Ilya Maclean
charlatan
Blimey - must have had a lot more spare time on my hands a few years ago!
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Falmouth Birding (6 Viewers)
- Thread starter dantheman
- Start date
Blimey - must have had a lot more spare time on my hands a few years ago!
Mark Grantham
Well-known member
"one at the Swanpool end of Swanvale again this morning"
Jon Turner
Well-known member
Sounds like about the same place as I failed to see the YBW a couple of years back.....!
dantheman
Bah humbug
Yes, bumped into Ilya an hour ago or so - he had it showing well by the pumping station this morning. Unfortunately didn't catch up with it, meant to be doing some work now, might have a look again later this afternoon. Another Falmouth twitch! Ilya also had YB Warbler calling. 5+ Chiffs present with one poss Sibe Chiff, Water Rail etc.
Pendennis Point (which was were I was) - 5 Purple Sandpipers, with a Red-necked Grebe off Castle Beach, so legged it around there - where there were two!, although they moved further out into the bay west of Pendennis. Nice. Female Common Scoter off Castle Beach initially too, 3 GN Divers Falmouth Bay, 1 in the Carrick Roads, Med Gull flew past Gyllyngvase.
Pendennis Point (which was were I was) - 5 Purple Sandpipers, with a Red-necked Grebe off Castle Beach, so legged it around there - where there were two!, although they moved further out into the bay west of Pendennis. Nice. Female Common Scoter off Castle Beach initially too, 3 GN Divers Falmouth Bay, 1 in the Carrick Roads, Med Gull flew past Gyllyngvase.
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Ilya Maclean
charlatan
Good to see you again Dan! Nice haul of birds. Yes - feeding and calling for about 10 mins, but in true fashion b******ed off as soon as I got my camera out! A Firecrest in addition to the stuff Dan mentioned.
Cheers,
Ilya
Ilya Maclean
charlatan
Hi Sam,
I hope my reply isn't too dated (I only just stumbled across it). Woodcock are quite regular - I had one at Tremough recently. The most reliable local spot I know is here.
re: Lesser spot - I've heard a couple of reports around Tremough campus in recent years, including a breeding bird, but mostly by not very experienced birders. This does, however, follow on from one I thought I had walking in one day without bins. I keep meaning to have a proper look.
Samuel Perfect
Well-known member
Thanks Ilya,
I'll check the place out perhaps over the winter for Woodcock. I suppose I'll just keep an eye out for LSWs around campus and hope for the best.
Finished at uni at 4pm and rushed down to Gylly beach to connect with the 2 RNGrebes and 1 GNDiver but it was too dark for moving on to Swanvale so I suppose the Dusky is just going to have to wait till Friday,
Cheers,
I'll check the place out perhaps over the winter for Woodcock. I suppose I'll just keep an eye out for LSWs around campus and hope for the best.
Finished at uni at 4pm and rushed down to Gylly beach to connect with the 2 RNGrebes and 1 GNDiver but it was too dark for moving on to Swanvale so I suppose the Dusky is just going to have to wait till Friday,
Cheers,
dantheman
Bah humbug
Yep, long time no ...
Actually added quite a few to my Falmouth list today, might mention as much because I'm rubbish at remembering names, anyway, J St Ledger and an old guy John Holme (sp?) this morning, with more new locals this afternoon Greg Wills and Peter Richards (? - struggling already), the Swanpool warden guy, then that Jack Shutt from the uni.
dantheman
Bah humbug
And the birds - quite good at the moment!
Swanpool this morning also held 9+ Little Grebe and a Great Crested Grebe. (Edit - and a Reed Bunting!), with Kestrel hunting on Pendennis; Little Egret, 3 Rock Pipit, 4+ Mipit and 3 Pied Wag at Castle Beach, and a further 4 Rock Pipit etc at Gyllyngvase.
Got back out to Swanvale this afternoon, where I bumped into Greg who'd just found 3 Waxwings on Marlborough Crescent! Another twitch, found that I'd left my camera and phone at home though unfortunately. Back at Swanpool birds included Mistle Thrush flyover, Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker, a couple of Chiffchaff, lots of Goldcrest, 2+ Firecrest, but no sign of the Dusky unfort. 2+ Water Rail.
This morning's effort near Gyllyngvase (where JStL had the Ringed Plovers and Turnstones at their usual spot) bumped into the John Holme guy who told me he'd had 2 Bonxies and 2 Balearics past from the shelter up on the cliffs last thursday, and a female Goshawk at Swanpool the Wednesday. You never know on the Goshawk (I mentioned the 'escape' word), but whilst late, not that surprised by the seabirds given the conditions (and other reports elsewhere) last week ...
2 Waxwing also at Portscatho today.
Swanpool this morning also held 9+ Little Grebe and a Great Crested Grebe. (Edit - and a Reed Bunting!), with Kestrel hunting on Pendennis; Little Egret, 3 Rock Pipit, 4+ Mipit and 3 Pied Wag at Castle Beach, and a further 4 Rock Pipit etc at Gyllyngvase.
