 |
| February 2009 Archive |
 |
| 1st February 2009 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 2 Goosander + 4 Goldeneyes |
 |
| 2nd February 2009 A choice day for a come-back! After having arrived back in Cornwall via Newquay and a night-time flying Barn Owl I was bursting to get out to some local haunts which needed a good patching. Penryn River was my first stop and here the tide height was perfect for seeing the wader flock close together. 2 sun-blazed Greenshanks were amongst 20 Redshanks and 11 Curlews. Also present were 2 locally common Little Egrets with a single Little Grebe. A new species locally was spied just behind a ridge, these were 3 beautifully coloured Shelducks feeding partially hidden but enough seen to know the species instantly. At College Reservoir the weather took a turn, it began snowing, first time for me in Cornwall. A wintery landscape here held 1 Gadwall (M), 1 Little Grebe, 15 Mute Swans (courting already) and 10 Pochards amongst c150 Wigeon and lesser numbers of Coots and Tufted Ducks. No local scarcities were seen but maybe my concentration wasn't full with ensuing snowball fights! |
|
| 3rd February 2009 Note to self: never walk 14 miles in half a day again! The covering of snow overnight had grown so a wander up to Roscrow Barton from Penryn was the plan. Amongst a lenghty snowball fight c50 Lapwings were spotted and 3 Ravens called from this beautiful and impressive landscape with the pair of wind turbines permenantly in view set against a perfect saturated blue sky. Plodding on to Stithians Res. via the village was rewarded with 2 afternoon flying Barn Owls. I reckon their nighttime hunting might be being affected by the reflection of light from the snow hence my serendipitous discovery! 20 Snipe didn't know where to land so eventually gave in and sank into the 6 inch deep white crust of snow present. At the res things were a little quiet but c100 Fieldfares flew over with c80 Redwings, 4 Song Thrushes a couple of Stock Doves, 1 Stonechat, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Little Grebes, 6 Teal and 4 Tufted Ducks. The Golden Lion pub didn't pull through for us and was shut so eating snow was our tipple of choice. My legs are thoroughly aching but a day to savour! Loca Bird News - Swanpool - 1 Med Gull |
|
| 4th February 2009 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 2 Goosanders (still) |
|
| 5th February 2009 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 3 Goldeneyes + 1 Raven Swanpool - 3 Black-throated Divers, 38 Shags + 1 Turnstone |
|
| 6th February 2009 Local Bird News - Falmouth - 1 Black Redstart in gardens around town Penryn River - 2 Greenshank Swanpool - 1 Water Rail |
|
| 7th February 2009 Setting off at 6am on the bus to look for the Snowy owl, I was full of anticipation at a good trip ahead. At St Ives many seabirds were passing inluding Gannets, Shags, Razorbills, Guillemots and Kittiwakes, a longer search would have revealed a few scarcer species in addition but there was a snowy to see. One of the rules of birding is to always expect the unexpected and in my case this meant for missing this avian equivalent of a polar bear! I searched the moors for hours having walked from St Ives with strong NE winds, totally gorsed legs and water-logged boots. All this was forgotten momentarily as a white rump flying over the heather turned into a fab ringtail Hen Harrier. A Merlin, 3 Buzzards and Stonechat were the only other birds in residence, a low return but some special species. Time was on side however and after arriving at Newlyn Harbour on the bus I was watching 1 Glaucous Gull (1w), 1 Iceland Gull (1w), 3 Great Northern Divers and 2 Black Redstarts with Devon birder Joe Ray. This was more like it, great birding for such a small area. 25 Purple Sandpipers chilled out at high tide on the rocks next to the Junilee Pool in Penzance. As so many previous days have finished ours came to an end at Helston where a scan of the lake revealed a score of Tufted Ducks but not the hoped for yanky larid. It took a bit of double chocolate cookie but out of nowhere a 1w Ring-billed Gull was standing only a meter away right alongside us. 8 Chiffchaffs (including one scandanavian bird), 2 Little Egrets and 1 Firecrest wrapped up a chilly but eventually successful day. Local Bird News - Falmouth - Black Redstarts (in more than one garden around town!) |
|
| 8th February 2009 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 1 Goosander, 1 GC Grebe,1 Woodcock + 5 Ravens Swanpool - 1 Med Gull |
|
| 9th February 2009 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 1 Marsh Tit + 1 Bullfinch |
|
