Camel Estuary, Cornwall (1 Viewer)

[gonvena]

Anyone ever wander up river to St. Breward, (Combe) to check on the status of Willow Tits up there? I haven't been for years. Good little area though.
What info do receive on Willow Tits, as recorder Derek?

 

[Qingcol]

Treraven Meadow this morning: Birds included 1 Water Pipit, 1 Firecrest, 12 Goldcrest, 7 Chiffchaff (1 Eastern, 2 dusky-ish and 4 pale see photo's) 1 Greenshank, 2 Teal and 2 Wigeon.

 

[Qingcol]

2 Goldeneye and 2 Green Sandpiper, still at Clapper Pools this afternoon and an Eastern Chiffchaff, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, female Black Redstart at Old Town Bridge (Wadebridge).

 

[gonvena]

420 Dunlin

Hi Mike,
I take it that this was a hightide count, 420 Dunlin is twice as many birds ythan the highest low tide counts.

Hi Derek,

Yep the tide was well up. All the waders were together in one roost. Time approx 14:30.

 

[Qingcol]

Treraven Meadow this morning: Birds included 7 Chiffchaff (1 Eastern, 2 dusky-ish and 4 pale see photo's)

The patterns and density of wintering Phylloscopus warblers in the county appears to change year by year, but I can't remember seeing so many dark Chiffchaff. The 3 very dark individuals at Treraven Meadow tend to range over a large area and are not confined, or attracted to one particular spot in the way that birds feeding at a sewage farm would be (so therefore difficult to photograph) and I can only assume that these dark individuals are drab and worn adult Chiffchaff of the nominate race.
Treraven Meadow this morning: birds included Firecrest still, 3 Water Pipit, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Marsh Tit, 8 Goldcrest, 1 Greenshank, 2 Green Sandpiper and 2 Wigeon.

 

[Qingcol]

Male Black Redstart and 3 Blackcap at Glen Road this morning.
6 Water Pipit, 5 Common Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Firecrest and 13 Teal at Treraven Meadow.

 

[camelbirder]

A search for a Gyr at Stepper this morning was fruitless, but a large flock of Meadow Pipits numbering 90 birds took a long time to go through. A large flock of Chaffinch was once again present at Crugmeer with about 100 birds present also 3 Yellowhammer.

Lets hope the Gyr comes back again this year.

 

[camelbirder]

Yesterday (19/12/08) about the estuary

Padstow
Mediterranean Gull - 1 Adult
Shag - 13
Cormorant - 10

Dennis Cove
Little grebe - 3
Moorhen - 4
Mallard - 32
Kingfisher - 1

Harlyn Bay
Oystercatcher - 64 roosting
Turnstone - 5 roosting
Shag - 10
Dunlin - 78 roosting
Knot - 1 roosting
Kestrel - 1
Wood Pigeon - 80 flew east

Harlyn Reedbed
Snipe - 16
Water rail - 2
Kingfisher - 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1

Harlyn Pools
Moorhen - 29
Teal - 1 male
Little Grebe - 2
Chiffchaff - 4

Windmill
Wood Pigeon - 580 flew over east

Walmsley Sanc.
Mute Swan - 30
Curlew - 122
Teal - 137
Wigeon - 189
Pintail - 3
Little Egret - 2
Coot - 5
Tufted Duck - 1
Shoveler - 15
Canada Goose - 134
Mallard - 6
Snipe - 6
Water rail - 2
Moorhen - 11
Little Grebe - 2
Black-tailed Godwit - 17

Dinham Area
Golden Plover - 6000 roosting in fields below Trewornan Farm

Treraven Meadows
Canad Goose - 69
Water Pipit - 4
Kingfisher - 1
Little Egret - 1

Egloshayle (Camel River)
Common sandpiper - 3
Green Sandpiper - 1
Wigeon - 3
Teal - 14
Mute Swan - 2
Mallard - 2

Clapper Marshes
Mute Swan - 10
Little Egret - 1
Wigeon - 63
Teal - 15
Mallard - 33
Goldeneye - 2
Moorhen - 13
Little Grebe - 5
Pintail - 2 female
Chiffchaff - 1

A total of 55 Mute Swans on the estuary, also maximum numbers of 11 Little Grebe, 255 Wigeon, 170 Teal, 5 Pintail, 203 Canada Geese and 28 Moorhen.

