• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Falmouth Birding (1 Viewer)

Female Marsh Harrier this morning from my field (c.1 mile west of Treverva), being mobbed by the local Jackdaws. Flew low through fom the west before circling and gaining height over the valley to the south west, eventually I lost it high in the sky over towards the Lizard.

4 Common Swifts high overhead too, with at least 1 lower down and 3 House Martins. Peregrines distantly, Common Whitethroat singing etc.

Yesterday evening 4 Shelduck flying low east over the cattle market, Truro as we drove back into the area, 20+ Whimbrel, 3 Greenshank and a Dunlin at Devoran as we stopped for a brief scan.

Waiting at Penmere Station, Falmouth for the train on Saturday morning, Sparrowhawk, female Whitethroat and 15+ Common Swift.
 
Carrick Roads just below the Ferry - looks like a Great White Egret ??
 

Attachments

  • GW Egret.jpg
    GW Egret.jpg
    79.4 KB · Views: 120
dantheman said:
Looks like a 'leucistic' Grey Heron to me - structure, including bill length, plus that dark line on the head.

Certainly interesting, and really that pale in real life?
Click to expand...

I was on the ferry down from Malpas - saw a bright white 'thing' and just managed to get a poor pic at 560mm.
There were plenty of Herons around for comparison.
 
Keeping the thread alive ...

... Water levels have dropped at Argal Reservoir by a good metre or two, so lots of exposed shoreline (some mud, mostly granite 'gravel', with the odd 'cornish hedge' exposed), with the result that some waders were on display. A walk around the perimeter this morning 7:20 am onwards, and the following were recorded;

Greenshank 2+ (mobile)
Common Sandpiper 1
Ringed Plover 1 juv
Grey Heron 3
Mallard 15
BH Gull 23
Cormorant 1
Swallow c.500
Sand Martin 1 (that I noticed!)

(Not quite competition for Stithians at the moment ...)

College Reservoir (now in the rain, so a half hearted and misted optics scenario):-

Mute Swan family of 6
Canada Goose 2
Coot 27
Moorhen 4
Mallard 11
Little Grebe 1
 
Had quite a good haul this morning ;)

Greenshank calling as I left the house in Falmouth at 5:30am.

Argal Reservoir - Greenshank 3, Common Sandpiper 3, Curlew 2 (heard only), Teal 1, plus the commoner water birds. Lots of Chiffchaff (2 dozen plus), Willow Warbler (6+).

College Reservoir - Osprey 1 juv from 8 -8:45 before flying off to the south.
Also Kingfisher, Cormorant (20 roosting in island trees), and as equally impressive as the Osprey, for me at least, brief views of an Otter with a large and strongly struggling fish (Carp presumably?) in the southern section near the island.

(All before 9am. For a fuller account, see my blog, link in signature below)
 
Last edited:
Another Osprey today through the area - an adult at 11:20 this morning at Argal Reservoir. Being harangued by a Rook at the southern end before it disappeared off to the south.

Waders included some new ones, with Redshank (1 juv) and 2 Green Sandpiper, in addition to 1 (possibly 2) Greenshank and 2 Common Sandpiper. A juvenile Common Tern was resting up on the shore with 20 or so of the Black-headed Gulls. Still a long way to go to catch up with Stithians ... ;)
 
Just found this thread -

Stithians today - 5 Snipe, 5 Wheatear and 1 drk Wigeon from the Stuart Hutchings hide, 1 Coal Tit on the feeding station (patch rarity), 1 Teal on the Southern Cut Off and 1 Greenshank on the Northern Cut Off....
 
Welcome to the thread. All fresh input appreciated I'm sure :t: Hopefully some more good birds to come this autumn ...

Did the Pendennis Point to Swanpool stretch this morning (8:30 to 10:00).

3 Sandwich Terns past Falmouth Docks, with 2 past the Point. Nothing much else of note on the peninsula (Gannets, Kittiwakes, Fulmar, Greenfinch etc etc).

On the beach between Pendennis and Gyllyngvase 2 Little Egret, 15 Oystercatcher, 1 Curlew, 1 Knot (juv), 2 adult Med Gulls, and 5 (more or same?) Sandwich Terns resting. These flew out into the bay, where a Peregrine attempted to catch one, unsuccessfully.

Southern point of Argal Reservoir briefly this afternoon - 1 juv Redshank, 1 juv Green Sandpiper and 1 Common Sandpiper in front of the hide.

