camelbirder
Well-known member
Hi Colin,
Could this be the second family that bred on the Reserve. With the height of the grasses etc. a swan family could easily be lost to view.
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Camel Estuary, Cornwall (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter camelbirder
- Start date
Hi Colin,
Could this be the second family that bred on the Reserve. With the height of the grasses etc. a swan family could easily be lost to view.
camelbirder
Well-known member
A minimum of 10 Mditerranean Gulls on the estuary this morning. 9, (7 adult, 1 second summer and a juvenile), were on the rocks between Padstow harbour and St Saviours Point. Another adult was on Tregirls Beach.
Also on Tregirls were 22 Sanderling and up to 18 Gannets were fishing in the estuary.
Also on Tregirls were 22 Sanderling and up to 18 Gannets were fishing in the estuary.
Derek where is Tregirls? I have seen a few Gannets in the past around the Estuary but never goods views, this sounds interesting that they was fishing in the estuary.
Would it be a good photo oppurtunity?
camelbirder
Well-known member
Hi Stephen,
Tregirls is the beach just below Stepper Point at the mouth of the estuary opposite Daymer Bay.
Unfortunately the Gannets were to far off for any good photographs or though up to 5 were watched off Padstow. The best place to photograph Gannets would be off The Rumps. Qingcol has had some results from here.
camelbirder
Well-known member
A juvenile Mediterranean Gull was present at Guineaport at midday. Showing very well.
Hi Colin,
Could this be the second family that bred on the Reserve. With the height of the grasses etc. a swan family could easily be lost to view.
It could be, but I fear these two cygnets are from the dominant pair and the only ones left on the sanctuary, they appear to have been picked off at night one at a time, probably by Fox, but Otters are carnivorous occasionally taking water birds and I have watched the Otters drive the Swans and their brood right out into the field.
Ah yes i know, thanks for that Derek.
Ok great i will try that next time, every time i have been to the Rumps its rained lol! so no photos or birds so far.
Cheers,
Steve
Lovely Gannet photo Qingcol, did you get anymore good oppurtunities to photograph the Gannets?
Steve
Thank's Steve, yes these pic's this morning, Rumps Point is a great place to photograph Gannets and Manx Shearwater.
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So you were there again were you Colin. I was on my usual perch from 09:50 till 11:10. Noted there were quite a few Gannets flying very close, hence the your good pictures.
Did you note any Balearics, I didn't.
From 10 till 11:00 I counted 469 Manx, 32 Gannets, A flock of 15 C. Scoter. Couldn't get any more than 6 Puffin. 30 Guillemots and a few Razorbills. Nice flock of Kittiwakes feeding below me.
Hopefully try again tomorrow a but earlier, as I suspect I caught the end of the Passage this morning. I noted 207 Manx in the first 10 mins then it dropped right off.The wind should be more round to the West tomorrow
Did you note any Balearics, I didn't.
From 10 till 11:00 I counted 469 Manx, 32 Gannets, A flock of 15 C. Scoter. Couldn't get any more than 6 Puffin. 30 Guillemots and a few Razorbills. Nice flock of Kittiwakes feeding below me.
Hopefully try again tomorrow a but earlier, as I suspect I caught the end of the Passage this morning. I noted 207 Manx in the first 10 mins then it dropped right off.The wind should be more round to the West tomorrow
Great shots Qingcol! I didnt know you could get that close to the Gannets at the Rumps. Great to see the Manx aswell. I see them very rarely by the Severn near where i live but not that close.
Keep up the good work
Yes Mike, as the wind had gone to the NW I decided to go at fist light: In the first hour at least 2,000 Manx passed (but no Balearic) with 50+ Kittiwake, 300+ Gannet, 300+ Fumar and nine Puffin sitting on the sea. Two Gannet were seen trailing long blue strands of plastic from the sides of their bills and a Grey Seal with a terrible eye injury (photo) some photos too distressing to post.:-C
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You went up at first light? 2000 an hour, that is what we used to get years ago, but a bit later in the morning. Were they going straight through or were they looking to feed?
I went up this morning again, quite early for me, arriving at 08:50. I've sent you the chart and graph. Peaked at 10:00 as usual 207 in 10 minutes . Strange thing was they stopped at 11:00 None came through. If there's a squall up the coast that can cause it. It was a little gloomy up the coast. Presume they resumed later on.Total est. passage 760 in 2 hours.
Max count of Puffin 14 on the water.
2 small Sun Fish.
No Balearics or Sootys.
1 Bottle-nose Dolphin
Gannets only 34 seen. Just as bad as the 32 yesterday.
I went up this morning again, quite early for me, arriving at 08:50. I've sent you the chart and graph. Peaked at 10:00 as usual 207 in 10 minutes . Strange thing was they stopped at 11:00 None came through. If there's a squall up the coast that can cause it. It was a little gloomy up the coast. Presume they resumed later on.Total est. passage 760 in 2 hours.
Max count of Puffin 14 on the water.
2 small Sun Fish.
No Balearics or Sootys.
1 Bottle-nose Dolphin
Gannets only 34 seen. Just as bad as the 32 yesterday.
Hi Mike,The peak was definitely 05:00-06:00 and as Derek will tell you I usually under estimate, all the birds were passing strait through none dropping into the sea to feed and many (groups of 40+) passing through the gap between the headland and the Mouls. I suppose it's possible but very unlikely the birds could be moving in a circular movement and were counted more than once, if that was the case it would have to be a huge circle, as I could see birds flying only in one direction south west. I have noticed in past years very large numbers of Shearwaters being reported passing Hartland Point (Hartland Point can be seen on most days from the Rumps) when I have been watching at Rumps Point and seen very little or nothing!
camelbirder
Well-known member
The Wednesday Bird Walk Group noted two adult Mediterranean Gulls at Polzeath Beach yesterday. They also saw 14 Puffins off The Rumps.
trurobirder
Well-known member
I saw nine Puffins off the Rumps this afternoon. I would like to have seen some waders at Walmsley today but some idiot decided to climb the fence (which says No Entry) and walk the entire inner perimeter of the reserve. Needless to say no godwits, Greenshanks or Green Sands were present.
camelbirder
Well-known member
(Yes I normally see two to your one Colin)
If the birds you saw moving through were breeding birds, then they are probably moving out into the Atlantic to feed. Then in a day or so will move back towards their burrows along the southern Welsh coast, although on a still summer evening you can see rafts of shearwaters just sitting on the water waiting to come ashore, after nightfall.
Numbers have probably not changed that much, but with more birders watching just the best sites i.e. Porthgwarra, the numbers appear to be increasing but at the less watch sites, like the The Rumps, numbers are decreasing.
The Hartland point is a good question, but probably has soimething to do with the wind direction or speed or both.
Best wishes to all,
33
camelbirder
Well-known member
Hi Trurobirder, entry into the reserve is forbidden, except for permitted people i.e. The Warden and his work parties. I will let the Warden know about this incident.
camelbirder
Well-known member
Has anyone else noted the large amount of Siskins around at the moment, I have noted some, (family), parties about at Wadebridge, and all around the Camel Estuary. They must have had a good breeding season.