Not a bad day with 78 species seen.

 

[camelbirder]

Anyone ever wander up river to St. Breward, (Combe) to check on the status of Willow Tits up there? I haven't been for years. Good little area though.
What info do receive on Willow Tits, as recorder Derek?

Hi Mike,

I have no records of Willow Tit anywhere in the Camel Valley, for at least 5 years, I myself have not seen any here this century. The main strongholds in Cornwall are Goss Moor, Colliford/ Bolventor/ Upper Fowey Valley area and Tamar Lakes.

 

[camelbirder]

Late this afternoon at Treraven Meadows the single Ruff was still present as was 1 Water Pipit, 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper, 13 Teal, and 1 Greenshank.
At Clapper Marshes, 6 Black-tailed Godwit flew up as I arrived 3 then landed but the other 3 flew over Ball Roundabout and continued in the direction of Walmsley. Also present were 81 Wigeon, 22 Mallard, 22 Teal, 4 Shoveler, 3 Pintail, a female Goldeneye, a Kingfisher and 5 Little Grebe.

A Brown Long-eared Bat was watched hawking insects at Treraven Woods this afternoon.

 

[camelbirder]

This morning on Treraven Meadows 2 Water Pipits were noted, also present were 4 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Egret, 3 Chiffchaff and a Firecrest.

At Clapper Marshes 46 Mallard were joined by 2 Gadwall, 24 Teal, 2 Pintail, 104 Wigeon, 2 Goldeneye and 4 Shoveler. Also noted were 9 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Little grebe, 1 Green Sandpiper, 5 Snipe and 12 Moorhen.

 

[camelbirder]

This afternoon on the Camel Estuary at Dinham Flats the following was present;

Great Northern Diver - 1
Golden Plover - 1700
Lapwing - 2300
Dunlin - 420
Shelduck - 35
Turnstone - 1
Mediterranean Gull - 4 adults
Snipe - 54
Bar-tailed Godwit - 5
Greenshank - 1
Ringed Plover - 7
Knot - 4
Grey Plover - 2

 

[Qingcol]

Treraven Meadow this morning, birds included 5 Green Sandpiper, 1 Ruff, 1 Greenshank,
12 Teal and 3 Water Pipit.
Male Black Redstart singing at Glen Road! plus 3 Blackcap.

 

[camelbirder]

B Merry Christmas to everyone B

 

[gonvena]

And to you too Derek

B Merry Christmas to everyone B

Eaten too much
o

 

[camelbirder]

Eaten too much
o

Same here:eat::eat:

 

[Qingcol]

Firecrest, male Black Redstart and 3 Blackcap all around the gardens near top of Glen Road Wadebridge this morning.
6 Common Snipe, 1 Greenshank, 4 Common Sandpiper and a female Black Redstart at Town Quay (photo below)
3 Rock Pipit at sewage works.

 

[camelbirder]

14 Ravens at Tollgate yesterday, also 30 Lapwings.

 

[Qingcol]

4 female Blackcaps, at bird table in Wadebridge this morning, all separated by small plumage details.
Firecrest and Chiffchaff in the same garden (top of Glen Road).

 

[Qingcol]

female Black Redstart at Town Quay (photo below)

Can anybody explain, or put forward an explanation for the regular pattern of missing distal barbules to the inner vanes (forming two bands of holes) on the tail feathers seen in this female Black Redstart? Not easy to see in the photo, but more noticeable in the field.