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Falmouth Birding (4 Viewers)

Been out and about a little bit the last few weeks, but with almost constant easterlies not been too concerned wrt seawatching. Will check through records for anything interesting in due course. Out this morning (as was Samuel) -

Swanpool - Great Crested Grebe

Swanpool Point - 1+ Ringed Plover, 3 Med Gull, 3 Sandwich Tern in the bay

Swanpool Golfcourse - 1 Wheatear, with 8 House Martin and 1 Skylark over. 1 Blackcap and singing Chiffchaff and 1 Weasel on the coastal footpath

Samuel's highlights (as it were) - 3 Chiffchaff and 2 Blackcap on Pendennis, Whimbrel past the point and 6 Oystercatchers, and the terns. Probably the short straw as it turned out. We also had Kingfisher again briefly perching and flying around the point.


Samuel probably won on the dog front, but I had more joggers (c.9 on the coast path alone). Roll on Oct 1st when the dogs are allowed back on the beaches ... hang on a mo ...
 
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This morning on patch -

Pendennis Point 8:00 - 9:00 -

73 Balearic Shearwater west
900+ Gannet west (based on a sample count in 5 minutes towards the end - numbers higher earlier on)
6 Oystercatcher w
20+ Shag w
1 distant poss Sooty Shear w
1 Med Gull
2 Puffin w
2 Razorbill w
1 Guillemot w
13 auk sp. west

on/around/past the point -

2 Whimbrel
11 Oystercatcher
1 Curlew
1 Rock Pipit
12 Chaffinch
6 Blue Tit
1 Great Tit
100 BH Gull and 2 Med Gull on the east side
2 Chiffchaff near the costaguards
2 Swallow
5 Meadow Pipit

Swanpool Point -

4 Ringed Plover
1 Curlew
1 Turnstone



Samuel had a Firecrest above Swanpool Point, and there were another 5 Balearics past at 11am
 
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Having a chat to a fishing pal up Argal lunchtime.
Says he saw a biggish raptor come down, take a good sized fish out of the water,
Says he has seen Ospreys doing it abroad and he felt sure in himself that thats what it was.
What do you guys think.
 
fishybarry said:
Having a chat to a fishing pal up Argal lunchtime.
Says he saw a biggish raptor come down, take a good sized fish out of the water,
Says he has seen Ospreys doing it abroad and he felt sure in himself that thats what it was.
What do you guys think.
Click to expand...

Behaviour certainly sounds right for Osprey. Not sure there're a lot of other likely candidates. Black Kites occasionally take stuff from the water surface but that's far less likely.
 
No sign of Osprey at either College or Argal Res this afternoon. According to fisherman no sighting all day but was present for 5 mins yesterday before circling up and heading south.

Masses of dogs and people traipsing all over the banks and walking right through the nature reserve end of Argal!! :C Result... only 1 Grey Heron :-C

College Res: 2 Little Egrets, a couple of Wigeon and the usual stuff.
 
Seawatching from Pendennis Point with Dan in promising SW winds for over an hour this am. A decent swell also picked up the shears. All west unless otherwise stated:

30+ Balearics
2 Bonxies
1 Arctic Skua
1 Whimbrel into the Carrick Roads
3 distant terns
4 or 5 distant duck sp's (might have been Shelduck) East
A trickle of auks (got the impression most were Razorbill) and a few Mipits in off the sea and lingering around the point. Double figures of Med Gulls but didn't count as focusing on the distant horizon. Steady flow of Gannets too including noticeably more first years compared to last couple weeks.

Castle Beach:

1 Stonechat
1 Whimbrel
Oyks

Swanpool Point:

1 Ringed Plover
 
Seawatch from Pendennis with Dan again this morning in SW-W winds (largely the same conditions as yesterday but more cloud and occasional showers). Can't remember the exact timing, I'm sure Dan will enlighten us.

63 Balearics
4 large duck sp's (most probably Shelduck)
steady passage of Shags and Gannets westwards

Castle Beach:

1 male Stonechat

brief scan of the sea from Swanpool with waning results just 1 prob Teal east into the Carrick Roads
 
Samuel Perfect said:
Seawatch from Pendennis with Dan again this morning in SW-W winds (largely the same conditions as yesterday but more cloud and occasional showers). Can't remember the exact timing, I'm sure Dan will enlighten us.

63 Balearics
4 large duck sp's (most probably Shelduck)
steady passage of Shags and Gannets westwards

Castle Beach:

1 male Stonechat

brief scan of the sea from Swanpool with waning results just 1 prob Teal east into the Carrick Roads
Click to expand...


