Hi Skippo, The only spot near the Rumps that I have seen Coal Tit is at Stinky Valley, just below the Farm House, I once had a Nuthatch! fly past over the sea! on a sea-watch from The Rumps, anything is possible. No sorry I did not get down to see the Grasshopper Warbler, but many thanks! for the interesting record.The Sandwich Terns do not breed anywhere near the Camel Estuary but they should start to return soon (end of July-ish) sometimes still feeding full grown young.
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Camel Estuary, Cornwall (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter camelbirder
- Start date
Hi Skippo, The only spot near the Rumps that I have seen Coal Tit is at Stinky Valley, just below the Farm House, I once had a Nuthatch! fly past over the sea! on a sea-watch from The Rumps, anything is possible. No sorry I did not get down to see the Grasshopper Warbler, but many thanks! for the interesting record.The Sandwich Terns do not breed anywhere near the Camel Estuary but they should start to return soon (end of July-ish) sometimes still feeding full grown young.
Hi Col, The last thing I want to do is sound ungrateful for your information but my advice to you would be to tell no one including me, if you feel that it's safe, no disturbance is being caused and you don’t need a licence it should be OK. We are all responsible for our own ‘code of conduct’ and I’m sure there are some consciences nest photographers using old fashioned field craft out there, but you only need one that does not to bring a total nest photography ban a little closer. Many birding sites follow a policy of not accepting nest photography and as things stand today I do reluctantly agree with that.
Colin
I never knew there was such policies on websites to be honest but i can see that the protection of all nests are paramount, i would never publish a location to be fair.
I know there are idiots out there that have no regards for Birds or Wildlife and totally agree with your point.
Grasshopper Warb: In the 80s early 90s when I used to watch the north coast, I would regularly hear them in the Pine Haven valley half mile SW of Port Isaac. But that was usually in spring, therefore poss migrants. However they were there regularly.
You never know what is coming next at the Rumps. Herons I didn't expect and I well remember watching some black, petrel looking birds approaching the rock. Turned out to be C Swifts skimming the waves. L B Turtle is another memorable moment June 1992 I think it was and to cap it all a breaching basking shark a few years ago.
A friend of mine was the lighthouse keeper at Trevose Head when it was a manned station. He says he had "the lot" so to speak.
You never know what is coming next at the Rumps. Herons I didn't expect and I well remember watching some black, petrel looking birds approaching the rock. Turned out to be C Swifts skimming the waves. L B Turtle is another memorable moment June 1992 I think it was and to cap it all a breaching basking shark a few years ago.
A friend of mine was the lighthouse keeper at Trevose Head when it was a manned station. He says he had "the lot" so to speak.
Walmsley “Sanctuary” was definitely not the place to be this morning if you happen to care about wildlife conservation and the natural look of the countryside!!
Amble Marshes before 08:30 Short bursts of Marsh Warbler song from the thick hedge, at a point half way between the two hides! I managed to get some images of a bird in the hedge that I think was the singer (photo) an adult showing a long primary projection and upper tail lighter than mantle but the photos alone are far from conclusive for Marsh. There is a possibility of late returning, not so successful (European) Reed Warbler mimicking Marsh song? I think it’s worth mentioning that I have not yet recorded Reed Warbler on this site so far this year and there are no reeds (Phagmites) to speak of on the site.
Other birds before 08:30 included 6 Black-Tailed Godwit, 2 Northern Lapwing, 2 Curlew, 3 Eurasian Teal including 1 juv, 1 Drake Wigeon, 4 Stock Pigeon and 2 Skylark feeding young.
Amble Marshes before 08:30 Short bursts of Marsh Warbler song from the thick hedge, at a point half way between the two hides! I managed to get some images of a bird in the hedge that I think was the singer (photo) an adult showing a long primary projection and upper tail lighter than mantle but the photos alone are far from conclusive for Marsh. There is a possibility of late returning, not so successful (European) Reed Warbler mimicking Marsh song? I think it’s worth mentioning that I have not yet recorded Reed Warbler on this site so far this year and there are no reeds (Phagmites) to speak of on the site.
Other birds before 08:30 included 6 Black-Tailed Godwit, 2 Northern Lapwing, 2 Curlew, 3 Eurasian Teal including 1 juv, 1 Drake Wigeon, 4 Stock Pigeon and 2 Skylark feeding young.
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Mark Grantham
Well-known member
I think there's probably enough on the photos to suggest Reed Warbler, even though it certainly looks a very unusual one! One indication is that the emargination on P3 (counting from the outside) lies about level with the tertials. On a Marsh you'd expect it to fall well outside of the tertials. This is shown nicely here:
http://www.portlandbirdobs.btinternet.co.uk/bpp_marsh_vs_reed_warbler_310506.htm
and also on these images:
http://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/images/hharrop/Marsh-Warbler2.jpg
http://notendur.hi.is/yannk/myndir/rarity/yk_acrsci250904.jpg
I'll admit that it's a very pale bird, but then it is very worn. The thick bill is also rather unusual, as is the choice of habitat...
