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Falmouth Birding (2 Viewers)

Well there's now 2 bitterns at College! Giving great views as they moved about the floating plant matter right out in the open. 2 goldeneye too.
 
Down at Swanpool late morning/early afternoon there were 5 med gulls (4 ads. and 1cy), 2 chiffchaffs, 2-3 water rails (including really good views of one) as as all the normal stuff

Matt
 
College/Argal this morning, 8:45 -10:45 Windy, fine drizzle in part.

Argal Reservoir

Cormorant 1
Mute Swan 1
Mallard 30+
BH Gull 30+
Med Gull 1 1stw
Goldcrest 2 +
Redwing 2
Mistle Thrush 1
Meadow Pipit 3
Bullfinch 6+, Grey Wagtail 2, LTTits etc etc
Jon Turner 1

College Reservoir


Mute Swan 2
Wigeon c. 144
American/Eurasian Wigeon 1 drake hybrid
Teal 27
Shoveler 1f type
Gadwall 1f type
Pintail 2 f type
Tufted Duck c.33
Coot c.77
Moorhen 3+
Little Grebe 3
Snipe 15+
Cormorant 5+
Herring Gull 300+
GBBGull 3+
LBBGull 2+
Med Gull 6 (5ad, 1 2ndw)
BH Gull 20+

Quiet on the passerine front, GSW etc

Managed to see the Bittern last week, no sign this morning for me. Looks like they are opening up College more - wide access now from roadside and a fair amount of tree-felling/scrub clearing etc. Hence first dog walker in ages (at least 6 at Argal). Tried taking some rubbish pics of the beautiful duck- light too poor though. Presumably returning bird from previous years.
 
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... the true meaning of the phrase 'record pics'

Actually the pics weren't quite as bad as I thought they were






... ;)
 

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Hi Dan, glad to see I've graduated to full species status on your bird list!

Pretty much what you saw still there, with lots of rain arriving horizontally.

Have you noticed that a Lesser Scaup has turned up at Wimbleball? Trip to Chew now looks essential!
 
The Wigeon hybrid probably the same bird as seen in previous years (looks the same). Considering it could well be 50% genuine translantic vagrant, a little more interesting than many 'plastic' wildfowl (Not many American Wigeon considered to be escapes?). Anyway ...

Stepped outside the back door to retrieve the dustbin blowing about in the wind, Peregrine flew over (second garden record this year), and c.50 Curlew over towards Trescobeas Road.
 
Hi Dan, glad to see I've graduated to full species status on your bird list!

Pretty much what you saw still there, with lots of rain arriving horizontally.

Have you noticed that a Lesser Scaup has turned up at Wimbleball? Trip to Chew now looks essential!

;)

Managed to get it yesterday on the way back from overall a good and successful trip to Norfolk ... Chew on the way up on friday of course (news of the Lesser Scaup breaking too late on the day to get it then.)
 
This afternoon's fun -

College Reservoir

Wigeon 192
Hybrid drake wigeon 1
Teal 16
Gadwall 1m 1f
Shoveler 3m 2f
Tufted Duck c.35
Pochard 2m 2f
Goldeneye 2f
Mute Swan 3
Coot 77
Moorhen 16
Snipe 32
Grey Heron 3
Bittern 1
Cormorant 5+
GBBGull 2
Herring Gull 50+
BH Gull 3

Marsh Tit 1
Chiffchaff sp. 2

Argal Reservoir

Mallard 38
Mute Swan 1
Cormorant 2+
Great Crested Grebe 1

Meadow Pipit 9 feeding on shoreline
Grey Wagtail 2
Pied Wagtail 3+
Chaffinch 110+
Nuthatch (1h)
GSW (1h)
Chiffchaff 1 nominate
Bullfinch 1+
Redwing c.30
Song Thrush 3+
Sparrowhawk 1
etc etc

A nice variety of species. Water levels up a lot - stone walls and building bases now underwater.
 
