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

Falmouth Birding (1 Viewer)

Keep the reports coming Dan, I'll be down this weekend!

Either everything will have cleared out, or the place will be dripping with Wrynecks and Long-billed Dowitchers (unlikely though). Good luck!


Did the Pendennis/Swanpool stretch this morning;

Falmouth Docks - 2 Sandwich Tern, 10 Swallow, 5 GBB Gull

Pendennis - Chiffchaff (9), Willow Warbler 1, Blackcap 2+, Songthrush 1, Coal Tit 4 (by coastguards), LTTit 6 on the point below the carpark (with another flock further inland), and a flock of 40 or so Goldfinches. Bullfinch etc. House Martin 10, with a mixed flock of 50+ mixed Swallows and House Martins building up. 3 Sandwich Terns, 2 adult and 2 1st w Med Gulls, with 1 Whimbrel and 1 Knot on the point. 2 Raven over. Common buzzard and Kestrel.

Swanpool - Chiffchaff 2, Kingfisher 1, little else of note.
 
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And the reservoirs;

Midday - checked out Argal from the dam (N) end and College briefly. Still 1 GCG, 1 Tuftie and 1 Wigeon on their respective reservoirs. Dozen or so Swallow at each, with 2 Chiffchaff at College, GSW heard, and 3 Chiffs and a Goldcrest at Argal. Thrilling stuff!

This evening - checked out the southern end of Argal. Still 1 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper by the hide, with another Greenshank on the western side. 33 Curlew in one of the fields on the west side.

At my place near Treverva, 50 or so Swallow with 1 House Martin, 60+ Linnet, 1 Grey Wag and 3 Mipit over.
 
And the reservoirs;

Midday - checked out Argal from the dam (N) end and College briefly. Still 1 GCG, 1 Tuftie and 1 Wigeon on their respective reservoirs. Dozen or so Swallow at each, with 2 Chiffchaff at College, GSW heard, and 3 Chiffs and a Goldcrest at Argal. Thrilling stuff!

This evening - checked out the southern end of Argal. Still 1 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper by the hide, with another Greenshank on the western side. 33 Curlew in one of the fields on the west side.

At my place near Treverva, 50 or so Swallow with 1 House Martin, 60+ Linnet, 1 Grey Wag and 3 Mipit over.

Stithians has gone quiet again - Hopefully the WeBS count on Sunday will turn something up..
 
Dan, you're not going to like it but I just had a message from a friend (an interested party, but not a birdwatcher) in Falmouth who saw, identified and photographed a Wryneck in a Falmouth garden last Saturday. They live in the area behind Gyllingvase beach.
 
Stithians WeBS count

This morning -

Cormorant 8
Grey Heron 4
Mallard 21
Little Grebe 24
BH Gull 10
Herring Gull 97
Ringed Plover 15+
Coot 45
Tufted Duck 14
Little Egret 1
GBB Gull 1
Moorhen 2
Curlew 3
Teal 8

Also 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 20+ Mipit's, 3 Wheatear, 5+ Swallow, Chiff Chaff heard

Regards
Simon
 
Argal and College Reservoirs this morning -

Argal - GCG 1, Tuftie 1, Blackcap 4 (all male), Chiffchaff 9+, Swallow 30+, Greenshank 2, Green Sandpiper 2, Curlew 12 on the waters edge with another 31 in. A flock of c. 120 House Martin overhead, Spotted Flycatcher 2, and a Rock Pipit on an exposed wall on the waters edge, both on the western side. Small Tortoiseshell 2

College - flock of c. 30 mixed Swallow and House Martin, Little Grebe, Coot 52, Tufted Duck 1 (first of season). Herring Gull 30. When I pulled into Asda shortly afterwards, c. 300 large gulls (presumably mostly Herring), flew up from the trading estate roofs nearby.
 
Stithians

75+ Swallow over the res at 7.15 am

Reported from the Stuart Hutchings hide -

3 Common Snipe
3 Little Egret
5 Wheatear
11 Eurasian Teal
12 Meadow Pipit
16 Barn Swallow
5 Little Grebe
6+ Pied Wagtail
 
This morning -

Pendennis -Chiffchaff 5, one of which flew out to sea, Wheatear 1. Flock of c.20 Greenfinch, 6+Rock Pipit, Woodpigeon and Robin noticeable, (maybe 30+ and 15 respectively). Sparrowhawk. Little Egret. No hirundines.

Gyllyngvase beach - Med Gull 6 ad, 1 2ndw, 2 Sandwich Tern, 1 Little Egret, 1 Curlew, maybe a dozen scattered Oystercatchers.
 
Omitted what was probably star bird of the day yesterday - 1 Yellow Wagtail flying over Pendennis (seen and heard). Back on the 20th, also a young stoat at the south end of Argal.

This afternoon at the reservoirs -

Argal - 1 Greenshank, 41 Curlew (moving between shore and fields below Mabe), 2 Great Crested Grebe, 6 Blackcap, 8 Chiffchaff (4 of which with LTTit flock near the car park), 1 Goldcrest, flock of c.20 Swallow and c.10 House Martin briefly, 3 Bullfinch. Also another birder - Will - most surprising event of the day.
Comma 1, Large White several, Speckled Wood frequent

College - 1 Little Grebe, 1 Kingfisher (heard only), 1 Water Rail (heard only) - most surprising bird of the day.
 
