Paul F's Cornwall Trip Pics

Paul's cornwall trip pics below.

Bar-tailed Godwit-Hayle

Buzzard on telegraph ploe

Chough

Chough

Chough

Chough

Chough

Chough



Cirl Bunting

 

Cot Valley

Cot Valley

Chough Hunters L to R sh4rpy, Brendan G and Tony S.

Cot Valley

Cot Valley

Daurian Shrike-Pendeen



Caterpillar of the Broom Moth-thanks Ian B for the id

Kestrel

Lesser Yellowlegs-Hayle

Lesser Yellowlegs-Hayle

Osprey-Hayle

Peregrine

Pied Flycatcher-Pendeen Costcutter

View from our campsite-How romantic, just the four of us!

Fungus the Bogeyman

I found this interesting fungus in my garden on my return from Cornwall. But what is it? It was growing on or near an old Willow stump.
Update! I received the following from Paul Lewis. Thanks Paul!"Hi Sharpy I think the top 2 photos are of Sulphur Tuft although I'm no expert on fungi!!! The bottom picture might be of Honey Fungus but I'm less sure of this!"

Wot no Coot

Our Cornwall week list below.

Sat 05/10/2013   
1 : Arctic Skua    Pendeen
2 : Bar-tailed Godwit    Hayle Estuary
3 : Blackbird    Kenidjack Valley
4 : Blackcap    Kenidjack Valley
5 : Black-headed Gull    Hayle Estuary
6 : Black-winged Stilt    Hayle Estuary
7 : Blue Tit    Kenidjack Valley
8 : Brent Goose    Hayle Estuary
9 : Buzzard    St Just
10 : Carrion Crow    St Just
11 : Chaffinch    Kenidjack Valley
12 : Chiffchaff    Kenidjack Valley
13 : Collared Dove    Hayle Estuary
14 : Common Gull    Hayle Estuary
15 : Common Scoter    Pendeen
16 : Cormorant    Hayle Estuary
17 : Curlew    Hayle Estuary
18 : Dunnock    Pendeen
19 : Gannet    Pendeen
20 : Goldcrest    Pendeen
21 : Goldfinch    Kenidjack Valley
22 : Great Black-backed Gull    Hayle Estuary
23 : Great Tit    Kenidjack Valley
24 : Grey Heron    Hayle Estuary
25 : Grey Wagtail    Kenidjack Valley
26 : Greylag Goose    Hayle Estuary
27 : Guillemot    Pendeen
28 : Herring Gull    Hayle Estuary
29 : House Sparrow    Kenidjack Valley
30 : Daurian Shrike    Pendeen
31 : Jackdaw    St Just
32 : Jay    St Just
33 : Kestrel    Pendeen
34 : Lesser black-backed Gull    Kenidjack Valley
35 : Linnet    Pendeen
36 : Little Egret    Hayle Estuary
37 : Magpie    St Just
38 : Manx Shearwater    Pendeen
39 : Meadow Pipit    Pendeen
40 : Mute Swan    Hayle Estuary
41 : Oystercatcher    Hayle Estuary
42 : Pheasant    St Just
43 : Pied Flycatcher    Pendeen
44 : Pied Wagtail    Pendeen
45 : Raven    Pendeen
46 : Redshank    Hayle Estuary
47 : Robin    Pendeen
48 : Rock Pipit    Kenidjack Valley
49 : Rook    St Just
50 : Shag    Pendeen
51 : Sparrowhawk    Pendeen
52 : Spotted Flycatcher    Pendeen
53 : Starling    Pendeen
54 : Stonechat    Pendeen
55 : Swallow    Pendeen
56 : Teal    Hayle Estuary
57 : Wheatear    Pendeen
58 : Whinchat    Pendeen
59 : Whitethroat    St Just
60 : Wigeon    Hayle Estuary
61 : Wood Pigeon    St Just
62 : Wren    St Just
63 : Wryneck  
Sun 06/10/2013   
64 : Canada Goose  Hayle Estuary
65 : Cirl Bunting  Roselands
66 : Coal Tit  Roselands
67 : Dunlin  Hayle Estuary
68 : Greenshank  Hayle Estuary
69 : Lapwing  Hayle Estuary
70 : Lesser Yellowlegs  Hayle Estuary
71 : Little Grebe  Roselands
72 : Little Stint  Hayle Estuary
73 : Mallard  Marazion
74 : Moorhen  Marazion
75 : Peregrine  Hayle Estuary
76 : Osprey  Hayle Estuary
77 : Reed Bunting  Roselands
78 : Ruff  Hayle Estuary
79 : Skylark  Roselands
80 : Snipe  Marazion
81 : Stock Dove  Hayle Estuary
82 : Tawny Owl (calling)  St Just
83 : Turnstone  Marazion
Mon 07/10/2013   
84 : Chough  Cot Valley
85 : Great Skua  Porthgwarra
86 : Kittiwake  Porthgwarra
87 : Merlin  Cot Valley
88 : Sandwich Tern  Pendeen
89 : Snow Bunting  Pendeen
90 : Water Rail (squealing)  St Levan
91 : Yellow-browed Warbler  St Levan
Tues 08/10/2013   
92 : Black-necked Grebe  Drift Reservoir
93 : Common Sandpiper  Drift Reservoir
94 : Great Crested Gebe  Drift Reservoir
95 : Greenfinch  Drift Reservoir
96 : Kingfisher  Drift Reservoir
97 : Long-tailed Tit  Drift Reservoir
98 : Reed Warbler  Nanquidno
99 : Sedge Warbler  St Levan
100 : Tufted Duck  Drift Reservoir
Weds 09/10/2013   
101 : Balearic Shearwater  Pendeen
102 : Great-spotted Woodpecker  Cot Valley
103 : Razorbill  Pendeen
104 : Sabine's Gull  Pendeen
105 : Sooty Shearwater  Pendeen
106 : Turtle Dove  Zennor
Thurs 10/10/2013   
107 : Black-tailed Godwit  Hayle Estuary
108 : Knot  Hayle Estuary
Fri 11/10/2013   
109 : Green Woodpecker  Nanquidno
110 : Redwing  Cot Valley
111 : Song Trush  Kenidjack Valley
112 : White Wagtail  Nanquidno

