Camel Estuary, Cornwall (10 Viewers)

[camelbirder]

Yesterdays Grey Phalarope is the second earliest ever autumn bird, in Cornwall.

The earliest was one at St German's on 12th July 1988.

There has only been one other record, (in Cornwall), in July and that was from the RMV Scillonian 111 on 31st July 1989.

Just goes to show that anything can and will turn up and at any time.

 

[KnockerNorton]

Could be a juvenile, no sign of any moult, legs brownish grey not bright, a silent bird and it made a mess of its catch, a Stickleback, but the rump and upper-tail was a very bright blue.

Adults have red legs, juvs have blackish/greyish.

 

[camelbirder]

Adults have red legs, juvs have blackish/greyish.

Unfortunately I can't make out the leg colour from the photo.

 

[camelbirder]

A full count of the birds using the estuary today was as folows;
Little Grebe - 1
Cormorant - 14
Little Egret - 60, including at least 15 juveniles
Grey Heron - 12
Mute Swan - 58
Shelduck - 6
Mallard - 28
Moorhen- 1
Oystercatcher - 157
Sanderling - 1
Dunlin - 1
Black-tailed Godwit - 1
Whimbrel - 1
Curlew - 483
Redshank - 11
Common Sandpiper - 11
Mediterranean Gull - 38, (22 adult, 7 second year and 9 first year, no juv's)
Black-headed Gull - 1069
Common Gull - 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1
Herring Gull - 253
Great Black-backed Gull - 72.

Not bad for a three hour walk.

 

[Qingcol]

Birds at Walmsley Sanctuary this morning include, 5 Lapwing, 5 Dunlin, 3 Ringed Plover, 4 Black-tailed Godwit and 8 Teal.

 

[Qingcol]

Just below Town Bridge at Wadebridge, 11:30. 36 Redshank with at least 3 juvenile and one 2nd summer Mediterranean Gull plus 2 Common Sandpiper.

 

[Qingcol]

Dinham Flats this afternoon, no Med Gulls but 350+ Black-headed! 5 Common Sandpiper and 2 Sandwich Tern.

 

[gonvena]

Clapper Marsh today, best I could manage was a Common Sand.
Little Petherick this afternoon, 1 Greenshank, 10 L. Egrets, 3 Whimbrel, 2 Redshank. No Meds gulls in the Black headed Gulls total of 82. Nice day for a walk.

 

[gonvena]

New WEB count species

Birds at Walmsley Sanctuary this morning include, 5 Lapwing, 5 Dunlin, 3 Ringed Plover, 4 Black-tailed Godwit and 8 Teal.

Hi Colin, I know you would be very excited to note you had a new species for Walmsley......... well for the WEB count at least. Ringed Plover. That's worth a beer B B

 

[camelbirder]

This evening on the estuary between Wadebridge and Tregunna the following were noted; a male Scaup, 61 Redshank, 10 Common Sandpiper, 418 Curlew, 4 Whimbrel, 4 Greenshank, 37 Dunlin, 1 Knot, 1 Ruff, 29 Shelduck, 48 Mallard, Canad Goose 54, 31 Little Egret, 3 Heron and 739 Black-headed Gull.

Always the same, much higher counts of some species after the main count.

This morning 71 Canada Geese were on the river at Egloshayle.

 

[Qingcol]

This morning at Walmsley Sanctuary, one juvenile Northern Shoveler, 4 Tufted Duck, 19 Dunlin, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Teal, 1 Common Snipe plus Sand Martin and Swift.

 

[camelbirder]

Just checked the old records and surprisingly there has been at least 20 records of Scaup in Cornwall in July. I guess they must be failed or non-breeding birds leaving their nesting areas.

The "Autumn" migration seems to have started with wildfowl, waders and gulls all moving. Lets all look out for the big rarity that seems to always turn up in July somewhere, (but never on the Camel).

 

[Qingcol]

Adult Mediterranean Gull over my house in Wadebridge at 11:00 with Black-headed Gulls.

 

[camelbirder]

An afternoon out with Qingcol was very enjoyable with the highlight being a juvenile Little Ringed Plover at Upper Treraven Meadow.
Elsewhere on the estuary 22 Mediterranean Gulls were on Tregirls beach including my first juvenile of the autumn, (which was ringed 31T1). Two other Mediterranean Gull were in a field at Highlanes near Little Petherick. Six Sandwich Terns were off Padstow.

 

[Qingcol]

An afternoon out with Qingcol was very enjoyable with the highlight being a juvenile Little Ringed Plover at Upper Treraven Meadow.
Elsewhere on the estuary 22 Mediterranean Gulls were on Tregirls beach including my first juvenile of the autumn, (which was ringed 31T1

Photos taken this afternoon below.

 

[Conorbirda2]

For info, a mate told me that a dead Honey Buzzard had been sent in to the Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme from Cornwall last month. It was identified by the finder as a common buzzard, but it was a 2nd cal yr Honey. I don't know the exact site off the top of my head, but can find out if anyone's interested. The finder will get a report, but I don't know if they'll pass the details on to the county recorder.

The Honey Buzz was found decomposed in a garden of a holiday cottage at Carbis Bay. It was a female and died of starvation. Wonder how long it had been there in the garden before it died?

 

[Qingcol]

The Honey Buzz was found decomposed in a garden of a holiday cottage at Carbis Bay. It was a female and died of starvation. Wonder how long it had been there in the garden before it died?

Not the Lizard bird then? that looked like a male?

Little Ringed Plover still at Treraven Meadow this morning but continually flushed by dog walkers, at least 3 times before 08:00 including two lady's with nine dogs between them. Also 1 Common Sandpiper and Sand Martin.

 

[camelbirder]

This evening off of Rock up to 6 adult Mediterranean Gulls were hawking flying ants wioth up to 30 Black-headed. A minimum of 70 , (mostly juvenile), Swallows were watched moving south-west, these birds may have been migrants or they had been hunting the ants over the sand dunes and then returned inland to roost.

Upper Treraven Meadow this evening contained 2 Common Sandpiper and a Kingfisher. The Little Ringed plover was not present.

 

[camelbirder]

According to Birdguides, 21 Balearic Shearwaters were noted off Pentire Point this morning.

 

[Qingcol]

Walmsley Sanctuary this morning, 1 juv Little Ringed Plover, 6 Green Sandpiper, 5 Common Snipe. 5 Lapwing, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Curlew, 7 Dunlin plus 1 male (Greater) Scaup and juv Tufted Duck.