Falmouth Birding (1 Viewer)

[dantheman]

Kumlien's and ?Curlew?

 

[Samuel Perfect]

Just came across this brilliant resource!! http://www.sofnet.org/ottenby-fagelstation/ringmarkning-observationer/phoenicurus-ochruros/ Never again will we have to worry about ageing and sexing our overwintering Black Redstarts (or was it just me who was loosing sleep over this?). Unfortunately the one outside my window seems to have disappeared over the last couple days so in a bit of a sulk I slouched over the bed to have a look out the window into my barren garden. Being a little bit annoyed that I couldn't apply the new resource to query the long staying female-type bird that once came to perch outside my bedroom window I was delighted to see it hop onto the neighbours roof after its week long absence! Looks like there might be a chance at ageing it after all! I just need to get some good views of those all important tertial fringes again... 8-P

 

[Samuel Perfect]

Black Red still in back garden on Beacon Road this morning.

 

[dantheman]

Black Red still in back garden on Beacon Road this morning.

Nice, but I'll raise you a Chiffchaff ... one 6 feet outside the living room window whilst I was on the phone half an hour ago ...

 

[Trotsky1977]

Managed to catch up with Sam and his bruv (thanks Dan) at Maenporth to scope the King in lovely warm sunshine (1230hrs):

Maenporth
King Eider
Eider
Peregrine
4 Med Gulls
50+ BH Gulls passing toward Swanpool

Dropped off the Perfect boys at Swanpool beach end to pick up the LT Duck

Swanpool cemetery end
Cormorant
Green Woody (heard)

 

[Trotsky1977]

College Reservoir Winter Bird Walk - Sun 15 Feb 2015
with Richard and Craig from the South West Lakes Trust and Cornwall Bird Watching and Preservation Society
0930-1130hrs

2 Goldcrest
Moorhen in field
4 LTT
2 Sparrowhawk being mobbed by Corvids
Chiffchaff
4 Cormorant
50 Wigeon
2 Teal
Tawny Owl (heard)
3 Buzzard
4 Canada Geese
Grey Heron
2 Jay
2 GBB Gull

Berkeley Cottages 1345hrs
Male Black Redstart on my car aerial!!!
Collared Dove

 

[Samuel Perfect]

Quite surprised to see 2 female-type Black Reds perched on the neighbours roof on Beacon Road, only ever seen one at a time from my window (was under the impression it was just the same that made a daily visit).

 

[dantheman]

Berkeley Cottages 1345hrs
Male Black Redstart on my car aerial!!!
Collared Dove

Nice car tick!

Quite surprised to see 2 female-type Black Reds perched on the neighbours roof on Beacon Road, only ever seen one at a time from my window (was under the impression it was just the same that made a daily visit).

If Simon's was a nice black male ... that makes 3 your end.

Brief views of one here this morning today (Wood Lane area) - grey with wing panel, assume 1st w male then?

 

[dantheman]

Just back from Swanpool, nice Falmouth tick under the belt (Cheers Samuel for alerting me to the news) - a 1st winter Ring-billed Gull. Probably been about time (apparently more regular in the past).

Anyway viewed down to 6 feet(!) from the benches half way down the east side - also Kittiwake, Long-tailed Duck and 2nd w Med Gull present.

Comes to bread (so obviously an escape!) - although being a responsible adult not sure should recommend white bread as a suitably feeding regime for wild birds - it should also come to brown/wholemeal bread or tinned pilchards/similar.

 

[Samuel Perfect]

Just updated my blog with a few pics of the past weeks successes, thanks to my brother for letting me use his DSLR to take some shots of the confiding Ring-billed Gull! http://samuelbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/bro-14th-16th-february.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS_TAM2gzp4

 

[Trotsky1977]

Just updated my blog with a few pics of the past weeks successes, thanks to my brother for letting me use his DSLR to take some shots of the confiding Ring-billed Gull! http://samuelbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/bro-14th-16th-february.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS_TAM2gzp4

Thanks for tipping me off, Perfect senior! Great views from the benches on the eastern side still at 1630hrs :t:

Great video, Sam!! Is that JSL chatting in the background???

Also LBB Gull at the washing station

plus one Kittiwake (thanks for reminding me with your photo, Dan!)

 

[Trotsky1977]

Nice car tick!



If Simon's was a nice black male ... that makes 3 your end.

Brief views of one here this morning today (Wood Lane area) - grey with wing panel, assume 1st w male then?

