Back in August one of our trainers relocated to the banks of the Tamar - and issued an invitation for us to visit. We travelled down on the 16th, stopping off at Broadsands where there were reports of a Yellow-browed Warbler in a carpark. We spent some time searching the vegetation around a stream but had no luck. We moved on to a second carpark where the Cirl Buntings were coming down to the seed that is put out, with around 10 present mid afternoon.reported. We spent quite some time scanning the bay and saw Razorbill, Gannet, a single Velvet Scoter, a couple of Black-necked Grebes and several Great Northern Divers. On returning to the stream we had a single Chiff-chaff, female Blackcap, two Firecrest and Water Rail - but still no Yellow-browed.
We arrived with PCD in the early evening and after a good meal and a chance to catch up, we set a time to get up and commence ringing activities at PCD's new location. Two 18m nets were put up in the garden and they began to catch before we had even cleared the area. Over the next four hours we captured and processed 95 birds. They were mainly Blue Tits but there were also Great Tits, Robin, House Sparrow, Blackbird, Dunnock, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Pied Wagtail and a single Marsh Tit.
The afternoon was spent helping to site and put up 10 nest boxes in a local copse by a tributary of the Tamar. After that we had a tour of the immediate area including a walk along the small river running down to the Tamar. We saw the bridge where Dippers may quite likely roost or breed in the spring. but water was in flood and was too muddy to be really suitable for them at the moment. On taking a tour of PCD's 6 acres, we flushed a Woodcock from the stream and CHL also saw a Dipper fly up from a stony area on the small stream, only about a foot wide, but with clear water which was not effected by muddy flood water.
The next day saw loads of Thrushes feeding in the paddocks, but we didn't want to risk running short of A rings, as there were only another string and we needed to ring the next day, so we gave the birds a break and went off birding for the day.
We started off with a drive around Colliford lake, which was pretty empty apart from a Great Northern Diver and some Geese and Teal on the eastern most finger, together with a feral Bar-headed Goose. A Lesser Scaup was on nearby Dorzmary Pool together with four Goldeneye and a large flock of Golden Plover. We headed towards Penzance via the Hayle Estuary where there was nothing exceptional though there was a Water Pipit mixed in with Meadow Pipits, with a couple of Rock Pipits nearby. The remainder of the day was spent looking in the bay at Marazion and Penzance for the Pacific Diver, and alas we never did manage to pick it up, or at least nothing close enough in to say that was the bird, though we had at least four Great Northern and two Black-throated Divers, a couple of Eider and 11 Purple Sandpipers at Jubilee Pool at high tide.
We were up early on the Monday morning and set some nets close to the far side of the paddocks. We also set one net by the garden feeders. We kicked off with a couple of Redwing and had ringed more than 50 birds by 11.00am. There was also the first Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Wren and Goldcrest for the site. PCD invited a lady from the village who is very involved with local conservation work. It was her first experience of being present at a ringing session. We must have impressed her as PCD now has a booking for a local demonstration in the autumn.
Many thanks to PCD, Coral and Ruth for their wonderful hospitality. We look forward to a return visit.
male Cirl Bunting
We arrived with PCD in the early evening and after a good meal and a chance to catch up, we set a time to get up and commence ringing activities at PCD's new location. Two 18m nets were put up in the garden and they began to catch before we had even cleared the area. Over the next four hours we captured and processed 95 birds. They were mainly Blue Tits but there were also Great Tits, Robin, House Sparrow, Blackbird, Dunnock, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Pied Wagtail and a single Marsh Tit.
Marsh Tit and undertail tips
The afternoon was spent helping to site and put up 10 nest boxes in a local copse by a tributary of the Tamar. After that we had a tour of the immediate area including a walk along the small river running down to the Tamar. We saw the bridge where Dippers may quite likely roost or breed in the spring. but water was in flood and was too muddy to be really suitable for them at the moment. On taking a tour of PCD's 6 acres, we flushed a Woodcock from the stream and CHL also saw a Dipper fly up from a stony area on the small stream, only about a foot wide, but with clear water which was not effected by muddy flood water.
The next day saw loads of Thrushes feeding in the paddocks, but we didn't want to risk running short of A rings, as there were only another string and we needed to ring the next day, so we gave the birds a break and went off birding for the day.
We started off with a drive around Colliford lake, which was pretty empty apart from a Great Northern Diver and some Geese and Teal on the eastern most finger, together with a feral Bar-headed Goose. A Lesser Scaup was on nearby Dorzmary Pool together with four Goldeneye and a large flock of Golden Plover. We headed towards Penzance via the Hayle Estuary where there was nothing exceptional though there was a Water Pipit mixed in with Meadow Pipits, with a couple of Rock Pipits nearby. The remainder of the day was spent looking in the bay at Marazion and Penzance for the Pacific Diver, and alas we never did manage to pick it up, or at least nothing close enough in to say that was the bird, though we had at least four Great Northern and two Black-throated Divers, a couple of Eider and 11 Purple Sandpipers at Jubilee Pool at high tide.
Colliford Lake
Hale Estuary
Many thanks to PCD, Coral and Ruth for their wonderful hospitality. We look forward to a return visit.