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| October 2008 Archive |
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| 2nd October 2008 Local Bird News - Devoran.- 1 Osprey Stithians Res - 1 Pheasant + 1 Common Sandpiper |
| 3rd October 2008 Local Bird News - Devoran - 1 Osprey + 33 Brent Geese |
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| 5th October 2008 Devoran - Osprey (still) Stithians Res.- 1 Barn Owl (southern cut-off), 1 Snipe + 2 Marsh Tits |
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| 7th October 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 1 Med Gull + 2 Barn Owls! |
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| 10th October 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 1 CATTLE EGRET (on southern cut-off briefly) +1 Barn Owl |
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| 12th October 2008 Local Bird News - Treverva - 1 Hoopoe (possible in flight, west of the village in farmland) Stithians Res.- 1 Med Gull, 1 Common Gull + 1 Barn Owl |
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| 13th October 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 1 Barn Owl, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Raven + 1 Reed Bunting |
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| 14th October 2008 Apologies for not posting for absolutely ages. Since returning from the uni summer hols things have been totally totally manic! There are already thoughts that this autumn is rivalling the mega-fest of 1985 and there's still several weeks to go, can't wait. Some of my personal sightings mostly in October have included (here comes the brag list!) ALDER FLYCATCHER, Aquatic Warbler, Caspian Gull, Wryneck, Melodious Warbler, Scaup, Brent Geese, Sooty Shearwater, Leach's Storm Petrel, Pectoral Sandpiper, Red-eyed Vireo, Radde's Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Yellow-browed Warbler etc. So there will be a few stories to come on all this i'm sure. Birding in Falmouth, Cornwall and beyond has taken its toll on my ability to update the site but regular reports will be reinstated as soon as I get net and amazing rarities stop showing up. This is not a call for amazing rarities to stop showing up though, the more the merrier and I hope to see some of you out and about birding this wonderful part of the country.. Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 1 Barn Owl + 1 Med Gull (in front of main res hide still) |
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| 16th October 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 1 Med Gull (still at southern end this evening) |
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| 17th October 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 2 Whooper Swans (at southern end this morning) |
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| 18th October 2008 Slowly getting back into the habit of local patching which took me to the best birding spot in the Falmouth area this morning. Stithians Reservoir kindly didn't require me to re-evalute this highly-held status however. The assembled crowd were treated with views of 2 Whooper Swans which stole the show somewhat. A few hours later and we'd notched up some great local birds including 2 Marsh Tits, 1 Med Gull, 300+ Golden Plovers, 9 Ravens, 2 Siskins, 5 Redwings, 2 Shovellers, 1 Pintail and a Treecreeper near the main res. hide. With birding like this on my door-step it's going to be a fun year! Full updates on the last fortnites birding still to come... Local Bird News - Restronguet Creek - 1 Osprey (still) |
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| 21st October 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 1 Pintail (fem), 4 Med Gulls, 1 Goldeneye (fem)+ 22 Lapwing |
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| 22nd October 2008 It seems I picked a lovely afternoon for a walk to my very local patch; College+Argal Reservoirs. It was one of those really autumnal walks, kicking up the leaves and a few good birds too. Out on the calm water in amongst 300 Herring Gulls were 1 Common Gull, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 4 Tufted Ducks, 1 Wigeon and 3 Teals. Tit flocks held the biggest interest with good numbers all the commoner species along with 16 Siskins, 1 Chiffchaff, 3+ Marsh Tits, 2 Coal Tits, 1 Jay, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and strangely, a Grey Wagtail! No Firecrests today but no doubt there will be one of these gems very soon making an appearance. |
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| 25th October 2008 With the kind offer of a lift from the Stithians warden this morning, I was happily birding this excellent spot for much of the day. We wandered up to the dam from the southern causeway, being informed of a missed Jack Snipe and Firecrest along our route from other birders. We searched in vein but came up with a few of our own good sightings including 4 Siskins, 1 Med Gull, 3 Common Gulls, 1 Pintail, 2 Pochards, 2 Shoveler, 1 Redwing, 3 Skylarks, 1 Stonechat and 2 distant but distinct Ravens. There were plenty of gulls and ducks out from the main reservoir hide for us to search through and it took till we were about to leave for the regular Med Gull to fly in and alow us to appreciate this touch of quality amongst the everyday Black-headed Gulls. The Jack Snipe didn't show again so i'll just have to return for a few more visits! |
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| 27th October 2008 My second day trip to the scillies and specifically St Mary's this year resulted in some great birding. First stop was the Brown Shrike, only it wasn't quite right for this species. 'Experts' have reduced it to a Red-backed Shrike but it isn't quite consistent with this species either in my opinion! Moving on swiftly, with a walk down Holy Vale I was watching 2 Hawfinch merrily gorging on hawthorn berries, a new bird for me and decent views to boot. An eastern type Chiffchaff was interesting further along the well-trodden track. It called and popped out from some ivy briefly to reveal a greyish back, whitish underside and a hint of a pale wing bar. The call was consistent with Scandanavian Chiffchaff, not quite a siberian but the closest i've come to finding one. Onwards I trod in my short time on the island and spent an hour or so looking desperately into some bushes for a certain american thrush. Eventually after putting up with several hail and rain showers a little ball of fluff popped out and there it was, Grey-cheeked Thrush, an inconspicous but cute and very rare little bird.To round off another fun and tiring day I located a Firecrest, late House Martin + 4 Swallows and a Snipe all around the Lower Moors area. Seawatching was largely quiet on the boat home but a close Great Skua provided great views even in the rapidly diminishing autumn light. That's it for another year on the scillies but what a great year it's been there and it was great to jam in on just a tiny bit of that. |
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| 28th October 2008 Local Bird News - Gerran's Bay - 1 SURF SCOTER (juv), 1 Long-tailed Duck, 6 Great Northern Divers + 1 Slavonian Grebe (all seen from Carne Beach at 4.15pm) Stithians Res.- 1 Med Gull, 1 Marsh Tit, |
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| 26th October 2008 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Med Gull, 2 Marsh Tit, |
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