|
24.04.00 |
Grafarvogur, Reykjavík, SW Iceland |
Faxafloi |
|
25.04.00 |
Grafarvogur, Reykjavík, SW Iceland |
Faxafloi |
|
25.04.00 |
Grafarvogur, Reykjavík, SW Iceland |
Faxafloi |
|
26.04.00 |
Grafarvogur, Reykjavík, SW Iceland |
Faxafloi |
|
04.03.01 |
Dublin Bay, Co. Dublin, E Ireland |
E Ire |
|
01.05.01 |
Álftafjörður, E Iceland |
E ice |
|
06.05.01 |
Skeidflot I Myrdal, Vik, S Iceland |
S ice |
|
05.03.02 |
Pagham Harbour, Sussex, S England |
S Eng |
|
14.03.03 |
Ribble Estuary, Lancashire, NW England |
NW Eng |
|
13.04.06 |
Bartle Pools, Higher Bartle, Preston,
Lancashire, NW England |
NW Eng |
|
12.04.08 |
Earith, Ouse Washes, Cambrigeshire, E
England |
E Eng |
|
03.09.08 |
Walmsley Sanctuary, Cornwall, SW England |
SW Eng |
__________________________________________
Dutch Spoonbills flying the flag
In early November 2007, 7 Spoonbills were
reported from Wacker Quay, near Torpoint on
the River Lynher, a tributary of the River
Tamar in Cornwall. This is a regular
wintering area for between one and three
birds but seven is unprecedented. On 10th
November, I led a birdwatching cruise on the
Rivers Tamar and Lynher and found 6 of the
birds together in Shillingham Creek, but the
views were rather distant. However it
appeared that two Spoonbills were sporting
yellow leg flags and colour rings indicating
they were of Dutch origin. If close enough
views were obtained, the colour combination
would enable the birds origin and life
histories to be discovered. The 7th
bird, an adult was on its own at Wacker
Quay.
On the 25th November 2007 another
birdwatching cruise with 70 people on board,
obtained excellent views of 6 Spoonbills
feeding together on the rising tide near
Wacker. On two birds the yellow leg flags
could be clearly seen, but the movement of
the boat made it difficult to clearly see
the other colour rings. Several photos were
taken in the hope of fully identifying these
birds later.
Then the detective work began. Back at home,
I checked the internet and contacted Otto
Overdijk of the International Spoonbill
Working Group in Holland who confirmed they
were Dutch birds. Photos taken by Nick
Tomalin and Andy Nicholas were digitally
enhanced showing that both birds were
juveniles and indicated that Bird 1 carried
metal/green/yellow flag on left leg and
yellow/blue/red on the right. (Photograph
A). Bird 2 showed light green/yellow/metal
on the left and yellow flag/light green/red
on the right leg. (Photograph B) These were
emailed to Otto who was able to confirm the
identity of the birds and provide their life
histories.
Bird 1 was ringed as a nestling on 21 May
2007, on the island of Schiermonnikoog, the
northern most inhabited island in the Dutch
Wadden Sea and a National Park. It was seen
again 64 days later at Lauwersmeer, another
National Park 14 km to the south of
Schiermonnikoog. Its next sighting wasn’t
until it arrived on the River Lynher having
travelled a distance of nearly 800 km.
Bird 2 was ringed, again as a nestling at
Onderdijk on the west bank of the IJsselmeer
on 6 June 2007. By the end of the month it
moved to Den Oever, 21 km to the north west
where it was seen on numerous occasions
until 2 October. Its next sighting was on
the River Lynher, having travelled 694 km.
It is interesting that these birds have come
from breeding colonies 100 km apart, yet
have homed in on the River Lynher as a
wintering site. It is also interesting to
speculate the origin of the remaining birds
but they are probably of Dutch origin. The
majority of the Dutch population winter much
further south, in southern Spain or
Portugal, many venturing even further, into
West Africa. Hopefully, they’ll remain for
more people to enjoy on the next bird
watching cruise on 9 December (see Cornwall
Birding website for details).
Thanks to Otto Overdijk and the
International Spoonbill Working Group for
their help in preparing this note.
Tamar Birdwatching Cruises are organised by
Bruce Taggart in conjunction with Tamar
Cruising, the RSPB, Cornwall Birds and the
Cornwall Wildlife Trust. The trips aim to
show people the diversity of birdlife on the
Rivers Tamar and Lynher in winter and to
record all sightings.