Trip Pics

I didn't take many pics but here they are anyway. Green Bush Cricket not in the best of health. Convolvulus Hawk Moth and Deaths Head Hawk Moth at Cot Valley. Snow Bunting at Pendeen. One or two Black-winged Stilt pics at the Hayle. Daurian Shrike at Pendeen. Reed Warbler at Nanquidno Valley

Cornwall Day 7 (last day)

Cott Valley; Sparrowhawk, Chough, Rock Pipit, Wheatear, Merlin, Peregrine, Redwing, Yellow-browed Warbler (heard only).
Kenidjack; White Wagtail, Song Thrush, Grey Wagtail, Swallow, Blackcap, Spotted Flycatcher, Chough, Peregrine, Raven. Also 3 Clouded Yellow.
Nanquidno; Green Woodpecker.
Total for the week 112. A full list and an account of sorts coming soon!

Cornwall Day 6

A quiet day today but we did manage to add 2 birds to our "week list". Both birds were at Hayle and were Black-tailed Godwit and Knot. Total now at 108.
Pendeen; Balearic Shearwater, Razorbill, Kittiwake, Common Scoter.
Hayle Estuary; Osprey, Med Gull, Greenshank, Knot, Black-winged Stilt, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit.
Carnsew Basin; Rock Pipit.
North Quay; Ringed Plover.
Drift Reservoir; Greenshank, Grey Wagtail.
Kenidjack Valley; Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Raven.

Cornwall day 5

Pendeen; Balearic Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Arctic Skua, Common Scoter, Kittiwake, Bonxie, Razorbill, Sabine's Gull.
Zennor; Raven, Turtle Dove.
Cot Valley; Raven, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Rock Pipit, Chough, Wheatear. Also Convolvulus Hawk Moth and Death's Head Hawk Moth.
Pendeen (again); Arctic Skua, Bonxie, Balearic Shearwater, Common Scoter, Razorbill, Snow Bunting.
Paul's moth pics below. Convolvulus Hawk Moth then Death's Head Hawk Moth.

Cornwall Day 4

Not too many rare birds today, however, we did manage to get our trip list into three figures.
Porthgwarra; Raven, Chough, Grey Wagtail.
Drift Reservoir; Black-necked Grebe, Great-crested Grebe, Common Sandpiper, Kingfisher.
Nanquidno; Raven, Reed Warbler.
St Levan; Sedge Warbler.

Raven at Porthgwarra-Paul Frost

A few pics

A few of Paul's pics. Can you id the two mystery species.

