Cormorant at Carnsew Pool

I took this shot of a Cormorant at Carnsew Pool, Hayle last week.  Its the most distinctive Cormorant I've seen for a while, especially compared to the other ten birds it was fishing with.  The extensive white markings on the nape indicate breeding adult plumage.  Given that the photo was taken last week, breeding clearly starts early in Cornwall.

Grey Phalarope at Castle Beach, Falmouth

I saw this Grey Phalarope several days ago and managed to get a couple of shots but I was always fighting the light.  I decided to go again today at low tide when more exposed rocks enabled better views.  My idea was to try and get round the side of the bird with the sun at best over my shoulder.  I eventually found a rock which enabled me to get the desired shot (and a good soaking in the process). I've got several other reasonable shots but this one was one of my faves. 

 

Black-throated Diver at Carnsew Pool, Hayle

Black-throated Diver is a regular winter visitor to Cornwall, mainly frequenting the sheltered bays between St Austell and Falmouth.  A maximum count so far this winter is 47 in Gerrans Bay in December.  When news of a single bird was present at Carnsew Pool this week, my interest was heightened as the species is decidedly uncommon on the north coast. Indeed, according to local supremo Laurie Williams, Carnsew has hosted Black-throated Diver just three times.  This is also the first time I have photographed the species at relatively close quarters.

Below is a shot I took this afternoon.

Season Greetings

Brunnich's Guillemot at Portland

Its unusual for me to twitch outside Cornwall, but news of a Brunnich's Guillemot was just too tempting.  I travelled to Portland, Dorset on Sunday and quickly connected with another 100 or so birders.  The bird is uber-rare in England - in fact, there is only one other record in 1977 of one in Northumberland.  All of the other previous 41 records in the UK have been found in the northern Isles.  And well over half of these were found dead. 

 

The Portland individual has been present since at least the 19th Dec and was found after the huge gales we experienced before Christmas.  Of interest, other rare arctic species including White-billed Diver, Snowy Owl and Ivory Gull also turned up in the UK.

 

This species is almost circumpolar in the Arctic and near Arctic but in Newfoundland it breeds at a latitude equivalent to that of northern France. This reflects the lower sea temperatures on that side of the Atlantic Ocean. The nearest breeding colonies to Britain are in Iceland, Greenland and northern Norway.

 

In winter it disperses out to sea in northern latitudes with it's southerly limit in the eastern Atlantic being well to the north of Scotland. The worldwide population is estimated to be in the region of 15 to 20 million individuals and as such it is one of the most abundant marine species in the northern hemisphere. There are nearly two million breeding pairs in Iceland alone which makes it's rarity in Britain very surprising indeed.

 

UK records:

2011 - Moray - Burghead - 17th November only
2007 - Aberdeenshire - Girdle Ness - 7th November only
2007 - Shetland - Scousburgh, Mainland - 25th March - dead
2006 - Shetland - West Sandwick, Yell - 4th May - dead
2005 - Shetland - Lerwick, Mainland & Bressay - 30th November to 20th December
2001 - Orkney - North Ronaldsay - first winter on 29th January - dead
2000 - Orkney - Scapa Flow - 21st December - dead
1997 - Shetland - Fetlar - 26th to 30th December
1996 - Highland - Kilchoan Bay, Ardnamurchan - 27th March only
1995 - At Sea - north of sea area Fair Isle - 23rd January only
1995 - Shetland - Gulberwick, Mainland - taken into care on 4th January (released 1st February)
1994 - Shetland - Wadbister Voe, Mainland - 12th February - dead
1994 - Lothian - Seafield - 6th February only
1993 - Lothian - Musselburgh - 27th March only
1992 - Western Isles - Hirta, St Kilda - 26th May to 8th June
1991 - Orkney - Sule Skerry - 25th January only
1989 - Shetland - Sumburgh Head, Mainland - 16th June to 12th July
1988 - Highland - Dunnet Bay - male on 9th March - dead
1987 - Shetland - Hamnavoe, West Burra - 3rd to 7th February - dead
1985 - Orkney - Scapa Bay - 9th January - dead
1984 - Orkney - Birsay, Mainland - 20th March - dead
1983 - Shetland - Banna Minn, West Burra - 30th October - dead
1982 - Highland - Golspie, Sutherland - 24th December - dead
1982 - Orkney - Stromness, Mainland - 3rd April - dead
1982 - Highland - Brora, Sutherland - 3rd February - dead
1981 - Orkney - Bay of Ireland, Stenness, Mainland - 29th December - dead
1981 - Aberdeenshire - Johnshaven Beach, Kincardine - 25th January - dead
1980 - At Sea - sea area Viking (Brent Oilfield) - 26th December only
1980 - Shetland - Fair Isle - adult from 16th to 17th October
1980 - Shetland - Burrafirth, Unst - 24th February - dead
1980 - Lothian - Kilspindie Beach - 9th February - dead
1980 - Lothian - Ferry Ness - 9th February - dead
1979 - Aberdeenshire - Rattray Head - 25th February - dead
1978 - Aberdeenshire - St Cyrus - 14th July - dead
1977 - Shetland - Sumburgh, Mainland - 18th December - dead
1977 - Northumberland - Farne Islands - 13th July only
1976 - Highland - Reay Beach, Thurso - 31st January - dead
1969 - Argyll - Loch Caolisport, Knapdale - 11th October - dead
1968 - Shetland - Norwick, Unst - 20th March - dead
1960 - Lancashire - Middleton Sands, near Morecambe - adult on 15th April - dead
1908 - Lothian - Craigielaw Point - female on 10th December - dead

Thanks to Archie for the list of records and some text. Further informative info can be found on Archie's birding blog here.

