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

Falmouth Birding (1 Viewer)

And the highlights ...

Pendennis Point

Whimbrel 1 on the point (initially heard at 7:30am, same or another seen at approx 8:30)
Peregrine 1 flew from St Anthony's direction towards Falmouth
Eider 3 near Black Rock (2 of which appeared to fly in)
Great Northern Diver 1 flew north past St Anthony's head
Pintail 1 drake flew south from the roads, alighting on the sea off Castle Point
Wigeon 3
Gannet 3 out to sea
(Also had a possible Merlin fly out to sea, but think I'll just have to let that one go ... )

Falmouth Beach (between Pendennis and Swanpool)

Black Redstart 3+
Mediterranean Gull 1
Little Egret 1
Curlew 2

Swanpool

Goldeneye 1 diving just off the beach
Water Rail 1 in the woodland just to the north
Stonechat 2 on the beach
Blackcap 3
Mediterranean Gull 2 on the rocks

Penryn River

Curlew 4
Greenshank 1
Redshank 7
Little Egret 2
Turnstone 6
Teal 20+
Little Grebe 4

College Reservoir

Kingfisher 2
Treecreeper 1 on track to Argal Home Farm
Snipe 4
The usual wildfowl, lots ;)

Argal Reservoir

Common Gull 1
Skylark 150+ in stubble fields south of Argal Home Farm
Chaffinch 250+ in stubble fields south of Argal Home Farm


Also - Several Flocks of up to 95 Redwing, with 2 singletons each of Mistle Thrush and Fieldfare. Tawny Owls heard on Trescobeas Road and Pendennis peninsula.
 
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Nice one with the Lesser Pecker at College Res. Dan. It's not a bird I managed to connect with in Cornwall, let alone my old local patch! Between Falmouth and upto Truro at Tresillian are reportedly a few haunts of this species.

Great to hear about your new years day exploits, that circuit of sites and impressive selection of species brings back good memories.
Thanks. Henerz.
 
henerz1 said:
Nice one with the Lesser Pecker at College Res. Dan. It's not a bird I managed to connect with in Cornwall, let alone my old local patch! Between Falmouth and upto Truro at Tresillian are reportedly a few haunts of this species.

Great to hear about your new years day exploits, that circuit of sites and impressive selection of species brings back good memories.
Thanks. Henerz.
Click to expand...

Cheers ;) Will have to tot up the reservoirs list soon. Still missing out on the rare ducks and gulls though ...

Forget to put in the 3 Wigeon which also flew in whilst I was at Pendennis - it was definitely the most action I've had there - it's usually dead! Might have to get there for that first half hour of the day as standard - previously I've always walked the woods on the peninsula first (unproductively). Eider and Pintail were new for my patch list, was watching the GND (first this winter, shockingly) when the Pintail flew into the scope view! It was also interesting going up to College from Penryn - never done that before. Some nice habitat, along with the fact that I now know Pendennis is within walking distance, think I'll certainly be doing it again (although maybe not both routes on the same day).

Spent today recovering - old age or what?!


And good luck with your NW local listing challenge ...
 
Did the coast yesterday;

Onto the Pendennis peninsula shortly after first light. First dog walkers about already, with Redwing and Blackbird on the top. Arriving out of the woods along the eastern side, and scanning the shore, a medium sized brown wading bird popped into view clambering over the rocks - a Whimbrel! Moving to a better viewpoint, I realised there were 2, and when they flew further towards the Falmouth direction, they were joined by a third! Have to admit that whilst they are possibly under-recorded as a wintering species, I'm unaware of a count of 3 in mid-winter before. It's not as if we're having a mild winter or anything ...

Anyway, moving on, the sea was really quite calm, but I couldn't pick up anything interesting on it all. A flock of 16 Greenfinch on the peninsula was notable. On the grassy slope and concrete wall above Falmouth Beach were a total of 3 Black Redstart - 1 slightly scruffy, but smart nonetheles, male and one pale winter bird in the corner of the peninsula, with another slightly darker bird (1st w male?) about halfway to Gyllynvase beach.


