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.
Newlyn: Glaucous and Iceland Gulls both still around the harbour area. (L Proctor, M Ahmad)
Pendeen: 2cy Glaucous Gull in Portheras Cove again. (P Clement)
Truro Cathedral: Pair of Raven nesting, young very noisy and close to fledging (D Eva)
Illogan: 1 Song Thrush, 1 Jay, 1 Peacock Butterfly, 1 Orange Tip. (J Baker)
Plaidy near Looe: 9 Fulmar, 9 Turnstone, 7 Whimbrel, 1 Common Guillemot entangled in fishing line. (D Spooner)
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Praa Sands: Blackcap, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting all singing from the willows and reed beds at the lower stream. (J Evans)
Whipsiderry: 4 Great Northern Diver, 6 Oystercatcher, 3 Razorbill, 67 Fulmar, 3 Corn Bunting, 7 Skylark, 1 Meadow Pipit, 4 Stonechat, 19 Linnet,1 Whitethroat, 1m Wheatear, 1 Raven, 12 Carrion Crow, 53 Rook, 2 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 211 Herring Gull, + Swallows. (S Grose)
Porth: 2 Sedge Warbler, 1 Sparrowhawk opp Mermaid Inn. (S Grose)
Newquay, Great Western Beach: 1 Sandwich Tern, 1 partially eaten Scoter sp on the tide line. (S Grose)
Porthleven: 7 Black-throated Diver and 14 Great Northern Diver reported offshore.
College Reservoir: Hobby northeast, 2 Swift, 2 Dunlin, 2 Common Sandpiper, Snipe and 2 singing Whitethroat. (L Langley)
Carharrack woods to Gwennap: 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Green Woodpecker, 3 Garden Warbler 1 Raven 1 Buzzard 2 Goldcrest,1 Song Thrush, Blue Tit, Great Tit Robin,2 Canada Gooe,3 Jay. (W Chegwidden)
Penwithick (private garden): 1 Jay, 2 Siskin (1m & 1f), 8 Chaffinch, 1 Robin, 4 Blackbird, 4 Goldfinch. (K Bowers)
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St Ives – Buttermilk Hill – Trevalgan Hill – Hellesveor Cliff – St Ives: 1 Cuckoo, reeling Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Wheatear. (G Jones)
Kingsmill Lake: 4 Whimbrel, 2 summer plumaged Dunlin, 16 Shelduck, 2 Sandwich Tern, a female Wheatear, a calling Stock Dove, 2 Swallows & 2 male Tufted Duck this evening. (P Kemp)
Falmouth, Customs House Quay: 1400hrs.1 Guillemot fishing (S Van Hear)
Downderry: 3 Common Sandpipers and 13 Whimbrel (2 east and rest on beach), 2 Manx Shearwaters and 10 Common Scoters early morning. (A Payne)
Freathy: 3 Great Northern Diver this evening. Also 2 Manx Shearwater, Fulmar, Sandwich Tern and several immature Gannet. (M Jordan)
Coverack: 1 Minke Whale seen close enough in to hear it blow (seen around Black Head at 16:20 for half an hour and then headed off towards Bass Point at 16:50). Also 2 Basking Shark, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 House Martin, 6 Whitethroat, 4 Sedge Warbler,1 Fox and a Cuckoo on Goonhilly Downs (P Bedford)
Wadebridge: 2 Swift. (D Julian)
St Ives: 2 Cuckoos, 1 Wheatear, 6 Linnets, 8 Meadow Pipits, 2 Common Buzzards at Buttermilk Hill. (V Stratton)
A Cornwall Lockdown Diary, Day 33:
To Rosenannon Downs. You’d be happy with weather like this in June or July, let alone with a week of April still to go. A couple with dogs but otherwise the great heathery sweep is deserted. I set off along the boundary line of trees. First a Reed Bunting quietly calling, then a dazzling male Yellowhammer atop a blazing gorse bush. Later the more subtly-toned female. I had not yet heard a Willow Warbler at my place, but here there were dozens, their sweet, rippling refrain animating every other sallow bush. I caught one in the binoculars: a soft little creature, throat trembling with song, framed by bursting green shoots against the topaz of the sky.
What I hoped might be a soaring Hobby (big, dark and sleek enough I thought) turned into a chestnut-backed Kestrel, and then a very agitated Meadow Pipit in hot pursuit of a Cuckoo. Only later do I hear one calling – a sound that never fails to tingle the spine – and the air is full of Skylark song and Linnet twitter. And a brown hare lollops away in front of me.
Simon Marquis ([email protected])
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