Lesser Yellowlegs

Osprey

Mystery no1-Looking for Mr Stride

Mystery No2-This Western Bonelli's is elusive!

Chough-note colour rings

Daurian Shrike

Cornwall Day 3

Highlights from day 3.
Pendeen; Daurian Shrike, Snow Bunting, Bonxie, Sandwich Tern.
Kenidjack Valley; Yellow-browed Warbler.
Cot Valley; Chough, Merlin.
St Levan; Yellow-browed Warbler, Water Rail.
Porthgwarra; Peregrine, Sandwich Tern, Kittiwake, Bonxie, Manx Shearwater.
Pic below Snow Bunting near fisherman's cottages Pendeen.

Cornwall Day 2

Today we were joined by Samuel P who is currently at University in Falmouth.
Todays highlights. Cirl Bunting in the Roselands area. Whinchat at St Just. Yellow-browed Warbler at St Levan. Lesser Yellowlegs, Black-winged Stilt, Osprey, Little Stint, Raven, Peregrine at Hayle Estuary. Peregrine, Whinchat at Marazion.

Cornwall Birding

A weeks birding in Cornwall with Paul, Brendan and Tony S.
A brief update. At the Hayle Estuary Black-winged Stilt and then at Pendeen the Daurian Shrike. I will add a full "day list" later.

Black-winged Stilt-Hayle Estuary

VIdz

A couple of youtube vidz. Enjoy! I did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbohMUh1QnQ&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkalaEyjyEE

Moths

I saw both the moths pictured below at work recently. First is Angle Shades and the second is a Red Underwing. Kindly identified by Samuel P.

Burnham Overy Again

A days birding in Norfolk with Paul, Brendan and Dave. Our intention was to be in Norfolk because lots of good stuff was going to turn up! Of course this didn't happen and we didn't even manage a consolation Yellow-browed Warbler, although we did try twice at Wells Woods and once at Holkham Pines. "Pay and Display" don't you just luv em?!.
We did keep a Norfolk day list and you can see this below.
Our first brief stop in Norfolk was near North Creake, we had seen Grey Partridge here previously but no luck this time. We did manage Red Kite and Buzzard in the same dead tree and also Stock Dove and a large flock of Golden Plover. On to Burnham Overy the highlights of our visit here were; Brambling, Grey Partridge, Egyptian Goose and Pink-footed Goose on our walk along the track towards the sea wall. From the sea wall the more noteworthy birds; Bearded Tit, Grey Plover, Brent Goose. Nothing in the bushes near the boardwalk so we had a seawatch. The best birds seen were; Arctic Skua (close in along the beach), Guillemot, Common Scoter, Red-throated Diver, "Comic " Terns (very distant). Over to Wells Woods, very quiet here with not a lot to add to our day list. The news services were reporting a Yellow-browed Warbler at Holkham, so we made our way there. After a long walk to the west end of the pines we joined a handful of other birders hoping to connect with the Yellow-browed. No luck in the hour that we spent searching and our car park money was only for 2 hours. Now the news services we were reporting a Yellow-browed in Wells Woods. This time near the "drinking pool". None of us new where the drinking pool was but a very helpful birder gave us some good directions and we also bumped into him at Wells.  So we made our way to the drinking pool, on the way we were lucky enough to connect with a Pied Flycatcher. On reaching the drinking pool we were unable to connect with any birds except a low flyover Buzzard. A quick look for the Pied Flycatcher on our walk back produced a bit of a surprise in shape of a Redwing. So no biggies but a nice day out in glorious sunshine all the same. Our day list pretty much in the order the birds were seen. Paul's pics below and day list further down. Pink-footed Goose and Gypo, Bearded Tit, Golden Plover all at Burnham Overy.

