Camel Estuary, Cornwall (2 Viewers)

[Qingcol]

Dinham Flats this morning; birds included 600+ Golden Plover, 5 Ringed Plover, 4 Grey Plover, 80+ Black-Tailed Godwit, 350+ Dunlin, 100+ Teal, 3 Gadwall, 1 Pintail, 90+ Wigeon, 1 Brent Goose, 2 Black Swan, 1 adult Whooper Swan, 4 Goosander, 2 Red-Breasted Merganser, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Firecrest and 2 Rock Pipit.
(Photo of Red-Breasted Merganser with imm Goosander)

 

[camelbirder]

A poor video of the Lesser Golden Plover taken yesterday can be found here. An equally poor photograph is below.

From the poor views I had yesterday, the size and structure of this bird has me leaning towards American.

 

[Qingcol]

A female Roe Deer this morning in Coronation Park Wadebridge, plus 2 Blackcap and male Black Redstart at Glen Road.

 

[DELACOWI]

Guineaport this morning - 2 common sandpiper, lapwing, redshank, canada geese, mallard, snipe, little egret, mute swan.
Dinham flats - 2 black swans, mute swan, 1 whooper swan, large numbers of lapwing, oystercatcher, bar tailed godwit, curlew,dunlin, ringed plover, 2 grey plover, 2 knot, peregrine, wigeon, 10+ little grebe, 1 male goldeneye, 1 goosander, 12+ red legged partridge, reshank, greenshank, 12 turnstones, 1 sanderling, raven, little egret, grey heron, 1 spoonbill,cormorant, shag, shelduck, teal, 7 shoveler, redwing, fieldfare, good numbers of song thrushes, blackbirds, chaffinch, bullfinch.
Guineaport this evening - 1 moorhen - this is a first for me here!!. Will

 

[Qingcol]

Guineaport this morning - 2 common sandpiper, lapwing, redshank, canada geese, mallard, snipe, little egret, mute swan.
Dinham flats - 2 black swans, mute swan, 1 whooper swan, large numbers of lapwing, oystercatcher, bar tailed godwit, curlew,dunlin, ringed plover, 2 grey plover, 2 knot, peregrine, wigeon, 10+ little grebe, 1 male goldeneye, 1 goosander, 12+ red legged partridge, reshank, greenshank, 12 turnstones, 1 sanderling, raven, little egret, grey heron, 1 spoonbill,cormorant, shag, shelduck, teal, 7 shoveler, redwing, fieldfare, good numbers of song thrushes, blackbirds, chaffinch, bullfinch.
Guineaport this evening - 1 moorhen - this is a first for me here!!. Will

Only birds to add Will, 1st winter DB Brent Goose (photo) Goosander (photo) 10 Gadwall, 8 Grey Plover (photo) 13 Knot, 1 Spotted Redshank and 2 Rock Pipit.

 

[Qingcol]

A poor video of the Lesser Golden Plover taken yesterday can be found here. An equally poor photograph is below.

From the poor views I had yesterday, the size and structure of this bird has me leaning towards American.[/QUOTE

As we both watched this bird yesterday at the same time (a couple of minutes) I thought the light was extremely good. It’s true that with the bird bunched into a tight flock and looking decidedly dumpy, it was almost impossible to gauge the structure of the bird accurately and I have to admit it was much easier the day before with the bird seemingly in a different mode/attitude. But I would be interested to know if you disagree with any of these plumage details noted below?

A strong yellow wash to the face.
A good prominent Ear-Spot.
A distinctly spotted nape, almost as dark as the cap.
A moderate primary projection, with very long coarsely notched (with gold) tertials.
Colin.

 

[Qingcol]

Amble Marshes this morning; one 100% ice cover! birds included 4 Woodcock unintentionally flushed from around the small hide, 200+ Eurasian Teal, 6 Mallard, 50+ Common Snipe, 1 Water Rail, 5 Black-Tailed Godwit, 22 Lapwing and 60+ Fieldfare.
DB Brent and Whooper still at Dinham Flats this afternoon plus 18+ Rock Pipit! 11 Knot, 8 Grey Plover, Pintail, male Common Pochard and 200+ Teal, all Golden Plover appear to have left the area? Common Goldeneye female at Town Bridge Wadebridge.

 

[camelbirder]

l, all Golden Plover appear to have left the area?

There are also none on in the Davidstow/Roughtor area, but who could blame them.

 

[skippo]

Yesterday at Daymer saw what I took to be a pair of meadow pipits feeding on the short grassy cliff. But they were both a very yellowy brown in their back plumage, with strong dark patches on either side of the neck. Is this a common variation on the olive brown? Or was i mistaken? Also the little egret on the beach and several oyster catchers as usual.

 

[camelbirder]

This morning on the estuary between Wadebridge and Tregunna the following were noted; 3 Spoonbill, 3 Goosander, 1 adult Whooper Swan, 620 Teal, 429 Wigeon, 37 Shoveler, 4 Gadwall, 1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 3 Coot, 17 Little Grebe, 2 Peregrine, 314 Canada Goose, 1 Shag, 2 Ringed Plover, 54 Bar-tailed Godwit, 360 Dunlin and the 2 Black Swans.