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Non-birding sightings in the area of a nest with 3 young voles (presumably field voles) up near Constantine, quite late and a bit of a surprise. My neighbour up there reported a pretty good year for Harvest Mice, with over 100 nests in a recent survey.
 
02/01/2011

College Reservoir

Mute Swan 2
Wigeon 220+
Shoveler 7 (4m, 3f)
Goldeneye 6 (1ad m, various m/f types)
Tufted Duck 32+
Pochard 13
Gadwall 1m
Grey Heron 2
Cormorant 4+
Bittern 2
Snipe 10+

Little Grebe 4
Moorhen 3
Coot 40+ (forgot to specifically count them)
Herring Gull 30+
LBBGull 2
GBBGull 2
Common Gull 3
BH Gull 10+

Chiffchaff 2 (probably abietinus?)
Redwing 2

A mid-afternoon recreational stroll and scan. One of the Bitterns was actively feeding along the western shore behind the waterfowl, the other hiding behind a tiny patch of reedmace on the island. The Chiffchaffs were working the floating vegetation on the island, viewed distantly but very pale looking.

Water levels back up to normal at Argal - just viewed from the car park and 3 Mallard the highlight. Other local sightings - Tawny Owls heard on the night of the 1st in Falmouth, and 12 Mute Swan and 2 Little Egret on a bend of the Penryn river (as scoped from the bedroom window!)

Happy New Year all!!!!!
 
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Yellow-browed Warbler reported at Swanpool today Dan. Down for a couple of days next week......

Yes the best bird in area, meant to mention it but forgot! Present since the 29th at least, not been that many reported recently.

I'd say good luck with the birds ... but ...



.
 
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Was just a bit breezy and damp this morning, but got out early afternoon to Pendennis, working around to Swanpool -

Pendennis - 1 Chiffchaff and 15+ LT Tit near leisure centre, 2 Whimbrel on the west side, 25 Dunlin flew past the point, good numbers of Gannet and Kittiwake out to sea.
Castle Beach - 1 Black Redstart (m), Common Buzzard, 17 Oystercatcher
Gyllyngvase Beach - c.25 Turnstone, 1 Dunlin, 10+ Pied Wagtail, 2 Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit.
Swanpool Beach - 1 Stonechat.
Swanpool - 1 YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER, 1 SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF ('western' type), 1 nominate Chiffchaff, 2 Water Rail, 5+ Little Grebe.

Think that must be the 3rd winter I've had Whimbrel on Pendennis now. Presumably more do overwinter on the rocky shores in the area, presumably under-recorded. The Dunlin flock battling into the wind were more of a surprise. The warblers were on the NW corner of Swanpool, as opposed to Swanvale NR (which is the woodland immediately to the north of Swanpool I believe). Bumped into a guy (Gary Thompson?), an assistant warden for the Swanpool reserve (it was he who had the Water Rails). He told me they were hoping to get the website updated soon (didn't know there was one tbh), as the guy who had been doing it (for £300 for 2 years) wasn't doing it very often (or something like that ... I'd have done it for less, didn't say anything though!)

Lots of free-range dogs chasing the waders and pipits on the beach and rocks. There may well have been more Black reds about, as they can go inland a bit, or maybe they got blown away. Thought I'd found the Sibe Chiff, hadn't registered it had been seen the day before (doh!), and bumped into the Yellow-browed without really trying. Some nice birds.
 
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1 Greenshank, 12 Mute Swan again and a reasonable flock of maybe 50 Curlews in flight down on the Penryn River around midday (as viewed from one end of Falmouth).
 
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Went back for seconds to Pendennis and Swanpool.

