Falmouth Birding (6 Viewers)

[Trotsky1977]

Cardrew Industrial Estate 1225hrs
Black Stork drifting over quite low westwards towards the north coast - Godrevy/St Ives direction
Reported on Birdtrack and to Sam Perfect who kindly passed it on

Rosemullion Head 1900hrs
Kestrel
Buzzard
Linnet
5 Swallows
Song Thrush

 

[dantheman]

Cardrew Industrial Estate 1225hrs
Black Stork drifting over quite low westwards towards the north coast - Godrevy/St Ives direction
Reported on Birdtrack and to Sam Perfect who kindly passed it on

Rosemullion Head 1900hrs
Kestrel
Buzzard
Linnet
5 Swallows
Song Thrush

Awesome! B


(The Black Stork that is, not necessarily the Song Thrush). Just looked up the location and realise I was about 1 mile further east of you and on my lunch break at the time (but indoors!)

 

[dantheman]

Out first thing -

Swanpool -

40 Coot
2 Little Grebe
Mallard broods of 1 and 3
2 Singing Reed Warbler

6 Fulmar on the cliffs

Just looked up the location and realise I was about 1 mile further east of you and on my lunch break at the time (but indoors!)

What else is out there?!

On my lunch break today ...

1 Golden Oriole in flight briefly behind Rodda's Creamery, Scorrier (nr Redruth) approx SW722444.

Was sat at a bench opposite enjoying the sunshine and idly scanning some distant Buzzards in case they were Red Kites when noticed a pale thrush-sized bird in bounding fight ... then noticed the strikingly pale rump as it flew behind a building and out of my view. Classic views I'd expect normally back in France unfortunately!

(Stopped off at Stithians on way home, only the usual suspects unfortunately.

This did include Reed Bunting and Jay at the feeders, with c40 distant Canada Geese and 2 Greylags)

 

[Trotsky1977]

What else is out there?!

On my lunch break today ...

1 Golden Oriole in flight briefly behind Rodda's Creamery, Scorrier (nr Redruth) approx SW722444.

Was sat at a bench opposite enjoying the sunshine and idly scanning some distant Buzzards in case they were Red Kites when noticed a pale thrush-sized bird in bounding fight ... then noticed the strikingly pale rump as it flew behind a building and out of my view. Classic views I'd expect normally back in France unfortunately!

(Stopped off at Stithians on way home, only the usual suspects unfortunately.

This did include Reed Bunting and Jay at the feeders, with c40 distant Canada Geese and 2 Greylags)[/QUOTE]


Crumbs, a Golden Oriole!! Are you working at Prima bakeries or summin??
Not far from me as you say. I'll have to take a sniff around there on my lunch break.

But my lunch break today at the Redruth end of Cardrew Ind Est revealed:
Whitethroat
Garden Warbler
Swallows
2 Raven over my factory

I took my bins into the office to scan for Kites (and Storks) but to no avail.

Tonight at Stithians 1900hrs
4 Whitethroat
Willow warbs
1 Sedge warb
5 Reed Buntings
60 Canadas
5 Greylags
GC Grebe
Bullfinch pair at dam
Grey wagtail at dam with fledging

Also...doe Roe deer on it's own uphill beyond the long fence on way back from the dam (near the lifebelts).

Thought I may have heard a Grasshopper warb but not so sure...

 

[dantheman]

Crumbs, a Golden Oriole!! Are you working at Prima bakeries or summin??
Not far from me as you say. I'll have to take a sniff around there on my lunch break.

But my lunch break today....


Thought I may have heard a Grasshopper warb but not so sure...

Looks like the area (except for Falmouth itself of course) and ourselves are having a good week ... what with Samuel's Bee-eaters and all ... (which he will be posting up almost as we speak of course ( )

I was actually working at Rodda's, I left out a few words ie I was sitting opposite some people :-O

If I had been on my own I might have jumped up (and probably tripped over the bench legs) to try and relocate/see it flying the other side.

Posted the grid ref up as according to the OS map a little network of public footpaths in the area ...

Stopped briefly at Stiths around 6 and checked the hides for ten mins or so ... looks like a wider look would have paid dividends!

