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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Falmouth Birding (2 Viewers)

RafaelMatias said:
That guy has been present for some years now, and it's getting "worse", with the "apparent tumour" increasing in size progressively.
I'm no longer among the Falmouth birding scene (since last Nov) but it's great to follow this thread to have a look at what I'd see if I were there :)
Cheers to all
Click to expand...

So I guess the chances of randomly bumping into you have gone down just a little bit then ... ?! ;) Looking forward to a good spring to follow what has been a good winter (albeit a lot of the better birds seem to have been hard work/untwitchable so far). Good luck with your ongoing birding/plans.
 
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Had to go out and buy some milk, so did a quick circuit of the area this afternoon. Never seen Lidl's so busy.

Gorrangorras - (high tide)

c.30 Redshank
50+ Curlew
2 Oystercatcher
c.20 Mute Swan
12 Mallard
10 Teal
1 Common Sandpiper (in the car park of Waterside Dentalcare)

popped over to Penryn to look for Dippers with no success, on returning the tide had dropped a bit and -

30 Herring Gull
30 BH Gull
1 LBBGull
1 Sandwich Tern

Drove back the low road and my hunch paid off with presumably a second Common Sandpiper, in Greenbank Gardens (next to the Greenbank Hotel).

Pendennis -

Brief scan of the sea - 2 GNDiver and 5 distant Gannet.

Castle Beach -

16 Turnstone
1 Redshank still
9 Rock Pipit
1 Meadow Pipit
2 Pied Wagtail
1 m Stonechat
1f type Black Redstart
1 Robin

all feeding on the washed up seaweed

Also 22 Oystercatcher nearby

Swanpool -

A further GND out to sea, 1 Guillemot, with 1 Med Gull and several hundred BH and 50+ Herring Gull on the pool itself.

(edit: Samuel reported 1 Slav Grebe, 1 Red-necked Grebe, 1 Black-throated Diver and 2 GNDiver from Swanpool too this afternoon)


Forgot earlier, additionally a Grey Seal off Swanpool yesterday.
 

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... some more Common Sandpiper record shots (didn't try on the Greenbank bird, although I should have.) The one in the last post above taken with the mobile phone from the car window as I first saw it.

Not used to seeing them this far from water (ok not that far admittedly). Is it that unusual? I'd imagine not really, but still nice!
 

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I guess I should have come and twitched your Sandpiper Dan, bizarre location!

Instead a late morning start waiting for the rain to pass (a bit wimpish of me I know).

Swanpool: 1 ad. Med Gull

seawatching from the Hooked Cafe at Swanpool:

very little moving in the distance. Only the occasional Gannet and a couple Shags going east. Most of the activity was concentrated closer inshore with strong gusts blowing south over the bay. Highlights included:

1 Red-necked Grebe
1 Slavonian Grebe
2 GNDs
1 BTD
c.90 Shags moving around from Maenporth (the majority still most likely on the other side of Pennance Point out of sight)
1 ad. Med Gull
3 pairs of Fulmar on the cliff
1 male Grey Seal close to the shore
1 double rainbow
 
Quick patrol out yesterday afternoon amongst the showers:

Castle beach

Much the same as Dan:

GBB gull
Turnstone x12
Little Egret
Oystercatcher x10
Redshank
Pied Wag
Ripit x3
Mipit
Carrion Crow x2

Mostly feeding on the rotting seaweed at the bottom of the steps
 
Almost the regular daily pilgrimage down to Swanpool late afternoon, Samuel there too.

From Swanpool in the bay -

1 Slav Grebe
1 Red-necked Grebe
2 GNDiver
1 Diver sp.
1+ Razorbill
1 Guillemot
A few Gannets
plenty of gulls

2 Water Rail, showing nicely, around the back of Swanpool itself.
 
dantheman said:
1 Diver sp.
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Didn't hear you mention that! (mild suppression ;) )

Not much to add to Dan's totals other than a flock of a half douzen prob. scoter moving distantly west. Unfortunately, I lost them thanks to my pathetic ability to scan with my ball and socket tripod head (probably my only chance to add the species to the foot it list) :-C
 
Samuel Perfect said:
Didn't hear you mention that! (mild suppression ;) )
Click to expand...

Or your memory going with the stress of the ducks - we definitely had a discussion about a diver which dived over towards Pendennis behind the gulls but didn't resurface in view (maybe you thought I was talking about something else though?). Squall came through and that was it.

