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| May 2008 Archive |
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| 5th May 2008 Local Bird News - Falmouth Golf Course - 1 BEE-EATER!!! (flew over) Penryn - 4 Swifts (flying north) Stithians Reservoir - 1 HOBBY (at Carnkie) |
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| 4th May 2008 A quick saunter down to Rosemullion head (by car!) for the first time produced some great spring migrants back to breed and passing through. Breeding birds included Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Rock Pipit, Raven and Shelduck, the latter was totally unexpected. 2 Whimbrel flew along the rocky shore near the headland and scattered Gannets were just about viable through bins offshore. The stunning sun made the gannets fairly easy to spot with their huge white wings even at that distance. Swallows and House Martins are back now in force, what a journey they've just had, very nice to welcome them home with good weather for a change. |
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| 3rd May 2008 Up v.early and on the road heading east to Dartmoor and Yarner Woods for our first stop of the day. It was looking good for today with just light southerlies and plenty of sun. Pied Flycatchers and loads of Wood Warblers were seen here. A cracking start, i'd never seen a wood warbler before but they were really quite interesting, even for an old world warbler! Up at Warren House Inn we went for a really long walk (or so it seemed with scope in tow) but we caught up with several awesome Redstarts, 1 Whinchat and 2 calling Cuckoos. Spring really ain't sprung until you hear that noise. Last pit stop of the day, as we screeched to a halt near where a Mandarin sat on a boulder in the river Dart. A Dipper just a meter away finished off a cracking day. |
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| 7th May 2008 So many migrants greeted me back at College+Argal Res this sunny afternoon on my first walk at the patch for ages. A suprise early on with a whole family party of Long-tailed Tits, including many juveniles in the trees lining College Reservoir. Out on the water there was little except for Swallows and 3 House Martins which flew down often to drink and collect flies. Over on Argal 7 Swifts winded their way north but not without screaming in to tell us they are back. 2 Skylarks sung nearby and a Sparrowhawk flew through the valley, a little seen bird in the area. 1 Whitethroat, 5 Blackcaps, 4 Willow Warblers and over 20 Chiffchaffs were heard and seen along the walk. |
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| 9th May 2008 When the work gets tough, stop working. As a student that is a philosophy which is instilled in me. I put down the pen and went for a walk with a friend along the River Penryn to Flushing village and hopped over on the little ferry to Falmouth. A relaxing walk during which there were a few baby birds around already including Blackbirds and Blue Tits. Swifts, House Martins and Swallows were still passing over north, the new years novelty still hasn't worn off for me yet with these amazing migrants. Few waterbirds about but a Little Egret flew upstream, a non-breeder i'd imagine. Highlights came right at the end of the walk, bording the ferry we noticed a wader on stiff wings and sudden flaps flying around the harbour; a Common Sandpiper, only the second i've seen around the Falmouth area. Minutes later, 2 Swallows alerted us to a Sparrowhawk flying high up and up the river valley. Local Bird News - Pendennis Point - 1 Purple Sandpiper Stithians Reservoir - Garganey (drake, on southern cut-off) |
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| 10th May 2008 A walk at a new spot near United Downs, just east of Redruth always gets me excited. What would be there, any unfound rarities hanging out with the locals? Well no rarities but a great selection of breeding birds were on show. This heavily transformed tin mining landscape held loads of finches and buntings with 2 Yellowhammers, 4 Bullfinches, 5 Linnets, Goldfinches, Greenfinches and Chaffinches. 1 Stock Dove showed briefly but was also singing, informing me of probable breeding intent. Local Bird News - Stithians Reservoir - Garganey (drake, still on southern cut-off) |
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| 11th May 2008 Local Bird News - Penryn - Possible Honey Buzzard (flew east at 1pm) Stithians Res.- 1 FRANKLIN'S GULL (adult, summer plumage, flew west) + 1 Garganey (drk at southern cut-off) |
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| 12th May 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 1 Garganey (drk, still at southern cut-off) + 2 Garden Warbler |
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| 14th May 2008 A quick nip down to the patch (College+Argal Reservoirs) this avo where many of the expected migrants showed well and in numbers. Birds which stuck out as uncommon included a singing Garden Warbler near the river foot-bridge, in exactly the same area as last year. 2 Great Crested Grebes were putting on a beautiful show as they displayed to each other, even though they both had rotting vegetation in their mouths! Several species now with young in tow already including Blue and Long-tailed Tits, Canada Geese and Wrens. Local Bird News - Penryn River - 1 Common/Arctic Tern (at Gorran Gorras Creek) Stithians Res.- 1 Garganey (drk, still at southern cut-off). |
| 13th May 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 1 Garganey (drk, still at southern cut-off). |
