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

Camel Estuary, Cornwall (1 Viewer)

Hi Mike and welcome,

Its sad about the Puffins, I have heard of only a single bird on one date so far this year. Is it just the Mouls or has the population crashed in the southwest.

It's not just in the South West. Puffins on the Isle of May are down from almost 70000 pairs in 2003 to about 41000 pairs this year. Birds are also arriving underweight. Roger
 
Corn Buntings

Welcome to the thread Gonvena! 3 singing Corn Buntings is good for the Rumps, did you see if any were colour ringed?
Very quiet on the high tide at Dinham Flats today with 9 Dunlin, 45 Curlew, 39 adult Mute Swan. Pair and 8 cygnets still at Town Bridge.

No didn't see them just had them singing all around the fields above Pentire farm.:cat:
 
Ah! Tks for the info I am sure Camelbirder will be grateful for that. We must assume that the bird must have been a late returning bird and has moved on. May be worth while having a chat with the boat people who do Puffin tours around the island, or perhaps the National Trust at Pentire, see what they have to say.
How about flagging this to Spring watch

Oh dear, this was supposed to be a reply to Roger (Devon birder), didn't seem to hit the right box
 
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Thanks for the info Roger, any idea how many birds on Lundy.

Visited the estuary this morning at Rock were 57 Dunlin roosted at Porthilly Point, also here were single Ringed Plover and Whimbrel as well as 46 Oystercatcher. (Also of interest were 124 rabbits in the field above the point).

At Clapper Marsh today very few birds were on show with 19 Mallard, 2 Mute Swan, 3 Sedge Warblers, a Moorhen and two Swifts being the highlights.

Red-legged Partridges appear to be everywhere this week, with birds noted in the centre of Wadebridge.

Best wishes, Derek.
 
Extremely quiet at Walmsley Sanctuary this morning as you would expect at this time of year, the small Cormorant wearing a ring still, looking much smaller than it's companion of the same age. (more pic's below)
Other birds include 4 Sand Martin, 20+ Swift,2 Blackcap, 20+ House Martin,
2 House Sparrow, 5 Grey Heron. 3 Shelduck. Brood of Long-tailed Tits.
 

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(/QUOTE) Its sad about the Puffins, I have heard of only a single bird on one date so far this year.[/QUOTE]
It's not just the Puffins! Reed Warbler and Grasshopper Warbler are well down this year, at least in the local sites that i watch.
Below some extra residents at Walmsley today.
 

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Wadebridge School sports field has been a constant source of surprises over the years. The local Herons have discovered it in earnest and instead of just one or two sightings a year, this last week there have been up to four present most days. There are always some birds or other feeding at all times of year. Herons possibly after of young frogs. Right time of year.
 
[/QUOTE)The Cormorant from the photographs looks to me to be a carbo; the general build of the bird looks to bulky, (although we have had a few conversations about photo, making things look different than in the field),[/QUOTE]
I found with this bird, by taking lots of angle shots you could select a gular angle, to be anything you wished. In the end I selected a true side profile shot and I think this is the best one can do.( Alstrom 1985, 1991, Newson 2000, Cormorant with gular pouch angles 60 degrees are carbo while 75 degrees are sinensis)
(Newson 2000, This feature is about 95% reliable in the field) I don't know what angle the pic below is, but as you say it looks more like carbo but only just. (there has to be some overlap) One thing the photo's do show clearly is that there are 14 rectrices.
 

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At Dinham Flats this morning a Hobby was hunting over the dam, waders included 18 Dunlin, 2 Sanderling, 4 Knot ( 2 in full summer plumage) 8 Ringed Plover, 26 Curlew, 10 Oystercatcher and a Spotted Flycatcher from the Camel Trail.
 
No sign of any abject poverty just yet on the Camel estuary, with plenty of expensive power boats racing up and down frightening off any remaining wildlife even at 08:00. Waders included 2 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover, 10 Curlew, and I was surprised to see the Brood of 8 Shelduck ducklings still intact, plus a Stoat (normal size) was seen running on the Camel Trail.
 
A quiet morning at Dinham Flats with 14 Little Egret and a summer plumage Great-crested Grebe! plus two Stoat at the tide edge. A Reed Warbler was seen singing in the small reed bed at the Wadebridge end of the Camel Trail.
 
Walmsley Sanctuary early this morning; luxuriate vegatation makes it very hard to see small waders, but they are present, 2 Dunlin and one adult Green Sandpiper! this bird is so early you wonder if it ever left these shores.
One hunting Barn Owl, 20+ Swift, 1 Sand Martin, Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting Feeding young, with juv Skylark, Linnet, Robin, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Blackbird and Song thrush. The small ringed 1st S Cormorant still, along with at least 7 Mallard broods. Lots of Speckled Wood, with Orange-tip and Holly blue butterflies.
 

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Walking from Tregirls to Stepper Point early this morning; singing males included, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Skylark, Goldcrest, Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Chiffchaff, Stonechat, Swallow. Juv birds included, Common Whitethroat, Meadow Pipit, Robin, Dunnock, Stonechat, Linnet, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch.
One hunting Barn Owl at Stepper, and a single Sandwich Tern off the Point.
 

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Just looking at the colour difference between the two Barn Owls seen in the last two days on the Camel Estuary. The colour must be independent of age or sex but there is a huge difference in the rufous and grey colour saturation to the upperparts of these two individuals. Below the two pic's on the left are of the Stepper Owl and the one on the right from Walmsley.
 

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Better news this morning on the Rumps Puffin, with 5 adults sitting on the sea.
Other birds in the Rumps area this morning, 4 Raven, 1 Peregrine Falcon, 2 Northern Wheatear, (Rock Pipit feeding full grown young) Manx Shearwater, Kittiwake, Shag, Cormorant, Razorbill, Guillemot, and 6+ Corn Bunting.
 

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Walmsley Sanctuary this morning; Mute swan pair with 2 cygnets, 3 Dunlin, 3 Lapwing including one full grown young, 60+ Swift, 1 Stock Dove, Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting, Skylark, Pied Wagtail, Coot with brood of 6, at least 7 Mallard broods, 2 Shelduck, small Cormorant with ring still.
 

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Camel Trail, Wadebridge to Padstow, Wednesday 11th of June.
Observation from last month....Poor showing of Early Purple Orchids this year. More found on Land side of Trail whereas for as long as I can remember they River side has always produced the best showing. On Wednesday, I looked for S. Marsh Orchids at Tregonce. Very few spikes with 9 on River side and 7 on Land side. Previous years the count has been in about 125. All spikes very poor and pathetic. Vegetation is very dense, more so than previous years. Looks like the orchids are being crowded out. Seems to be we have had a pretty good growing season this year, perhaps that has had some effect. Shame if we lose them as they always put on a good show. Any other observations?
Birdwise, rising tide produced:- Mutes 41, Heron 2, Egrets 8 Oystercatcher 41, Shelduck 19+15dklings, Cormorants 6, Herring 16, BHG 1, Whimbrel 1, Curlew 41, GBBG 2, Mallard 7 at Denis Cove. 1 Fox at Pinkson and a Rat at Tregunna
 
Walmsley Sanctuary this morning; I was surprised to see Common Swifts flying low in early morning mist, up to 40+. Waders included 6 Lapwing, 1 Greenshank, 2 Green Sandpiper, also present Grey Wagtail, Jay, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Great Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron. Wood Pigeon. Plus one Hedgehog.
 

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Walmsley Sanctuary; 4 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 3 Lapwing and 40+ Swift this morning, plus Stock Dove, Sand Martin, Shelduck, Cormorant and Little Egret.
 

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