Camel Estuary, Cornwall (1 Viewer)

[Qingcol]

The 'Wednesday Group' reported 100+ Common Dolphin, 1 Common Lizard and 8 Puffin yesterday from The Rumps. Plus a start on the building of the Treraven Bird Hide.
No sign of any Dolphin from The Rumps this morning but 3 Puffin past (photo) 1 European Storm Petrel (photo) 400+ Manx Shearwater.
Two very interesting Common Guillemot noted this morning, but sadly no photos of either, I’m always torn between observing or photography, the first an adult Common showing extensive dark flank streaking, under-wing spotting but no dark crescents, no discernable difference in upper-part colour or size, SSP albionis or nominate aalge? The second a bridled morph showing no white eye-ring only a white line behind the eye.

 

[ColumbCol]

The 'Wednesday Group' reported 100+ Common Dolphin, 1 Common Lizard and 8 Puffin yesterday from The Rumps. Plus a start on the building of the Treraven Bird Hide.
No sign of any Dolphin from The Rumps this morning but 3 Puffin past (photo) 1 European Storm Petrel (photo) 400+ Manx Shearwater.
Two very interesting Common Guillemot noted this morning, but sadly no photos of either, I’m always torn between observing or photography, the first an adult Common showing extensive dark flank streaking, under-wing spotting but no dark crescents, no discernable difference in upper-part colour or size, SSP albionis or nominate aalge? The second a bridled morph showing no white eye-ring only a white line behind the eye.

I saw 4 Dolphin at Stepper Point yesterday at 10.45 heading down the estuary. they were quite close in too.

 

[Qingcol]

Still very quiet at Amble Marshes yesterday, just 2 drake Eurasian Teal both showing signs of moult, not many Dragonflies, but a brief visit from the distinctly first summer Hobby (photo) all the flower heads and Thistles covered in Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva) (photo)

 

[Qingcol]

Poplar Hawk-Moth and 23 Elephant Hawk-Moth in Wadebridge light trap last night.

 

[Qingcol]

(photo) one of 4 Common Emerald Moth in Wadebridge garden this morning.
One Red Kite over Bodmin Asda superstore yesterday evening.

 

[Qingcol]

Rumps Point this morning; Quail calling from the edge of the path, east side of what was once a setaside field, plus 1 Corn Bunting, juv Skylarks and juv Stonechats.
A few Manx Shearwater past the Point, plus 1 adult Puffin, Gannet (photo) shag, Cormorant, Fulmar, Common Guillemot including 2 Bridled morph, Razorbill, Kittiwake, 1, 2nd summer Mediterranean Gull, 2 Curlew, 1 adult Peregrine Falcon and 3 Common Dolphin (photo)

 

[Qingcol]

Common Redshank back at Dinham Flats this morning, 31 including 22 at Old Town Bridge, at least 10 juv Black Headed Gull off the Sewage Works,1 Lapwing, 1 Common Sandpiper, 3 Greenshank, 2 Black Swan, 1 Kingfisher and 1 juv Common Shelduck with adults.

 

[Qingcol]

Drake Eurasian Wigeon (Very long wing or short tail, axillaries grey) and Tufted Duck at Amble Marshes this morning.
Dinham Flats this morning, birds included 5 Mediterranean Gull including 2 adults, 10 Little Egret including 2 juv (photo) 5 Black-Tailed Godwit, 1 Greenshank and 3 Common Sandpiper.

 

[upstarts1979]

Just a general question. Have the numbers of Little Egrets and Cettis warblers declined in your area this year. Here in Worcestershire namely at Upton warren wetland reserve we lost all 7 breeding male cettis and all the associated females. We have only had 1 sighting of Little egret. The winter weather put pay to the cettis and I wonder if Little egrets moved out of the UK this winter.

I was also very intrigued at the large influx of Red kites into Cornwall this spring, any theories as to where they came from and why they appeared .
B John

 

[Qingcol]

Just a general question. Have the numbers of Little Egrets and Cettis warblers declined in your area this year. Here in Worcestershire namely at Upton warren wetland reserve we lost all 7 breeding male cettis and all the associated females. We have only had 1 sighting of Little egret. The winter weather put pay to the cettis and I wonder if Little egrets moved out of the UK this winter.

I was also very intrigued at the large influx of Red kites into Cornwall this spring, any theories as to where they came from and why they appeared .
B John

Hi John, Little Egret numbers on the Camel Estuary did appear to shrink a little through this last winter, but it’s not that straight forward, as many groups were noted feeding away from the Estuary on surrounding farms, around Cattle (a new trend) This spring numbers appear to be back to normal. Cetti’s Warbler is still a rare visitor to the Camel Estuary with certainly none breeding, although they do seem to be OK in other parts of Cornwall. I think that the jury is still out on the origins of Red Kites, in the now annual May-June suitable weather influx. My own gut feeling is that the majority of Kites involved are British feral birds with perhaps an urge to move southwest in these weather conditions, funnelling into the tip of Cornwall trying to avoid flying over the sea, any true migrant Kite (Red or Black) would naturally be attracted to the gathering. That’s only a guess! the true reason will probably turn out to be much more complex.
Colin