8:00 - 9:45 ;)

Also 6 Kittiwake, 50+ Auk sp. (all that were id-able were Razorbill), 5+ Med Gulls and 8 Swallows all west too ... (the prob shelduck were east). Rock Pipits, still a few Meadow Pipits and Little Egrets too on the coast of course.


Looked at the Penryn River just before high tide this evening (Gorrangorras) -

1 Common Sandpiper
38 Curlew
c.50 Redshank
1 Greenshank
8 Turnstone
3 Mallard
3 Little Grebe
5 Cormorant
1 Moorhen
 
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Out again thsi morning with Samuel -

Pendennis Point - all west, 7.55 - 8.55am

37 Balearics
2 Arctic Skua
2 Swallow
5+ Med Gulls
30+ Razorbill
1 Guillemot

10+ LTTit near the point, with Grey Wag and Kingfisher on the rocks

Had a brief look at the reservoirs later - Argal was quiet with 2 GCGrebes

College Res -


87 Canada Goose
8 Mallard
15 Teal
13 Wigeon
1 GCGrebe
1 Little Grebe
c. 15 Moorhen
c.20 Coot
3 Grey Heron
1 Littel Egret
2 Snipe
110 BH Gull
30 Herring Gull
1 Common Gull
1 Med Gull 2nd w

Nuthatch
 
A few bits from today -

3 Greenshank briefly flew in to Argal Res, before being almost immediately flushed by a dogwalker unfortunately. A quick look at College Res revealed nothing new.

1 Swallow south near Treverva.
 
Was planning a circuit of the golfcourse, Swanvale and Pennance area this morning, but although I was up, forewent the opportunity in favour of domestic duties (washing, washing up and making a large batch of marrow and onion soup) - was however well rewarded* mid morning when walking out the garden gate heard a distinctive and familiar sibilant sooo - hwit call** - crumbs I thought, that's a Yellow-browed Warbler!

I had my arms full and no bins on me but I actually saw what was presumably the bird in the neighbours garden briefly and then flitting out of view, calling vociferously. Can't say I actually saw any wing-bars though, admittedly ... ;)

Quickly up to the car for bins and mobile, but nothing to see or hear unfortunately on my return. There was a large cat perched on the shed roof very near to where I had seen the bird, which could well partly explain it being so vocal?

A scout around the area did result in two Firecrest, also calling well in a garden on the other side of the street, and 3 Skylark flew over. (Actually probably a good movement of Skylarks west today, with plenty more over Treverva way.)


(*Or did I forego a host of other siberian waifs instead - what other real rarities would have been lurking on the coastal path if I'd been out there ... ?)

(** - My transcription of the bird call not necessarily 100% accurate in relating to how it should actually have sounded ...)
 
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Had an hour's perambulation around the area I didn't bird yesterday. In the rain. Didn't see much - highlight 2 Blackcaps on the coastal path below the golfcourse. For the record, and to clarify I should perhaps point out that the Yellow-browed Warbler yesterday was a definite YBW - my woeful description of the call would be perhaps better replaced by describing it as a clear and piercing disyllabic 'swee -eeuh' or something like that. I did 'see' the bird, but only as a fleetingly silhouette, which of course contributes little to the positive id, except a bird of the approximate right size, shape and jizz was seen. I believe this is one species which can easily be positively identified on call, although of course a visual reference would have been nice ... (they are little crackers!), but hey.

The bird called 3 or 4 times in quick succession once I'd registered it initially, the typical call and one shorter sharp 'swvit' or similar. In any case, I was listening to a (identical in all general purposes) recording of the call previously downloaded on my mobile within 90 seconds of initially hearing the bird calling as I rushed to get my bins, which was nice confirmation I really wasn't (mis) hearing things!

Anyway, there should be more about (S already had a probable, not heard to call, the other day in Kimberley Park), so ears to the treetops, folks ... ;)
 
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Spent most of the day with Samuel on the Lizard, highlight probably the sunshine and good numbers of Clouded Yellow butterflies (well, 8, but well scattered). A bit of a seawatch with the regulars at Lizard Point - 2 Bonxies, 1 Arctic, 1 Skua sp. 35+ Balearic and and a Sooty reported. Headed off inland, so don't know the final tally.

Back in Falmouth area, and Penryn River after high tide -

c. 50 Redshank
20+ Curlew
1 Greenshank
1 Common Sand
5 Turnstone
1 Kingfisher
1 Grey Wag
2 Little Grebe
 
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