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

Falmouth Birding (1 Viewer)

Had a quick look at the reservoirs this morning on my way past.

Argal -

13 Tufted Duck
9 Mallard
c.100 BH Gulls
3+ Common Gulls

College -

Wigeon 24
Great Crested Grebe 2
Goldeneye 2 f type
Mute Swan 2
Teal c.15
Grey Heron 2
Tufties, Coot and Moorhen etc
 
Had a quick look at the reservoirs this morning on my way past.

Argal -

13 Tufted Duck
9 Mallard
c.100 BH Gulls
3+ Common Gulls

College -

Wigeon 24
Great Crested Grebe 2
Goldeneye 2 f type
Mute Swan 2
Teal c.15
Grey Heron 2
Tufties, Coot and Moorhen etc

Reckon the Little Gulls will still be around?? Gonna have a look to hone my gull ID skills after work tonight, Swanpool, Castle, etc.
 
Reckon the Little Gulls will still be around?? Gonna have a look to hone my gull ID skills after work tonight, Swanpool, Castle, etc.

Don't see why not. Favoured spot seems to be off Castle Beach, but presumably will move around as the BH gulls do.


Was in town myself this afternoon - pair of Red-breasted Mergansers in Falmouth Harbour (near Trago), and 1 Razorbill.
 
1630hrs Had a look at the large group of BH Gulls on Swanpool lake as none were off the beach and only spotted a Med Gull.

Zoomed round to Castle beach about 5pm and 3 Guillemots were bobbing around right up to shore, gently heading towards the Castle end where the Phalarope frequented.

Also at Castle:
Little Eejit
Oystercatcher x14
Shags
old matey the Redshank

...and a bloated almost hairless Badger carcass!! The photo is censored unless anyone is interested!!
 
...and a bloated almost hairless Badger carcass!! The photo is censored unless anyone is interested!!

Missed out on a Falmouth coastal tick there! Mind you I currently have one in my compost heap, apparently a student from uni wanted one to collect the skeleton from, so we duly picked up the first roadkill we found. Apparently they've changed their mind now though.

Portland area had a cow washed up on Chesil Beach a few weeks back during the storms.

I know its not what usually gets posted on here but ime sure you will all be amazed at this series of photos.
http://photos.uk.msn.com/slideshow/photos/osprey-dunked-and-robbed-of-tasty-trout/2xbirq6f#1
You may guess by my name that I'me rooting for the trout.

Sorry to say but I think the trout might be coming off worse in this instance.

I guess two predators going for the same prey must happen now and then, but pretty rare for it to be caught on camera.

I believe there is also a stuffed Osprey at Loch Garten with its claws embedded in a large Salmon, both perished - unless it's a fraud.
 
Just popped up Argal this morning to have a chinwag to some mates (Model yachters)
and saw a shelduck fly up the res from college dirrection.
First I've seen on there.

Had a thought a bit back, but could it have been a male Goosander by any chance? (Both big and white with a dark green head). Doesn't mean it wasn't.
 
Pulled rudely out of my inactivity this morning by a series of bird-related texts, which meant I ended up being out and about and getting some fresh air instead of being cooped up indoors all day. Definitely a good thing though ;)

Castle Beach -

Med Gull
30+ BH Gull
Black Redstart
3+ Rock Pipit
2 Grey Wagtail
1 oiled Guillemot on the rocks
A few of the local birders

Pendennis -

Samuel and another student from uni (Spanish) already present.

They'd had - 8 GNDiver and 1 BTDiver

Seawatching the next hour or so -
reasonable passage of Kittiwake, Gannet and Fulmar (c.20 of the latter through at one point), with a few Guillemot and Razorbill through.

The wind was quite strong - had to move the car to the coastguards to sort the car out and put the seats up, but it didn't feel like much more variety was likely. Was just headed off to Penryn River for the post high-tide with the guys when they managed to spot a white-winger out the car windows flying alongside Pendennis! We tracked slowly alongside before scooting up to the next carpark whereupon we soon picked it up on the sea off Castle Beach. Excellent! Big, off white, slightly creamy and possibly a glaucous gull. Better looks and a few photos and we safely assumed it was indeed a 1st winter GLAUCOUS GULL!

Some obligatory high fives, a few texts to alert others and we headed around to above Castle Beach just as a small squall hit. We just managed to pick it up in flight and watched it for a few minutes before it gained altitude and then headed inland towards the docks/Penryn River.

We had a bit of a look (no gulls at the docks so didn't stay long) but no luck. Including driving, finding the bird a couple of times and it then moving on it was only around for about ten minutes or so unfortunately.