 

[Qingcol]

This morning on the estuary between Wadebridge and Tregunna the following were noted; 3 Spoonbill, 3 Goosander, 1 adult Whooper Swan, 620 Teal, 429 Wigeon, 37 Shoveler, 4 Gadwall, 1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 3 Coot, 17 Little Grebe, 2 Peregrine, 314 Canada Goose, 1 Shag, 2 Ringed Plover, 54 Bar-tailed Godwit, 360 Dunlin and the 2 Black Swans.

All I can add to this exceptionaly high total is, 2 Northern Pintail including 1 drake, 8 Gadwall, 38 Black-Tailed Godwit, 11 Knot, 7 Ringed Plover, 6 Grey Plover, 4 Goosander, 1 Goldeneye. I could only find 2 1st winter Spoonbill, but they came in high from the direction of Padstow (photo) 1 Water Pipit near new road bridge.

 

[Qingcol]

Yesterday at Daymer saw what I took to be a pair of meadow pipits feeding on the short grassy cliff. But they were both a very yellowy brown in their back plumage, with strong dark patches on either side of the neck. Is this a common variation on the olive brown? Or was i mistaken? Also the little egret on the beach and several oyster catchers as usual.

Hi Skippo, The type of light really can affect the appearance of plumage colours, especially Pipit upperparts, bright sunshine at midday and reflections can increase the true colour shades dramatically. Shadow and poor light can also distort colours and even patterns.

 

[camelbirder]

The Wednesday Bird Walk Group noted a total of 63 species today, this included; 22 Bar-tailed Godwit, 40 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Black Swan, 8 Buzzard, 250 Canada Goose, 1 Coot, 4 Common Sandpiper, 175 Cormorant, 1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 200 Dunlin, 1 male Gadwall, 1 female Goldeneye, 4 Goosander, 45 Great Black-backed gull, 1 juvenile Great Crested Grebe, 13 Grey Plover, 300 Herring Gull, 350 Lapwing, 6 Little Grebe, 52 Mallard, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 45 Mute Swan, 5 Shoveler, 100 Oystercatcher, 1 Peregrine Falcon, 20 Red-legged Partridge, 250 Redshank, 6 Ringed Plover, 25 Shelduck, 4 Snipe, 75 Teal, 1 Whooper Swan and 150 Wigeon.

 

[Qingcol]

The Wednesday Bird Walk Group noted a total of 63 species today, this included; 22 Bar-tailed Godwit, 40 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Black Swan, 8 Buzzard, 250 Canada Goose, 1 Coot, 4 Common Sandpiper, 175 Cormorant, 1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 200 Dunlin, 1 male Gadwall, 1 female Goldeneye, 4 Goosander, 45 Great Black-backed gull, 1 juvenile Great Crested Grebe, 13 Grey Plover, 300 Herring Gull, 350 Lapwing, 6 Little Grebe, 52 Mallard, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 45 Mute Swan, 5 Shoveler, 100 Oystercatcher, 1 Peregrine Falcon, 20 Red-legged Partridge, 250 Redshank, 6 Ringed Plover, 25 Shelduck, 4 Snipe, 75 Teal, 1 Whooper Swan and 150 Wigeon.

Is that a record 175 Cormorant? A walk around Porth Res (not at all frozen) this morning produced very few duck! 1 Woodcock flushed from the path plus 2 Goosander (incuding adult male)

 

[DELACOWI]

Couple of birds to add to the `Wednesday` list, further down on the estuary - 3 spoonbill, red throated diver.
Guineaport to Grogley this morning - 8 goosander (short video clip here), 2 gadwall, 1 green sandpiper, 4 mute swan, 5 oystercatcher, 40 B.H gulls, 2+ little grebe (dotted along the lenght of river it seems), pied and grey wagtail, redshank, lapwing, jay, pair of tawny owls calling, 2 little egrets, raven. Blue, great, long tailed, coal and marsh tits, bullfinch, siskin, redwing, song thrushes. Will.

 

[Peter F-S]

Red Kite seen again in the lower Allen valley over the last 2 days. Also a single Woodcock flushed out of Gaff woods yesterday am.

 

[Qingcol]

Treraven Meadows this morning, 1 Goosander, 70+ Wigeon, 12 Teal, 4 Snipe and a Rock Pipit on the river, with 40+ Chiffchaff, 2 Firecrest, 2 Goldcrest,1 Nuthatch and a Kestrel with small bird kill around the far Meadow.

 

[Peter F-S]

6 Goosander along the river by the rugby pitch at 15:10hrs. Probably heading downstream with the tide.

 

[camelbirder]

Made a quick visit to Treraven Meadows this morning, but can not add much to the totals above, but did note a well marked Water Pipit in the main meadow,three Gadwall and a male Tufted Duck on the river.
(Visited Crowdy Res. this afternoon to find it 90% frozen).

 

[DELACOWI]

8 Goosander again today (1 darker plumaged bird but too big for merganser), 1 green sandpiper. Further down the trail towards Padstow, fairly quiet, but good numbers of teal, wigeon, 1 coot, great crested grebe, redshank, ringed plover, greenshank, 10+ grey heron, curlew, black and bar tailed godwits. Great Northern Diver by the picknick tables - very pale billed bird. Will.