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| January 2008 Archive |
| 1st January 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Reservoir - Bittern (in southern cut-off) |
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| 4th January 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Reservoir - Bittern (still in southern cut-off!) |
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| 5th January 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Reservoir - Bittern (still in southern cut-off and showing well still!) Swanpool - 2 Med Gulls |
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| 6th January 2008 Local Bird News - Castle Beach - 2 Black Redstarts College Reservoir - 1 Iceland Gull (1w, mid afternoon), 1 Med Gull, 1 Firecrest + 3 Goosanders Stithians Reservoir - Bittern (still in southern cut-off at dusk) |
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| 7th January 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Reservoir - Bittern (still in southern cut-off) Swanpool - 1 Firecrest (up Swanvale by red bins) |
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| 8th January 2008 Walking along the small drizzly windsweapt lanes towards Stithians Reservoir this morning in the dark, and dressed in black, perhaps wasn't the most clever of ideas but I made it to this the mecca of Falmouth birding without paying the ultimate price (only had to pay the bus fare today!). As you may have read a certain bird was my intended target and my hopes were high. It took an hour but as I was scanning from the southern cut-off hide a buffy coloured heron type bird with dangling bright yellow feet flew through my binocular view and disappeared into trees. That was it for the next 3 hours but 2 seconds was enough to confirm it as a cracking BITTERN! (for fantastic photos please visit the Cornwall Birding website, link on links page). One of the longest sits in a hide i've ever done wasn't wasted though. A large number of other species also used the marsh as an area for feeding and resting. Best bird was a Merlin which made a couple of fly-bys before perching for good views on a telegraph wire. Other birds around included 6 Shoveler, 7 Tufted Duck, 2 Cormorant, 1 Buzzard, 1 G.B.B.Gull, 1 L.B.B.Gull, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Fieldfare, 1 Song Trush, 13+ Redwings, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Chiffchaff, 6 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Bullfinch and 2 Reed Bunting. 47 species for the walk not a bad start to the Falmouth year! Local Bird News - Swanpool - 1 Firecrest (Along the back lane behind the lake) |
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| 9th January 2008 After a full days' hard work, working to improve the local area around Par Beach (a feel-good/feel-bad sort of day, bad being aching after digging and chopping for hours!) I called into St Clements near Truro on the Tresillian River. A quick scan for the wintering Avocets wasn't successful as the tide was too high and had probably forced them upstream but a sweet Kingfisher and Greenshank were both a nice sight and good end to the day. This site is rumored to hold Lesser Spotted Woodpecker so I shall return soon. Local Bird News - Portscatho - 1 Black-necked Grebe, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 2 Black-throated Diver + 4 Great Northern Diver (in Gerrand Bay) Stithians Reservoir - Bittern (still in southern cut-off!) |
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| 10th January 2008 Back to birding today and I was forced to utilise all the wet weather gear in order to make it back from the patch (College and Argal Reservoirs) without feeling miserable and soaked. Highlights of my long awaited reunion with the area at College were 1 Shoveler (male), only my 2nd patch record but annual, 2 Little Grebes. 3 Treecreepers and 3 Marsh Tits were in the woodland, the treecreepers being very showy for a change. Gulls were thin on the water today but 2 Great Black-backed and 1 (1w) Lesser Black-backed were present facing into the howling wind. Over on Argal my heart sank as a scan with my new but rubbish bins revealed nothing. I did the usual thing though and got the scope out and blow me down there was loads out there. 1 (male) Goosander looked splendid and is a good winter bird here, 3 Goldeneyes, 2 Great Crested Grebes and 7!!! Tufted Ducks were present. It seems as though last year was a bit special with hundreds of duck around but this year the reservoirs still have quality even if not quantity. Local Bird News - Stithians Reservoir - RING-BILLED GULL (1w from the southern causeway this afternoon) + 1w Med Gull (but no sign of Bittern) |
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| 11th January 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Res - 1 Ring-billed Gull (1w still present) + 1 Goosander (M) Swanpool - 1 Little Auk (showing down to 10m left from the beach) |
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| 12th January 2008 A huge, massive search party couldn't relocate the Little Auk this morning sadly, only made worse for myself as I tried to get down yesterday afternoon but darkness beat me to the bird. Still though, a fantasitc walk around Swanpool lake and to Castle Beach had plenty of suprises. 1 Water Rail, 7 Little Grebes, 1 Med Gull, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Jay, 1 Siskin, 2 Goldcrests, and wintering 4 Blackcaps showed around Swanpool and offshore but distantly were 2 Slavonian Grebes, 1 Great Northern Diver and a very large count of 150+ Shags (but no teansy weansy auks amongst them all). I trotted down to Castle Beach and 4 Black Redstarts showed superbly around the sea wall and rocky shoreline with 2 Stonechats, 2 Pied Wagtails, 1 Meadow Pipit and 10+ Rock Pipits (1 a possible Scandanavian type, comments welcome) for company. I was in heaven. Once the redstarts took off their fiery red tails caught the light and looked superb but that was quite hard to capture on camera as they dashed about and quickly behind rocks. The wintering Firecrest was later seen up Swanvale to my dismay! Local Bird News - Argal Res - 1 Goosander (M) + 2 Goldeneye Stithians Res - 1 Bittern (from southern cut-off) + 2 Goosander |
