Category: News

It was Adrian Leas’s turn this week to select our Photo of the Week – many thanks Adrian.
“Goodness, just when I thought birding was going to settle down it all starts to get exciting once again. The week began with a resumption of Bearded Tit sightings at Marazion and this seems to have attracted many of our intrepid birders to head ‘down west’ this week, with some excellent results.

On Monday Martin Webb submitted a lovely Shag photo from Penzance while Kathy White was photographing Cattle Egrets at Marazion. Meanwhile Vic Booth kindly submitted a great photo of Bar-tailed Godwit at Par Sands Beach.

Tuesday undoubtedly provided some of the best photographs of the week with David Collins submitting an excellent photograph of a juvenile Ring Ouzel seen at Jollytown, Lizard and Deena Sharp submitting a lovely female Shoveler photographed at Millbrook Lake. Jon Irvine was at Longrock Pool, Marazion and captured some superb Bearded Tit photographs.
On Wednesday James Machin struck gold with a Booted Warbler at Zennor, kindly providing some important record shots. Martin Webb and Gill Fisher provided some lovely Bearded Tit photographs from Marazion and I really liked the Kestrel photographed at Porth Nanven by Gerry Gillard.

Gill returned to Marazion on Thursday and provided some more Bearded Tit photos, together with lovely flight photos of Greenshank and Black-tailed Godwit, with Malcolm Jones also submitting a great Black-tailed Godwit flight photo.

The sighting of a juvenile Spotted Sandpiper at Drift Reservoir by Paul St Pierre was enough to persuade me to head down there immediately after work on Friday. The Spotted Sandpiper is the Nearctic counterpart to our Common Sandpiper. They breed across most of Canada and the United States, migrate southwards and are very rare vagrants to western Europe, with less than twenty confirmed sightings in Cornwall. This unspotted juvenile closely resembled a Common Sandpiper and occasionally provided excellent views from the dam as it fed along the reservoir shoreline giving both Steve Rogers and Nigel Rogers a golden opportunity for some great photographs. Meanwhile Adrian Langdon was taking advantage of the new bird hide at Maer Lake to take some lovely Avocet photographs.

Saturday’s photo of the day deservedly went to Dean Pollard for a superb Kestrel flight shot taken at Kynance Cove, from where I also enjoyed his Wheatear photograph.
Sunday delivered some more lovely Spotted Sandpiper photos, courtesy of K Oram, M Jones and D King with the inclement weather appearing to keep the often elusive Bearded Tits deep with the Marazion reed beds ….

There were six photographs which I particularly liked this week. These were the Kestrel flight shot by Dean Pollard, the Spotted Sandpipers by Nigel Rogers, Steve Rogers and D King, the Ring Ouzel by David Collins and the Bearded Tit by Jon Irvine.

In an ordinary week any of these images would have qualified for photo the week, but this week the bar was set particularly high. Amongst the many excellent photographs submitted, the Bearded Tit by Jon Irvine was my favourite
Many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to submit sighting reports, photographs and videos to our sightings team, I know that it is greatly appreciated by so many people”.
Congratulations Jon, picking up your first Photo of the Week this year – a great photo!

Following a hectic two weeks supervising excavation works at Walmsley, warden Adrian Langdon takes time to peruse the fine selection of photos submitted to the Recent Sightings page and give us his take on the week. Many thanks Adrian.

“The week started with Steve Rogers having a keen eye to spot a Short-billed Dowitcher at Drift Reservoir near Penzance. Whilst Martin Webb, at Ryans field near Hayle, produced a couple of nice photographs of a Curlew and a Bar-tailed Godwit.

Ospreys featured prominently in this week’s photographs, with several birds passing through Cornwall, particularly around the south coast estuaries at Devoran and Ruan Lanihorne. On Tuesday, John Irvine produced a really nice shot of an Osprey in flight.

Alison Quincey walked the cliffs at Park Head near Bedruthan Steps and came up with some fine images of a Corn Bunting, a Whinchat and a couple of Choughs. Bar-tailed Godwits were also the subject of some lovely photographs by Paul Davies, taken at Spit Beach near Par. His low-level images showed the birds feeding in the sand and provided an excellent view of these waders.

