Dan(theman)'s 2010 Self Found Yearlist (1 Viewer)

[dantheman]

It seems that the 2 Red-throated Divers on the 28th had already been reported 3 days earlier. Since they are the rarest of the 3 species in Cornwall, and it is more than likely they were they same 2 birds, can't really count them as self-found. I was 'pleasantly surprised' to find them, but they were reported on one of the main county websites, so not as if they had been supressed or anything. Oh well ...

03/02/10

The Lizard

102. Peregrine Falcon
(102a Scandinavian Rock Pipit Littoralis )

A mini tour of some of the sites on the Lizard with a fellow birder from Penryn. First stop was a promising stubble field which held a surprising number and variety of birds; highlights being c.50 each of Snipe and Skylark, hundreds of Redwing, Fieldfare, Linnets etc. Put up by, in turn, a female Sparrowhawk, Helicopter, male Sparrowhawk and a Peregrine.

The coves were fairly quiet although there were 4-5 BT Divers around Poltesco/Kennack, with several flocks of up to 20 Gannet flying west. The valleys seemed fairly quiet, although we picked up 1 Firecrest behind Kennack Sands. (I didn't find it, so can't go on the list!) no Water Pipit at Coverack, although there was a possible contender in the shape of a probable littoralis Rock Pipit. On the Helford near Gweek at low tide 170+ Curlew hauled up with 2 sleeping godwits which unfortunately left us confused in the gathering gloom ... 2 Greenshank and a Little Egret feeding were nice too.

 

[dantheman]

04/02/10

Devoran Creek

103. Black-tailed Godwit
104. Dunlin

Carnon Downs Sewage Farm

105. Firecrest
105a Chiffchaff, Siberian (tristis), showing characteristics of.

Argal Reservoir

106. Treecreeper

Reached Devoran Creek just as high tide turned - a relative wealth of waders with 68 Curlew (more flew in which I didn't count), 50 Dunlin (almost forgotten what they looked like ), 100+ Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 13+ Blackwit and various other bits including 30+ Shelduck and a female Red-breasted Merganser.

The sewage farm held well over 100 Pied Wagtail feeding under the rotating arms, with a couple of Chiffchaff, at least 15 around the area, possibly many more. Viewing a scrubby area in the compound from the road I was pleased to pick up a female Firecrest doing its thing, a larger brown and white bird flitted before perching up like a sandier RB Fly - possible/probable Siberian Chiffchaff ... (it didn't call).

Back to the ducks but a major stopover on the way to check out College and Argal Reservoirs - relatively quiet, still 4 Goldeneye but seems the Goosander no longer present ... near the western end of Argal a silent flock of c.12 Blue Tit and a few Great Tit and Chaffinch kept me awhile. Moving on around, and 50 yards away and a movement on a bole caught my attention - a Treecreeper. Nice. Apparently they are either very rare or seriously under recorded in this part of the world. One had been reported a week previously at College, but since it was over a mile away, non-continuous habitat and I was genuinely surprised to see it ... I'm having it ...

 

[dantheman]

09/02/10

West Cornwall -

Marazion

107. Grey Plover 1
108. Bar-tailed Godwit 6
109. Purple Sandpiper 4
110. Knot 1

Mousehole

111. Fulmar 5+

A good day's birding a little further afield (77 or so species total). After a fairly late start and a brief stop at Helston boating pool, we carried on to Marazion where I managed to pick up the residing Water Pipit fairly quickly (can't count it of course). A Bittern flew over the reedbed briefly, and the Snipe, Oystercatchers and Bunnies were showing really well as per usual in the chill wind. A walk around to the beginning of Little London bay resulted in the new self-found year ticks, along with 30 or 40 Dunlin and Turnstone, half a dozen Redshank, a Curlew and 3+ Ringed Plover. A cracking male Black Redstart with stonking white wing patches was very nice. And on to the bay ... a single GN and 3 Black-throated Divers close in were very nice, but there were more further out... at least a dozen BT and the same number of Red-throated Divers ... the latter quite surprising really. It seems they had been seen and reported the previous day ... (or had they? Seen, at any rate, but I have a feeling they were reported late ... but since I've scrubbed them off my list once already I guess I can't quite count them this time either ...)

Anyway ... A bit of a check around the Newlyn/ Mousehole area resulted in more GN Divers, a group of Common Scoter (already reported), more Razorbill, the Fulmars flying around the cliffs and gulls. Moving on to Drift Reservoir via a bit of random countryside, and we were able to scope our target species from the car park; Whooper Swan, 3 Barnacle Goose and the 2nd winter Iceland Gull (not reported for a week from this locality, but seen at St. Just (less than 5 miles away) the previous day, so not countable?) The last couple of hours of the day were spent in driving, and searching for, and then waiting at, a presumed raptor roost viewpoint on the Lizard. It had almost gotten dark when a ghostly pale shape hove into view ... a male Hen Harrier. Excellent. (It was 'self-found', a bit like the RT Divers and Iceland Gull ... but not if you take into account that one had been seen earlier the previous day in roughly the same area ... bah!)

The list progresses, sort of ...

 

[dantheman]

19/03/10

College Reservoir

112. Sand Martin

Finally!!!!

It's been well over a month, but a new self-found addition today in the shape of 8 Sand Martin hawking above the reservoir in the drizzly rain. Have had a few trips out, added a few things like Chough to the year list, but the regular haunts hadn't turned up anything new, until today.

 

[dantheman]

21/03/10

College Reservoir

113. Swallow

A quick look at Argal and College reservoirs between checking the moth trap and feeding the ducks this morning resulted in the above self-found year tick - 3 of them moving through high up above the Asda end of the reservoir. Sand Martins appearing to move through too, some staying around longer and coming closer - at least 24 in total. Two immature Herring Gulls took a particular interest in the martins and tried to pursue and catch them for several minutes- obviously in vain!

 

[dantheman]

29/03/10

The field, near Treverva

114. Willow Warbler

College Reservoir

115. Garganey mf

A week passes, been out regularly but no new additions until the last few hours of the day, a chance encounter, and a quick scan of the local reservoir. The Willow Warbler was having a puddle bath in the trackway up at my field - a nice surprise as I have yet to see Chiffchaff up there this spring (year even, I think). College resevoir still held a large flock of Sand Martin at 7.30pm (c.110), with maybe 10 or so Swallow. Highlight however, was the fine pair of Garganey, feeding unobtrusively in the floating vegetation at the back of the island. A very nice addition, and one that I was certainly hoping for, but not a dead cert by any means.