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

Falmouth Birding (1 Viewer)

tonymills said:
Death of seabirds in microfilament nets: There are moves afoot to try to get information on the status there regarding by-catch. If there are no bye-laws to restrict this action then ideally we want to get the fishermen to stop this voluntarily and immediately. The alternative is to enact a bye-law as was done in St Ives following a similar occurrence last winter. What is needed is more information. Is this happening frequently? Just involving one boat? etc etc. Is it possible for one or two of the regular Falmouth Bay birders to make notes and observations for the record?
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I haven't noticed fishing activity like this in the bay before - probably a number of factors, I'd assume mainly because it doesn't happen much, or nets are cleared early or its happening much further out. I don't think its a main fishing area, close in.

With the continuing bad weather the last few weeks, and a large flock of birds close inshore, a calm day arrived and nets were laid out at some time close inshore, and were still out well after daybreak, when the feeding flock was then active. The person who witnessed it was pretty convinced they'd laid the nets out there because of the presence of the birds, and that they were grossly irresponsible in doing so.

Will certainly be trying to keep an eye out from now on.
 
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Trotsky1977 said:
Thanks Dan and John SL for the crash course in diver ID! Much appreciated.

John and I had some great views on Pendennis point through his scope and my bins. They came in fairly close resting up and preening. I guess its pretty difficult just using bins, I should really get my Bresser out from the boot more!!

The Razorbill also made its way around the shore into the harbour. More fantastic views.
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Nice one, no worries. Starting to get good numbers of the two to compare, but yes, not always close! (Apparently a few Red-throated's in the Carrick Roads the other day too.)
 
Went for some fresh air Castle beach to Tunnel beach after work 1630hrs.

Stupidly, I didn't take my bins as the light was fading. Went out on the wave-cut platform on the way to Tunnel and spotted a Guillemot resting up on the rocks (see bad mobile photo!!). Seems a strange place for roost!!

Also Oystercatcher x10
Whimbrel
Little Egret x2
 

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Trotsky1977 said:
Went out on the wave-cut platform on the way to Tunnel and spotted a Guillemot resting up on the rocks (see bad mobile photo!!). Seems a strange place for roost!!
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Not normal for a healthy bird.

Heard from JSL that there was an oiled Guillemot yesterday on the rocks - the RSPCA were called but no-one turned up in the hour or two before they had to leave, so they assumed the gulls had it. He also found a dead Guillemot washed up on Gylly beach and a dead GNDiver offshore.
 
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In the way of live birds today, seawatch from Pendennis for an hour this morning produced the normal range of species, but not so many, although 3 GND off the point again and c.10 and 2 BT and GN Diver into the bay, with 3 into the Carrick Roads, and JSL reporting 6 off the docks earlier.

500+ Shag off Swanpool at 8am, no sign of any human fishing activity.
 
My first afternoon back in Fal after the Christmas holidays :-O It's great to be back on patch!

I only had an hour of daylight left but still squeezed in a visit to Swanpool and Swanpool Point. Highlights include ad Med Gull on Swanpool, 1 pos 2 RNGrebes of the point, 2 Slavs (one giving decent flight views), plenty of Kittiwakes flying west and 1 GND but I still couldn't locate any BTD
 
Welcome back! Didn't realise you were back yet.

This morning (bit of a tardy report I know) -

Swanpool

2 Water Rail, showing well
Chiffchaff, 1 at the car park end
1 Med Gull with c.50 BH Gulls in the car park

(GCG not been seen for at least 2 -3 weeks now)

Stack Point (aka Pennance Point - apparently the os map is wrong?!)

1 Firecrest in the woods

c. 500 Shag off the point, but moving west towards Maenporth
1 BT Diver and several GN Diver distantly in the bay
50+ Auks, both Razorbill and Guillemot off Swanpool and in the bay.



At c.8am no fishing boats in Falmouth Bay, however on my return from the golf course (9:20am), 1 fishing boat observed 'pulling out' from about 3 - 400 yards off Gyllyngvase Beach. Nets were then being sorted as they headed out towards Pennance Point. 1 dead auk sp. observed being tossed overboard, plenty of fish in the nets, but then lost to sight as they were still working the nets.
 