Kathy White came up with a nice shot of an Osprey, once again at Devoran, while Simon Willson had a couple of photographs of a Grey Phalarope that had turned up at St Gothian’s Sands Pool near Hayle. Martin Webb, also at Hayle, produced a stunning image of a Black-tailed Godwit.

On Friday, Kathy White once again turned up with a quality photograph of a Glossy Ibis, taken at Stithians Reservoir. Adrian Lea, also at Stithians, had a lovely shot of a Wheatear. Gavin Williams was at Par Beach on the south coast, where he found a good group of Brent Geese. He also photographed three Turnstones roosting on the rocks at a high-tide roost. These made for some good images of the birds in their coastal surroundings.

There was only one image submitted for Saturday, a Ringed Plover by Gavin Williams, taken in the fog at Davidstow Airfield. Perhaps the fog put a few photographers off producing photos that day!

On Sunday, a very unusual bird was spotted off Porthgwarra: a Red-billed Tropicbird. P. Hall managed to photograph it alongside some Gannets. Although the bird was a little distant, the photographs clearly showed its distinctive features. It had been seen a few days earlier off Rame Head, so it was amazing to spot it again off the Cornish coast. Caroline Taylor, at Stithians Reservoir, had some good photographs of Glossy Ibis and a Reed Warbler, while Vic Booth was at Ruan Lanihorne, where he got some good photographs of an Osprey. Martin Webb finished off the week with a lovely portrait of a Grey Wagtail, taken at Newlyn Tolcarne Bridge.

 

There was quite a selection of images to consider for PotW this week, with Ospreys featuring particularly well. We also had a couple of very rare birds, including the Short-billed Dowitcher photographed by Steve Rogers and the Red-billed Tropicbird captured by P. Hall.

However, this is a photography competition, and my choice is based on the quality of the photograph rather than simply the rarity of the bird. This week, in my opinion, the honour goes to Martin Webb for his superb photograph of a Black-tailed Godwit, taken on the Hayle Estuary. A stunning image that really stood out among a fine selection of photographs.
Well done, Martin – your Black-tailed Godwit is this week’s Cornwall Birds Photo of the Week.

Please keep your photographs coming – whether migrants, residents, or moments from your local patch, every image helps build a wonderful weekly record of Cornwall’s birds.”

Congratulations Martin, a fine image and just reward for contributing images every week.

Windmill Farm reserve will be closed from 28th September until 2nd October. This is to enable essential re-surfacing works to the access track, which has been deteriorating for many years. The work is being carried out by local contractor D A Giles and expected to last 5 days. It is however, weather dependent and check for further updates on BirdNews page and Social Media if it over-runs.
The work is being funded by Cornwall Birds, Cornwall Wildlife Trust and a significant contribution from Postcode Lottery players via the Green Community Grants programme

.

In a week brimming with Nearctic waders and globe-trotting seabirds, Jasmina Goodair, our membership secretary, gives her take on the numerous images sent in to our daily sighting page.

“An interesting array of birds this week as passing migrants stopped by and as always, the birdwatchers and photographers were out in force. The area around mid-Cornwall, at Colliford and Siblyback reservoirs attracted various small waders such as a range of sandpipers and, interestingly, a Wryneck. Drift and Stithians down west also attracted a range of birds too. With the reservoirs so low in water a lot of mud is exposed and attractive to the small waders. There were a lot of pelagic trips taking place and sea watches from the coast and many different sea-going birds were recorded.
On Monday 7th, we started off with some nice shots of an Icterine Warbler by Gill Fisher and Sarah-Jane Eastman. There was also a good record shot of the Baird’s Sandpiper by Chris Ellis. The favourite for the day for me was a great Wheatear shot, which was the photo of the day by Gerry Gillard.

We move on to Tuesday 8th, and there were some lovely Osprey shots by Wendy Smith and also Clive Richards. We also had a good comparison of the Baird’s Sandpiper at Siblyback with a pair of Dunlin, by Keith Pellow. The Buff-breasted Sandpipers continued to figure throughout the week in various parts of Cornwall, and Dougie Wright produced a lovely picture of one.