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Stithians

Juv Pec Sand seen this morning (images on the link below)

This evening when i had my first chance to see the bird it couldnt be located.

1 Med Gull, 11 Dunlin and 8 Ringed Plover present by the Watersports centre though
 
This is a quick note to all birdwatchers visiting the reserve at Stithians, could you all view either from the road or from the excellent hides. There has been a couple of incidents recently of birders walking around in front of the hides flushing birds. Thanks in advance for your co-operation.
 
Not a bad morning at the two reservoirs ... started off quietly, but saw/heard the following -

Argal Res. 8:30 -10:00 -

Great Crested Grebe 2
Mallard 16+
Tufted Duck 1
Moorhen 1 in its usual place
Cormorant 4+
Grey Wagtail 2
BH Gull 15+
Green Sandpiper 1
Common Sandpiper 1
Grey Heron 3
Chiffchaff 13
Wheatear 1
House Martin c.50
Swallow c.5
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Woodlark 1 flew over southwards, calling
Mistle Thrush 3
Raven 2
etc

College Res. 10:00 - 10:45

Grey Heron 3
Cormorant 7+ roosting
Mute Swan family of 6
Coot 30+
Wigeon 5
Herring Gull 30+
Coal Tit 2
Willow Warbler 1
Firecrest 1 in a mixed tit flock (mostly of -)
Long-tailed Tit
Bullfinch 3+

An unidentified mustelid also crossed ahead of me on the path. Could have been one of about 5 species, although my suspicion would be young otter.
 
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And back to some kind of reality - managed a late morning saunter around part of Pendennis. Windy and wet, so did a seawatch from the car - 25 minutes or so produced 3 Gannet, a handful of the local Med Gulls (probably at least 3 birds seen), and a juv. Common Tern, making heavy work of the winds as it eventually came in just below the rocks.

Passerines were either sheltering from the wind, or otherwise already absent or distured by dog walkers, but 2 Goldcrest noted near the lifeguards, along with other 'normal' stuff. 1 Swallow overhead. 2 Little Egret, noted on the beach at Gyllyngvase, 26 GBBGulls on the roofs at the docks the main remaining interest.
 
This morning (and into the afternoon - it was just a bit too epic to be honest ;) ), we (myself and Will) did a bit of birding in the area, 60 or so species the final tally. Some highlights were;

Pendennis -
Wheatear 1
Swallow c.20
House Martin 3
Little Egret 1
Common Sandpiper 1

Gyllyngvase -
Med Gull 3
Little Egret 2

Swanpool -
Sedge Warbler 1
Chiffchaff 1
Kingfisher 1
Med Gull 3

Argal Reservoir -
Green Sandpiper 1
Common Sandpiper 1
Curlew 42
Chiffchaff 7+
Blackcap 5+
Grey Wagtail 4
Nuthatch 1
Great Crested Grebe 2
Canada Goose 10 (flew in from the west and continued towards College Res)
Tufted Duck 2
Wheatear 1

College Reservoir -
Canada Goose 10 (same as above)
Wigeon 6
Little Grebe 3
Chiffchaff 1
Water Rail 1 (h)


St Gluvias church, Penryn -
Chiffchaff 3
(No sign of Firecrest/YB Warbler reported from previous days in 20 minutes or so)

Penryn River -
Redshank 15+
Greenshank 2
Whimbrel 2
Turnstone 7
 
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Black Tern at Argal Reservoir early evening today, up at the dam end, although spending most of its time out in the middle. Appeared to be a juv, rather than ad winter as far as I could make out. Also 1 Common Sandpiper at south end, and 20 Swallow.
 
Back to reality and sorting self out after a week away, a bit late, but on Sunday 10th Oct at College and Argal;-

Argal -
RED-THROATED PIPIT 1 probable flyover
Common Sandpiper 2
Kingfisher 2
Marsh Tit 2
Nuthatch 1
Wheatear 1
House Martin 3
LBBG 1
Common Gull 1
Coal Tit, 5+ Bullfinch, 2 GCG's, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Raven etc

College-
Kingfisher 1
Wigeon 12
Coot 70
LBBG 1 (probably same?)
GBBG 4

The Common Sandpipers were flushed by walkers going up to the waters edge in the nature reserve area - one of the reasons I tend not to normally bird the area at weekends. The Pipit flew over from the north side, calling several times, and appeared to drop into one of the fields on the south side - no public access to view unfortunately. A flock of c.20 Meadow Pipits also in the area. The wheatear had characteristics of the Greenland race.

We also saw another birder with scope - a 2nd for the site for me. Water levels considerably up and not much exposed mud now (what there is has now become a bit vegetated).

Actually quite a good reality, all things considered.
 
:t: Nice one!

Cheers. It was - a mega for the area!! Guess I can be in on the co-finding - I think Henerz first drew attention to it as it called overhead. Would really have liked to have had it on the deck though ... a presumed whistleri on the Scillies was the closest we got last week.

Suspect (from habitat types seen them in abroad), that it could possibly have been on the lake shore initially halfway along the western side -students with cameras in the area possibly put it up though. Will try and give it another go - you up for a look (and the moth trap) tomorrow am?
 
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