Birding in Lockdown: Links to Garden Lockdown Listing League and our Birding Ideas Page, helping to make the most of extra time as a result of the lockdown.
Late news, 29/03, Dobwalls: 3 Ravens over garden, 2 Robins – male feeding female. (C&J Duffy)
Late news, 29/3, Truro River: 22 Black-tailed Godwit, 18 Redshank, 1 Greenshank. (P Fraser)
Wadebridge: 1 Osprey over. (D Julian)
Chyandour: 1 Osprey over, then flew toward Gulval. (M Elliott)
Lamorna: 2cy Iceland Gull east over Tater-du at 11.40am then off Carn Barges following lobster boat. (M McKee)
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St Erth: 1 Swallow, c15 Sand Martin, 1 singing Willow Warbler, 2+ Siskin, 1 Green Woodpecker at Tregilliowe Ponds. (R Veal)
Halveor; St Columb Major: 1 Treecreeper. (B Bosisto)
Carnanton Woods: 1 Marsh Tit, 3 Treecreeper, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker. (B Bosisto, L Payne)
Mawgan: 1 Black Redstart in garden (P. Bedford)
Polbathic Creek: 1 Green Sandpiper from window. (A Blonden)
Lanner: 7 singing Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 1 Skylark and a few Coal Tits on my bird feeders. (S Turner)
Trispen area: 1 Swallow, pair of Little Grebe on nest, 2 Buzzard, 3 Goldcrest, 15 Goldfinch, 11 Greenfinch, 2 Moorhen and 2 Mallard. (C Mason)
St Ives: Great Northern Diver, 2 Common Scoter, 5 Sandwich Tern, 4+ Dolphin sp. (G Jones)
North Country: 1 Red Kite. (C Eliss)
Drift Reservoir (members only): 6 Sand Martin, 1 Snipe, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Little Egret. (D Flumm) Also 3 Great Crested Grebe, 49 Canada Geese, 89 Herring Gull, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Buzzard, all mid afternoon following a walk from Penzance. Also 1 Green Woodpecker heard at Trereife. (T Mills)
Marazion Beach: 125+ (12+ ad) Common Gull. (S Rogers, J Hawkey) 2 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Redshank, 1 Grey Plover, 8 Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin, 25+ Sanderling, 25 Common Scoter, 2cy Iceland Gull. (S Rogers) Also 2 Shoveler, 2 House Martin, 3 Sand Martin on the marsh. (S Rogers)
Carbis Bay: 1 Green Woodpecker. (A Myers)
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Argal Reservoir: 6 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Mute Swan viewed from the dam. (D Chaney)
College Reservoir: 21 Canada Goose, 4 Mute Swan, 5 Mallard, 3 Teal, 6 Wigeon, 13 Tufted Duck, 4 Coot, 5 Moorhen, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Cormorant, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 (m,f) Grey Wagtail, 50 Sand Martin, 15+ singing Chiffchaff, 2 singing Blackcap, 60 Herring Gull, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 5 Lesser Black-backed Gull on daily exercise walk from home. (D Chaney)
Penryn: 2 Linnet, 3 Greenfinch, 2 Mistle Thrush by Asda (D Chaney)
Coverack: 18 Little Egret at Perprean Cove. (D Beadle)
Falmouth, Swanvale: pair of Green Woodpecker. (J St Ledger)
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Cornwall Lockdown Diary, Day 7
Today’s bike ride went the other way down the Camel Trail to Padstow. It was deserted. No cars, no bikes, no people. Silence. No-one much on the trail either (much chillier today) so I could screech to a halt without worry to train the binoculars on anything interesting on the mudflats. Most of the waders have gone to their breeding grounds but there were plenty of Curlews, a couple of rather subdued Redshank, and a Greenshank picking its way daintily through the creeks. Lots of Shelduck and Oystercatchers, a few ducks of various denominations, and ‘loafing’ gulls. (I love that term: it’s exactly what they do.) A Cormorant, and in one of the small side-estuaries half a dozen hunched Grey Herons looking particularly hacked off with life.
Many of the damp and soggy patches have disappeared in the first dry spell for months. The little wet scrape near the skateboard park that harboured a Green Sandpiper a few weeks ago is baked mud. The messy field edges near the sewage works where a Grey Wagtail scouted for insects have gone. Never mind, there will be spring benefits. But today’s highlight wasn’t a bird. As I peered towards the low tide, a small, impertinent face popped out of the grass in front of me with an expression that said: “Woss your problem?” A stoat.
Simon Marquis ([email protected])
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