Falmouth Birding (6 Viewers)

Samuel Perfect · Feb 1, 2014

Trotsky1977 said:
Any Red-Breasted Merganser at Gorrangorras this year??

Had them last year around this time. A pair resting up.

I haven't seen any there this year although I think Dan mentioned he saw some a little further downstream a week ago. The Carrick Roads is probably the most reliable spot at this time of year, although it is does admittedly involve a short drive to Mylor.

dantheman · Feb 1, 2014

Yep, had a pair swimming out of the harbour towards dusk on the 9th Jan (would have been near Trago's initially). Those ones last year certainly were nice, don't think they're necessarily an annual event that far upriver though.

dantheman · Feb 1, 2014

Popped out mid -afternoon after the rain had eased off. A few more bits, but still fairly quiet on the whole.

Pendennis -

2 BT Diver
4+ GN Diver all fairly distant on the sea
A few Gannets (including 1 in the Carrick Roads), 5+ Kittiwakes, 2 Med Gulls past.

Castle Beach -

5+ Oystercatcher
4 Rock Pipit, 1 Meadow Pipit, 2 Pied Wagtail
1 male Stonechat
Little Egret
Redshank still
100+ BH Gull
1 Med Gull

Swanpool area -

5+ LBBGull on the sea amongst the commoner species
1 GN Diver
3 male Teal on the sea off Pennance Point - undoubted highlight of the day
1 Chiffchaff (big and bulky, but not that pale) and 1 Kingfisher on Swanpool itself.

Jon Turner · Feb 2, 2014

OK, back home, sorry I didn't meet any of you locals. Couldn't make the internet work last night or I'd have put on: Black Redstart at Castle Beach at the second attempt. 9 Black-necked Grebes off Mylor Church, plus 3 Eider (one fine drake) then up to College res where I found a Bittern tucked up in the corner, (go past the no access sign and look back left from the nearest access point to the lake) tried very hard to make the green-headed Tufted Ducks in to Scaup..... but finally concluded it was just the sheen shining in the sun... Plus the tufts, plus the black backs.... doh!

Trotsky1977 · Feb 2, 2014

Quick patrol around Castle at the very low spring tide 1330hrs

Castle Beach

Oystercatcher x5
Rock Pipit x3
Meadow Pipit x1
Pied Wagtail x3
Stonechat f
Black Redstart f
Grey Heron
Little Egret
Whimbrel
BH Gull x10
Herring Gull x20
Carrion Crow x2

No sign of our friend the Redshank

Samuel Perfect · Feb 2, 2014

Goosander reported at Argal Res today. The hybrid Scaup was also reported at College Res along with 2 Gadwall.

Jono Irvine · Feb 2, 2014

I very briefly scoped a diver off Castle Beach from my office window at around 4:30 today. It appeared to have a very distinct chinstrap. I only had a brief look at it before it dived and I could not subsequently locate it. I went down to the front to see if I could find it on the off chance that it could have been Pacific. Did not find it after 45 minutes of looking.

Have any of you guys noticed any Black-throated Divers with distinct chinstraps recently? If not, it might be worth keeping a lookout for this bird!

Samuel Perfect · Feb 2, 2014

Jono Irvine said:
I very briefly scoped a diver off Castle Beach from my office window at around 4:30 today. It appeared to have a very distinct chinstrap. I only had a brief look at it before it dived and I could not subsequently locate it. I went down to the front to see if I could find it on the off chance that it could have been Pacific. Did not find it after 45 minutes of looking.

Have any of you guys noticed any Black-throated Divers with distinct chinstraps recently? If not, it might be worth keeping a lookout for this bird!

Only seen one Black-throat recently and I did check to make sure it didn't have a chinstrap so yours is possibly a different bird or you have the real deal. I guess it didn't have a flank patch?

dantheman · Feb 2, 2014

Interesting!

Views for me of late have usually been of distant birds (usually with a white flank patch tbh), the two closer more recently in poor conditions also so getting a chinstrap for starters would have been tricky. Will certainly continue to keep an eye out.

dantheman · Feb 3, 2014

Acting on some birding gen (cheers Jono

), managed to get down to Castle Beach late this afternoon where a Little Gull was feeding out beyond the first lines of waves.

Actually it was probably a bit nearer Tunnel Beach and unfortunately about the most distant bird there (several hundred Black-headed Gulls also feeding in the rolling waves). Did come in closer once, and of course those coal black underwings when it took flight briefly ...

About half a dozen Med Gulls about too (including one Samuel had nearer Swanpool). Not much time to notice much else, but a Sparrowhawk flying over the gulls and onto Pendennis elicited surprisingly little response.

