Cornwall Birds Photo of the week w/e Sun 12th Jan 2025.

Adrian Langdon reviews this weeks pictures and has chosen a worthy winner
“Wow what a selection of great bird photographs. A brief look at the ‘sightings’ page and I knew I was going to struggle picking a winner.
Robin Chiffers’ Little Grebe with its own reflection was Monday’s favourite whilst on Tuesday the 2 Glossy Ibis from Bude by Nigel Bastin was a super image.
Scaup, Long-tailed Tit and Stonechat were good quality courtesy of John St.Ledger, Adrian Lea and Martin Webb. But my leader in the poll by Tuesday was the Rock Pipit in flight by Jonathan Warner.
A whole set of images by Gerry Gillard on Wednesday of a Cormorant with a Garfish were first class but I felt a little lightening of the shadows on the cormorant would have turned them into stunners!
I particularly liked the Marsh Harrier by Gill Fisher and the Black Redstart with the light on the tail feathers by Rebecca Bowyer on Thursday’s page.
Friday brought more top images with Adrian Lea’s Buzzard in the rain and Steve Guscott’s Glossy Ibis.
Martin Webb’s Drake Shoveler achieved Photo of the day and rightly so, a knock-out picture.
I love John Rowe’s photos of the Little Egret from Newquay Boating Lake, they exude quality. Also in the running was Paul Davies’ Spoonbill and Goldcrest at Walmsley which held some significance for me. The smaller birds also produced great studies with a Lesser Redpoll by Paul Howrihane and a Firecrest by Deena Sharp.

But in the end I had to give the Bird Photo of the Week to Richard Augarde with his photo of the star bird of 2025 so far, the Booted Eagle.
Having watched the eagle today from quite a distance I realise how thrilled I would have been to have captured that photograph. I can also recommend the video clip on Sunday’s page of the Booted Eagle by John Chapple. Watching the eagle try to land on the top of a conifer in the wind was a joy!

Well done to Richard for a top photo.”

Adrian Langdon.