We move on to Wednesday 9th. Steve Wood’s Buff-breasted Sandpipers were very good indeed, and there appeared to be a pair quite regularly appearing throughout the week at both Siblyback and Colliford. Vic Booth gave us a great Greenshank image.
On Thursday 10th a Little Stint by Jim Eames, at Siblyback. It’s only a tiny little wader, but he managed to get a really clear shot of it. [ed.- The ring/flag combination indicate this bird was ringed in Norway].

Friday 11th, the Wryneck which had been seen for several days at Colliford Dam was captured by Gavin Williams, which Paul Davies also managed to produce on Saturday 12th, both good images of this bird.
Nick Watmough, gave us three gorgeous images of a Ruff, a Glossy Ibis, and a Black tailed Godwit as well.

Sunday 13th, Adrian Langdon gave us a beautiful collection of pelagic birds. There was Grey Phalarope, Great Skua, Manx Shearwater, Great Shearwater, Balearic Shearwater and Sooty Shearwater. These were all excellent images, though the Phalarope a treat to see. And then Adil Khan gave us a shot of the Pectoral Sandpiper and a Wood Sandpiper in the same image, a good comparison from Drift Reservoir. And there was also an excellent Ruff by Adrian Lea at Stithians.

So, a lovely collection this week from all manner of places. The whole of Cornwall seemed to be benefiting from something or the other. And again, as always, I found it extremely difficult to pinpoint which one to choose for Photo of the Week. Adrian Langdon’s shots were very, very good indeed however I was left favouring Paul Davies Wryneck and the Little Stint by Jim Eames, and wondering which one to pick. I think it was a very close call, but given how rarely we see a Wryneck in Cornwall I have chosen Paul Davies Wryneck this week. A clean sharp shot in a well-balanced composition – well done Paul. Thank you to everyone who contributes to this weekly event – great to see the details and comparisons”.

Many thanks Jasmina and congratulations Paul, your fifth POTW this year and now tying with Dean Pollard for the top spot.

Many thanks to Nick Watmough for another comprehensive review of this week’s photos – what a fantastic collection to choose from.

“An exciting week of Cornish early autumn birding resulted in a stunning collection of images from around the county. Waders, seabirds and migrant landbirds were all well represented – the number of quality submissions was even more remarkable as the sightings team did not receive a single photo on Wednesday.

Starting with the landbirds I would like to highlight Alex Bayley’s capture of the Kenidjack Icterine Warbler for reminding us how photos can support the identification of tricky species – the pose shows the diagnostic long primary projection and blue/grey legs – even more important as the strong light makes it hard to discern a pale patch in the closed wing.

As ever Wrynecks were a feature of early September with well photographed individuals on the Lizard (David Collins, Steve Wood and Gill Fisher) and near St Ives (Alan Lobb). It is shaping up to be a fantastic year for flava Wagtail passage and Gill Fisher, presumably twitching the Davidstow Pectoral Sandpiper, took full advantage of this with a nicely composed capture of a Yellow Wagtail. I also enjoyed Jon Irvine’s composition of a Wheatear on a Falmouth beach with Pendennis Castle in the background.

Rupert Kirkwood’s kayak too him out to the Eddystone lighthouse where he got up close and personal with a Balearic Shearwater. Jon Irvine’s strategy for photographing seabirds was to go out into Falmouth Bay with AK Cruises and secured nice images of both Balearic, Sooty Shearwaters and Great Shearwaters.

A quick detour into raptors to acknowledge Aadil Khan’s lovely portrait of a male Kestrel with honourable mentions for Vic Booth’s Merlin at Davidstow and Rupert Kirkwood’s imposing Osprey from the Fowey.

However, the week really was a celebration of shorebirds and Adrian Lea got us off to a flying start with characteristically crisp captures of Ringed Plover and Ruff. Other notable images of commoner waders included Bar-tailed Godwit (Alistair Swanson), Greenshank (Martin Webb), Snipe (Bob Bosisto), Common Sandpiper (Aadil Khan), Dunlin (Jasmina Goodair) and Black-tailed Godwit (Caroline Taylor). Pick of the bunch was Steve Roger’s low light capture of a flying Greenshank on the Hayle that he presented in portrait format to showcase its reflection in the gently rippling water made a powerful case to be POTW.

