Yellow-browed Warbler at St Clement, Truro

I took this shot today of the Yellow-browed Warbler at St Clements, Truro.  Its been present here for three weeks and seems content feeding around the willows.  It was calling a lot today as well.  Two Firecrest and three Chiffchaff, plus a real pale grey Chiffchaff are also still present.

 

 

In addition this morning at Pendower, I saw a drake Velvet Scoter, Common Scoter, 8 Black-throated Diver, 9 Great Northern Diver, 1 Red necked Grebe and 2 Slavonian Grebe.

White-billed Diver at Cape Cornwall

An adult White-billed Diver was found at Cape Cornwall on Thursday 25th February by Nigel Wheatley.  Following a stormy Friday it was re found again on the Saturday and showed well on and off on Sunday.  Whilst too distant for fancy photography, good scope views could be enjoyed as it preened and fed between the Brisons and the Cape Cornwall coastwatch point.

The bird is in moult and has lost its primary flight feathers.  When it originally turned up is anyone's guess.  It might have been there as long as early January, turning up after the big gale on 3rd January when a Ross's Gull was at the Lizard and a Glaucous-winged Gull was found in southern Ireland?

This is the 6th record for Cornwall.  All previous records have occurred in the first winter period.  The first record was in 1967.

1967. April 11th-19th one in Mount's bay off St Michael's Mount.
1985. February 19th. Carlyon Bay, St Austell.  Subsequently seen on several dates between April 6th and 9th. Also reported on June 2nd though this sighting was not accepted by BBRC.
1988.  St Ives Bay. February 8th-22nd.
1998. Sennen Cove. February 19th, one picked up in poor condition and taken to Mousehole Bird Hospital where it died on March 1st.  The skin was sent to the British Museum.
2007. Hayle Estuary and Copperhouse.  February 25th to March 27th.  A well photographed moulting adult.

Of interest, all five divers were also seen on Sunday 28th in the county on the same day.  A well organised day trip in the county at the moment could quite easily tick off White-billed Diver, Pacific Diver, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Lesser Scaup plus a supporting cast of Rose-coloured Starling, Yellow-browed Warbler, Glaucous Gull, Ring-billed Gull, American Herring Gull and Smew! Can't be bad.

Yellow-browed Warbler at St. Clement, Truro

Richard Augarde found this Yellow-browed Warbler in the damp sallows 200m south of Tresemple Pool. I saw it yesterday evening along with six Chiffy's and one very pale Chiffchaff.  The exceptionally mild winter has probably helped around half a dozen or so Yellow-browed's overwinter in the county. 

Taken with Nikon D800e, 500mm F4,

Juv Glaucous Gull in Newlyn Harbour

Juv Glaucous Gull showed well today in Newlyn harbour.

Argentatus Herring Gull today at Copperhouse.

Adult Glossy Ibis at Long Rock, Cornwall

The adult Glossy Ibis behind Long Rock pool in the soggy field was present for its sixth day on Sunday 7th Feb. I managed to see it in good light yesterday morning at close range, viewable from the road. This is probably the most unconcerned Glossy Ibis I have seen. Glossy Ibis occurrences are now annual in the county with appearances becoming more frequent.

 

Nikon D800e, 500mm F4G, ISO 1600, F16, 1/1000s, WB Cloudy. Original file size 43.8 MB.

Nuthatch and Kingfisher on the Lizard today

I was pleased with some images taken today at a friends farm on the Lizard.  Despite the appalling weather and poor light, the Nikon D810 still managed to deal with things at 5000 ISO!

 

Ross's Gull at the Lizard, Cornwall

I managed to see the adult Ross's Gull today at the Lizard, albeit distantly some 300 metres out at sea.  It was found by Tony Blunden on Saturday 2nd Jan.  

 

Its the 8th record for Cornwall.  The last record in Cornwall was way back in 2002 when two adults were recorded, at Torpoint on the 15th Feb and at Sennen on 19th Feb.  The first was at St Ives in 1977, then Poldhu 1988, Newlyn 1989, Lynher 1996 and Maenporth/Swanpool 1998.

 

Fave images from 2015

Black Skimmer, Cape May beach, September 2015, after several hundred shots to get a pair together skimming!

Adult male Common Yellowthroat, Cape May, New Jersey September.

Common Pauraque on the nest, Estero Grande, Texas in May this year.

Common Nighthawk, Texas in May this year.

Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Bentsen SP Texas in May.

Adult Stilt Sandpiper at Port Aransas, Texas in May.  We saw hundreds of them at this wader hotspot.

Snow Bunting at St Gothians, Cornwall in January.

Hudsonian Whimbrel at Little London beach, Marazion. A first for Cornwall and tick for me as well.

Ring Ouzels at Buttermilk Hill. I saw a maximum of 22 in flock in April here.

Meadow Pipit in late evening sunshine in April on the Lizard.

Recent images from round the county in December

Fem Black Redstart, Penzance

Male Black Redstart, Penzance

 



Goldfinch, Ryan's Field Hayle

Great Northern Divers in boat reflection, Newlyn

Great Northern Diver, Newlyn

Purple Sandpiper, Battery Rocks, Penzance

Turnstone, Battery Rocks

Yellow-browed Warbler, Ryans Field Hayle.

All taken with Nikon D4s, 500mm VR F4 and 1.4x Teleconverter. Despite the appalling light that we are getting at the moment, I did manage to get these shots on the rare occasion when there was some sun!

Hudsonian Whimbrel at Little London beach, Cornwall

I took these images early this morning.  Its been here since Friday afternoon and is the same bird that was on Scilly last week. Its the first record for Cornwall.  It was split from Whimbrel in 2011.

Rose-coloured Starling at Land's End

Images of the very tame Rose-coloured Starling at Land's End.  The bird spends most of the time with the Starling flock within the complex and regularly comes to feed off the speciality doughnuts!

 

Some Cape May images

Below are a few images from a recent two week trip to Cape May, New Jersey.  Whilst it was not a classic in terms of what this famous migration watchpoint can sometimes achieve, it was good enough for me.  There were some huge falls of Tree Swallow in the tens of thousands, close raptor views especially Bald Eagle, close views of terns, skimmers and waders on the beaches plus the colourful neotropical warblers.

Tree Swallows feeding on bayberry bushes.

Palm Warbler, seen in decent numbers daily.

Forster's Terns seen in hundreds on the beaches, plus Caspian, Royal, Sandwich, Common.

Black Skimmers, juvs, About 800 were seen on Cape May beach.