 

[dantheman]

Hummingbird Hawkmoth in the garden (Falmouth) briefly this evening.

 

[Trotsky1977]

AK Wildlife Cruise Falmouth Bay 1100-1500hrs

50 Manx Shears
100 Gannet
2 Fulmar (immature)
Puffin
150 Guillemot (2 Bridled on Gull Rock to the east of Gerrans Bay)
50 Razorbill
Common Tern
Great Skua seen (but not by me...darn)
3 Kestrel
Peregrine male
3 Grey Heron
Little Egret
100 Shag
40 Cormorant
GBB + LBB gull
5 Grey Seal
50 Barrel jellys
5 Compass jellys

 

[Samuel Perfect]

Apologies for my lack of updates recently been a bit lazy. However, I have managed to vaguely record some of them in a condensed form on my blog including my Bee-eater encounter! :-O If you feel like it please have a read. http://samuelbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/bee-eaters-5th-june.html

If you click on the blog title it should update with some more recent reports leading up to the 15th June.

 

[Trotsky1977]

Rosemullion Head 1930-2130hrs seawatch plus with Sam Perfect

150+ Manxies flying west
15 Gannet
3 GBB Gull
BH Gull
5 Auk sp
10 Shag
Cormorant

Whitethroat
Chiffchaff
2 Linnet
Swallow
Pheasant
Kestrel
2 Shelduck washing in stream on Prisk beach towards Helford

 

[Trotsky1977]

St Anthony-in-Meneage/Gillan Creek

7 Little Egret - one fighting another, pinning it down and pecking it for about 10 mins, whilst 2 or 3 looked on! Never seen Little Egrets have any kind of intra-species interaction before. Mind you, never seen 7 in one place before.
Grey Heron
3 Mallard
2 Whitethroat
2 Chiffs
Pheasant
Buzzard
Fulmar
Swallows
Swan

Common Blue, Red Admiral, Meadow Browns....and a dead Shrew!

 

[Trotsky1977]

St Anthony-in-Meneage/Gillan Creek

7 Little Egret - one fighting another, pinning it down and pecking it for about 10 mins, whilst 2 or 3 looked on! Never seen Little Egrets have any kind of intra-species interaction before. Mind you, never seen 7 in one place before.

http://www.images-naturally.co.uk/2014/05/little-egret-aggression.html

This is pretty much identical to what happened....

 

[Samuel Perfect]

Hope all is well back in Falmouth and looking forward to seeing all you Falmouth birders before the year is up. Might have posted this before but if you could submit your Painted Lady and Hummingbird Hawkmoth sightings that'd be great. I must admit I regret not taking note of the dozens I saw in the last month but I'm sure any number of records would be greatly appreciated. :t:

http://butterfly-conservation.org/612/migrant-watch.html

 

[dantheman]

Lack of updates from myself down to lack of birding unfortunately.

Only interesting birds have been a couple of Siskins - 2 near Treverva a few weeks back and 1 (flight heard only) near Scorrier last week...

Stithians (southern end) today -

26 Mallard on main res
(1 Mallard + 2 ducklings s cutoff)
1 Tufted Duck
1 Teal
6 Coot
1 Moorhen
11 Little Grebe
3 Great Crested Grebe 2 ad 1 young
1 Little Egret
3 Grey Heron
9 Cormorant
110 Herring Gull
10 LBBGull
1 GBBGull
2 BHGull

2 Meadow Pipit
3 Bullfinch
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
+ a few other common passerines

 

[dantheman]

Forgot the 5 House Martins ...

Today up near Treverva was surprised by the Swallows to see 2 Sparrowhawks chasing and locking talons only 40 feet away or so from me before they went their separate ways - all over in a flash...

Peacock, Painted Lady, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Small Copper, Gatekeeper, Small Tortoiseshell, Small Skipper and Speckled Wood, Silver Y moth all on the wing.

Back near Falmouth 2 Peregrines flew over the road together.