Jon Turner
Well-known member
That set of pics from Martin Cade is very useful and instructive, thanks for posting Mark.
Hi Mark, many thanks for the excellent link (Portland Martin Cade) as you say the position of the emarination on p3 does strongly suggest Reed, although the primary projection in relation to the tertials still looks long I remember processing into the low hundreds of Reed Warbler at Chew Valley in the early days (measuring the notch on the inner web of 2nd p) and never managed a Marsh in the hand, even started to convince myself that they did not exist!(had to go to Finland to sort that out) Who would have thought that years later it would be possible to do almost the same thing using digital images in the field. The Walmsley bird is still more than a little odd and naturally I am influenced/intrigued by the quality of the song, hopefully someone else with an open mind will hear it and have an opinion, after all this is the prime reason for posting. The only other details I can add are the colour of the rump (photo) and the colour of the underside of the toes, being bright yellow. I will probably leave it as unidentified myself, but make the effort to find out more about’ fuscus’ certainly if a feather had miraculously fallen out I would have been intrigued enough to send it for molecular analysis.
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Max Shearwater
Well-known member
Do you mean the cutting of the juncus and topping of the meadow areas by the tenant farmer Colin?
If so then this is an agreed part of the site management plan that I've adhered to since becoming warden 14 years ago. This has served to kill off large areas of dense juncus where in places it was up to 5 feet high.
Cutting now and a second time as late into the autumn as possible , followed by water inundation from the early winter rains has been highly successful in creating a habitat that suits the good numbers of waders and wildfowl that have been recorded in recent years.
The farmer liased with myself and was keen to get this work done prior to his main harvest.
Adrian.
If so then this is an agreed part of the site management plan that I've adhered to since becoming warden 14 years ago. This has served to kill off large areas of dense juncus where in places it was up to 5 feet high.
Cutting now and a second time as late into the autumn as possible , followed by water inundation from the early winter rains has been highly successful in creating a habitat that suits the good numbers of waders and wildfowl that have been recorded in recent years.
The farmer liased with myself and was keen to get this work done prior to his main harvest.
Adrian.
Hi Adrian, The answer to your question is ‘yes, but only in part’ the part that concerns the reserve is simply a criticism by a CBWPS member of the’ Management Plan’ a plan that allows the tenant farmer to cut in the reserve when they feel like it regardless of nesting birds. No one is criticizing your warden-ship you obviously feel passionately about what goes on in the reserve and have managed to do an outstanding job of improving the reserve under extremely difficult conditions at times, but you cannot be there all of the time, I just happened to be there! and I get passionate/angry when I see breeding birds being killed or distressed and picked up, one at a time by their predators behind a machine, something you have to get used to in the wider countryside, but surely not on a reserve. I apologise for spontaneously posting (hit&run) on this Forum, on reflection this was the wrong way to go about it, but I did report my concerns to CBWPS yesterday morning, that said I’m hoping this thread is at an end, or continued face to face or through CBWPS after all it’s their policy, in no one else’s interest to hear details or view photos.
Colin
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Reed Warbler? still singing occasionally in the hedge just north of the Tower hide, Amble Marshes early this morning. Other birds included 16 Black-Tailed Godwit, 2 Common Redshank, 1 Northern Lapwing, 2 Green Sandpiper, 5 Eurasian Teal (2 male, 2 female and 1 juv) 2 drake Tufted Duck, 7 juv Black-Headed Gull, 1 2nd S Mediterranean Gull, 4 Stock Pigeon and 40+ Goldfinches.
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An explosion of Green Dock Beetle (Gastrophysa vridula) in the fields around Wadebridge this morning; hundreds of these beautiful little Beetles visible (photo) in the bright sunlight, with their groups of eggs (photo) on every Dock ( Curly or Broad-Leafed) examined, making an estimate of into the millions of eggs per acre.
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Hi Mike, I'm sure that the money from the Francis Couch memorial fund has been used for the construction costs. Sorry about the photo it's the best I could manage with my 300mm lens this morning. Worryingly! newspaper was left to burn inside the hide last night, and on every wooden bench and table down to the Iron Bridge, I suppose just one more consequence of this 'modern Britian' where only the law-abiding are oppressed!
Shooting Platform (Camel Trail) this morning, birds included adults with brood of three juv Reed Warbler(photo) adult with juv Nuthatch, 3 Kingfisher,1 Dipper, 3 juv Grey Wagtail. Dragonflies included Emperor, Broad-Bodied Chaser, Black-Tailed Skimmer and Common Darter. Azure Damselfly (photo) and male Demoiselle Agrion (photo) Fish included Grey Mullet and Brown Trout. Two Green Sandpiper on Treraven Meadow.
