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

Cornwall Birding (3 Viewers)

Yesterday, visited the following sites;

Par Beach Pool

• Mute Swan – 10
• Cormorant – 1
• Coot – 22
• Moorhen – 22
• Canada Goose – 115
• Heron – 2
• Mallard – 22
• Mallard hybrid – 32
• Little Grebe – 1
• Great Black-backed Gull – 3
• Lesser Black-backed Gull – 1
• Jackdaw – 6
• Black-headed Gull – 87, (one with a metal ring, unable to read)
• Herring Gull – 86, (one with a metal ring, only partially read poss. GR027027?)
• Pied Wagtail – 8
• Reed Bunting – 1
• House Sparrow – 12
• Dunnock – 1
• Robin – 1
• Wood Pigeon – 2
• Goldcrest – 1
• Magpie – 2
• Raven – 2

St Andrews Pool

• Pike – 1 caught by fisherman
• Brown Rat – 3
• Robin – 4
• Chaffinch – 1
• Muscovy Duck – 1
• Mute Swan – 3
• Canada Goose – 7
• Shelduck – 1
• Black-headed Gull – 20
• Mallard – 20
• Mallard hybrid – 35
• Moorhen – 11
• Blue Tit – 2
• Goldcrest – 2
• Blackbird – 1
• Coal Tit – 1
 
Stithians last night at dusk


  • Wigeon 13
    Snipe 11
    Little Egret 1
    Blackbird 2
    Wren 1
    Magpie 1
    Carrion Crow 3
    Buzzard 1
    Grey Heron 1
    Mallard 3
    Robin

Failed on target species - Barn Owl
 
Just driven through God's wonderful country from Cornwall to North Devon in glorious sunshine all the way. Couldn't resist a stop at the Rock Brewery for supplies and then a stop overlooking Polzeath beach for pasties. However I was genuinely surprised at the number of Starlings flying about - all the way through the county large flocks just vapouring about and some on wires. I think there must be a huge roost somewhere, anyone know where?
 
Jon Turner said:
Just driven through God's wonderful country from Cornwall to North Devon in glorious sunshine all the way. Couldn't resist a stop at the Rock Brewery for supplies and then a stop overlooking Polzeath beach for pasties. However I was genuinely surprised at the number of Starlings flying about - all the way through the county large flocks just vapouring about and some on wires. I think there must be a huge roost somewhere, anyone know where?
Click to expand...

The roost at Marazion seems to have gone with most birds flying over east at dusk. I think the main roost is at Crowdy. There are also large numbers around Newquay but I suspect they may be a pre roost gathering before going to Crowdy.
Dave
 
Dave Parker said:
The roost at Marazion seems to have gone with most birds flying over east at dusk. I think the main roost is at Crowdy. There are also large numbers around Newquay but I suspect they may be a pre roost gathering before going to Crowdy.
Dave
Click to expand...

Thanks Dave, good to see you again at Marazion yesterday! - We didn't see much else in the rain out west!
 
starlings

The starlings are still massing in the Newquay area where they caused a lot of problems at a caravan site last winter.

I don't know if they've started roosting there yet but last winter there was a definite "cut-off" near Fraddon where those to the south roosted at Newquay and those to the north went to the woods at Roughtor near Crowdy.
Every day when I travelled back the A30 I could see flocks flying to different roosts.

See my website for photos of the Roughtor roost and a few of the big roost on the Somerset levels. Click here for pics.

Adrian.

Jon Turner said:
Just driven through God's wonderful country from Cornwall to North Devon in glorious sunshine all the way. Couldn't resist a stop at the Rock Brewery for supplies and then a stop overlooking Polzeath beach for pasties. However I was genuinely surprised at the number of Starlings flying about - all the way through the county large flocks just vapouring about and some on wires. I think there must be a huge roost somewhere, anyone know where?
Click to expand...
 
Dave Parker said:
The roost at Marazion seems to have gone with most birds flying over east at dusk. I think the main roost is at Crowdy. There are also large numbers around Newquay but I suspect they may be a pre roost gathering before going to Crowdy.
Dave
Click to expand...