 

[dantheman]

Stithians Nature Day today ... I wasn't in attendance this morning, but early morning whilst checking the mist nets Wood, Green and Common Sandpiper, Greenshank and Ringed Plover encountered/heard/seen in flight, along with a Peregrine on a kill later in the day.

Myself, this afternoon -

Northern cutoff/embankment -

1 Common Sandpiper
4 Coot
2 Moorhen
5 Little Grebe

Stuart Hutchings Hide/southern end -

1 Wood Sandpiper
2 Little Egret
10 Grey Heron
19 Cormorant
66 Herring Gull
2 GBBGull
7 LBBGull
1 BHGull
10 Coot
30 Mallard
8+ Little Grebe
2 GCGrebe
3+House Martin etc

Southern Hide -

Jay, GSWoodpecker and Bullfinch on the feeders, in addition to the other regulars. Buzzard over etc.


Running the moth trap this evening hopefully, and there is a bat walk too at 8:30pm; more to come perhaps.

 

[dantheman]

2 Common Sandpipers from the Stuart Hutchings hide and another on the west side.

Noctule and regular Pipistrelle,

Moths - not so many, but -
Oak Eggar
Rivulet
Smoky Wainscot
Flame Shoulder
Common Rustic agg
Straw Dot

 

[dantheman]

Passed by Stithians this evening after work - a fair bit of wader action which was good.

Highlights -

Dam -

2 Common Sandpiper

West side (peninsula just south of Watersports Centre) -

9 Black-tailed Godwit
3 Dunlin
1 Curlew Sandpiper
1 Ruff (flight only)

Stuart Hutchings Hide -

5+ Common Sandpiper
2 Whimbrel
30 Curlew
2 Snipe
5 Dunlin
1 Curlew Sandpiper
1 Ruff
(the above 3 species presumably same individuals as from N end as flew in)
2 Little Egret
8 Teal
62+ Mallard
10 Swallow etc


2 other birders in the SH hide (already names forgotten, doh)



Looks like a fair few others have been passing through in the last few days going by the logbook - multiple Greenshank, Redshank another Wood Sand etc

 

[Trotsky1977]

Stithians post work for me as well...

Main Hide

2 Ruff
8 Dunlin
1 Black Tailed Godwit
2 Curlew
Little Egret
Grey Heron
10 LBB Gull
5 Teal
30 Mallard
3 Swallow
2 GC Grebe : 1 adult and 1 juv
5 Lil Grebe
Wigeon
10 Cormorant

 

[dantheman]

Stithians post work for me as well...

Main Hide

2 Ruff

Had yet to catch up with Ruff, but that's changed now ...

 

[dantheman]

Managed to get a little more birding in this week - managed a couple of Whimbrel at Castle Beach and Med Gulls on Gyllyngvase, but nothing else much. Spent a bit more time at Stithians today -

Stithians 3rd Sept

Dam and N end relatively quiet, 30 Curlew in the field on west side.

Stuart Hutchings Hide -

1 Curlew
1 Whimbrel (still being harassed by the above Curlew as it was last Saturday)
1 Black-tailed Godwit
5 Ruff (pleasant surprise when they just kept coming ... !)
3 Common Sandpiper

88 Mallard
3 Teal
3 Tufted Duck
7 Coot
10 Little Grebe
1 GCGrebe
1 Grey Heron
1 Little Egret
1 Kingfisher
10 Cormorant
140 Herring Gull
9 LBBGull
1 BH Gull

1 Sand Martin
15 House Martin
3 Swallow
2 Chiffchaff etc

Feeders - 2 Jay, 5 Great Tit etc, with 8 Linnet feeding in the cutoff (also seen from SH Hide)
10 fresh Speckled Wood butterflies along the short path to the Southern hide, 1 worn Meadow Brown on the cutoff.

Also reported from earlier in the day (per hide notebook) -

1 Green Sandpiper
1 Snipe
10 Dunlin
2 Wigeon

Argal Reservoir c5pm -

c400 Swallow
3 House Martin
2 Kingfisher (near dam)
4 Great Crested Grebe

Unfortunately the water levels at both Argal and College are pretty much quite high.


Had 30 House Martin circling around over the house late on tuesday evening - nice.