Falmouth Birding (1 Viewer)

dantheman · Jan 20, 2014

Samuel Perfect said:
Dan left for home once we reached Swanpool where I continued alone back towards the coast for a second visit. I headed straight for the cafe at Swanpool as I couldn't be bothered to walk all the way down to Pennance again. Fortunately, it was worth the effort as there was still plenty to see from the cafe. 2 Common Gulls (an adult and 1st winter), 2 ad. Med Gulls and 2 BTDs. Most surprising of all was a flock of 18 GNDs in a close-knit feeding group only c.200m off Penannce Point (a rather unusual sighting given that GNDs prefer to spread themselves out whilst BTDs have a greater tendency to feed in groups!) They put on a good show and remained at the surface for some time between dives, allowing a through check to make sure it consisted 100% of GNDs. Another single GND was also drifting closer inshore towards Swanpool Point.

It took some time to finally connect with my first coastal grebe of the day, a nice Red-necked only a couple hundred meters offshore. Of added bonus was my first Bonxie from patch that flew westwards through the bay. It was rather distant and almost unIDable but jizz, shape and large size along with a brief harassing of a gull put any doubt out of mind.

Looks like your day didn't turn out too bad in the end! Must be a record flock of Great Northerns hereabouts recently (or anywhere? - not heard of flocks that big before ...) Now we just need a large flock of Red-throateds ...

Nice one on the bonxie too. I had to endure shopping instead ... you put your lists up on bubo yet?

Samuel Perfect · Jan 20, 2014

dantheman said:
Bit depressing. :-C

Did they look reasonably fresh or could they have been a week or two old?

All rather old and a little mangled except for the Guille which could have been less than a couple days old

Samuel Perfect · Jan 20, 2014

dantheman said:
Looks like your day didn't turn out too bad in the end! Must be a record flock of Great Northerns hereabouts recently (or anywhere? - not heard of flocks that big before ...) Now we just need a large flock of Red-throateds ...

Nice one on the bonxie too. I had to endure shopping instead ... you put your lists up on bubo yet?

Indeed o

I was thinking of texting you but didn't want to distract you from important groceries. I guess you didn't need any of the stuff that was sticking around anyway.

I'll sign up to BUBO tonight :-O

dantheman · Jan 22, 2014

Bonxie would have been for the year of course, but not one that you would really want to try and twitch, unless it was showing really well ...

A brief look around this morning, Swanpool area -

10 GNDiver (including flock of 7) off Swanpool, most fairly distant,
1 BTDiver closer in
1 Diver sp.
5+ Guillemot, 1 Razorbill

Goldcrests and Coal Tits vocal amongst the commoner stuff.

Samuel Perfect · Jan 22, 2014

Merlin just flew west past Penryn Campus!! A relatively large bird (probably a female) with uniform dark brown wings and mantle. Pointed wings, heavy streaking on the chest and a thick terminal band. Stayed in view for a good half minute allowing decent views so very happy! :-O:-O

dantheman · Jan 23, 2014

Samuel Perfect said:
Merlin just flew west past Penryn Campus!!

Very nice :t:

And ta for the heads up on the Glaucous Gull (one adult reported and photographed at Swanpool this morning on facebook).

No sign of the bird of course (not that many gulls around tbh), I stayed for another half hour or so at Swanpool Point, scanning the bay produced -

1 Slav Grebe
1 BT Diver
7 GN Diver
31+ Diver sp. (all towards Maenporth portion of Falmouth Bay)
5 Razorbill
1 Guillemot
5+ Gannet

with 7 Ringed Plover and 3 Turnstone on Swanpool Point. A random birder (Matt) also passed by, after talking for a while he suddenly noticed a Stick Insect on the bramble in front of him - nice year tick!

dantheman · Jan 23, 2014

Black Guillemot reported Falmouth 13:20 today too ... who, how, what, where?

Trotsky1977 · Jan 23, 2014

Had a quick stretch of the legs after work yesterday

Castle Beach 1645hrs
Oystercatcher x10
Curlew
Whimbrel
Little Egret
Redshank still hanging around
GBB Gull on Falmouth Hotel roof calling noisily
About 100+ Herring gulls flying out to roost offshore

Interestingly absolutely zero Shags..dunno where they all went

??? Black Guillemot

dantheman · Jan 23, 2014

I only noted a handful of Shags on the whole sea this afternoon. Presumably moved around the coast (as opposed to being caught in fishing nets/all deciding to roost on the rocks).

Black Guillemot reported as 400 yards offshore on CB. When I was out there were 3 Razorbill off Pendennis and another 2 a couple of miles out (or that was my presumption at the time ...) , and the back end of a Guillemot a lot closer in, not many birds close in, but looks like there must have been at least one! Quite a few birders about (eg another couple with bins, not sure what time Matt (S... forgotten his surname already, doh) left, but I'm sure it was already half one or so. Oh well.