I think we should collaborate on a scientific paper describing the Falmouth distribution of wintering Phoenicurus ochruros.....

:-O

 

[Samuel Perfect]

Thanks for tipping me off, Perfect senior! Great views from the benches on the eastern side still at 1630hrs :t:

Great video, Sam!! Is that JSL chatting in the background???

Also LBB Gull at the washing station
plus one Kittiwake

Cheers Simon, it is indeed JSL chatting in the background! :-O Glad you got good views too! Every chance it might stick around a while.

 

[Samuel Perfect]

I think we should collaborate on a scientific paper describing the Falmouth distribution of wintering Phoenicurus ochruros.....

:-O

It was on the mind of Dan and I. So far we've established 2 males at Castle Beach, 2 (m/f) Marlborough Road, 2 (m/f) Berkeley, 2 f Beacon Road and 1 f campus (earlier in the winter but no longer present (I think)).

 

[Trotsky1977]

It was on the mind of Dan and I. So far we've established 2 males at Castle Beach, 2 (m/f) Marlborough Road, 2 (m/f) Berkeley, 2 f Beacon Road and 1 f campus (earlier in the winter but no longer present (I think)).

I started recording sightings again in 2009 (Notebook and Birdtrack). The first Black Red was 4th Jan 2009 in my Berkeley Cotts backyard (1300hrs 4C Overcast :-O )

 

[Cornish Chough]

Not as exciting as a Black Redstart but a very approachable Mipit in a Camborne garden on and off since January seen down to around six feet!

Also in recent weeks a gradually expanding group of starlings over the town most days at dusk. I reckon numbers were up to over 1,000 late last week. Not anywhere near the numbers of a few years back at Marazion but good to see anyway.

I recall a good sized group at St Erth / Lelant a few years ago.

 

[Samuel Perfect]

Black Red in the garden again today.

 

[Trotsky1977]

Back down to Swanpool after work 1630hrs

1w Ring-billed Gull in exactly the same place
50 BH Gulls
Song Thrush
Chiffchaff

 

[Samuel Perfect]

This just got posted on a facebook ID page https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1NeRMXPc0k&feature=youtu.be

Seems as if there's a chance a Spotted Sand could be round the corner at Budock Vean (video taken today!)

Just tried to stop the video at some random points and it seems to have a rather short tail projection, a pinkish base to the bill and bright legs! I also can't make out any patterning on the tertials (although they are in constant movement).

 

[dantheman]

Out and about half of the day with Samuel and Ephraim -

First stop (well almost) for a drive-by viewing of the Ring-billed Gull, then an unsuccessful foray to Maenporth and Brean Beach for the King Eider - no sign but the female Eider was showing offshore, as were 2 Slavonian Grebes. 2 Raven over and 2 Stonechat (one singing) at Maenporth.

Next a longer unsuccessful foray for the possible Spotted Sandpiper off Budock Vean (note - now relegated to Common Sandpiper on BirdGuides). We did see a few other birds but it was relatively hard work - Great Northern Diver, 3 Greenshank and 5 Shelduck.

Devoran briefly - Tallack's Creek area high tide roost -

1 Spotted Redshank
200+ Redshank
(1 leucistic Redshank)
3+ Greenshank
3 Barwit
20+ Blackwit
2 distant RB Mergansers
etc

Carnon Downs Sewage Works -

c.20 Chiffchaff (including 2 'pale' birds)
1 Siberian Chiffchaff
2 Grey Wagtail
2 Reed Bunting
15+ Pied Wagtail
1 possible (heard once only) YB Warbler

Dropped Ephraim off for his train in Truro, then headed towards Malpas in vain hope of the Avocets ...

No luck, but stopping at the roadside c1 mile south of Truro by the pines (just before reaching Malpas) did have a flypast GREAT WHITE EGRET flying south
( :eek!: ) - views brief and partly obscured through the trees but large size and distinct flight noticeable, along with the long yellow bill.

Looking back up towards Truro, wader roost was noted - distant but comprising many Curlew, Redshank, Oystercatcher etc. 30+ Shelduck.

Within Malpas itself, noted several hundred Black-headed Gull flying south + 1 Common Gull. Interesting was a flock of 22+ Blue Tit and 1 Great Tit nervously making a dozen or more exploratory flights part way out over the water before eventually (in groups of 10+ and 12) flying across to the opposite shore 200m away.