From midweek a few scarce Nearctic waders arrived – the first being a Pectoral Sandpiper at Davidstow on Friday well caught by Jasmina Goodair, Gill Fisher and Gavin Williams. Jasmina, along with Brian Craven, was fast out the blocks following day for a lovely juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Colliford – which was still there the next day when Gavin Williams managed a super shot of the bird standing tall amongst pinkish boulders that complement its plumaged tones. The fringes to mantle, scapulars and flight feathers are sharp – depth of field is near perfect, and the pose accentuates the long yellow legs, small head and isolated dark eye. It is my choice for Photo of the Week.

Thanks to everybody who contributed and making my choice so difficult – please keep them coming and most of all enjoy the autumn.”

Congratulations Gavin, another superb shot, collecting your second PotW accolade of the last three weeks.

This week saw the start of some major habitat management at Walmsley.
 Following Natural England (NE) SSSI consent to undertake the works, within a 1st Sept – 31st October window, several trustees have been working with warden Adrian Langdon to ensure the work can go ahead.

David Collins has written a new management plan and follow-up site meetings identified the most important areas that required management.
 These included
* In front of the new hide to enlarge the pool and reduce encroachment of reed
* The channel running back towards the Tower hide and the area in front of the tower hide.
* the channel running from the corner pool in the northerly direction towards the far side
* excavating the pool along from the tower hide.

Using a 14-tonne long arm swing shovel, tractor and tipper, Matthew Wills, a local based contractor, has already made significant progress and although the site looks devastated it will soon green up again. Last Wednesday’s work party cleared the way for the corner hide to be removed.

The hide will be refurbished and re-located elsewhere.

Adrian Lea has submitted the planning application for the replacement hide and Lloyd Turner Ltd has been awarded the contract to design and build. It will be similar to the Middle Amble hide and give us much improved viewing (but maybe fewer spiders)!

We please ask you to show your support for the hide by commenting on Cornwall Council’s online Planning Portal here quoting planning application number PA26/04515.

The work is being funded through a generous legacy left to the Society in 2025 and payments received from our Countryside Stewardship agreement with the tenant farmer

Although the reserve remains open for visitors to the Tower Hide, there will be considerable disruption for between four and eight weeks.

Adrian Lea provides us with his take on the weeks photos. Many thanks Adrian.

“The autumn migration certainly seems to be gathering pace and, given the chance, I think I’d probably be heading south now as well.
Monday gave us some great late submission record shots of the Dotterel at Porthgwarra by Steve Rogers and S Goodwin, having bred in Northern Europe these birds are now heading to North Africa and the Middle East. Meanwhile Steve Wood provided a fine flight shot of two Sanderling at Godrevy Beach, Lizard.

Tuesday provided a record shot of a release-scheme White Stork at Marazion by Jonathan Warner which was also subject to the attention of Ian Barry on Wednesday. Meanwhile Anthony Barker was at Porthgwarra where he managed to photograph the Dotterel, Paul Davies was at the Burniere hide, River Camel photographing Common Sandpipers and Whimbrel and Robin Chiffers captured a very atmospheric flight shot of a Glossy Ibis at Drift Reservoir.

Thursday witnessed the intrepid Rupert Kirkwood photographing Sandwich Terns at Jupiter Point on the Lynher Estuary, while Tim Culmer was in West Penwith, photographing Tree Pipit, Wheatear and Redstart and Alan Lobb was fortunate to see a Wryneck at Clodgy Point.
I particularly liked the White Stork photograph by Nancy Roberts at Marazion, but Aiden Kingshott must have wondered quite what was happening when he photographed the Stork on the beach at Marazion on Friday. I’ve never seen a Spotted Sandpiper in Cornwall and I’m therefore very envious of the record shot taken by Steve Bury at Loe Pool on Friday, while the Ringed Plover (Steve Rogers), Dunlin (Aadil Khan) and Common Sandpiper (Adrian Langdon) are also great images. Gavin Williams was able to take some lovely Yellow Wagtail and Ruff images at Davidstow on Saturday while the photograph of the Dotterel at Porthgwarra by Steve Cox really does show how well camouflaged these visitors are.

