Falmouth Birding (1 Viewer)

[dantheman]

Ended up doing a bit of local birding around midday today.

Firecrest in mixed tit flock at the S end of Madeira Walk, Falmouth Cemetery.

1 distant Arctic Skua and a few small auk flocks from Swanpool Point, with Little Egret, Turnstone and 4 Med Gulls below.
Swanpool had 7 Little Grebe and 1 Great Crested Grebe.

Over near Treverva another Firecrest on farmland and 15 Snipe over.

 

[Trotsky1977]

It's not Falmouth but Stralfors PLC Cardrew Ind Estate Redruth (where I work)

12 Meadow Pipit

 

[Cornish Chough]

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 ...

Great word - perambulation!:t:

 

[dantheman]

Out for a bit this morning before I did the things I was meant to be doing - woke up early for once.

Attempted a Pendennis seawatch - A fair few auks, several good flocks of Kittiwake, a skua sp and a few Gannets all west. Then a Great Northern Diver flew into the Carrick Roads, where it immediately commenced diving. Two more distant diver sp. towards St Mawes. Razorbill also flew in and settled off the docks. A few Med Gulls kicking around. A Red-throated Diver also flew west. Rock Pipit on the rocks.

I did take a wander looking for foreign cuckoos and things on the peninsula itself - birds seen included 4+ Goldcrest with a 20+ LTTit flock, 2 Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Bullfinch, 6 Blackbird by the coastguards feeding on Hawthorn berries with Bluetits, male Sparrowhawk, which later flew across to the Roseland, 10 Turnstone which flew directly over the castle and 10+ Chaffinch.

Returning to the sea briefly, more Kittiwake flocks, and 2 flocks of medium sized passerine (50+ each) distantly low over the sea - Starling was my initial thought, but they were distant.

Swanpool Point held 2 Med Gull, Whimbrel, Little Egret, Turnstone and 4 Ringed Plover.




And Samuel P had 4 Firecrest on Penryn campus today ...

 

[dantheman]

A quick look at the coast this morning from Pendennis - v little movement other than local shags and cormorants and a total of 9 Med Gulls out in the bay. Fox Moth caterpillar by the path. 8 Oystercatchers roosting.

Castle Beach -

22 Oyks roosting
1 Curlew
100+ BH Gulls feeding in the surf
4 Med Gulls ditto.

with 5 Mute Swans on the sea off Gyllynvase Beach

A look at Gorrangorras on the falling tide -

4 Greenshank
4 Turnstone
Redshank and Curlew, normal numbers
1 Moorhen
7 Little Egret
4 Little Grebe

 

[AlanH46]

I know it may not be Falmouth but had 2 Firecest along footpath on north side of Outer Wood at Carharrak at 11.00am.
Had them in same area when I was down 4 weeks ago.

 

[dantheman]

Out this morning for the first time in a while - some nice bits overall even though it seemed quiet.

Falmouth Bay - a few auks, Kittiwakes and Gannets west in a brief look. (And a flock of c.20 interesting waders) Pendennis - Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzard, 60+ Woodpigeon, 2 Coal Tit, Skylark over etc

Carrick Roads - c. 10 Bottlenose Dolphin, 1 GND. Included 2 calves and some nice leaping/cavorting.

Castle Beach - 2 Stonechat, Clouded Yellow butterfly. Also 16 Oyk, 1 Redshank, 1 Little Egret, 1 Curlew, 2 Med Gull, 4 Pied Wagtail, 2 Rock Pipit.

Swanpool - 2 Water Rail, Great Crested Grebe, 6 Little Grebe

Gorrangorras, Penryn River -

c.35 Redshank
c.35 Curlew
1 Common Sandpiper
6 Little Grebe

Out of area but visited Par Beach Pool, St Austell briefly for the first time ever ... Highlights (?!) - 2 Shoveler mf, c.195 Canada Goose, 2 Bar-headed Goose.

Yesterday had 5 or 6 Bloxworth Snout, formerly a rare Rdb immigrant moth but probably now a local resident colonist, in someone's garden in town.

