Report from Roger Lane.

"I started out on the 'Gribben' Road i.e. Menabillt Barton, then, Tregaminion, then Polkerris (nothing, totally parked up could not use the 'scope), then to Par Beach Pool. Briefly then:

Menabilly B. Car-park: Flock c.120 Goldfinch (on set aside fields).
3, Mistle Thrush flew over.

Tregaminion: 1, Kestrel
5+, Pheasant (2 Black)

Par B.Pool: Gulls and B.H.Gulls. Nothing else to see at high tide (3.30pm)
so went through most gulls on pool. Masses of Herr.Gulls (from
Scandinavia? Already in winter plumage, dark heads etc) and
B.H.Gulls galore! Amongst the hordes found :

1 x COMMON Gull (adult, my 1st this autumn)
1 x MED.Gull (an immature, see below)

The Med gull was my 4th this autumn, but SO different. It was in fact a juvenile, moulting into 1st-wint. plumage. Dark, scalloped wings nearly covered by new pale grey back feathers, c. three-quarters into 1st winter plumage. It was preening constantly (to help moult) and occasionally showed the 'bully-boy' behaviour of all Med Gulls by dashing over to peck it's neighbour, for no apparent reason. Would have made excellent photo! "



Thanks for the report Roger.



Now the Mistle Thrush would have been a life tick for me as well as a patch tick...the Common Gull would have been a patch tick.
I wish I had your identification skills especially with the gulls .

Pipit and Wader.

Latin Identification

Rock Pipit .....................Anthus petrosus

Turnstone..................... Arenaria interpres

Scoters at Par

Time was going to be a premium today but I found a small window at 09.00 hours and scarpered off to Par.

No Kingfisher sighted by the hut or on any part of the site.
The first thing to strike me about the PBP was that there was not a single Canada Goose in attendance...most strange. It was going to be a lot easier to scan the pool and try as I could ..the Tufted Duck escaped me. Moorhens a plenty with Coots and a lone Heron on the far bank of the pool was all I saw with the usual Mallards and Gulls.

I decided to have a look for the Jay in the wilderness but as I can only use my sight I saw nothing. Angie locates most birds by sound .unfortunately I cannot.
Walking along the west end river (anybody know the name of it) I again saw the Grey Wagtail but as quick as the yellow flashed by it disappeared into the bank side trees and was not spotted again.
As I tried to re-locate it I disturbed a Little Egret that flew off and perched in a tree further upstream. I took a poor record shot but the distance was too far for my lens to get a good shot.

The Low Tide was at 09.00 hours so most of the rocks were still exposed. I noticed at least fifty Carrion Crows on the shoreline and rocks and two Rock Pipits that kept hopping along the rocks in front of me always at a distance they felt comfortable with. Also feeding around the rock area was twenty plus Turnstones split into two roughly equal groups. The odd Oystercatcher or two mingled with the distance Gulls and perched upon the furthest rocks was two Herons and half a dozen Cormorants. That is the first time I have seen the Herons perched out on the rocks at Par.
The Scoters I saw were way out in the distance when I got back and scoped the sea. Just two black specs alongside each other ..what type they were...I have not got a clue..you would need better eyesight and identifying skills than I have got.

Report from Roger Lane.

"Took my first venture out to Par this afternoon. As you say in your blog, very little about, except Canada Geese! However, there was 1 x Tufted Duck (male) preening and sleeping on PBP. There were also 4 x Jays at Par West (wilderness area) searching for acorns where there are no oaks ! There was also a single Stonechat at Par East Cliff (male), not sure if your's was there or not. Usually a pair at Par West dunes and a pair at Par East cliff.
Best of all was a 'pair' of Common(?) Scoter out in Par Bay (possibly the two from Porthpean last week, since they seldom go around in numbers as small as two!). I put the question mark since there is an outside chance they were Velvet Scoters, so far out I couldn't see detail. But it's SO unlikely I think we can assume Common ! Unless Mark picked them up and knows better !"

Thanks for the report Roger.

The Stonechat was showing very well around the West dunes yesterday afternoon.

Stonechat

Stonechat .........Saxicola torquata

Photographed yesterday at Par

River at Par

The river viewed from Par Beach harbour end.

This is where I saw the Grey Wagtail recently .

Old Crow

Carrion Crow .................Corvus corone corone

All Alone Now.

Oystercatcher ........Haematopus ostralegus

Pinocchio and the Crow

Connection Problem

Just a brief post to say I have had connection problems over the last day or so.....loose wire.
Now I am playing catch up.

Up to my Knees in it.

Turnstone ...........Arenaria interpres

Roger Lane Reports.

"Nothing of note at all until 5pm, when the KINGFISHER flew up and down Par cliffs Eastern stream near the car park ! Back for the winter perhaps? Usually comes about mid-Sept., very wary still, just arrived?"

Thanks for the report Roger.
That is the stuff only a local expert would know.

