[MarcusHoare]

Clutch of 8 Cygnets on Swanpool along with approx 30 ducklings split across various Ducks

[dantheman]

Finally got the internet sorted!!

Met up with Samuel yesterday evening to twitch a young Tawny Owl on Pendennis which he'd come across, to find he'd just been watching a probable 3rd cal year Yellow-legged Gull on the roofs at Falmouth Docks. (Photos on separate thread on here and Samuel's blog. We did have some concerns, bill/head but apparently not an issue). It flew as I arrived, but fortunately returned a few minutes later. Falmouth tick and a great find! Looking for the young owl, it had now turned into two fluffy beanbags, very nice. A seawatch off Pendennis afterwards until dusk produced c.25-30 Manx Shearwaters west into the wind. There was also a Wheatear at the point in the morning.

Argal Res earlier in the day had 45 Swallow, 2 House Martin (my first in the Falmouth area this year), 1 Sand martin and 3 Swift. High tide roost at Gorrangorras, Penryn River had 1 Redshank, 1 Greenshank and 3 Whimbrel.

Today, seawatch 7:36 - 9:16, strong SW winds. No manxies or hoped-for skuas, but (all west) -

Gannet c.300/hour
Auks c50 (includig a few definite G and R)
Sandwich Tern 5
Arctic Tern 1
Commic Tern 4
Kittiwake 9
Whimbrel 13
GNDiver 1 flew in and landed off the point
Fulmars, Shags and Cormorants, prob local birds, various directions.
Linnet on the point.

[dantheman]

Originally Posted by MarcusHoare

Clutch of 8 Cygnets on Swanpool along with approx 30 ducklings split across various Ducks

Nice one! Wondered when they'd hatch.

Welcome to BF (and the thread) .

[Samuel Perfect]

The gull seems to be ok for Yellow-legged! Dan are you sure it would be a new species for Falmouth or would that just be too good?

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=256701

[dantheman]

Originally Posted by Samuel Perfect

The gull seems to be ok for Yellow-legged! Dan are you sure it would be a new species for Falmouth or would that just be too good?

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=256701

Falmouth tick for me. Looking on bubo, that Henry Cook has it on his Falmouth list. Probably overlooked and occurs, but you need someone to check. Don't know how many records there have been, but not so common here in the south west as elsewhere in the country.

A cracking find whatever ...

[Samuel Perfect]

Originally Posted by dantheman

Falmouth tick for me. Looking on bubo, that Henry Cook has it on his Falmouth list. Probably overlooked and occurs, but you need someone to check. Don't know how many records there have been, but not so common here in the south west as elsewhere in the country.

A cracking find whatever ...

Cheers Dan,

Greg reckons there have been a couple before but it would be interesting to look over the records. I found the Gull Research Organisation page useful for comparison http://gull-research.org/ylgadsubad/3cymay/03cymay.htm I think 3cy is also right.

[dantheman]

Back for more seawatching this afternoon. 3:00 - 4:30pm. 90 Manx Shearwaters, 7 Sandwich Terns and 6 Kittiwakes. Portland Bill has had 3 skua species today, but we're probably not Portland. GN Diver still present (nice sum plum).

[dantheman]

A couple of distant manxies off Pendennis this morning, but not much else (edit - 7 Turnstone flew into the point from Gylly direction). Argal Res had 30 Swallow, House Martin, 15 Swift, Blackcaps and Sedge Warbler, Whimbrel (h), whilst at College the Mute Swans had a brood of 5 cygnets, 40+ Herring Gull, 2 imm GBBGull and 2 LBBGull. Gorrangorras at high tide this afternoon had a Redshank and 2 Whimbrel!

And a Peregrine over Falmouth this afternoon.

[dantheman]

Guilty of some dirty filthy twitching this morning ...





Actually it was only the local patch. College Reservoir to be precise. Male Scaup. Still present. In fact, just about the only duck there (think there may have been a Mallard too.) But very nice and worth the minor detour to where I was going anyway. (I'm not a twitcher you see, and I don't twitch ...). Argal had GCG's of course, 30+ Swallows, Swifts and 2 House Martin. The Scaup was very nice. It was.

Yesterday went a little further afield with Samuel, to the Lizard peninsula. We thought we'd had quite a good day, until we got home and other news of the day gradually filtered out (we could have had a better day if the news had filtered out a slightly faster rate, but I guess that's Cornwall. It's nice to complain, although I guess we are also becoming guiltier and guilter of slow news dissemination ourselves ... ( ?) But I guess there is still a ratio that should be observed relating to how good the bird is, and how quicky news should go out ... ) Anyway ...