On Sunday Gill Fisher was tempted by the Temminck’s Stint at Porth Reservoir and did well to capture an excellent shot of a small bird at a long distance! Meanwhile Paul Davies was enjoying the raptors at Walmsley and Martin Webb provided a lovely Stonechat image courtesy of Marazion while Simon Willson was on the shoreward side, ensconced among the small waders and provided a great Sanderling action shot.

There were two photographs which I particularly liked this week. These were the Yellow Wagtail by Gavin Williams and the Sanderling in flight by Steve Wood. Between these two images I thought that the Sanderling in flight provided a great atmospheric photographic and I’ve therefore selected this as photo of the week.
Many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to submit sighting reports, photographs and videos to our sightings team, I know that it is greatly appreciated by so many people.”

I always look at the daily sightings photos and often think ‘that’s going to be POTW’. Rarely am I right though (probably that’s why I’m not one of the judges) but this week did think Adrian’s choice a contender – well done Steve!

Many thanks to Adrian Langdon for reviewing this week’s photos and providing another comprehensive write up; especially so as Adrian is pretty busy at the moment preparing for some major works at Walmsley Sanctuary this autumn.

“Monday started off well with a fine photograph of a Spotted Flycatcher by Melanie Reeves, taken at Porth Reservoir near Newquay.

Following on Tuesday, Tony Mills produced a good shot of a Wood Sandpiper at another of Cornwall’s reservoirs, Drift Reservoir near Penzance. Jonathan Warner also produced a super portrait of a female Kestrel, taken at Perranuthnoe.
On Wednesday, John Johnson got a nice shot of a Ringed Plover at Colliford Lake. It seems that the Cornish reservoirs are now among the few places still holding any significant water, following the ongoing drought conditions.
Martin Webb ventured out onto the cliffs at Godrevy Point and captured a lovely photograph of a Chough, while Charles Davies was at Treraven Marshes near Wadebridge, where he managed to photograph a White Stork.

Paul Davies was also at Wadebridge, at Burniere Point, where he captured an interesting photograph of a flock of Redshank in flight. This was our photo of the day.
Adrian Lea didn’t venture too far from Carnkie but managed to capture some great photographs all in one morning. These included a Grey Heron with a fish, a duo of Greenfinches, and two exceptionally good photographs of a Kingfisher – one a superb portrait and the other showing the bird with a Stickleback in its bill. Both were exceptionally high-quality images.

Alastair Swanson was at St Gothian’s, where he photographed a Little Grebe and a Greenshank. John St Ledger, at Stithians Reservoir, found a Great White Egret, while Vic Booth produced a lovely photograph of a Barn Swallow at Davidstow in North Cornwall.
Adrian Lea was once again at Stithians Reservoir, where he captured a good photograph of a Wheatear. David Collins, down at Kynance Cove, found a migrating Pied Flycatcher.
Out at Trevose Head on the north coast, Gavin Williams produced a quality photograph of a female Kestrel in flight. Aadil Khan was down at Croft Pascoe on the Lizard, where he found both a Spotted Flycatcher and a Wheatear.
On Sunday, Gavin Williams was at Trewornan Bridge near Walmsley Sanctuary and captured a nice image of a couple of Cattle Egrets. Martin Webb, at Marazion Marsh, produced a fine shot of a Reed Bunting, while up at Wacker Quay on the Lynher Estuary, Alastair Swanson produced a superb image of a juvenile Ringed Plover, which was our picture of the day.

My Photo of the Week

There was plenty to consider when choosing this week’s Photo of the Week from such a good selection of images. The Kingfisher with Stickleback by Adrian Lea, the female Kestrel in flight by Gavin Williams, and the juvenile Ringed Plover by Alastair Swanson were all serious contenders, and all three were exceptionally good-quality photographs.

In the end, however, I decided to go for something a little different and selected Gavin Williams’s female Kestrel in flight, taken at Trevose Head near Padstow. It is a pin-sharp image, with a lovely clean blue-sky background and excellent composition, with everything working together to produce a superb photograph. Well done, Gavin Williams – your female Kestrel in flight is this week’s Cornwall Birds Photo of the Week.