Invertebrates: (Pendennis point) - Painted Lady 2, Red Admiral 2
 
Last edited:
Dropped in to the southern end of Argal Res briefly this evening. 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank and 1 Common Sandpiper on the wader front, with 1 Common Tern out in the middle with the 100+ Swallows (didn't attempt a count to be honest). Notable was a flock (?) of 8 Grey Herons flying west. 6 Whinchat in a field near Treverva.
 
dantheman said:
Dropped in to the southern end of Argal Res briefly this evening. 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank and 1 Common Sandpiper on the wader front, with 1 Common Tern out in the middle with the 100+ Swallows (didn't attempt a count to be honest). Notable was a flock (?) of 8 Grey Herons flying west. 6 Whinchat in a field near Treverva.
Click to expand...

Argal is a lovely spot - I used to get up there regularly walking from Mabe - there are some huge fish in there - saw my only Hobby up there - and met a very sick Badger.
 
Chris Oates said:
Argal is a lovely spot - I used to get up there regularly walking from Mabe - there are some huge fish in there - saw my only Hobby up there - and met a very sick Badger.
Click to expand...

It is rather atmospheric. Doesn't always have all that many birds though, and gets a fair amount of disturbance - probably because it is so nice to walk around, and the fish in it...

08/09/10 - Argal had 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank, 1 Great Crested Grebe and 40 Curlew in the field below Mabe Church.
Treverva (private land) there was a mini-fall or something going on in the morning, with Common Redstart (1), Whinchat (3), Sedge Warbler (1) and Whitethroat (1).

07/09/10 - There were 2 Great Crested Grebe (first this side of the year), and College had the first Wigeon of the autumn (a single).
 
Last edited:
Pendennis Point this morning - (c. 8.30 -9.45)

Blackcap 3, Willow Warbler 3, Chiffchaff 10+

Common Swift 1, House Martin 10, Sand Martin 3, Swallow 20+

Wheatear 1, Sandwich Tern 3

There were c. 20 Oystercatchers from the east side as far as Gyllyngvase, Swanpool quiet too. 1 Painted Lady on the point.
 
Last edited:
Argal and College this morning:-

Argal 9:45 to 10:45am - Juv Little Gull at north end by car park, feeding fairly continuously. Single Greenshank and Green Sandpipers at southern end, with another Greenshank on western side. 10 House Martin through briefly, 6 Swallow, 2 Chiffchaff and 4 Blackcap. Great Crested Grebe 1 and the Tufted Duck 1.

College 10:45 to 11:20 - 1 Wigeon, 48 Coot, 65 Herring Gull, 3+ Grey Heron.


A couple of days ago (Monday 13th September), Pendennis Point and area, Falmouth (Forgot to report at the time, oops, not that any of it was that momentous);

Pendennis Point - Blackcap 2, Chiffchaff 6, Willow Warbler 1, Swallow 6+, Oystercatcher 21 roosting, Peregrine 1 circling overhead

Gyllyngvase Beach - 2 ad Med Gulls

Swanpool - 2 Raven over, 17 Little Grebe, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff.

Had a report of a Swift yesterday between Treverva and Gweek too.
 
Last edited:
dantheman said:
Argal and College this morning:-

Argal 9:45 to 10:45am - Juv Little Gull at north end by car park, feeding fairly continuously. Single Greenshank and Green Sandpipers at southern end, with another Greenshank on western side. 10 House Martin through briefly, 6 Swallow, 2 Chiffchaff and 4 Blackcap. Great Crested Grebe 1 and the Tufted Duck 1.

College 10:45 to 11:20 - 1 Wigeon, 48 Coot, 65 Herring Gull, 3+ Grey Heron.


A couple of days ago (Monday 13th September), Pendennis Point and area, Falmouth (Forgot to report at the time, oops, not that any of it was that momentous);

Pendennis Point - Blackcap 2, Chiffchaff 6, Willow Warbler 1, Swallow 6+, Oystercatcher 21 roosting, Peregrine 1 circling overhead

Gyllyngvase Beach - 2 ad Med Gulls

Swanpool - 2 Raven over, 17 Little Grebe, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff.

Had a report of a Swift yesterday between Treverva and Gweek too.
Click to expand...


Keep the reports coming Dan, I'll be down this weekend!
 
Warning! This thread is more than 7 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

Paul Freestone
Cornwall Bird News 2023 - Recent Sightings from Cornwall
Replies
2
Views
1K
Steve Lister
S
dantheman
Dantheman's 10km from home list 2022
Replies
4
Views
906
dantheman
dantheman
lgonz1008
Birding Yellowstone and Glacier National Park in May-June, 2021
Replies
7
Views
4K
lgonz1008
lgonz1008
P
Two 'non birding' trips to Peninsula Malaysia 2014
Replies
9
Views
4K
andyb39
A
dantheman
dantheman's uk self-found list 2011
Replies
3
Views
2K
dantheman
dantheman

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top