Highlights - Whooper Swan still at Helston Boating Lake. Helston Loe Pool had 2 smart Dunlin at the north end, and 2 slightly drabber Sanderling at the south end. 11+ Reed Warbler. 130+ Swallows and 4 Sand Martins suddenly turned up after a drizzly front, and a very vocal, mobile and quite showy (when singing near the water rather in the scrub alongside the footpath) Cetti's Warbler. A rather wet Wheatear (fresh in?) on Loe Bar could have been a Greenland - it's underparts were damp but a lot of buffy orange/brown down the flanks and around the vent at least. Reeling Grasshopper Warblers at a couple of sites on the Lizard itself. 2 or more Sedge Warblers on that bufflehead pond (no Buffleheads today though). Greylag Goose at Hayle Kimbro, and a seawatch from Bass Point from c.10:30 to 12:00 with c.400 Manxies west per hour, 1 Bonxie and plenty of Guillemots and Razorbills and 7 Whimbrel past. 2 Great Northern Divers on the sea itself, and a local Chough providing some entertaintment. Didn't have time to visit Stithians or College Res unfortunately.

So not bad, but probably one of the best (or worst) personal example I can give of being in the right place at the wrong time, this year at least.
Can't even blame the lack of sleep for poor birding decisions - it was just the way it was. Birds missed included the aforementioned very smart drake Scaup (ok we didn't go there but we would have, especially if we'd known about it), multiple Pomarine Skuas, a Storm Petrel, Puffins (hard to get normally), various other less important seabirds which would still have been nice, a Hobby, and probably as galling as anything, a smart (and showy) drake Garganey which we also could have enjoyed on the way back (if the news blah ...), and we would have most probably have found if it's timing had been a bit better ...

Guess that's birding though.

[Samuel Perfect]

Thanks again for the driving Dan and what we first thought was an ok mornings birding. I'm starting to think that small auk sp. I had flypast by itself might have been a Puffin but that's stringing for you so I'll keep my mouth shut on that one

At least it was a good days birding as opposed to a good days damn filthy twitching! Speaking of which, haven't been tempted enough to check out the drake Scaup yet, let's see how long I last.

[henerz1]

Originally Posted by dantheman

Falmouth tick for me. Looking on bubo, that Henry Cook has it on his Falmouth list. Probably overlooked and occurs, but you need someone to check. Don't know how many records there have been, but not so common here in the south west as elsewhere in the country.

A cracking find whatever ...

A nice find. Looks pretty good to me. Also an unusual age category to come across.

I recorded a couple of 1w's at College Res during my time.
Cheers.
Henry.

[dantheman]

You know you're getting old when you come back from a seawatch and make up a hot water bottle ...


... or maybe you just know that you're in England in mid-May.


Or maybe you know you're getting really old when you want to make up a hot water bottle, but you can't because you can't remember where you put it from 2 days ago ...


Gyllyngvase cliff shelter, half an hour this lunchtime (13:00-13:30), all west, visibility not great-

Manx Shearwater c.120
Lots of Gannets, a few Fulmars
Sandwich Terns 2
Med Gull 1 ad
I'm sure a dozen poms flew past just before and just after I was there.


Yesterday evening Gorrangorras high tide - 2 Redshank and a Whimbrel.

[dantheman]

It's always important to not be in full possession of all the facts when having a rant ...

The Garganey news did go straight out after all after turning up around midday. Apologies for any aspersions cast wrongly!

(Will just have to join twitter it seems )



I'm away for a couple of weeks, so that's probably mostly it from me wrt local bird news for a little while. Bring on the Purple Herons ...

[Samuel Perfect]

Enjoy your trip abroad, seems I'll have to fill your gap!

[Paul Freestone]

Originally Posted by dantheman

It's always important to not be in full possession of all the facts when having a rant ...

The Garganey news did go straight out after all after turning up around midday. Apologies for any aspersions cast wrongly!

(Will just have to join twitter it seems )



I'm away for a couple of weeks, so that's probably mostly it from me wrt local bird news for a little while. Bring on the Purple Herons ...

@CornwallBrdNews!!! #CBnews.

[Samuel Perfect]

Originally Posted by Samuel Perfect

At least it was a good days birding as opposed to a good days damn filthy twitching! Speaking of which, haven't been tempted enough to check out the drake Scaup yet, let's see how long I last.

finally caved in to twitching the drake Scaup at College Res. It was still the only diving duck on the Res, diving and feeding near the southern end. Also 1 flypast Kingfisher and Treecreeper.