;)
 
dantheman said:
Or your memory going with the stress of the ducks - we definitely had a discussion about a diver which dived over towards Pendennis behind the gulls but didn't resurface in view (maybe you thought I was talking about something else though?). Squall came through and that was it.

;)
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ooooooooh yeah, remember now 8-P I take back what I said ;) Was definitely getting too distracted by some black dots on the horizon
 
Depressed by paperwork this morning went out birding instead. Hit by a few showers (bit prolonged later in the day). 11:45 - 16:15 on foot, Gyllyngvase - Swanpool - Swanvale - College Res - Gorrangorras - Penryn River.

Mostly quiet.

150 Shag in Falmouth Bay, 1 Razorbill, no other action in the brief scan or two of the bay, 7 Ringed Plover and Med Gull Swanpool Point.

Singing Bullfinch in Swanvale, Goldcrest.

c.30 Redwing and 15 Meadow Pipit N of Falmouth.

6 Tufted Duck Argal

c.24 Wigeon, 3 Great Crested Grebe, f Goldeneye, m Pochard, Tufted Ducks etc at College Res

Tried looking for Dipper on the stream down to Penryn with no success.

Gorrangorras at high tide held 30 Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 50+ Curlew, 3 Little Egret, 12 Teal, Little Grebe, Moorhen etc before a heavier shower arrived and I decided to head for home.

Common Sandpiper, 1 Redshank and 4 Oystercatcher on the wall of Greenbank Gardens
 
Managed to boost my foot it list up today by 12 species!

Walked to College Res mid-morning stopping of at Gorrangorras on the way. Was just scanning through the waders when a Sparrowhawk shot through, the first new addition. Usual numbers of Curlew, Redshank, and the odd Greenshank, 1 Whimbrel also kicking about and a Razorbill was diving and feeding only a couple hundred meters downstream (the furthest I've seen one upstream before).

Bumped into a woman walking her dogs around the small pond NE of College Res who informed me of "3 mergansers" which had been frequenting the pond for some time and she had last seen them there only a couple days/week ago! I quizzed her a little and the description sounded genuine for sawbill sp. "Cormorant like with a white chest, long bill and a hooked tip", although I suspect Goosander was probably the more likely contender. Another potential patch mega!

Moving on to College Res, I managed to add ten new species to the foot it list in the space of about 10-15 mins! These included, Pochard, Wigeon, Teal, Great Crested Grebe, Canada Goose, Goldeneye (1 female), Shoveler (2 females), Snipe, Goldcrest and Goldfinch!

The Scaup hybrid thing was still there too.

Gorrangorras on the way back:

2 Common Sandpipers, one sprinting around the car park amongst the cars and one on the opposite bank.

Not raining at the moment so will head out soon to add Tawny Owl to the heard only foot it list.
 
Out yesterday late afternoon - nothing exciting.

2 GND and 2 Razorbill from Swanpool, 3 Razorbill and 1 Guillemot Falmouth Harbour probably only things of note.

See Little Auk reported in Carrick Roads from Kayak yesterday - think that's the way to do it. On my wish list at any rate.
 
Out this afternoon from c.3:15 - rain cleared after 4pm, visibility became good but still not an awful lot of birds. To dusk, from Swanpool -

20+ Gannet w
6+ Kittiwake w
4 Common Scoter w (very distant)
1 Slav Grebe on the sea off Pennance Point fairly distant
2 Razorbill, 1 Guillemot, c.10 Fulmar
Lots of gulls roosting on the sea, including 2 Med Gulls

1 Water Rail on Swanpool, SE side next to the footpath.
 
A quick detour into the cemetery at Swanpool in search of Green Woodpecker for the foot it list rewarded me with a flyover bird within minutes of entering the gates.

Seawatching from the Hooked cafe with Dan:

I spent most of my time scanning the more distant birds c.2-3 miles out so didn't locate the Slav and even missed picking up the 4 Common Scoter (thanks Dan for getting me on to them though :t:).

A regular trickle of Kitts and Gannets but far fewer auks than yesterday (several hundred went westwards yesterday afternoon between 4-5pm). 1 1st winter Gannet also amoungst the adults and c. 10 Fulmar in the bay and checking out the ledges.

Ended the 2014 January foot it challenge on 87!
 
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