Stithians Birding

[thenorthernmonkey]

Here's a new thread to highlight birding around Stithians if anyone's intrested.

Here goes -

Sunday 27th July - 7 Common Sandpiper, 1 Little Egret, 1 Ringed Plover, 9 Whitethroat, 4 Willow Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, 6 Raven, 1 Chiff Chaff, 4 GC Grebe (1ad+1 juv x 2), 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Redshank, 1 Snipe, 4 Teal.

Monday 28th July - 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Greenshank, 1Lapwing, 1 Snipe, 5 Common Sandpiper, 4 Teal, 6 Shoveller, Raven 3, 1 Willow Warbler.

Tuesday 29th July - 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Greensandpiper, 1 Snipe, 4 Common Sandpiper, 1 Little Egret, 50+ Swallow and 3 Teal.

[FIDDLER]

Did you walk all the way around the reservoir for that count? Its been a while since I have been to stithians,not a bad tally for july!!
fiddler.

[thenorthernmonkey]

Did you walk all the way around the reservoir for that count? Its been a while since I have been to stithians,not a bad tally for july!!
fiddler.

Sunday was walking from the southern cut off to the dam and back looking for the scaup and black swan followed by the hides, Monday and tuesday was just the hides. Having gone through the logbook for last year i can tell you that teal, snipe and lapwing have been recorded 7 weeks earlier this year than last.

[thenorthernmonkey]

Wednedsay 30th July (Main Res Hide 14.30-15.30pm) - Little Grebe 1, Willow Warbler 1, GC Grebe 1ad+1juv, Teal 4, Common Sandpiper 1, Snipe 2 (all seen from Main Reservoir Hide)

Thursday 31st July (Main Res Hide 0800-1000am) Mist and Rain - Common Sandpiper 3, Lapwing 1, Snipe 2, Raven 2, Willow Warbler 1.

(Main Res Hide 13.45-15.45pm) Clear conditions - Common Sandpiper 2, Snipe 1, GC Grebe 1ad+1juv, Curlew 4 (in fields above), Buzzard 4, Green Sandpiper 1, Swallow 1, Raven 2, Willow Warbler 1, Lapwing 1, Common Gull 1.

[thenorthernmonkey]

Friday 1st Aug - quick walk around the dam area between 0800-0900 produced - 7 Swallow, 2 Canada Geese, 7 Curlew, GC Grebe (1ad+1juv), 4 Raven, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Whitethroat, 3 juv Sedge Warbler amongst other stuff.

[thenorthernmonkey]

Friday 1st August (Main res hide 18.45-19.45) dull and breezy

Buzzard 3, Kestrel 1, Green Sandpiper 1 (flew sw @ 19.20), Common Sandpiper 1, Tufted Duck 3, Teal 1, Swallow 10.

[thenorthernmonkey]

Sat 2nd Aug- Main Res Hide 12.45-14.15pm dull with slight breeze.

Raven 4, Buzzard 3, Common Sand 2, Swallow 35+,GC Grebe 1ad+1juv, Little Egret 1, Common Gull 1, Teal 1.

Also recorded at 11am by another birder - 1 Black Tailed Godwit...

[thenorthernmonkey]

Sunday 3rd August Full walk all the way around 08.00-11.45am

Whimbrel 23 over in V formation, Green Sandpiper 1, Little Egret 1, Raven 3, Whitethroat 8, Willow Warbler 4, Curlew (heard), Sedge Warbler 3, Teal 1, GC Grebe 1ad+1juv, Common Sandpiper 1, House Martin 4, Common Gull 1.

[thenorthernmonkey]

Monday 4th August - 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Curlew, 1 Redshank

[thenorthernmonkey]

Wednesday 6th Aug - 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Little Egret

[Dog]

I don't know if anybody can help, but 13 years ago I was birding on Portland when I phoned Birdline & the first bird on was Baillon's Crake at Stithians Res. Three & a half hours later I was watching it, I left this bird to go & look for the Pied-billed Grebe from the southern causeway which had bred with a Little Grebe. I located a bird which looked like the Pied-billed but the band on the bill seemed washed out so I put this bird down as one of the hybrids which is still on my list as a hybrid. Recently I was looking through BB rare birds for 1995 & it states that the last hybrid disappeared in March 95 & the Pied-billed stayed till the Autumn of 95, so going by BB the only bird present at the time I saw it would have been the pure Pied-billed. So are there any local birders who saw this bird comment on any plumage features, such as the bill, going from winter to summer plumage. With the time of year I would have expected this bird to be in full summer plumage.

Thanks Mike.

