovely afternoon all in all. |
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| 12th, January 2007 Local Bird News - College Reservoir - Ring-necked Duck (fem) still present. |
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| 14th, January 2007 The events of today were overtaken by a bird race around the Falmouth area just to see how much was possible in a day around here. I did it all on bike (very green don't you think!) whilst my friend took the odd bus but stayed within the Falmouth area (6 mile radius). For a full write-up of the day please CLICK HERE. Highlights of the day were 5 Black-necked Grebes, 2 Slavonian Grebes, 2 Goosander, 2 Great-northern Divers and a Pheasant (good bird for Falmouth) at Restronguet Wier (overlooking the Carrick Roads area). Mylor Creek had 1 Greenshank, 6 Turnstone and 2 Shelduck along with commoner Waders and Devoran had a Black-tailed Godwit and c200 Dunlin amongst the waders there. College Reservoir held the wintering Ring-necked Duck (fem) still along with 2 Goosander, 1 Goldeneye (fem), and a Marsh Tit. Afternoon saw 1 Black-throated Diver, Gannets, Kittiwake and Gulls off Pennance. Finally at Dusk, Swanpool had a Water Rail by the seaward end, and Shoveler (Med Gull earlier on in the day). A fun but totally tiring day. Thanks |
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| 26th, January 2007 After caning it down to Argal Reservoir in the rain this afternoon I was rewarded with great views from 2 gorgeous Drake Goldeneyes. Also on the water today was 2 Cormorants (1 possible sinensis type with lots of filoplumes, or white head markings - id is difficult though and an explanation can be read here), and c150 Black-headed Gulls. A flyover Shag was unexpected but less so were finally some Fieldfares (5+). College Reservoir just before dusk contained no gulls, not a single gull! This was made up for with the distant prescence of a female Ruddy Duck and a single Drake Pochard amongst the many Wigeon and Tufted Ducks. No sign of the flock of Goosander on either of the two Reservoirs this afternoon |
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| 27th, January 2007 Another out of Falmouth area trip today for some hot stuff! Walking from Marazion to Newlyn there was 1 Surf Scoter, 1 Black-throated and 3 Great-northern Divers, 2 Slavonian Grebes, 2 Common Scoter, 2 Kittiwake, 6 Razorbill and 10 Purple Sandpipers - not a bad walk! Onto drift where the Tundra Bean Goose and Pink-footed Goose were found quickly, lovely birds. But no sign of the wintering Barnacle Goose. I was pleased with finding 2 Scaup here (my first scaup for several years...) but self-found all the same. Extensive searching for Lapland Bunting near Polgigga failed but 2 Chough flew in and landed in the same field as us giving great views albeit briefly. Walking to Sennen Cove via Lands End there was a Peregrine, Raven, Stonechat, Kittiwake and Fulmars already on the cliffs, what! Sennen Cove was brilliant with a first winter Iceland Gull (possible Kumlien's, very pale) showing excellently and a Common Scoter (fem) in the bay. What better way to finish off an excellent day (with 2 lifers for me) than a massive fish and chips in the cove chippy! Local bird News - Carrick Roads - 12 Black-necked Grebe |
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| 28th, January 2007 Another day, Another trip. This time a return trip to Hayle Estuary to make amenze for all the specialities I missed last time. First bird was a showy Spotted Sandpiper soon followed by 2 Pintail, 2 Shoveler, 3 Med Gulls (2.2w, 1.1w) and then I spotted it - A Green-winged Teal drake amongst its 100+ Eurasian Teal counterparts. The vertical white stripe of the side of the breast of the American Teal being pretty much the only distinguishing feature of the species, seen clearly before a flyby from a Peregrine sent everything flying. The Peregrine showed superbly at the top of a conifer near the road bridge over the river Hayle and then catching a poor male Wigeon and dismembering it in front of many delightful birders! The possible eastern Lesser Whitethroat (halimodendri) showed eventually at Lelant Saltings, showing the dark ear coverts and pale back. From Lelant train station there was a Spotted Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 20+ Bar-tailed Godwits and another Med Gull (2w) to rap up the day nicely. Local bird News - Carrick Roads - 6 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Great-northern Diver College Reservoir - 1 (fem) Ruddy Duck |
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| 29th, January 2007 Diving ducks at Argal this morning in the Cornwall Gloom (cloudy) saw me unpacking the scope, which duely broke, after a bit of push and shove it sort of worked, though not as well as it used to! 4 Goosander had returned to including a drake. Also on the water were 1 Tufted Duck, 2 Cormorant, 1 Black-headed Gull and 4+Mallards still pretty quiet on the whole. College Reservoir was lively though, with a Kingfisher (which flew past only), 2 Goldeneyes (m+f), 2 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Grey Heron, c40 Tufted Duck, 1 Moorhen 200+Wigeon and the usual crowd. A lot more gulls were present today but no white-wingers or meds. Local bird News - SW.775.315 - No woodlarks but plenty of Skylarks this morning. |