Jono Irvine · Feb 4, 2014

Acting on some birding gen (cheers Jono ), managed to get down to Castle Beach late this afternoon where a Little Gull was feeding out beyond the first lines of waves.

Glad you saw it Dan! I spotted it from my office window and was going to go down to try and get some photos before the light went but I didn't have time in the end. Good one for the house list though!

dantheman · Feb 4, 2014

Yep, definitely a good one for the house list! And generally. Been a few kicking around Portland (Dorset) in the last week or so, so been on the target list for a little while. (Too late for the foot-it now of course.)

This morning whilst walking into town -

Female type Black Redstart around Clare Terrace, flew downhill in direction of Church Street.

Had a quick look over Falmouth Harbour from the car park off Church Street - 1 Razorbill nearby and 2 Sandwich Terns fishing distantly opposite Trefusis Point.

Not bad birding considering no bins.

dantheman · Feb 5, 2014

Thought I'd get a seawatch in with the hope of something exciting, but with the exception of a few divers moving into the bay not very much happening, given I was hoping for more ...

Pendennis 8:15 -9:15

Gannet 10
Razorbill 2
Kittiwake 6
Fulmar 15+
Med Gull 3
Whimbrel 1
Black-throated Diver 2
Great Northern Diver 6
Diver sp 4

with Guillemot, Razorbill and 2 more GN Diver on the sea itself.

Castle Beach -

ad Little Gull still
5 Med Gull

dantheman · Feb 5, 2014

I say not very much happening ... not forgetting its mid winter of course that probably wasn't bad, but hoping for a good passage or a local rarity.

The local rarity that I didn't see was a bird apparently picked up by the Gylly Beach cafe staff and taken into care - a Puffin!! ( Link ) Two Little Gulls now at Castle Beach too.

I went back out this afternoon to Swanpool where, again, almost no passage, marginally more Gannet perhaps. However a reasonably close in Black-throated Diver was nice and a loafing flock of 11 (+ 1 extra further east) Great Northern Divers further out.

A fair bit of mostly superficial damage about - 3 trees having fallen onto the road around the back of Swanpool and being cleared up, bench blown over, and other benches and beach furniture etc damaged. Apparently the Castle Beach cafe was hit quite badly.

(Kestrel hunting for rocks or stuff at Swanpool Beach)

dantheman · Feb 5, 2014

Some pics.

And a good example of why birding and photography don't really mix - just now as I looked at the pics on the computer I realise that of course there were two birds this morning - but you can't look through bins whilst taking photos! Lol. It then came on with another squall so headed on my way home, without being able to look properly again ... aaargh!

Trotsky1977 · Feb 5, 2014

Saw a Kestrel hunting above Castle Beach at approx 1700hrs, probs the same as the Swanpool one.

Couple of Gannets fairly close in to Pendennis Point.

Wish I looked closer at what I thought were all BH Gulls!! Dang.

Samuel Perfect · Feb 5, 2014

dantheman said:
Apparently the Castle Beach cafe was hit quite badly.

Not sure how much more battering that cafe can take, it's in such a precarious situation!

dantheman · Feb 5, 2014

Trotsky1977 said:
Saw a Kestrel hunting above Castle Beach at approx 1700hrs, probs the same as the Swanpool one.

Couple of Gannets fairly close in to Pendennis Point.

Wish I looked closer at what I thought were all BH Gulls!! Dang.

Think the Swanpool one (male) was still the wrong side of Swanpool at 4:30, would expect it to be different but we'll see ...

Gotta keep an eye on what's happening with the weather and stuff moving around and being reported elsewhere

(I was heading for Castle Beach not long after 5 but then realised all/most of the gulls had already left and gone towards their roost).

(Btw, two Little Gulls in photos 1, 3 and 4 above. The life rings in photo 1 from somewhere along the beach - maybe Castle but think Swanpool was missing theirs too)

Trotsky1977 · Feb 5, 2014

dantheman said:
Think the Swanpool one (male) was still the wrong side of Swanpool at 4:30, would expect it to be different but we'll see ...

Gotta keep an eye on what's happening with the weather and stuff moving around and being reported elsewhere (I was heading for Castle Beach not long after 5 but then realised all/most of the gulls had already left and gone towards their roost).

(Btw, two Little Gulls in photos 3 and 4 (and probably 1) above. The life rings in photo 1 from somewhere along the beach - think Swanpool was missing theirs)

Good photos, Dan. Not sure I would have spotted them!! But you can see the obvious size difference and white wing tips.

Btw I was in my car on the way to Swanpool when I saw the Kestrel. Thought there may have been something interesting there after the storm. Instead lots of surf dudes!

dantheman · Feb 5, 2014

Good is a relative term. I'm happy though

(This was with the mobile phone. There were also about 3 different people photographing the surfers - they thought that was what I was doing too!)

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