Cornwall Birds’ bird-news page is enhanced with some brilliant photos, contributions from photographers around the county. This week Adrian Langdon comments and pick’s his favourite images…

‘The heatwave that settled across Cornwall and much of England during the week appeared to have an impact on both birds and birders alike, with fewer photographs being submitted than usual. Nevertheless, there were still some excellent images uploaded, and one of the week’s highlights was a notable influx of Red Kites into the county, the second such arrival of the year. Several photographers managed to take advantage of the spectacle, producing some very good images of this increasingly familiar raptor.

Monday proved to be the busiest day of the week. Stephen Wood submitted a particularly good Red Kite photograph taken at Gwenter, while Adrian Lea and Aadil Khan both produced fine images of Whitethroats. Dougie Wright enjoyed a lucky encounter at Windmill Farm when a Honey Buzzard passed overhead. Although the photograph suffered slightly from a lack of sharpness around the head, this was almost certainly the result of the heat haze that challenged many photographers during the exceptionally warm conditions.

Gill Fisher added another excellent Red Kite image from Truro, while Martin Webb produced a fine photograph of a Linnet at Marazion Marsh. Ian Sowerby appeared to be exploring the coastline between Gerrans and Falmouth and came back with some attractive images of Oystercatchers at Castle Point. Aadil Khan continued his productive week with a superb Tree Pipit photographed at Croft Pascoe on the Lizard.

Martin Webb was also responsible for another standout image, capturing a Little Egret at Hayle Estuary with a small prey item being tossed in its bill, an excellent behavioural shot that caught the eye.

Thursday was one of those rare days when no bird photographs appeared on the sightings page. Instead, two impressive dragonfly images were submitted by Tony Mills, featuring a Red-veined Darter and a Black-tailed Skimmer from Drift Reservoir and Bosathnoe Reservoir respectively, providing a welcome reminder of the other wildlife thriving during the warm weather.

Friday produced only two photographs, both from Martin Webb at Marazion Marsh. A cracking male Linnet was the pick of the pair, accompanied by another pleasing image of a Little Egret.

On Saturday, Gavin Webb submitted a lovely photograph of a Whitethroat carrying food in its bill along the coast path between Park Head and Bedruthan. The image clearly suggested a bird making a feeding visit to nearby young and provided another excellent behavioural record.

Sunday rounded off the week with J. Johnson photographing birds at Respryn near Bodmin. His images included a Spotted Flycatcher and a Nuthatch feeding a youngster, both capturing the busy family life that is now becoming evident across the county as the breeding season progresses. Adrian Lea added two fine close-up photographs of a Willow Warbler carrying food in its bill, another excellent indication of breeding activity, while Steve Cox produced a fine image of a Great Egret to round off the week’s submissions.

After much consideration, I finally chose the amazing close-up portrait of a Red Kite taken near Truro by Gill Fisher as this week’s Photo of the Week. The image combined excellent detail, composition and timing, and really stood out among a strong selection of photographs. Congratulations, Gill!

Although the number of submissions was lower than usual, largely due to the exceptional weather conditions, there was still plenty of quality on show. The influx of Red Kites provided a particular highlight, while the various breeding behaviours captured by members added an extra dimension to the week’s photography.

Thank you to everyone who contributed this week. Please keep your photographs coming—whether migrants, breeding birds, resident species, or memorable moments from your local patch, every image helps build a rich and valuable weekly record for all to enjoy”.

Many thanks Adrian for a comprehensive round-up and congratulations Gill, a worthy winner.