[thenorthernmonkey]

good question mike. If i were you i would copy and paste your question and post it on the Cornwall birding thread. It'll probably be seen by a far greater number of people and conorbirda may have the answer himself

[thenorthernmonkey]

Thursday 07/08/08 -

Main Reservoir today - 1 Wood Sand, 7 Common Sand, 1 Dunlin, 1 Snipe, 1 Teal

[camelbirder]

I don't know if anybody can help, but 13 years ago I was birding on Portland when I phoned Birdline & the first bird on was Baillon's Crake at Stithians Res. Three & a half hours later I was watching it, I left this bird to go & look for the Pied-billed Grebe from the southern causeway which had bred with a Little Grebe. I located a bird which looked like the Pied-billed but the band on the bill seemed washed out so I put this bird down as one of the hybrids which is still on my list as a hybrid. Recently I was looking through BB rare birds for 1995 & it states that the last hybrid disappeared in March 95 & the Pied-billed stayed till the Autumn of 95, so going by BB the only bird present at the time I saw it would have been the pure Pied-billed. So are there any local birders who saw this bird comment on any plumage features, such as the bill, going from winter to summer plumage. With the time of year I would have expected this bird to be in full summer plumage.

Thanks Mike.

The CBWPS bird report for 2005 says that the hybrid bird was regularly noted up to Oct 23rd. The adult Pied-billed was noted up until Mar 7th but reappeared for a single day on Sep. 13th.
Interestingly the hybris was heard calling on May 15th but was not thought to have bred.

Hope that helps.

[Dog]

The CBWPS bird report for 2005 says that the hybrid bird was regularly noted up to Oct 23rd. The adult Pied-billed was noted up until Mar 7th but reappeared for a single day on Sep. 13th.
Interestingly the hybris was heard calling on May 15th but was not thought to have bred.

Hope that helps.

Looks like BB have got the dates wrong & it was the hybrid I saw, the BB report shows the hybrid showing till the 28th March & the adult till the 13th September, but dosen't say it was missing for months. Thanks for the replys.

Mike.

[thenorthernmonkey]

Saturday 9th Aug - Foul weather, driving rain from the SW.

1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Teal, 1 Common Gull, 1 Blackcap, 1ad GC Grebe, 7 Little Grebe, 3 Tufted Duck, 1 Little Egret, 2 GS Woodpeckers on feeder, 11 BH Gull, 2 GBB Gull, 54 H Gull, 3 Great Tit, 4 Blue Tit, 4 Cormorant, 10 Coot, 2 Heron, 10 Mallard, 1 Swallow, 1 Mute Swan, 5 Goldfinch

[thenorthernmonkey]

Nothing from me on Sunday due to Scillonian Pelagic, Wood Sand was recorded by somebody else though.

Monday 11th Aug - 10 Black Tailed Godwit over at 10.15 and a flock of 34 Curlew landed in nearby feilds in the afternoon. Peregrine also in the afternoon and the 1 common gull was also present.

[Steve Lister]

The CBWPS bird report for 2005 says that the hybrid bird was regularly noted up to Oct 23rd. The adult Pied-billed was noted up until Mar 7th but reappeared for a single day on Sep. 13th.
Interestingly the hybris was heard calling on May 15th but was not thought to have bred.

Hope that helps.

But 13 years ago was 1995.

Steve

[thenorthernmonkey]

nothing much today - Moderate wind from WSW.

water levels have increased significantly over the last couple of days which is presumably why the Wood Sand hasnt been recorded since Sunday.

Had a walk down Church Lane tonight to the creeks and through the boardwalk scrub area which produced virtually nothing - only 30+ Goldfinch, 6 Woodpigeon, 2 Heron, 3 Little Grebe, 7 Swallow, 1 Whitethroat heard and an Egret flew over.

The res hide produced 1 Common Gull, 1 GC Grebe, 5 Tufted Duck, 3 Little Grebe and a GS Woodpecker among other things...

[camelbirder]

But 13 years ago was 1995.

Steve

Sorry meant 1995.

[thenorthernmonkey]

Saturday 16th August - wet and miserable SW wind.

1 Common Sand, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin, 2 Wheatear, 1 Little Grebe, 1 juv GC Grebe, 2 GS Woodpecker's on feeder, 3 House Martin, 1 Little Egret,

[thenorthernmonkey]

Sunday 17th August

Full walk around the perimeter today in moderate wind produced little.

1 Dunlin, 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Wheatear, 2 Raven, 1 GC Grebe (juv)

[thenorthernmonkey]

Monday 18th August - Main res hide, SW wind ripping through.

18.30-19.45 - 2 Wheatear, 3 Little Grebe, 3 Shoveller,

[mark50d]

Check the blog for Stithians here, very informative - http://stithians-birding.blogspot.com/