 

[upstarts1979]

Hi John, Little Egret numbers on the Camel Estuary did appear to shrink a little through this last winter, but it’s not that straight forward, as many groups were noted feeding away from the Estuary on surrounding farms, around Cattle (a new trend) This spring numbers appear to be back to normal. Cetti’s Warbler is still a rare visitor to the Camel Estuary with certainly none breeding, although they do seem to be OK in other parts of Cornwall. I think that the jury is still out on the origins of Red Kites, in the now annual May-June suitable weather influx. My own gut feeling is that the majority of Kites involved are British feral birds with perhaps an urge to move southwest in these weather conditions, funnelling into the tip of Cornwall trying to avoid flying over the sea, any true migrant Kite (Red or Black) would naturally be attracted to the gathering. That’s only a guess! the true reason will probably turn out to be much more complex.
Colin

Thanks Colin for your prompt and interesting reply
happy birding
B John

 

[camelbirder]

At Treraven meadow this evening 2 Mediterranean Gulls were noted, (a first and a second summer), also present were 35 Pied Wagtail, 1 Green Sandpiper and 2 Common Sandpiper.

 

[Qingcol]

Derek and I have decided to make a start on a comprehensive list of wildlife, including plants and invertebrates recorded in or around the Camel Estuary. This is a huge task but at the moment too many good records are just being lost, we both spend many hours in the field birding and naturally notice other things, it would be good to be able to consult a comprehensive list, at the very least to find out if a species is unusual or not yet recorded. As most records are likely to be photographic the inevitable problems of tricky identification 'could' be shelved for future research. If anyone would like to assist with recording or advice we would like to hear from you, if not we are still determined to make a start. Today for instance, I managed to find three “new to me on the Camel” a male Silver-Studded Blue Butterfly (photo) Bog Asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum)(photo) and a white variant of Cross-Leaved Heath (Erica tetralix)(photo)

 

[Darrell Clegg]

My own gut feeling is that the majority of Kites involved are British feral birds with perhaps an urge to move southwest in these weather conditions, funnelling into the tip of Cornwall trying to avoid flying over the sea, any true migrant Kite (Red or Black) would naturally be attracted to the gathering. That’s only a guess! the true reason will probably turn out to be much more complex.
Colin

Hi Colin, I think you're right about this. All the identifiable birds have had a British origin.

Darrell

 

[Qingcol]

Hi Colin, I think you're right about this. All the identifiable birds have had a British origin.

Darrell

Hi Darrell,I suppose if you think about these movements a little deeper they appear to be complicated by a similar influx into West Wales at the same time, and perhaps wrongly suggest that Cornish birds had moved north when in fact there has been a parallel high altitude dispersal west, avoiding the Bristol Channel? High numbers of Red kite were noted from islands like Ramsey, but these islands are comparatively close to the mainland and could account for overshooting birds losing lift and altitude then returning towards the coastline, this could also explain some birds in Cornwall noted as ‘in off the sea’. It’s of interest that no large numbers were recorded from Scilly and would suggest that the distance from the mainland could well be the barrier?
While you are on the case! I would love to know what you think about this strange Meadow Pipit?? on the Camel yesterday. Watched for a while and showing no white outer-tail, no eye-ring, odd face pattern,very long wings and unfinished tail, slight yellow gape?

 

[Qingcol]

Purple Hairstreak Butterflies this afternoon, new site found less than a mile from the estuary with 7+ on the wing (photo) including one taken by ChiffChaff, second site 2 miles from estuary with 12+. Good afternoon for Golden Ringed Dragonflies with many on the wing (photo)

 

[Kernow Pete]

Hi Colin,

Bob Bosisto had a purple Hairstreak on the estuary a couple of weeks ago. Would be worth asking him if it was one of the same areas! Could be 3 new sites.

 

[Qingcol]

Hi Colin,

Bob Bosisto had a purple Hairstreak on the estuary a couple of weeks ago. Would be worth asking him if it was one of the same areas! Could be 3 new sites.

Thanks! Pete I'm sure it must be the commonest Hairstreak in the area, but very hard to see, most often restricted to the high Oak canopy. The small colonies I have managed to find near the Camel have been in solitary, medium sized Oaks.

 

[skippo]

More from past week

Just to report sighting of a corn bunting at Trevose and a pair of med gulls at the Greenway trebetherick yesterday. Can I enquire also - a group of possible coal tits near the Rumps - is that a likely place? Also, did anyone else see the grasshopper warbler I reported a few weeks ago? And the final question, where have the terns gone and when are they around the Camel.
My daughter, not a birder, saw six choughs on Sunday, at Godrevy. Lucky her!

 

[ColumbCol]

Hi Col
Found a great Kestrels Nest today not far from you if you are intrested in some good photo's.
There are 3 chicks about a week away from fledging, you can sit on bank and look down on them about 30 meters away, you will know exactly where i mean when i tell you the location.
Give me a mail and will message you the details.