Got back out to Swanvale this afternoon, where I bumped into Greg who'd just found 3 Waxwings on Marlborough Crescent! Another twitch, found that I'd left my camera and phone at home though unfortunately. Back at Swanpool birds included Mistle Thrush flyover, Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker, a couple of Chiffchaff, lots of Goldcrest, 2+ Firecrest, but no sign of the Dusky unfort. 2+ Water Rail.
This morning's effort near Gyllyngvase (where JStL had the Ringed Plovers and Turnstones at their usual spot) bumped into the John Holme guy who told me he'd had 2 Bonxies and 2 Balearics past from the shelter up on the cliffs last thursday, and a female Goshawk at Swanpool the Wednesday. You never know on the Goshawk (I mentioned the 'escape' word), but whilst late, not that surprised by the seabirds given the conditions (and other reports elsewhere) last week ...
2 Waxwing also at Portscatho today.
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dantheman
Bah humbug
College and Argal this morning -
College Res -
Mute Swan 9
Canada Goose 30+
Wigeon 152
Tufted Duck 29
Pochard 7
Black-necked Grebe 1
Little grebe 5
Coot 53
Moorhen 19
Cormorant 11
Grey Heron 4
Snipe 13
Treecreeper 1
Firecrest 1
Chiffchaff 3+
Fieldfare h, Green Woodie h, GSW h
With a further 5 Moorhen and 2 Mute Swans on the ponds below the the dam wall at N end.
Argal
Great Crested Grebe 2
Mallard 2
Grey Heron 1
Moorhen 4
Canada Goose 27 in fields
Song Thrush 8+
erm ...
College Res -
Mute Swan 9
Canada Goose 30+
Wigeon 152
Tufted Duck 29
Pochard 7
Black-necked Grebe 1
Little grebe 5
Coot 53
Moorhen 19
Cormorant 11
Grey Heron 4
Snipe 13
Treecreeper 1
Firecrest 1
Chiffchaff 3+
Fieldfare h, Green Woodie h, GSW h
With a further 5 Moorhen and 2 Mute Swans on the ponds below the the dam wall at N end.
Argal
Great Crested Grebe 2
Mallard 2
Grey Heron 1
Moorhen 4
Canada Goose 27 in fields
Song Thrush 8+
erm ...
lozzjazz
Lawrence Sampson
Pendennis, swanpool etc
Loads of birders out today - was nice to catch up with a few.
Had the RN grebes in the bay (Nice find Dan!). Also, 3 purple sandpipers on the point.
Other birds included 3 turnstones and a little egret on castle beach and 100+ shags feeding off Swanpool.
2 acrobatic bottle-nose dolphins off gylly too!
Didn't see the Dusky warbler, though did hear a brief series of Sylvia-esk calls from the south end of swanvale, which (to be honest) could well have just been a blackcap.
Loads of birders out today - was nice to catch up with a few.
Had the RN grebes in the bay (Nice find Dan!). Also, 3 purple sandpipers on the point.
Other birds included 3 turnstones and a little egret on castle beach and 100+ shags feeding off Swanpool.
2 acrobatic bottle-nose dolphins off gylly too!
Didn't see the Dusky warbler, though did hear a brief series of Sylvia-esk calls from the south end of swanvale, which (to be honest) could well have just been a blackcap.
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dantheman
Bah humbug
Actually found the grebe id fairly tricky - this could have been the distance and fact that it was actively diving. Relatively sleeked down, and eg the bill didn't seem particularly fine or uptilted either ...
(Waxwings (3) still on Marlborough Crescent at 8am this morning)
(Waxwings (3) still on Marlborough Crescent at 8am this morning)
Attachments
Samuel Perfect
Well-known member
Not sure if you'r referring to the RN Grebe but when I saw the first one, it was spring diving, something I think is a good feature that helps exclude GC Grebe, not to sure if BN and Slav Grebes spring dive at all or to the same extent, would be interested to know,
Cheers,
Cheers,
dantheman
Bah humbug
Cheers, was referring to the College Res one. Some things just seemed a bit anomalous.
(Wasn't aware of any dive pattern differences myself ... )
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dantheman
Bah humbug
And the north side of Falmouth ...
Trescobeas Park
4 Siskin with 6 Goldfinch and 4 Greenfinch, Green Woodie, 5 Redwing, Chiffchaff etc
The wooded area by the railway line is currently under about 6 feet of water! A rufous-brown chicken sized bird flying through the trees by the railway embankment was most probably a Woodcock ... although chicken not entirely ruled out unfortunately.
The stubble field held 3 Snipe, 5+ Linnet, c.30 Mipit, 1 Skylark and 4 Song Thrush.