Back on the 27th Oct a new species for the garden - Firecrest calling and showing briefly before flying off and away.

 

[Trotsky1977]

Out of area at Stralfors PLC, Cardrew Ind Estate Redruth

0800hrs

300 Redwing heading NE Truro direction

First big daylight(ish) sighting of the season

They may be roosting in the Tehidy woods area. I've seen this movement at this time for the past few years.

 

[Samuel Perfect]

Quick check of Gorrangorras this afternoon at high tide:

51 Curlew
42 Redshank
6 Turnstone
1 Greenshank

 

[Samuel Perfect]

Also forgot to mention 1-2 Firecrests on the Penryn Campus

 

[dantheman]

Out for an hour this morning seawatch off Pendennis 8:15 -9:15, all west -

3 Balearic Shearwater
1 Pom Skua
18 Common Scoter
500+ Kittiwake
50+ Gannet


Out again off Swanpool Point late afternoon, but no birds seen moving. Large flocks of gulls feeding Gyllyngvase and smaller off Swanpool Point - total-

100+ Herring Gull
200+ BH Gull
2 Common Gull
7 Med Gull
with 1 Razorbill offshore

 

[Samuel Perfect]

Penryn Campus:

1-2 Black Redstarts (female types)
1-2 Firecrests on Wednesday and 1 yesterday

Afternoon seawatch from Pendennis Point:

6 GNDs (1 flying out of the Carrick Roads)
1 Whimbrel
1 dark phase skua sp. (quite large, chest centrally balanced and flight action not too dissimilar from Pom but rather restricted pale window and comparatively dark underwing seemingly lacking the double pale comma does favour Arctic instead) No suggestion of prongs or spoons.
steady passage of Kitts and a couple Razorbill

 

[Samuel Perfect]

Oh, nearly forgot. Happy Birthday Dan!! :hippy:

 

[dantheman]

Oh, nearly forgot. Happy Birthday Dan!!

Ta! Getting too old for anything exciting to happen these days - although we did go to Wetherspoons y'day for their curry night (Chicken Korma). :eat:

 

[dantheman]

Afternoon seawatch from Pendennis Point:

Thought I'd posted this morning but obviously not ...

Pendennis am (40 minutes c. 8am) - some reduced passage of Kittiwakes but mostly distant. Also -

1 Arctic Skua (pale) w
1 skua sp.w
1 Black-throated Diver w
1 Great Northern Diver offshore.

Castle Beach -

2 Stonechat
8 Oystercatcher
Plenty of dogs + walkers now of course

 

[dantheman]

Other records -

Samuel reports a juv Long-tailed Duck on Swanpool a few days ago seen by a friend ... !!

There was also a Yellow-browed Warbler reported in Penryn a few days back.

 

[dantheman]

Out for a few hours this morning with Samuel -

Pendennis Point 8:15 - 10:25 all west unless stated otherwise.


6 Great Northern Diver - 3 offshore, with a further 3 in flight (1 west, 2 east)
3 Arctic Skua
3 Pomarine Skua
3 skua sp.
2 Med Gull
30+ Razorbill
1000+ Kittiwake
50+ Gannet
17 Balearic Shearwater (interestingly, all the close ones (12 or so) appeared to be the pale phase).


Swanpool -

LONG-TAILED DUCK 1 juv still! Showing well.
8+ Little Grebe
1 GCGrebe
Water Rail

Anything else I forgot.

 

[Samuel Perfect]

Anything else I forgot.

Think you covered pretty much everything of note. A couple Rock Pipits and a Kestrel also by the coastal footpath and a flyover Sparrowhawk at Swanpool.

 

[dantheman]

And some duck pics ...


... unfortunately it was a bit active and we didn't give it long, but a nice Falmouth tick!

 

[Samuel Perfect]

Patch round with Dan this morning

Pendennis Point from c.8-9am

1 skua sp. distant west
4 GNDs (1 west, 3 on sea)
2 Stonechat
male Sparrowhawk showing nicely on the railings at close range

Castle Beach:

Rock Pipits, P Wags and 1 Redshank

Swanpool:

juv Long-tailed Duck still present