Pendennis

Purple Sandpiper 7 on the point
Kestrel 1
Gannet 3+ in the bay

Gyllyngvase beach

Med Gull 1 2nd winter on the rocks
Turnstone 18
Common Gull 1 offshore

Swanpool

Great Crested Grebe 1
Little Grebe 12+
Blackcap 1m
Water Rail 2
Chiffchaff 1
Rat 1 feeding on the floating carcase of LBBGull

Swanpool Beach

Rock Pipit 3+
Whimbrel 1 on the rocks to the west
Shag 100+ in bay and on rocks

Swanvale NR

Goldcrest 2+
Bullfinch 2
Nuthatch 1
Marsh Tit 1

Didn't connect with the Yellow-browed, didn't spend too long trying though to be honest. 9:15am and the car park at Pendennis was empty when I left - bit of a contrast to yesterday. Still a fair few walkers/dogs further along though.
 
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Back out this afternoon, as I couldn't face the chores I was atually meant to be doing, plus hadn't actually gotten to Argal yet this year ...

Argal Reservoir

Great Crested Grebe 1
Mallard 4
Cormorant 2
Moorhen 3 on nearby pond
Redwing 20+
Nuthatch (h)
Treecreeper 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Kestrel 1 m, later seen carrying a small bird
Grey Wagail 1
Bullfinch

College Reservoir

RING-NECKED DUCK 1 ad male
Tufted Duck 50+
Pochard 7+
Shoveler 8
Goldeneye 8
Teal 6
Gadwall 2 (mf)
Wigeon 200+
Coot 65+
Grey Heron 2
Cormorant 6+
Little Grebe 4
Dipper 1
Chiffchaff 2
Redwing 50+


An interesting visit! No Bittern, but recompense in the form of a smart yank duck. Wary and flew from one side to the other, but presumably the Gwithian/Par bird relocating. The Dipper was in the drainage channel/culvert about 100 yards NE of the reservoir (beyond the overpass).
 
Unequivocally, this would appear to be a nice adult male Ring-necked Duck (the bird on the right, that is) ;)

It seems to have been present the previous day too. Two Brambling (m and f) reported from Penryn on the 3rd too.
 

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Went back for seconds to Pendennis and Swanpool.

Pendennis

Purple Sandpiper 7 on the point
Kestrel 1
Gannet 3+ in the bay

Gyllyngvase beach

Med Gull 1 2nd winter on the rocks
Turnstone 18
Common Gull 1 offshore

Swanpool

Great Crested Grebe 1
Little Grebe 12+
Blackcap 1m
Water Rail 2
Chiffchaff 1
Rat 1 feeding on the floating carcase of LBBGull

Swanpool Beach

Rock Pipit 3+
Whimbrel 1 on the rocks to the west
Shag 100+ in bay and on rocks

Swanvale NR

Goldcrest 2+
Bullfinch 2
Nuthatch 1
Marsh Tit 1

Didn't connect with the Yellow-browed, didn't spend too long trying though to be honest. 9:15am and the car park at Pendennis was empty when I left - bit of a contrast to yesterday. Still a fair few walkers/dogs further along though.

Dantheman:- Swanvale seems rather under explored by birders although I make a point of visiting it when in the area. Can be a bit "hit and miss" there though.

As for Water Rail at Swanpool haven't seen any recently,are they still mainly seen from the track round the back? Saw an old boy putting out food for them there once a year or two back. Can be quite elisive at times especially when dog walkers are around.
 
Dantheman:- Swanvale seems rather under explored by birders although I make a point of visiting it when in the area. Can be a bit "hit and miss" there though.

As for Water Rail at Swanpool haven't seen any recently,are they still mainly seen from the track round the back? Saw an old boy putting out food for them there once a year or two back. Can be quite elisive at times especially when dog walkers are around.

I admit I don't do Swanpool/Swanvale half as much as I could - maybe the people put me off and I assume that because it's had rare birds (like Little Bittern, so I hear) it gets a fair amount of coverage from all the other local falmouth birders. I ought to go more often - would make a nice walk down the valley from my place.

Last year I think it was I saw/heard 8 around Swanpool (all down the west side) during that cold spell. The guy I was chatting to mentioned he's put food out for them too. Of the 2 today one was right at the north end in the little clump of reeds by the sign, the other following the stream as viewed from the roadside on the NW side (assume that's were you mean). Views brief - need some cold weather to see them more out in the open I guess.
 
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