Gorrangorras at high tide - 1 Greenshank, c.40 Redshank, 2 Little Grebe, 20+ Mallard, 3 Turnstone, 20+ Curlew, with a Razorbill and 2 more Little Grebes downstream roughly opposite the Greenbanks Hotel. A small flock of waders also flew off as we arrived - could have been something rare, like Dunlin, but probably just more Turnstone.
The pony field held 10+ Redwing, c.5 each Blackbird and Song Thrush and 2 Mistle Thrush. Red Fox nearby (1 was at Argal too).
Trescobeas Park
4 Siskin with 6 Goldfinch and 4 Greenfinch, Green Woodie, 5 Redwing, Chiffchaff etc
The wooded area by the railway line is currently under about 6 feet of water! A rufous-brown chicken sized bird flying through the trees by the railway embankment was most probably a Woodcock ... although chicken not entirely ruled out unfortunately.
The stubble field held 3 Snipe, 5+ Linnet, c.30 Mipit, 1 Skylark and 4 Song Thrush.
Gorrangorras at high tide - 1 Greenshank, c.40 Redshank, 2 Little Grebe, 20+ Mallard, 3 Turnstone, 20+ Curlew, with a Razorbill and 2 more Little Grebes downstream roughly opposite the Greenbanks Hotel. A small flock of waders also flew off as we arrived - could have been something rare, like Dunlin, but probably just more Turnstone.
The pony field held 10+ Redwing, c.5 each Blackbird and Song Thrush and 2 Mistle Thrush. Red Fox nearby (1 was at Argal too).
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dantheman
Bah humbug
Falmouth this morning –
5 Waxwing still at 8am (now up to 7 reported!) at Marlborough Crescent, 2 Red-necked Grebes and Common Scoter still off Pendennis/Castle Beach, with Goldeneye (1stw/eclipse m) and 2 Med Gulls off Gyllyngvase Beach. 2 GND's in Falmouth Bay, although distant, with distant auk strings moving west, 6 swan sps flew west over Falmouth.
Put an hour in at Swanvale - 3 Firecrest, 5 Chiffchaff, 1 poss Sibe Chiff, 2 Blackcap (mf), 5+ Goldcrest, 3 Water Rail (h), Redwing, Green Woodpecker, Nuthatch, LTTTits, Coal Tits etc.
Siskin (at least 1) still present Trescobeas Park as viewed from the bedroom window.
5 Waxwing still at 8am (now up to 7 reported!) at Marlborough Crescent, 2 Red-necked Grebes and Common Scoter still off Pendennis/Castle Beach, with Goldeneye (1stw/eclipse m) and 2 Med Gulls off Gyllyngvase Beach. 2 GND's in Falmouth Bay, although distant, with distant auk strings moving west, 6 swan sps flew west over Falmouth.
Put an hour in at Swanvale - 3 Firecrest, 5 Chiffchaff, 1 poss Sibe Chiff, 2 Blackcap (mf), 5+ Goldcrest, 3 Water Rail (h), Redwing, Green Woodpecker, Nuthatch, LTTTits, Coal Tits etc.
Siskin (at least 1) still present Trescobeas Park as viewed from the bedroom window.
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lozzjazz
Lawrence Sampson
College Res
The Reservoir was looking nice in the sun today,
Highlight was a bittern, nice to see one back again this winter.
Ducks: many tufted duck and wigeon, very small numbers of pochard, teal and gadwall, 1 female goldeneye
The ssual gulls, cormerants, herons, coots, moorhens etc
Nuthatch too, and a GS woodpecker drumming away!
The Reservoir was looking nice in the sun today,
Highlight was a bittern, nice to see one back again this winter.
Ducks: many tufted duck and wigeon, very small numbers of pochard, teal and gadwall, 1 female goldeneye
The ssual gulls, cormerants, herons, coots, moorhens etc
Nuthatch too, and a GS woodpecker drumming away!
dantheman
Bah humbug
That was my target bird the previous day! Nice. Caught up today, showing really well at one point, failed to see Gadwall or Goldeneye though.
Gorrangorras
Curlew 15+, Redshank c.40, Greenshank 3, Snipe 2, Oyk 4, Turnstone 10, Little Egret, Little Grebe 2, 2 imm GBBGulls, with c.20 Redwing and 3 Mipit in pony field etc
College Reservoir
Mute Swan 9, Canada Goose 45 (including 1 hybrid), Wigeon 130+, Tufties and Coot similar numbers to previous, Moorhen 12+, Teal 2 (mf), Pochard 5 (3m, 2f), Bittern, Grey Heron 3, Cormorant 9+, Little Grebe 4+, Black-necked Grebe 1, Snipe 7+, Chiffchaff 2 etc
c. 20 Song Thrush and 1 Snipe in a couple of fields c.1mile west of Argal Res.
30+ Curlew on the Trescobeas playing field nr. Falmouth School.
Lots of students at College Res - carrying ladders around and bird ringing (probably explains why there was no bird song initially - they were all in bags?!)
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