On to Gorrangorras where the tide was starting to drop -

50 Curlew, including one colour ringed bird
Curlew - left leg yellow, right leg metal ring and blue/grey (both colours possibly quite faded)
15+ Redshank
1 Greenshank
10+ Teal
16 Mute Swan
7 Little Egret
etc

Plus 1 Common Sandpiper in the car park
1 Sandwich Tern flew past just as we were leaving

Think that's mostly about it.
 
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Had a thought a bit back, but could it have been a male Goosander by any chance? (Both big and white with a dark green head). Doesn't mean it wasn't.

Not up to speed on recognition as most of you guys so I suspect it could have been.
Seen plenty of shelduck when I lived on a boat at Wier Quay on the river Tamar and that was my initial impression with the short look that I had.

Fished Argal today and was kept company most of the morning by a flock of Long tailed tits coming and going. Allways good to see especially on a misserable fishless day.
 
Think you covered pretty much everything quite well Dan :t:

Seawatching with Guille before you arrived also produced 1 Grey Seal, aside from what you mentioned above, before we later struck gold with the white-winger!

Some sort of fully black auk sp. also flew eastwards past St Anthony's. I'm stumped as to what it may have been, Razorbill in shape and size and no white visible on it. I'd have gone with some sort of duck sp. but it didn't have anything close to a neck on it, just a body and head, weird.

Best forgotten I suppose... ;)
 

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Think you covered pretty much everything quite well Dan :t:

Seawatching with Guille before you arrived also produced 1 Grey Seal, aside from what you mentioned above, before we later struck gold with the white-winger!

Some sort of fully black auk sp. also flew eastwards past St Anthony's. I'm stumped as to what it may have been, Razorbill in shape and size and no white visible on it. I'd have gone with some sort of duck sp. but it didn't have anything close to a neck on it, just a body and head, weird.

Best forgotten I suppose... ;)


Well done!! Great Glork spotting!!

Pity I missed it, but there'll other times.
 
Not up to speed on recognition as most of you guys so I suspect it could have been.
Seen plenty of shelduck when I lived on a boat at Wier Quay on the river Tamar and that was my initial impression with the short look that I had.

Fished Argal today and was kept company most of the morning by a flock of Long tailed tits coming and going. Allways good to see especially on a misserable fishless day.

We had one at sea around then and they do move around. Anything anywhere can catch anyone unawares though ... don't know if the Goosander later at Argal was a male or not either.

Just hoping for a nice few calm, sunny, dry days to be honest.
 
Glad you posted your photos up Samuel. Couldn't see much of a tertial step on mine at all!

And oiled auk would have to be the default?, after a badly seen Scoter, which I don't think it was.
 

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Doh, indeed.

Also interesting the terminology/ageing seems to have changed (eg from Collins).

ie 1st winters don't occur in this species - they go straight from juv (as this bird then becomes elsewhere on the net) - to 2nd winter ;)

eg http://forum.devonbirds.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=166

Seems a bit strange to me since this bird has clearly changed it's appearance from juv plumage (although this is wear rather than moult) into how it is appearing in this it's 'first winter' (or second calendar year). But I'll obviously go with the majority vote.

So it's a juv Glaucous Gull, even though it clearly isn't a juvenile any more, and it's in its first winter. ;)

Straightforward enough?
 
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Doh, indeed.

Also interesting the terminology/ageing seems to have changed (eg from Collins).

ie 1st winters don't occur in this species - they go straight from juv (as this bird then becomes elsewhere on the net) - to 2nd winter ;)

eg http://forum.devonbirds.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=166

Seems a bit strange to me since this bird has clearly changed it's appearance from juv plumage (although this is wear rather than moult) into how it is appearing in this it's 'first winter' (or second calendar year). But I'll obviously go with the majority vote.

So it's a juv Glaucous Gull, even though it clearly isn't a juvenile any more, and it's in its first winter. ;)

Straightforward enough?

You've got a point there!

It's taken me a while to understand the situation but I think I might have an idea what's going on.

Glaucous Gulls start out as juvs and seem to posses the same plumage up until April/May this year, skipping their 1st winter and 1st summer plums (excluding the usual post-nuptial moult which most other gulls undertake) (not sure why the 1st sum plum plumage should be excluded, just read it with regards to similar species). However, Glaucs do undergo a limited post-juvenile moult (essentially a prolonged "first year" moult which include some scaps and feathers on the side of the breast but barely constitutes as a 1st winter plumage). "Our" bird might be near the latter end of its 1st year moult as it was fairly pale and faded through wear and tear (this is called a non-nuptial plumage).

By April/May, they undergo their first pre-nuptial moult and finally their first proper post-nuptial moult near the end of their 2nd CY.

It makes total sense then that the bird labeled as a "2nd winter" in the Collins is a darker individual as it has undergone its first post-nuptial moult after upgrading from the one that is labeled as a "1st winter".

Rant over, please point out any mistakes if I've made some (I'm sure I have ;))

I think I'm just confusing myself here :eat:
 
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