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| 15th May 2008 An excellent afternoons birding in the Falmouth area and beyond began down at the Penryn River after meeting up with a local birder. Immediately a stunning summer-plaumged Black-tailed Godwit was found on the spit at Gorran Gorras Creek (the first creek as you walk from Penryn to Flushing) not only a smart bird but the first godwit i've ever had on the river, I hasten to add it quickly flew off and away! On to Stithians where we dipped the Garganey in the southern cut-off but made the most of being at the best birding spot in Falmouth by finding 2 Cuckoos which were around with a Garden Warbler singing near the southern cut-off hide and a Common Sandpiper in flight, calling. It was nice to see so many waterbirds actually nesting around the reservoir including Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Moorhen and Coot. A good birding trip became excellent when a Red Kite drifted over south, tricky to ID in the thick mist until it banked and showed the classic wing profile and forked tail before vanishing. Last stop was at St Gothians Sands NR near Gwithian. Lots of interesting birds seen and many new for the year for me included 2 Garganey (drk+fem) on the main pool, a great suprise to find these, 2 Reed Warblers, 1 White Wagtail, 30+ Sand Martins, 3 Sandwich Terns, 4 Arctic Terns, 20+ Common Terns and 2 Razorbills. What a great little place and seems to have big potential for rares! |
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| 17th May 2008 With a local tip-off first thing and a bit of a sprint, I was watching a Common Tern at Argal Reservoir, in the rain but it was good. A new patch bird and probably the bird which was loitering along the River Penryn just the other day. The weather had brought in loads of Swallows to feed on emerging flies but no hoped for Black Terns or Hobby's. Walking through College Res provided a quick sound-track of the Garden Warbler again by the river bridge, but remains elusive. Back to sleep I think! |
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| 19th May 2008 Where did all the terns go? An early morning mission down to Marazion on't bus produced no roseates, no terns, nadda! In the hope of finding some of the resident birds and maybe something a little rarer I scoured this fabulous RSPB reserve and beach. Cetti's Warblers called from 3 locations but didn't show themselves at all. 7 Other warbler species were heard making it a warblery morning! Stunning views out into Mounts Bay and a Black-tailed Godwit shared the beach with 17 Ringed Plover, c20 Sanderlings and c30 Dunlin, most now in summer plumage. There may not have been any rarities about but it was just pleasant being there with blazing sun and always that possibility of a serendipitous discovery. Local Bird News - Argal Reservoir - 1 Common Tern (still present) |
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| 20th May 2008 Local Bird News - Tremough Campus - 1 Green Woodpecker, Song Thrush, Chiffchaff, Pied Wagtail and fledged Blue Tits. |
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| 18th May 2008 Local Bird News - Falmouth - 3 Common Terns + 17 Sandwich Terns (off Gyllyngvase) |
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| 24th May 2008 Multiple recent dips have hampered my wallet and enthusiasm for going far on a whim so where to go locally? The patch of Argal+College Reservoirs has been quiet to say the least recently and then there's the Penryn River just down the road and It had a Black-tailed Godwit on my last visit. With thoughts of more regular visits, I popped down today and scored a Little Egret, 1 Blackcap, 2 Swifts and 6 Swallows but that was pretty much it. Not one wader down here at the moment. With news filtering through from Stithians Reservoir of low water levels and ALL the nesting waterbirds being predated it's not looking good for stuff locally right now. Falmouth seafront I hear you shouting, yeah sounds like a good idea and Fal is due another Little Bittern or american seaduck. |
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| 26th May 2008 3 Manx Shearwaters past Rosemullion Head in the evening were the first i've seen in the Falmouth area. Whilst Rosemullion is stretching the geophysical limits of this arbitrary boundary they were welcome birds. In with large flocks of auks (mainly Guillemot but at least 2 Razorbills too), the shearwaters size and flying style which including the odd big bank to the side made them stand out nicely. 3 Fulmars and 50+ Gannets also paraded past in the evening sunlight at the end of a calm and relaxed day. |
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| 31st May 2008 With Falmouth plenty quiet of late I decided upon a trip to see some scarce birds, heading west towards Lands End. At the Hayle Estuary, a brief walk eventually showed up the Spoonbill juv which I initially though was just a Mute Swan! Such a striking bird, i'm always happy going to look for these. Very quiet here elsewise with 5 Ringed Plovers, 11 Dunlins, 7 Oystercatchers and 1 Curlew all the waders present. Out to Lands End then for some valley bashing and considering there was little in the way of migrants we did pretty well with a Turtle Dove the highlight. It flew off a little too quick for me to see however but my mate was sure on the ID. Interestingly 11 Collared Doves had just come in off the sea and landed in the Swingates garden which were the only obvious migrants of the day. A Tree Pipit was present on the heath amongst many Stonechat families and loads of Whitethroats (15+). A search for the Short-toed Lark of late failed but probably due to the lack of forward planning and actually working out where it was before the trip! There's a lesson to myself. Offshore a Manx Shearwater went by just in front of the longships rocks with plenty of Gannets on feeding trips from Wales, with Chough, Rock Pipits, Fulmars and Shags more local. Happy with the haul but already so much quieter than a week or two ago. |
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