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| 31st, January 2007 I took the bus after lunch to Helston today and was successful with the 1W Ring-billed Gull which has been around for a while now. It showed excellently coming to bread with many Black-headed Gulls, also on the lake was a female Goosander and 41 Tufted Ducks with the Mallards and Coots. I knew to check the sewage works along the way to the Loe Pool which was interesting if not slightly disappointing. I'd met a couple who'd seen a Yellow-browed Warbler and 20+Chiffchaffs there that morning so I was hopeful. On checking though it was very quiet on the warbler front but a Firecrest called and showed briefly (a new UK tick for me!) and just 2 Chiffchaff showed with 2 Rock Pipits and 50+ Pied Wagtail! News of a Glaucous gull at Degibna filtered through, nearby on a field full of potatoes. I had no luck as it seemed the gulls had moved onto the Loe Pool. I scoped down onto the lake without success. On the lake were plenty of Great Black-becked Gulls, also 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a few Common Gulls were mingling with Herring Gulls, about 30 Pochard hiding near the hide (possibly the birds from College Reservoir). And there finishes there sermon of the Gulls (sorry I couldnt find a nice Med Gull to finish the set off!) |
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| 16th, January 2007 A short walk near the Tremough Campus along Treliever Road in search of the elusive dipper wasnt successful and I fell in the stream to make things worse! Woodland birds were plentiful with Goldcrests, Long-tailed Tits, Song Thrush, Redwings, Jay etc etc. Still no treecreeper this year so there's plenty reason to go back out soon. Watch this space! After dark the Canada Goose flock presumerably from College Reservoir flew north over Tremough. Local Bird News - Swanpool Vale - 1 Possible Eastern Chiffchaff + 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Black Redstart (In garden along Prislow Fields -please respect the owners privacy) Swanpool - Firecest + 176 Shag (record count!) |
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| 19th, January 2007 Hayle Estuary beckoned with promise of many good and new birds. It was wet all day and grey so poor photos as well but some interesting birds kept me going. I dipped the Spot.Sand., G.W.Teal and Lesser Whitethroat, a wee bit disappointing, but Little Gull (ad winter, lifer) 2 Med Gulls and a Green Woodpecker at Lelant, 3 G.N.Divers, 5 Grey Plover, 2 Greenshank and 1 Spotted Redshank at Carnsew Pool were great compensation. The estuary held large flocks of Wigeon, Teal and gulls including a few Common and over 200 Great Black-backed Gulls. Little Egrets were plentiful and added a glimmer of light to the rainswept estuary. |
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| 20th, January 2007 Local Bird News - SW.775.315 - 5 Woodlarks - 2mls SW of Falmouth in stubble fields by wood on south side of No Mans Land Road. Carrick Roads - 5 Black-necked Grebe, 2 Great-northern Diver, Spot'shank, and 2 Greenshank nearby Carnon Downs - 1 Siberian Chiffchaff - at the sewage works, afternoon. |
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| 23rd, January 2007 A funny old trip today. On the one hand there was signs of witner finally arriving with 5 Goosander (1drk) on Argal Reservoir, Robins and Redwings everywhere, then there were signs of a premature spring with a Chiffchaff, Daffodils and a Butterfly also at Argal Reservoir and a female Blackcap in Penryn along the river just north of the Tremough Campus. Still it was lovely to get out in the sun and experience the strange things going on at the mo! College Reservoir had c200 Herring Gulls, 200+ Wigeon and 100+ Coot (the highest numbers seen so far this winter), 2 Little Grebe, 1 Great-crested Grebe and 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, but no Pochard, or Ring-necked Duck. Local Bird News - Stithians Reservoir - 3 Pintail, 3 Gadwall |
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| 24th, January 2007 Local Bird News - Gyllyngvase Beach - 1 Red-necked Grebe, 3 Slavonian Grebes, 1 Black-throated Diver, 6 Razorbill+Guillemots - this morning. Swanpool Vale - 1 Green Woodpecker (SW.798.318) |
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| 25th, January 2007 Uni Exams are over, and to celebrate (unlike all my friends who are spending the whole day in the pub!) I went down to Pendennis Point on my bike and treated myself to a bacon and egg bap, yummm! Now to the birds. Not much out to sea from Pendennis, just a couple of distant Gannets and a cool fly-by from a Peregrine (best views i've ever had!). Looking into Swanpool bay there was a cracking Black-throated Diver, 2 Slavonian Grebes, 1 Guillemot, 4 Razorbill and a whopping 120+ Shags. I was on the hunt for yesterdays Red-necked Grebe and upon seeing a long-necked type grebe I got excited, but it was quite distant and I need a closer look. Along the path towards Swanpool there was a superb Med Gull in summer plumage already! The long-necked grebe turned out to be a Great Crested Grebe also in summer plumage and I was glad I checked it again. Swanpool was decent with a Water Rail along the eastern shore in the reeds, calling and showing very well with the resident Shoveler in the usual spot. Possible Sinensis type Cormorant was on the man-made platform out on the water. Local Bird News - Stithians Reservoir - 3 Pintail Helford Passage - 1 Great Crested Grebe |
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