Sandwich Tern

Mark Whittaker Reports.

Car park to Spit Beach. 09.00-11.00 hours.

1.Robin
2.Blue Tit
3.Carrion Crow
4.Chiffchaff
5.Goldfinch
6.Long Tailed Tit
7.Herring Gull
8.Black Headed Gull
9.Greater Black Backed Gull
10.Magpie
11.Collared Dove
12.Pied Wagtail
13.Greater Spotted Woodpecker (First there for me)
14.Canada Geese
15.Turnstone
16.Oystercatcher (45 on sea wall)
17.Cormorant
18.Sandwich Tern
19.Wren
20.Whimbrel
21.Starling
22.Rock Pipit
23.Wood Pigeon
24.Jackdaw
25.Bar Tailed Godwit
26.Dunlin
27.Ringed Plover

Thanks for the report Mark. The Great Spotted Woodpecker was a great capture.

PBP and Beach.

Uneventful day with nothing new to report. The Pool is full with Canada Geese and Gulls and it is difficult to spot anything else at the moment.

The shoreline provided the usual Oystercatchers, Rock Pipits and Turnstones along with the resident gulls.
It is strange but I seem to see the Rock Pipits or the Pied Wagtails...never both.
Probably my imagination but I will keep an eye on it.

Mark Whittaker reported five Bar-Tailed Godwits at Spit this morning around 09.00 hours.

Bar-Tailed Godwit

Bar-Tailed Godwit ...........Limosa lapponica

Par Beach

Both photographs taken at Par Beach.

Guillemot.

Guillemot .....Uria aalge

The Guillemot was photographed off Spit Beach by Mark Whittaker on the 19th September 2009.

Thanks for the photograph Mark.
Roger Lane thinks it probably swam up from Gull Rock....Nare Head ..where he thinks they still breed.

Mark Whittaker Reports.

Mark had a three hour session at Spit Beach and sent me this list.

Herring Gull (Numerous)
Black Headed Gull (Numerous)
Greater Black Backed Gull (8)
Bar Tailed Godwit (2)
Turnstone (10)
Oystercatcher (20+)
Ringed Plover (2)
Cormorant (2)
Carrion Crow(3)
Robin(3)
Long Tailed Tit (3)
Rock Pipit (4)
Blackbird (1)
Curlew(1)
Little Egret (1)

Thanks for the report Mark and welcome to the Baywatch Blog.

Silver Web

The PBP yielded up nothing unusual and I soon moved down to the rough car park at the end of the road.

All about me in the fine drizzle were these silver webs....unusual but nice to see so many.

Black-Headed Gull

Moving down to the beach I noted the gulls were sheltering under the harbour wall waiting for the tide to go out.

Oystercatchers

A number of Oystercatchers were feeding on the low tide and were soon spooked by a rushing dog. It is very difficult to get close to them ....they seem very nervous and aware.

Juvenile Wood Pigeon

Nothing else was noted except the Turnstones that landed under the harbour wall but were soon off again towards Spit.
Walking along side the river two juvenile Wood Pigeons landed close to the bank . Considering the time I had I am annoyed I have cut part of the tail off.

Watching the Watcher.

Friendly Crow

Carrion Crow ......Corvus corone corone

Pictorial Par

Today's trip to Par .

The bottom left hand photograph shows the multitude of gulls in the distance at low tide. Today I saw more GBB and LBB Gulls than I have on previous visits.
The next one shows them spooked and taken to wing.

Middle left shows Imery's end of Par Beach in the distance with the two flocks of gulls also in the picture.
Far middle right is a view of the harbour after crossing the river .
The last two pictures show the Harbour at Spit and harbour wall covered in green slime.

Common Sandpiper

There was little of note yesterday on PBP and the shorelines. Oystercatchers numbered fifteen ...ten sheltering at the harbour wall the others on the exposed rock with a multitude of gulls.
Walking back along the harbour end river edge stalking a Cormorant..two birds flew past and landed some way upstream. The photograph showed a Grey Wagtail (my first for Par but not the Baywatch site) and a Common Sandpiper which was patch tick number seventy one.

Bird Life at Par.

Turnstone........Arenaria interpres

Great Black-backed Gull ............Larus marinus

Cormorant

Cormorant ........Phalacrocorax carbo

Low tide at Par and the Cormorant was a long way out on the furthest exposed rock from the shore. That was as close as I could get wading in my wellingtons.

Wade in with the Waders at Par

I saw Derek Julian just as he was leaving Par and he kindly showed me his impressive list of what he had seen on the site.
The list is off the top of my head and I am sure there are many omissions . Naturally as a professional he had the number he had seen of each species.
The regulars on the PBP have been omitted but the female Teal is still on the Pool and worth a mention..

Ruff, Knot, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Oystercatchers, Ringed Plovers and Turnstones were all seen at Par Beach during low tide.
GBB Gulls and LBB Gulls were also on view with the more common species.
Sandwich Terns were spotted just offshore.