1		Wood Pigeon
2		Lapwing
3		Lesser black-backed Gull
4		Jackdaw
5		Carrion Crow
6		Mistle Trush
7		Magpie
8		Collared Dove
9		Pheasant
10		Red-legged Partridge
11		Starling
12		Pied Wagtail
13		Rook
14		Mallard
15		Moorhen
16		Goldfinch
17		Long-tailed tit
18		Red Kite
19		Buzzard
20		Jay
21		Golden Plover
22		Stock Dove
23		Marsh Harrier
24		Skylark
25		Greylag Goose
26		Dunnock
27		Robin
28		Linnet
29		Egyptian Goose
30		Pink-footed Goose
31		Blue Tit
32		Great Tit
33		Meadow Pipit
34		Wren
35		Curlew
36		Grey Heron
37		Cormorant
38		Brambling
39		Grey Partridge
40		Chaffinch
41		Black-tailed Godwit
42		Brent Goose
43		Dunlin
44		Grey Plover
45		Redshank
46		Great black-backed Gull
47		Wigeon
48		Teal
49		Ringed Plover
50		Turnstone
51		Shelduck
52		Kestrel
53		Reed Bunting
54		Oystercatcher
55		Bearded Tit
56		Sanderling
57		Guillemot
58		Red-throated Diver
59		Gannet
60		Arctic Skua
61		Common Gull
62		Common Scoter
63		"Comic" Tern
64		Black-headed Gull
65		Herring Gull
66		Little Egret
67		Little Grebe
68		Goldcrest
69		Treecreeper
70		Chiffchaff
71		Pied Flycatcher
72		Coal Tit
73		House Sparrow
74		Blackbird

Spotted Crake in Beds

Paul connected with the Spotted Crake at Longholme Lake in Beds this morning. His pic below. Looks like it showed well!

Lynford n Leiston

Saturday 21st September 2013.
A trip to Suffolk with Brendan and Paul. Our target birds were Two-barred Crossbill at Lynford Arboretum and Lesser-grey Shrike at Leiston near Sizewell.
We arrived at Lynford Arboretum about 07:45 and joined about 15 other birders close to the information centre. Quite soon a single Common Crossbill flew in and a perched on the top a Larch. It called for a while then flew off. A few minutes later about 20 Common Crossbills flew in and fortunately after some close scrutiny this flock contained at least 2 Two-barred Crossbills. Brendan immediately put this news out via RBA. The flock flew off but soon returned and we again managed to connect with Two-barred Crossbills. This happened several times over the next 45 minutes or so and we were able to enjoy good views of 1 adult female and 2 juvenile Two-barred Crossbill. A good result considering last time we called in at Lynford the Common Crossbill flock was approaching 70 birds with no Two-barred's amongst them (not that we could see anyway!). This time the flock was roughly half that number. Also here; Nuthatch, Goldcrest, Coal Tit.
From Lynford we headed east towards Sizewell where in the village of Leiston we were hoping to connect with the reported Lesser-grey Shrike. About an hour and fiteen minutes later we arrived in  Leiston. We parked sensibly near the Half Way Cottages and made our way along the bridle way to the paddocks. As at Lynford we didn't have to wait too long before we connected with our target bird the Lesser-grey Shrike. Although the shrike was very mobile we did enjoying some really nice views.
A few good birds had been reported at nearby Sizewell, mostly strange looking mutants due to the nuclear power station! So we thought it worth a visit. Sizewell proved quite productive with most noteworthy birds seen here; Peregrine on the rusty exhaust pipes that run up the side of Sizewell (sorry not sure if A or B ), Black Redstart (2) mostly along the perimeter fence, Arctic Skua a very confiding or maybe unwell bird on the beach [update; on closer inspection possibly an "oiled" bird], Little Gull (c10) on the outfall, Common and Sandwich Tern again at the outfall, Common Scoter (c12) on/over the sea.
Next up was Ness Point at Lowestoft. Not much doing here but we did see; Red-throated Diver, Wigeon, Gannet on another brief seawatch. Nothing doing at the Links Road area of  Lowestoft or Corton Sewage works either so we made Breydon Water, Great Yarmouth for our final stop of the day.
As usual a good number of waders were to be found here, including; Avocet, Golden Plover, Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Redshank, Spotted Redshank, Dunlin, Knot, Black-tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher, Curlew. Also here; Kingfisher, Marsh Harrier, Mediterranean Gull, Common Gull, Teal, Wigeon.
On our return journey 2 Hobby's were seen near Thetford.
Pics below; Two-barred Crossbil at Lynford Arboretum, Lesser-grey Shrike at Leiston, Peregrine at Sizewell, Arctic Skua at Sizewell. All pics below are mine except the first Two-barred Crossbill which is Paul's

Walk Up Black Tern

A spur of the moment decision to visit Little Marlow Gravels Pits paid off mid afternoon today. Black Terns had proved elusive this week at Keyhaven and Pennington. The opposite was the case at Little Marlow. As I approached the spit I could see a Black Tern with my naked eye. I watched it fishing and then resting on the spit. It continued the pattern of fishing for a few minutes and then resting for a few minutes. Also here; Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Sand Martin, Ring-necked Parakeet.