About 4" long or so.

Trotsky1977 · Jan 24, 2014

dantheman said:
I only noted a handful of Shags on the whole sea this afternoon. Presumably moved around the coast (as opposed to being caught in fishing nets/all deciding to roost on the rocks).

Black Guillemot reported as 400 yards offshore on CB. When I was out there were 3 Razorbill off Pendennis and another 2 a couple of miles out (or that was my presumption at the time ...) , and the back end of a Guillemot a lot closer in, not many birds close in, but looks like there must have been at least one! Quite a few birders about (eg another couple with bins, not sure what time Matt (S... forgotten his surname already, doh) left, but I'm sure it was already half one or so. Oh well.

About 4" long or so.

Not Matt Sallis was it??

dantheman · Jan 24, 2014

Trotsky1977 said:
Not Matt Sallis was it??

Nope! Never mind ...

Out for a quick look this afternoon. Very few gulls on Swanpool at the time I looked. Not actually raining but visibility not great.

Falmouth Bay -

1 Slav Grebe
3 GNDiver
3 Guillemot
3 Gannet resting

with 6 Ringed Plover on Swanpool Point and 1 Med Gull with c.50 BH Gulls in the dog walking field.

Footpad · Jan 24, 2014

I'm the Matt you met yesterday, certainly did not see a Black Guillemot, actually Matt Southam. I live in Praa Sands but as my wife lectures at Tremough we have purchased a flat in Falmouth so I expect to bird in Falmouth two days a week. My usual patch is Praa/Rinsey and Penzance on some days as I used to live there. In the autumn it's exclusively Porthgwarra . I do all my birding on foot, walking for hours and noting everything I see or hear. So wet in Falmouth this am went home and got a 1st winter Glaucous Gull, all three divers and one excellent looking male Black Redstart.
If I see anything I think is of interest when in Falmouth I will put it on here.

dantheman · Jan 24, 2014

Nice meeting you the other day Matt, and welcome to Falmouth (and this thread). Apologies for the name speculation!

It looks like we all missed the Black Guillemot not too far offshore from just were we where. Oh well!

dantheman · Jan 25, 2014

Popped out late this afternoon in the hope of some gull action at Swanpool. Unfortunately no hoped-for white-wingers*, numbers of gulls passing through of course. Met up with Samuel by the 'Hooked' restaurant to scan the sea/Swanpool.

Highlights -

1 Shelduck west (a good bird and first foot it tick for a week!)
1 Slavonian Grebe (500+ metres out)
2 Razorbill
2 Med Gull (Swanpool Point, then on the sea)
Gannet, Fulmars and a few Shag.

22+ Coot on Swanpool.

*( = Glaucous/Iceland Gulls)

Samuel Perfect · Jan 25, 2014

Had a crazy house party last night so only managed a couple hours sleep before dragging myself out of bed at 6:30am for a walk from Falmouth to Campus in order to give my Foot it list a much needed boost.

I managed to add Collared Dove and Song Thrush to the Foot it list on the walk and spent the next 4 hours on campus helping run the Big Garden Birdwatch at Uni. Unfortunately, the area was just outside my Foot it range but we still managed to log a decent number and diversity of species including Green and GSW, small flocks of Green and Golfinches and 2 Siskin. Song Thrush, Redwing, Jay and Starling also made an appearance. In all great fun. I urge you all to take part if you haven't done so yet.

Tomorrow is another great opportunity for you to take part in some quality citizen science!

Next, a grueling walk back to the coast for a sit down at the Hooked Cafe for some seawatching. I bypassed the Penryn River on the way down successfully adding Greenshank to the Foot it list. 65 Curlew, 5 Little Egrets, 15 Redshank, 8 Turnstone and 20 Mute Swans (2 juvs) were also along the river.

Swanpool:

2 ad Med Gulls the only birds of note

Seawatching from the Swanpool:

same as Dan. Flyby Shelduck was by far the highlight and I must apologise for the profanities I used whilst watching it (in my defence it was a patch tick!)

dantheman · Jan 25, 2014

And talking of worthy causes -

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=275262

(Rat poison in BOPs). I know it's only an online petition, but something worth bearing in mind.

Chris Oates · Jan 25, 2014

dantheman said:
22+ Coot on Swanpool.

Including one with an 'odd' head.

RafaelMatias · Jan 26, 2014

Chris Oates said:
Including one with an 'odd' head.

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

fishybarry · Jan 26, 2014

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.

dantheman · Jan 26, 2014

fishybarry said:
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.

Over the last 3 or 4 years I've seen one immature on Argal when the water levels dropped the other autumn, and an adult on College this winter once. A good record!

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