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Also yesterday 2 Stonechat along the footpath to Pennance Point above Swanpool.

And at least one Bottlenose Dolphin on the 4th Jan, leaping behind a small freight ship entering the Carrick Roads.

Today -

18 BT Diver off Maenporth

Falmouth Bay, as viewed from Gyllyngvase to Tunnel Beach -

4 Slav Grebe (1 off Castle Beach, another 3 together further out off Tunnel), 3 Red-necked Grebe, 3 GN Diver, c.500 Shag (estimate) out in the bay. 50+ Guillemot and Razorbill.

Falmouth Harbour, viewed from Prince of Wales Pier c.4:30pm -

c. 250 BH Gull to roost, 1 Sandwich Tern, 1 GNDiver, pair of Red-breasted Mergansers, Grey Heron, Razorbill, with 2 more GND and 1 Razorbill distantly in the Carrick Roads.



Heard a report of c.6 oiled Guilllemot on the beaches/rocks in the area, and 27 dead Shag/Cormorant washed up on Gyllyngvase Beach in the last day or two, some decapitated. Two women I bumped into said they'd seen 12 between Castle and Gylly yesterday (don't know if these are included in the total or not). 1 dead Shag with a fish protruding from it today on Gylly Beach.
 
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Just remembered I also saw an adult Kittiwake yesterday flying west with a belly covered in oil (it didn't seem too hindered by it at the time but no doubt causing no good)
 
This morning's highlights -

Falmouth Bay - 3 Slav Grebe, 3 Common Scoter (3 distant, 1 f not far off Tunnel beach). 1 Whimbrel and 1 Redshank at Castle Beach.

Pendennis - 1 Purple Sandpiper, 5 GND tho mostly distant, c.20 Siskin over, Raven over, Buzzard, 4 Bullfinch etc

Carrick Roads - 8+ GND, c. 20 BN Grebe, c.20 RB Merganser (distantly scoped from the Pendenis peninsula!)

1 Oiled Guillemot on the east side of Pendennis. Gannets, Kittiwakes and auks at sea in small numbers.



Heard report that Glaucous Gull was at Swanpool early afternoon today and Grey Phalarope at Pendennis ...
 
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Out and about today in the warm sunshine


Stithians Res
Goldeneye 1m 2f
Wigeon x4
Cormorant x4
Canada goose x60
Raven

Southern cut
Water Rail
Reed bunting m

Gorrangorras
Curlew
Redshank
Little Grebe x3
Little Egret x4 in field above

Castle Beach
Turnstone x13
O'catcher x18
Curlew
Whimbrel
Redshank
Black Redstart f
Stonechat x2 m f
Ripit x3
Grey Wagtail
 
Makes a change from wind and rain!

No sign of a glonk in a couple of brief looks at Swanpool this afternoon, but plenty of people.

Swanpool

c. 200 BH Gull
90+ Herring Gull (birds continuously leaving and arriving, but 90 maxima at one time)
2 LBBGull
2+ GBBGull
1 Med Gull
1 Kittiwake
Nuthatch and Green Woodie heard etc

Swanpool Point

7 Ringed Plover
c.20 Turnstone
1 Little Egret resting on the cliffs

Also a few Redwing about, c.25 Meadow Pipit in the field at Start of Pennance Head and 3 RB Merganser flew out of the Carrick Roads past St Anthony's Head.
 
Sorry!

Glaucous Gull. Twitcher's term I guess (from the 80's?), not quite sure why, but perhaps descriptive of its brutish demeanour + gl ... ??
 
dantheman said:
More usage in here -

http://www.birdforum.net/search.php?searchid=14526674

Personally I actually prefer 'Glaucous Gull', but was attempting to save on typing. Which proved totally counter-productive as it turns out ;)
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I would like "Glork" cos it kinda sounds like it!!

Presumably the Glork was on pool as opposed to sitting on the car park with the BH gulls.

Gonna have a hunt around this AM before the rain hits...

PS well done on the deciphering FishyBarry!!
 
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