Photograph
A - Bird 1 by Andy Nicholas
Photograph
B - Bird 2. by Andy Nicholas
Spoonbills on River Lynher,
Cornwall on 25th November 2007. Bird
1 is second from the left and Bird 2 on the
right. Photograph by Andy Nicholas.
Photograph by Nigel Climpson
On February
2nd 2009 a colour ringed spoonbill was observed
on the River Tamar by Nigel Climpson. Contact
with Otto Overdijk at the address below produced
a very rapid response and the observed history
of the bird. The bird was ringed at the nest in
July 2006 in Holland. It has subsequently been
observed in France and Holland and in the autumn
of 2007 was seen at Brownsea Island. No other
reports in the UK until now.
Spoonbills
Tamar December 2009
On the
Dec. 13th Tamar cruise a
Spoonbill was observed
with the following
colour rings.
Left
Leg- light green over
yellow over light green
Right leg- Red over
yellow flag over metal.
Otto
Overdijk of the Dutch
Spoonbill Workng Group
replied to the request
for information with the
following news:
Indeed,
now I can identify this bird. A juvenile bird
ringed at Den Oever
29/7/2009
( just North from Amsterdam, Wadden Sea
Coast Lat 52.934N Lon 5.031E )
This
is a new breeding site in Netherlands situated
at a dike. See photo
below.
This
dike has no connexion with the mainland. It's a
dike to slow-down the current. That it has no
connexion with
land means also that birds are safe, there are
no foxes or other ground predators. Also no
people come and set feet onto this dike so it
also very quite for Spoonbills.
Working
group Spoonbills International
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
species
:Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia
leucorodia)
7325/106859
colourrings
:LYL/RYfa
ringing place:NL
Den Oever, Banaan 5256N-0502E
metalringnr
:NLA .8050697
ringing age :nestling
ringing
date:29-07-09
sexe :unknown
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
date
country and site or reserve
observer
days
dist sexe
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16-09-09 NL
Den Oever
nabij haven
Leon Kelder
49
0 km.
24-09-09 NL
Den Oever
nabij haven
Leon Kelder
57
0 km.
15-11-09
GB
Cornwall Plymouth
River Lynher
Bruce Taggart
109
696 km.
13-12-09
GB
Cornwall Plymouth
River Lynher
Bruce Taggart
137
696 km.
----ooOoo---
WHERE TO WATCH
BIRDS IN DEVON AND CORNWALL;
NEW 5TH
EDITION 2009
Dave Norman and Vic Tucker
Have you ever thought of visiting a
birdwatching site in the region you were
unfamiliar with, and wondered exactly where to
go, the best conditions to visit in, and what
you might see?
The purpose of this book is to provide
such knowledge.
They have both been active birdwatchers and Society members since
the mid-1960’s and have seen many changes in
the two counties’ birds and
habitats since those early days. Apart
from many thousands of hours in the field they have both been involved at various stages in county records
committees, Vic having served on CBWPS committee
and most
recently in DBWPS reserve management
and development. As the popularity of
birdwatching increased, with more widespread
access to good field guides and optics, they were
being asked with increasing frequency about
localities to visit by those wishing to extend
their range.
In
1982 they approached
Christopher Helm,who was at that time publishing
some ground-breaking bird books, and discussed
producing a guide to fill the gap.The
first trial chapter was
Dave’s home patch of Torbay,
and they were surprised and delighted when the draft was returned with enthusiastic comments from
the publishers .Following the first pilot
edition the concept became firmly established
and the Helm “Where to Watch” series now
includes dozens of titles, each produced by
experienced local birders, covering UK counties,
Continental European countries, and various
other parts of the world. Dave and Vic have
continued to revise and enlarge the coverage of
Devon and Cornwall every few years, to reflect
changes both in bird distribution and new areas
where birdwatching discoveries were being made.
Increased study of gull roosts, for instance,
and offshore boat trips to see petrels and
shearwaters, have caused radical shifts in our
appreciation of where certain species can occur.
The guide’s coverage reflects new protected
areas and access points, also some exciting and
exotic occurrences, but also the extra effort
now needed to find some once-familiar species
such as Cuckoo.They have
been helped greatly over the years by many
birders across the two counties who have
contributed knowledge and ideas, often walking
their local sites with the authors to ensure an
accurate appreciation of the layout. Past contributors to artwork and maps have included international
seabird expert Peter Harrison, and Steve Bird
who now leads the successful Birdseekers tour
company. Each
new edition has therefore been a labour of love
which took up to a couple of years to fulfil.