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| 14th January 2008 After missing out on a Firecrest by minutes in Falmouth a couple of daysago, I hauled myself and my bins down to College Reservoir. It took over half an hour stood in a promising looking spot but a wintering Firecrest duely popped out. From my observations around Falmouth they rarely feed up in the canopy and prefer to flit around tree trunks and evergreen foliage which helps where to look. Little else around today with just 4 Siskins, 3 Marsh Tits and out on the choppy waters was a Little Grebe still. Local Bird News - Castle Beach (Fal) - 2 Black Redstarts + Peregrine (recently over Falmouth) Stithians Res - 1 Bittern (from southern causeway) |
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| 15th January 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Res - 1 Bittern (Showing well near dusk) Swanpool - 307 Shags!, 26+ Black-throated Divers, 1 Great Northern Diver, 2 Razorbills + Fulmars (offshore) |
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| 16th January 2008 The rapidly increasing numbers of birds in Swanpool Bay lured me out of the door early on this morning. What met me at Swanpool was a spectacle and a half! I got bored of counting at around 300 but estimated 450+ Shags in the whole bay. 26 Black-throated Divers generally stayed on the periphery of the Shag flock with birds mainly over towards the Pendennis side of the bay. 1 Slavonian Grebe and then shock of the visit, a distant but perfectly formed Red-necked Grebe bobbed up and down before disappearing under the water to fish. I mopped up with 2 Fulmars, 2 Kittiwakes, c50 Gannets and a few auks. Back on the land a Med Gull (ad) showed well on the lake with several oiled Black-headed Gulls (I think someone's been dumping oil offshore again...), 1 Shoveler (fem) and 2 Pochards (fems). 1 Water Rail and 1 Green Woodpecker were both heard here. Later on at Stithians, another long session in the cut-off hide was full of action, not birds though. The Bittern which was reported earlier in the day didn't show at all and there wasn't much else around really. What did get our attention was getting locked in the hide and all the cerfuffle in trying to escape! How we got locked in the hide is too long a story for here but it involves another (but accidental) locking in and an extremely childish action taken in retaliation! 2 Snipe in the dark called and flew over our heads on the way back to the bus, quite a spooky noise if you were non the wiser. |
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| 17th January 2008 Local Bird News - Swanpool - 1 Med Gull, 1 Shoveler (fem) + 1 Pochard (fem) |
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| 18th January 2008 Mindful of the creaking trees in the strong gusts which seem to lean over more on every visit, I scanned College Res thoroughly this morning and came up with 4 Med Gulls (1ad,2.2w+1.1w) a record here but being on the water I couldn't look for rings. 1 Pochard (fem) had relocated from Swanpool and 2 Little Grebes shared the choppy waves with 1 G.B.B.Gull, 1 L.B.B.Gull, 2 Common Gulls, 3 Cormorants, Wigeons and Coots. Numbers still not anything like last year but enough to make getting out the scope worthwile. Over on Argal Res. its winter high continues with 1 Goldeneye, 2 Goosander (m+f) and 7 Tufted Ducks again. I'm back home now with a deserving cup of warm soup in my hand after the long walk, mmm! |
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| 19th January 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Res - 1 Bittern (showing on and off from southern cut-off) |
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| 21st January 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Res - 1 CATTLE EGRET (from northern Causeway), 2 Med Gulls + 2 Goosander (but no sign of Bittern recently) |
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| 20th January 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Res - 6 Med Gulls + 4 Goosanders |
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| 22nd January 2008 As the Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler at Tehidy CP is off limits to me due to travel difficulties I slogged around the patch this morning, vigorously. I was rewarded however with my 100th patch bird which was a flushed Tawny Owl (flushed by a Buzzard I must add!). Lots about today in what was quite a big day list for the patch including a massive increase in duck numbers as over 150 Wigeon+11 Teal will testify, levels only seen last winter. 1 Kingfisher, 4 Gadwalls, 1 Med Gull, 4 Firecrests, 2 Marsh Tits, 2 Bullfinches and 2 Siskins were also at College Res whilst a walk around Argal for a change, revealed an impressive 12 Tufted Ducks with 1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Goosanders, 2 Great Crested Grebes and 1 Goldeneye literally fighting for recognition of their prescence. Particularly pleased to see so many Firecrests brightening up the incessant gloom of Cornwall. Their calls were played loudly today and I was able to distinguish them from Goldcrest calls which are less harsh compared to the Firecrests. Local Bird News - Stithians Res - 1 RING- NECKED DUCK (fem, from southern causeway) Carrick Roads - 18 Red-breasted Merganser |