Pendennis -

Whimbrel 3
Greenfinch 16+
Blackcap 1
Kestrel 1

Falmouth Beach

Black Redstart 3
Oystercatcher 23
Mediterranean Gull 1

Gyllyngvase

Chiffchaff 1 - in 'public' gardens behind beach

Swanpool Beach

Stonechat 2
Goldeneye 1 offshore
LBBGulll 1
Fulmar 9 on their regular cliff
Razorbill 1 (off Pennance Point)

Twenty plus Curlew on the Trescobeas Road mid afternoon. Paid a visit to Stithians to see the Bewick's Swans - successful! A mixed flock of thrushes in the fields behind comprised c.20 Fieldfare, 2+ Song Thrush, c.6 Redwing, Blackbird and Starling.
 
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A brief look at the Reservoirs this afternoon, noted the following -

Argal -

1 Great Crested Grebe
3 Tufted Duck

College -

Pochard 38
Shoveler 1
Goldeneye 6 (1m, 4f type, 1 1stwm)
Canada Goose 40
Mute Swan 6
Coot 313 (mostly Eurasian)
Water Rail 2 (h)
Curlew c.20 flew over
 
Jon Turner said:
Just noticed on Birdguides a WAXWING seen today at the Crossroads on Dracaena Avenue.
Click to expand...

Yep, I found him whilst on a pub crawl to celebrate the end of exams B :)

He was still there this morning, showing very well.

Other good birds seen today from Falmouth:

Pendennis:
1 Knot

Gyllyngvase:
2 Med Gulls
1 M Black Redstart
2 Ringed Plover
5 Turnstone

Swanpool:
3 h 1 seen Water Rail
1 Med Gull
 
jacana said:
Yep, I found him whilst on a pub crawl to celebrate the end of exams B :)
Click to expand...

Quality pub crawl! Don't recall too many pubs near the crossroads! - Finishing exams? - does this mean you'll be moving back to Shrops Will? Falmouth needs a few more active birders!

Hope Dantheman has seen it?
 
Jon Turner said:
Quality pub crawl! Don't recall too many pubs near the crossroads! - Finishing exams? - does this mean you'll be moving back to Shrops Will? Falmouth needs a few more active birders!

Hope Dantheman has seen it?
Click to expand...

Nah, I'm still here for a year and a half at least. Dan's in the Canaries right now, hopefully it'll still be hanging around!
 
trip round Falmouth bay resulted in a few good birds:

Black Redstart 1M 1F
Chiffchaff 2
Goldeneye 1
Med Gull 1

No sign of the Waxwing today, but I didn't spend long looking and there are still plenty of berries around.
 
No need to stop the presses for this!

Whilst doing some fieldwork at Swanpool:
1 Great Crested Grebe in full summer plumage
1 Water Rail
1 F Goldeneye still in the bay
2 Green Woodpeckers heard, blighters eluded me again!
 
at least 2 Chiffchaffs singing at Swanpool today
1 Water Rail showing well at Swanpool
1 Black Redstart behind the Queen Mary Gardens near Gylly Beach
 
Female Black Redstart in the garden again this afternoon, and a pair of very vocal Tawny Owls perched on the telegraph wires this evening.
 
female Scaup at Swanpool this evening was a nice suprise. 2 Sand Martins, several Pipestrelles and singing Chiffchaffs also
 
Scaup still present at Swanpool this morning and several singing Willow Warblers.

1 Wheatear, 1 Black Redstart and 3 summer plumage Mediterranean Gulls at Pendennis
 
Feels like I've been away far too long ... didn't see the Scaup at Swanpool (or the earlier Waxwing even) ... but you can't have it all.

Anyway, a quick check of the main sites today was mostly quiet, with one major exception.

Pendennis held a single Swallow, with a Sandwich Tern flying past, Chiffchaff, lots of song of various species. (Further Swallows seen inland later - back at various breeding sites).

Swanpool was quiet, with Willow Warblers (c.3) singing, 2 Mute Swan nests and a single Great Crested Grebe.

Didn't really look at Argal Reservoir properly, but a quick look at College Reservoir involved a relatively large brownish bird in flight up at the Asda end - PURPLE HERON !! :eek!:

Seen in flight briefly (minute or so) before flying towards the NE corner, disappearing behind the trees. Checked out that end, but no sign. 4 Herons of the normal Grey variety at the southern end, lots of singing Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcaps.

Wildfowl down to Mallard (7+), Tufted Duck 4, Canada Goose 25, Mute Swan 2 and a couple of Moorhen or so. Looks like they are in the process of draining the reservoir or something - levels down by a metre or so on the normal level (which has been unchanged in recent times) ... crazy.
 
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