| 11th February 2009 Oggy oggy oggy, oi oi oi, so the crowd-pleasing chant goes. I uttered this to myself throughout an early morning walk to Swanpool in Falmouth as the wander was scheduled to capitulate at Oggy's Pasty shop where a droulingly good ham, leek, cheese and pepper pastry was awaiting. Yeah, so back in to Falmouth doing some birding in this great town at last. The cemetery on the way down to Swanpool lake had a single Nuthatch. A long scan of the calm seas offshore revealed a Slavonian Grebe, 3 Common Scoters, 3 Black-throated Divers, 200+ Shags and a Med Gull. The scoters were the first commons i've seen in the Falmouth area even though i've seen Surf Scoter here before! 2 Rock Pipits, 1 Stonechat, 1 Great-spotted Woodpecker and a Goldcrest with 4 Long-tailed Tits were spotted on drier shores along the coastal footpath out to Pennance point. Back at the lake a Water Rail, Kingfisher and another Med Gull were present but this med was in near full summer plumage. Quite a classy individual to end the walk. Oggy oggy oggy, yum yum yum! Local Bird News - Pendower Beach (Gerrans Bay) - 1 Long-tailed Duck, 5 Black- throated Divers + 8 Great Northern Divers. Swanpool - 1 Black Redstart + 1 Great Northern Diver (later in day). |
|
| 10th February 2009 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 4 Shoveler, 2 Goosander, 3 Goldeneye + 1 GC Grebe Swanpool - 1 Med Gull |
|
| 14th February 2009 Round the ragged reservoir the ragged rascal walked! I joined the Stithians warden for a leasurly jaunt around the perimeter of one of the best birding spots within the Falmouth area. Some of the birds we notched up included 1 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Goosanders, 4 Goldeneyes, 3 Gadwalls, 2 Shovelers, 6 Little Grebes, c60 Golden Plovers, c100 Lapwings, 3 Buzzards, 1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, c20 Meadow Pipits, 3 Stonechats, 7 (singing) Song Thrushes, c150 Redwings, 1 Grey Wagtail, 5 Reed Buntings and 1 Grey Wagtail. All in all a great local walk with plenty of miles covered but 53 species seen and without an annoying, howling gale blowing down our necks as is quite often the case down here! |
|
| 12th February 2009 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 24 Golden Plover (flew over), 2 GC Grebes + 4 Shoveler. |
|
| 16th February 2009 A short wander down to College Res. was a great way to start the day, although I keep forgetting just how nice this time of day is and productive for birding purposes too. Out on the water 1 Goosander (f), 1 Greater Crested Grebe, 6 Goldeneyes (1m, 5f - a patch record), 3 Little Grebes, 2 Pochards, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Buzzard and 2 Kingfishers (one of which whizzed past at only a meters distance from myself!). Keep it up College! Local Bird News - Carrick Roads - 4 Velvet Scoters (from Feock) Falmouth - 1 Black Redstart (male, on Penrose Road) Gerrans Bay - 1 Long-tailed Duck + 1 Red-necked Grebe (at portholland) Stithians Res.- c250 Golden Plovers, c200 Lapwings, 1 Med Gull, 1 Little Egret, 5 Goldeneyes + 1 Coal Tit |
|
| 15th February 2009 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 24 Golden Plovers (flew over), 2 GC Grebes + 4 Shovelers. Swanpool - 1 Great Northern Diver (on the lake!) + 1 Black Redstart |
|
| 17th February 2009 Local Bird News - Penryn River - 4 Greenshanks, 20+ Turnstones, 2 Shelduck + 6 Little Egrets Stithians Res.- 9 Ravens, 1 GC Grebe, 4 Goldeneyes + 5 Reed Buntings |
|
| 18th February 2009 The events of quite a good days birding can be found 'HERE'. Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 2 GC Grebes + 1 Marsh Tit |
|
| 19th February 2009 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 2 GC Grebes, 9 Skylarks, 4 Ravens + 8 Fieldfares |
|
| 20th February 2009 Local Bird News - Gerrans Bay - Long-tailed Duck, 2 Black-throated Divers, 5 G.N.Divers + 2 Slavonian Grebes Stithians Res.- 2 GC Grebes, 5 Goldeneys + 2 Goosanders |
|
| 21st February 2009 Local Bird News - College Res. - 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Shoveler + 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull Stithians Res.- 2 Woodcocks, 1 Common Snipe + 1 Sparrowhawk |
|
| 22nd February 2009 Local Bird News - Argal Res.- 1 Green Woodpecker, 3 Great Crested Grebes + 2 Gadwalls Penryn River - 2 Turnstones, 1 Greenshank + 3 Shelducks Stithians Res.- 1 Water Rail, 1 Marsh Tit + 55+ Fieldfares Swanpool - 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 GC Grebe + 1 Water Rail |
|
| 23rd February 2009 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 1 Marsh Tit, 1 Sparrowhawk, 10 Reed Buntings |
|
| 24th February 2009 Local Bird News - Penryn - 1 Blackcap (visiting gardens and singing already!) Stithians Res.- c200 Linnets, 60+ Redwings + 5 Goldeneyes |
|
| 25th February 2009 Local Bird News - Penryn River - 2 Black-necked Grebes (from Greenbank Hotel) + 2 L.Egrets Stithians Res.- 2 GC Grebes + 30+ Fieldfares |
|
| 26th February 2009 Local Bird News - Argal Res.- 2 GC Grebes + 9 Tufted Ducks College Res.- 2 GC Grebes, 1 Gadwall, 3 L.B.B.Gulls + 4 Goldcrests Stithians Res.- 2 GC grebes (nest building) + 3 Goldeneyes |
|
| 27th February 2009 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 1 Water Rail, 2 GC Grebes + 6 Bullfinches |
|
| 28th February 2009 Local Bird News - Stithians Res.- 1 Water Rail, 2 GC Grebes, 7 Gadwalls + 7 Goldeneyes |
|