The Marazion roosts were great - I remember them in a tree up by the (now removed) hide and in the reeds on the main marsh.
They made life hell at work late every afternoon as the pre roost was on the power lines which caused severe arcing and power dips.

The best roost I've ever seen was at St Ives in the Church yard tree at Lifeboat Hill - the sky turned black as they came in - it was the most amazing natural event I've ever seen - how they all fitted into one tree is beyond me.

Next problem was getting to work the next day - the poo made the road impassable and the smell was horrendous.

Eventually the tree was cut down and the Starlings never came back in numbers - there's a small (apparently) sedentary population.

At Marazion there are some very amusing Starlings - there are some that feed on New Zealand Flax and have very weird coloured chests - others mimick Curlews which are often on the beach - however they do it as they hear it - a Starling 6 inches from you sounds like a Curlew a very very long way away.
 
Thanks for your answers everyone. As I continued into North Devon there were still lots of Starlings on the wing, and I think they all probably congregate somewhere in Hartland Forest.
 
A very misty Stithians

Goldcrest 2
Wigeon 20
Carrion Crow 2
Magpie 1
Herring Gull 29
Robin 1
Skylark 3
Blackbird 1
Wren 1
Fieldfare 40+ over
Greenfinch 1
Snipe 1
Mallard 1
Chaffinch 3
Collared Dove 1
Starling 100+
Black-headed Gull 114
Common Gull 1
Great Tit 3
Blue Tit 4
Long-tailed Tit 5
Grey Heron 1
Dunnock 2
 
The ringed Black-headed Gull noted at Par Beach Pool on Oct 23rd was ringed at Cleveland Farm, Wiltshire on Jun 9th 2009 and has been seen once before at Par Beach Pool on Dec 12th 2009.
 
Stithians at dusk

Observations from the Southern Cut Off


  • Blackbird 4
    Wren 1
    Blue Tit 1
    Mallard 2
    Wigeon 18
    Robin 2
    Carrion Crow 2
    Snipe 29+ flying off to feed in fields
 
At Crowdy Res., this evening the following were noted;
Black-headed Gull - 550
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1200
Wigeon - 7
Short-eared Owl - 2
Common Gull - 1 second winter
Lapwing - 60
Golden Plover - 30
Kestrel - 2
Merlin - 1
Sparrowhawk - 1
Buzzard - 2
Stonechat - 2
Starling - 120,000 roosted at Lower Moor Plantation

At Davidstow Airfield
Black Redstart - 1
Wheatear - 2
Sparrowhawk - 1
 
I had a Great white Egret over the A39 between Otterham and Wainhouse Corner this afternoon it was flying toward the coast at around 15:30.
 
Stithians

Southern Cut Off at dusk

European Robin 2
Carrion Crow 4
Common Skylark 1
Blue Tit 1
Common Magpie 3
Grey Heron 1
Common Blackbird 1
Eurasian Wigeon 10
Dunnock 2
Fieldfare 6
Common Teal 1+
Common Snipe 27+

Reported earlier in the day from the Southern Cut Off hide courtesy of the logbook

European Greenfinch 6
Eurasian Bullfinch 2
European Goldfinch 4
Reed Bunting 6
Common Chaffinch 8
Fieldfare 14
Blue Tit 8
House Sparrow 5
Great Tit 4
Coal Tit 2
GS Woodpecker 1
Dunnock 3
Grey Heron 1
Mallard 2
Common Buzzard 1
 
Last edited:
Stithians Today

Verbal report received that the male Snow Bunting was still showing at the Northern end this morning.

Also on the reserve today -

Common Starling 50+ over
Grey Heron 2
Carrion Crow 2
Common Buzzard 1
Common Magpie 2
Common Wood Pigeon 4
Northern Lapwing 21
Great Cormorant 7
Common Snipe 5
Song Thrush 1
Goldcrest 2
Long-tailed Tit 10
Curlew 1+
Little Egret 1

On the feeding station -

Coal Tit 2
Blue Tit 4 (2 ringed0
Great Tit 2 (1 ringed)
European Goldfinch 1
European Greenfinch 5
Common Chaffinch 9
House Sparrow 5
Dunnock 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 (female)
Common Blackbird 1
 
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