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| 23rd January 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Res - 1 Bittern (still present in the southern cut-off) + 5 Goosanders. Swanpool - 1 Firecrest (behind the lake) + 2 Med Gulls |
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| 24th January 2008 Tehidy Country Park produced the goods this morning (all my thanks to P.Freestone for the lift!) with the Hume's Leafy-browed Warbler thing showing briefly for a couple of minutes during my stay. An interesting bird with a rather Yellow-browed Warbler like call, dark legs and only one very distinct wing bar amongst other tricky to see features. The best reference for forming opinions is the Cornwall Birding website (link on links page) which has some good shots of the bird. HUME'S LEAF WARBLER is the thought at the moment and I am swung that way the mo. c20 Linnets littered the car park hedgerow and unseen by myself, a (2w) Med Gull flew over the area behind the cafe where the warbler is hanging out currently. Later on in the afternoon saw 2 Snipe lurking in front of the island at College Res, another new patch tick just as I thought the list would start slowing down! A very much welcomed improvement in the weather this afternoon. Bits and bobs here still include 1 Goldeneye, 2 Little Grebes, 2 Firecrests and 2 Marsh Tits on a lovely sun drenched saunter around the lake and through the woodlands. |
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| 25th January 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Res - 1 Iceland Gull + 1 Bittern (still present in the southern cut-off) Swanpool - 2 Med Gulls |
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| 26th January 2008 After a night in the town I needed some quiet relaxing birding to help wake me up today and what better than an hour of garden watching whilst also contributing to the RSPB's Garden Birdwatch. I notched up an impressive 21 species for my little patch of grass, bushes and airspace. The male Blackcap put in a welcome appearance and suprise of the big sit was a flyover Siskin with 2 Goldfinches for company. Go on do your hour now! Later on I trundled along to College Res and explored the woodland and scanned the waters as the sun fell from the sky. 3 Goosanders, 1 Goldeneye, 2 Little Grebes, 1 Woodcock, 7 Snipes and 1 Marsh Tit were all of note. The Woodcock exploded from the undergrowth nearby, scaring the hell out of me! Isn't it always the way though with this species. What could have been find of the year for me turned out to be an American x Eurasian Wigeon hybrid when it revealed all the features of American.but turned around and showed a chestnut tinted head. Dusk approached quickly and a stunning sunset provided the background for an impressive roost of 300+ Jackdaws and 50+ Rooks in the woodland, with light tricky perhaps there were double the estimated amounts. Local Bird News - Stithians Reservoir - 1 Bittern (elusive often recently), 2 Goosander |
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| 27th January 2008 I wanged a trip down to Porthleven today in what can only be described as glorious conditions. A quick scan at Stiths on the way revealed the Ring-necked Duck which was probably the same bird from College Res before christmas. 6 Shoveler, 1 Great Crested Grebe and 2 Little Grebes were also here but as I didn't have long here I missed quite a lot (other sightings below). On to Porthleven where a walk along the coatal path towards Trewavas Head revealed a lovely Black Redstart briefly on the cliffs, 1 Chough in the fields inland, 2 Raven, 1 Kestrel, 6 Fulmars, 2 Gannets, 1 Grey Wagtail and 6+Stonechats. I hadn't been along the coastal path here before and in keeping with all cornish coastal pathways it is full of suprises and offers amazing views of landscapes, scenery and not forgetting birds. No Ring-billed Gull at Helston Boating Lake at dusk but most gulls had flown off to roost on the Loe Pool. Local Bird News - Stithians Reservoir - 1 Bittern (elusive often recently), 2 Goosander, 2 Golden Plover |
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| 28th January 2008 A mad rush and sqeasing through closing train doors saw me and a friend on the way for an afternoons birding on the Hayle Estuary. I couldn't relocate the Bonaparte's Gull of Gwithian recently but scored highly with a distant Avocet, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Bar-tailed Godwits, c150 Dunlin, an amazing sight of c300 Golden Plovers with c200 Lapwings(around Ryan's Field), 20+ Grey Plovers, 1 Kingfisher, 3 Grey Wagtails and 4 Linnets. After being so kindly let on the train earlier in the day, GW Trains got their revenge by randomly cancelling another so of we went for another wander in the local Farmland around St Erth and a Pheasant flushed from Cabbage Fields here just before dusk. Local Bird News - Stithians Reservoir - 1 Ring-necked Duck (fem) +1 Bittern |
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| 29th January 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Res - 1 Ring-necked Duck (fem), 1 Bittern (still present in the southern cut-off) + 2 Goosander |
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| 30th January 2008 Local Bird News - Swanpool - 1 Great Northern Diver + 2 Med Gulls |
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| 31st January 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Res - 1 Ring-necked Duck (fem still at southern end of res), 1 (possible) Siberian Chiffchaff, 1 Bittern + Goosander |
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