One of the Dave and Vic’s biggest rewards at
the end of each edition is to meet people out in
the field using the finished book , and see the
pleasure generated by their being able to see a
different range of species in new surroundings.
Rather than wait for the bird information lines
to churn out news of someone else’s sightings,
they hope that observers will be encouraged to get out and try
promising areas for themselves.
Inevitably the authors have
had to
weigh access for birdwatchers against the interests of the birds; some sensitive breeding sites, or
areas with limited access, have continued to be
omitted. Nevertheless
they have taken the opportunity in the 5th
Edition to fill in some gaps where there was
less focus by birdwatchers in past years, eg the
Axe Estuary and district,
some sectors of the Taw/Torridge, and
parts of the Lizard peninsula and South Cornwall
coast, also newly created areas around
Wadebridge. They
have also responded to requests by observers in
the field to provide more information on
sought-after species which are a particular
feature of our region, including some elusive
residents eg Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Other
requests they have
had included
“Where might I see a Puffin from the mainland ? and “Where
is the best chance of finding Snow Bunting?”.
A new chapter of the book aims to answer the
most frequent questions about finding these more
tricky species.
Copies of the new edition (cost £16.99)
are now obtainable from bookshops or direct from the two authors, who can
autograph copies if you wish. Dave and Vic hope
it will prove an asset to Society members who
have not tried it before. If you have a crumpled
old edition, maybe it is time to exchange it for
a brand new one!
April 2009
----ooOoo---
Major National Success for Cornish Artist
Three Choughs - Lizard
Point
Daniel Cole
This painting won the 2009 RSPB award at the SWLA
(Society of Wildlife Artists) exhibition at the Mall
Gallery in London.
The artist, Daniel Cole, lives and works in the St.
Austell clay district.
He has travelled extensively birdwatching and
researching his art. He has produced the
illustrations for many field guides and bird
books.
More recently he has moved away from illustration
and concentrated on Gallery and private commission
work.
His father, Sid Cole, is a well known St. Austell
birder.
More of his work can be seen at www.pinkfootgallery.co.uk
and www.swla.co.uk.
Gull ringing project on St George's
Island, Looe.
This year saw the start of a Great
Black-backed Gull ringing project in Cornwall.
Following a proposal by Pete Kent (Cornwall
Wildlife Trust's East Cornwall Reserves Officer)
a ringing project has been set up in partnership
with CBWPS to learn more about these gulls.
With over 70 breeding pairs of Great
Black-backed Gulls, St. George's Island supports
a significant breeding colony of these
magnificent birds. For many years local
ornithologist, David Curtis and Colliford Lake's
Loveny warden, Dave Conway, have been recording
the number of Great Black-backed Gulls breeding
on the Island. This new ringing project will
build on their work and help us understand the
gulls' ecology and life history, as well as
monitor population trends.
The ringing project started in June when a
team of volunteers visited the Island on two
occasions. The team was faced with quite a
challenge as the Island is also home to breeding
Herring gulls as well as Great Black-backs and
many nests and young birds were well nests
hidden amongst tall vegetation!
Eventually 49 Great Black-backed Gulls were
caught and fitted with a BTO ring on the left
leg and a white plastic ring engraved with a red
identification code on the right leg. The code
starts with the letter L, followed by a colon
and then two letters and a single figure, e.g.
L:AA1. The local ringing co-ordinator, Bruce
Taggart, has requested that anyone seeing a
ringed bird report their sighting via email:
looegulls@gmail.com. In turn they will receive a
full life history of the bird.
Bruce says
'We hope that analysis of the data, will allow
us to investigate dispersal patterns, site
fidelity, longevity, and survival rates in these
gulls, as well as monitor long term population
trends. We have already noted a high mortality
during the egg or early chick stage which
warrants further investigation.'
As Great Black backs are long lived birds the
ringing scheme will last for at least five years
and hopefully much longer.
Claire Lewis, the warden's assistant for the
Island says, 'We have long wondered what happens
to the fledged gulls and now, with the
participation of the public this exciting new
project give the us the opportunity to discover
more about the gulls and in turn assist us with
the management of the nature reserve'.
Bruce Taggart
 |
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A letter referring to the Davidstow Wind Farm
Application
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