First year Glossy Ibis at Tregony and summary of recent sightings in Cornwall

This first winter Glossy Ibis has been present in the marshy fields below Tregony since at least the 10th December.  Several other recent records in the county include one at Drift Res on the 14th Dec.  Four flew over West Cornwall golf course on the 7th Dec, reducing to three at Ryan's Field, Hayle the following day.  Presumably the remaining fourth bird flew over the reed beds at Marazion on the 8th.  Single birds were also seen on the 8th at Helston Loe Pool and at St Merryn.

 

Pair of Stonechats at Pendower Beach

This pair of Stonechats were seen today at Pendower beach.  Stonechat took a bit of a hit in numbers after last years' harsh winter but seem to have made a decent recovery.  This pair were very confiding this morning in the low winter sunshine. 

 

Birds of Cape May - an illustrated talk on Friday 17th January 2014

 

Mandarin at St Clement, Truro

This handsome drake Mandarin has been present at Tresemple Pool, St Clement for the last three weeks.  It is free-flying and quite flirty with the local male Mallards!  Whether it is a genuine bird or an escape from a local collection, I guess we will never know.  Anyway, it's worth a look in this stunning plumage.

 

White-rumped Sandpiper at Hayle

This morning Steve Kolodziejski and me located the three White-rumped Sandpipers on Ryan's Field, Hayle.  These three (1 ad and 2 first winters) have been giving me the runaround for the last two weeks.  Eventually two first winters flew across the road and into very close view with the sun behind us.  The bird below is one of the first winters.

 

More images here on Flickr.

St Ives seawatch this morning

The wind this morning reached gale force though sadly never quite found the desired north-westerly direction.  Nevertheless, the morning was fruitful and several decent birds were seen, including Pomarine Skua, Grey Phalarope, Little Auk (BKM only), good numbers of Balearic Shearwater and a debatable Surf Scoter.  I say debatable because we later heard that a female flew past Pendeen with two drake Common Scoters.  We saw this group at some distance through bins only, but failed to id the Surf Scoter at St Ives.  The age-old question is can you year-tick it retrospectively?

Totals:

Balearic Shearwater 67
Manx Shearwater 15
Sooty Shearwater 1
Med Gull 12, all adults
Common Gull 1 1st W.
Grey Phalarope 3,1,
Little Auk 1
Great Northern Diver 9
Purple Sandpiper 4
Pomarine Skua 1
Bonxie 44
Arctic Skua 8
Common Scoter 17
Surf Scoter 1 fem.
Arctic Tern 1
Sandwich Tern 1
Black Redstart 1

Below are some images of the day including several different colour phase Balearics.



Medium phase Balearic Shearwater, one of at least 67 seen this morning.



Pale phase Balearic

Four Balearics in varying plumages




Adult Arctic Skua, one of 8 seen today.

First year Great Skua, one of 44 seen today.

Bottle-nosed Dolphin, one of about ten seen off the island this morning.

A look down memory lane

I've been meaning to copy some old slides from my collection.  I managed to find a used Nikon slide copier and link it to my digital SLR.  The slides are from various Cornish photographers including Pete Walsh, Gary Cockill and Brian Mellow.  I used to use these exact slides at evening slide-shows and at the time thought they were stunning quality.  They were the best of the day but how things have moved on with the constant improvements in technology.   All of them are unaltered and appear exactly as the slide appears.  I'm sure the photographers won't mind me reproducing them here again.



Pectoral Sandpiper, Drift, late 1980's by Pete Walsh. Drift is one of the best sites to see this species in the county. A flock of four was seen last year here and Jim Dustow and me found a flock of seven here in the late 70's.



Lesser Yellowlegs, Carminowe Creek, Loe Pool, Gary Cockill.  Lesser Yellowlegs continues to appear regularly in Cornwall with two or three annually.  Spring records have increased as well recently.



Pectoral Sandpiper, Drift, Pete Walsh



Dotterel, Porthgwarra, early 1980's. by Brian Mellow.  In the 70's and 80's the moor at Porthgwarra was a regular staging post for flocks of Dotterel as they make their way towards their wintering grounds in North Africa and Morocco.  Sadly Pg doesn't attract the numbers and just a handful are found throughout the county now.



Curlew Sandpiper, Stithians Res, mid 1990's, Gary Cockill.  Curlew Sandpiper has always been a scarce but regular passage migrant in Cornwall.  Occasionally, numbers can be high depending on the weather but Cornwall is probably too far west of the main migration flyway.



Pectoral Sandpiper, Stithians, late 1980's, Pete Walsh.



Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Chapel Lane, Stithians Res, Pete Walsh.  Buff-breasts have had a resurgence in numbers recently with some decent flock records eg seven together at Stithians (and exceptionally a flock 33 in Ireland last year!).  The species migrates non stop from the tundra breeding grounds to Argentina and flies out over the Atlantic, hence susceptible in Atlantic storms. In America, the species will create serious interest on migration.