Please keep your photographs coming – whether migrants, residents, or moments from your local patch, every image helps build a wonderful weekly record of Cornwall’s birds”.

Congratulations Gavin! As a regular contributor it good to see you’ve picked up your first POTW this year.

A record 161 young Choughs have fledged from nests around the Kernow coastline this summer – 32 more than the previous best of 129, set last year.

They were bred by 56 successful pairs, meaning that the average productivity of a Cornish Chough nest is almost three fledglings, suggesting the population is in robust health.

That wasn’t always the case. Choughs died out in Cornwall in the 1970s, their now-familiar ‘chee-ow’ call falling silent until 2001 when three birds, thought to be from Ireland, landed at Lizard Point. Two became the pioneering breeding pair from which today’s success has stemmed.

And the Lizard continues to be a prime breeding ground for Cornish Chough, with 26 chicks, 11 more than last year, emerging from eight nests on the peninsula.

Peter Hall, a National Trust Chough monitoring volunteer on the Lizard, said:

“This is the 11th consecutive season that I have monitored Chough nest sites here on the Lizard. Never did I foresee a time when I would be monitoring five nest sites in my patch, and certainly not having 16 Choughlets fledge from those sites. The past two winters we have been blessed with chatterings in excess of 20 Chough around the Lizard. A far cry from the solitary single pair we had when I started as part of the then nest protection team in 2016. Long may the successful return of this iconic Cornish bird delight myself and others for many years to come”.

Habitat loss was a key driver in the extinction of Choughs in Cornwall. This was turned around by conservationists, farmers and land owners working together to restore grazing on clifftops and coastal fields, to produce the short-cropped turf that allows Choughs easier access to the insects and their larvae that make up their diet.

Lydia Allt, Community, Participation and Volunteering Coordinator, Lizard and Mid-Cornwall National Trust, said:

“This year has been an exceptional one for Choughs on the Lizard and elsewhere in Cornwall. When Choughs returned to the Lizard 25 years ago there were just three birds. Today, thanks to a quarter of a century of conservation work, partnership working and the support of local farmers and land managers, we are seeing record numbers of Chough across the area. The Chough is an iconic species and a powerful symbol of Cornwall’s natural heritage. Their remarkable recovery shows what can be achieved when habitats are restored and protected, giving wildlife the space it needs to thrive. To see so many Choughs successfully breeding and feeding across the Lizard is incredibly encouraging and highlights the importance of continuing to care for this special landscape for future generations.”

It is now four years running that more than 100 Choughlets have been born in Cornwall. Just ten years ago, only 23 fledglings were recorded.

Cornish Chough breeding figures 23-26:
• 2023 – 39 successful pairs, raising 112 young
• 2024 – 42 successful pairs, raising 114 young
• 2025 – 48 successful pairs, raising 129 young
• 2026 – 56 successful pairs, raising 161 young

Not only are the number of fledglings greatly increasing year on year, but their spread from the Lizard is remarkable too. Penwith forms part of a thriving stronghold for Choughs in West Cornwall, where the birds benefit from a rich variety of interconnected habitats stretching across the wider landscape. The return of their distinctive calls is a testament to the dedication of local volunteers, farmers and conservation teams who have worked together over many years to help this iconic species recover.

Choughs are also breeding on the Roseland and in increasing numbers in mid and north Cornwall, which is encouraging as the hope is to see chough eventually recolonise other parts of the country.

Hilary Mitchell and Steve Ashby from Cornwall Birds (CBWPS), said:

“It is hard to believe that the Cornish Chough population is now up to over around 400 birds, and with over 80 pairs on territory in 2026.

Back in 1943 the situation was very different, and papers recently found by Steve Ashby at Trerice (owned by the National Trust) include notes by the famous Cornish birder Lt. Col. B H Ryves stating that ‘Years ago the Tintagel area was its greatest stronghold but this is no longer so. There is, however, some evidence that a pair may have bred lately near Bude. In the main it can be asserted that its range is now limited to the coast between the Gannel and a few miles northward of Port Isaac. I would not venture to say that there are more than three or four breeding pairs in Cornwall, and even these do not all breed every year. Besides them there are probably a dozen or so non-breeding birds.’

We know that the Cornish Choughs clung on near Newquay until the last bird disappeared in 1973. The arrival of three Choughs from Ireland in 2001 on Lizard began the incredibly successful recolonisation that we see today. 2026 has been a fantastic year for Choughs on Lizard in particular, and testament to all the hard work done by volunteers, farmers and landowners across Cornwall that chatterings of Cornish Choughs are now found on much of the Cornish coast.”

Volunteers have been vital to the story of the Choughs’ return to Cornwall, from round-the-clock protection of nests in the early years to the monitoring of more than 70 breeding attempts in 2026.

Andrew Jones, Chough Conservation Officer for the RSPB in Cornwall, said:

“There has been a huge volunteer effort over the past 25 years to protect and monitor Cornwall’s iconic Choughs and we’re grateful to everyone who has played their part in this conservation success story. This year, the RSPB and National Trust have had a team of around 50 dedicated volunteer Chough watchers, covering the coastline from the Roseland all the way round to Bude, monitoring the breeding efforts and reporting back so we could collate these fantastic, record-breaking numbers.”

The next chapter of the Cornish Chough story is in everyone’s hands – if you see Choughs in Cornwall please email your sightings to Cornwall Birds: choughs@cbwps.org.uk. Cornwall Birds are keen to receive all records. Some people have been lucky enough to see Choughs in their gardens so please let them know if you see this happening and what they are eating, so the team can find out how common this behaviour is.

Cornish Chough Conservation Network  – Cornwall Birds (CBWPS), RSPB, National Trust, Natural England

With the countryside looking like autumn is already upon us, a hose-pipe ban, and pools at Walmsley and Maer Lake drying up fast, Jasmina Goodair sits down to review this weeks’ photos.

“It has been really hot weather-wise this week making the photography a challenge. On Monday, the Grey Heron by Caroline Taylor, taken at Warmsley, was a lovely image with it battling its way through an eel. Also, A. Greenaway found a juvenile Puffin at Bossiney with no brightly coloured beak, which is not something we usually see or recognise. T. Culmer found a beautiful Sparrowhawk in St Erth, even though it was a little bit in the shade, but nonetheless it was a lovely image.

Tuesday, David Collins on the Lizard had a Pied Flycatcher. This was a lovely image, in the shadows of the leaves and some would say too busy a photograph, but I thought it perfectly showed it in its environment. Steve Ford was on a Penzance pelagic, and he had a great Wilson’s Storm Petrel, which is a bird that has eluded me until I finally went on a pelagic this week myself and saw one.
Then on Wednesday, there was a charming Reed Warbler at Porth, photographed by Aadil Khan a lovely little image, and the Cattle Egret at Walmsley by John Johnson was another worthy mention.

On Thursday, the Osprey by Nick Watmough, taken at Stithians was a really beautiful image worthy of Photo of the Day. I also loved the great pose of the Greylag by Charlie Davies at Wadebridge. It was just such a “look at me” pose. There was a delightful image of a Whinchat by Steve Wood, taken at Kynance, as was the Kingfisher by Anthony McCloud at Stithians.
Friday brought a great juvenile Robin by Adrian Lea.

Saturday; there were several really good images. The White Stork by Mike Waters at Davidstow, I imagine from the newly released storks from North Cornwall, is a well-worthy mention as is the lovely Cory’s Shearwater by Adrian Lea. Finally, there were great captures on Sunday by Gill Fisher (actually taken at the pelagic from Penzance on Saturday) of the Wilson’s Petrel, a Cory’s Shearwater and a Fulmar. And then Paul Davies gave us a lovely Green Sandpiper from Walmsley.

And so, I had to make a decision: lots of lovely photos. Yes, some very bright light that our photographers had to contend with, but nonetheless we had some really, really good images. Nick Watmough’s Osprey was particularly good, as was Gill Fisher’s Cory’s Shearwater but I think at the end of the week my decision went with the really great capture of a Green Sandpiper in flight by Steve Rogers, taken at Drift. Well done to everyone and keep those images coming in”.

Many thanks Jasmina and congratulations Steve for this weeks winning image.