Unfortunately I missed the Ruff and Knot but saw all the others.

Turnstone at Par

Ringed Plover

Ringed Plover ...........Charadrius hiaticula

Ring Plover (Juveniles)

Ringed Plover ........Charadrius hiaticula

Most of the large flock of Ringed Plovers were scattered around the rocks on the low tide shoreline.

A total of five juveniles were feeding at the top of the high tide mark which is quite a distance away from the others.

Oystercatcher

Oystercatcher .......Haematopus ostralegus

Photographed the harbour wall side of Par Beach. It is the closest I have got to an Oystercatcher and I am happy I can see the eye(s). There is always a channel even at low tide where the river joins the sea ...that is deeper than my wellies.

Roger Lane Reports.

" I too went to Par during the grey afternoon but saw very little on PBP. Except 'resident's : 1 x L.Egret; 2 x G.Herons; 2 x Cormorants. However, I forgot to tell you that there were 4+, TEAL on the Pool YESTERDAY (17thSept).
No interesting Ducks (or Geese) today (18th), so I went on to 'Harbour Car-park', nothing even when walking on the tide line. Was just leaving when flock of 25+ waders flew in !
Today's flock was composed of c.15 Ringed Plover (incl. young); c.10 x Dunlin, which all landed on the beach allowing my count, but one larger wader flew on round to Spit and this was 1 x REDSHANK, scarce at Par (unsuitable sand habitat i.e. no mud) but annual at Spit. Indeed 4 or 5 always wintered in Par Inner Harbour, which is all mud.
Drove on to Porthpean (5pm) and although disappointing for me, with many Shags and a few Cormorants 'only', well offshore there were 2 x COMM. SCOTER ! St.Austell Bay usually has a wintering flock by now and (I believe) still holds record for max. sized flock of 168 !"

Thanks for the report Roger

Flashman.

The Bar-headed Goose trying to impress the ladies.

Weird Goose

John Rance has pointed out that .."The 'weird goose' is a canada x greylag hybrid ."

Thanks for that John.

Moorhen

Moorhen .......Gallinula chloropus

The Widgeon were absent yesterday afternoon and I failed to identify the *weird* Goose that Roger located among the Canada Geese. The Bar-headed Goose was still at the far side of the Pool along with two fishing Cormorants and two Herons. The Little Egrets did not show for me again.

The only thing I did notice was the increase in Moorhen on the PBP and the smaller number of Coots.

Nothing was noted on the high tide shoreline.

Buzzard

Buzzard ...........Buteo buteo

I have been trying to get a half decent shot of a Buzzard and till yesterday have failed. Generally Angie spies one on a post and commands me to stop the car and she is out of it like a greyhound coming out the red box. The same thing happened yesterday but the Buzzard was probably having a rest and gave me ample time to get out and photograph it. ...a few minutes later in the air he/she was being mobbed by thirty plus Corvids. No wonder rests were needed after meals.

Roger Lane Reports.

"Par was not quite empty today, the following all on PBP:

Usual Cormorants(2), G.Herons (2) and L.Egret (1)
At 4pm 5 WIGEON flew in onto pool (migrants) 2males
'Scope detected a Comm.Sandpiper over on the island.
Among the 260+, Canada Geese (!) was 1 x Weird Hybrid

Off the top of my head I would have thought Canada G. crossed with Chinese G. (Ne-Ne?), now I'll look it up and see ! 'Wildfowl' (of the world, Steve Madge) didn't help much since no hybrids shown ! Anyway this one on the pool had the back and neck quite like a Canada G., but the head !!! Great thick yellow/pink bill, large 'bald' (white) face patches (each side), face patch(es) 4 x as big as a Canada G. and oval shape !"

Thanks for the report Roger.

I will try and get a photograph of it if I can find it .

Bar-Tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit .............Limosa lapponica

There was a total of five Bar-tailed Godwit feeding at the waters edge mid afternoon.

Hopefully I have not made an identification error as it is a patch tick.

Weekend Report.

Saturday.

"Only one item to report, but a good 'un. Was on the Polkerris path this afternoon searching for any more Cl.Yellows (NONE), when a flock of Pied Wags landed in the field (next to the one where the hay was turned today, i.e. south of it 'below' Trill Farm). I glimpse of 'something different' and I was lucky enough to pick out a single YELLOW Wagtail.
It may have come to the pond edge later, but then roosts in the reeds while the Pied Wags go into one of the empty harbour drying sheds. "

Sunday .

"Using my 'scope for 5 mins I found the season's first G.C.Grebe, and as I watched it 2 x Common Terns flew west round to Spit, ".

Thanks for the reports Roger.

The G.C. Grebe is hopefully the first of many Divers and Grebes to be seen in the Bay during the coming winter months.

Robin

Robin ..................Erithacus rubecula

Strange as may seem..this is only the second Robin I have photographed at Par.

Low Tide

The photograph was taken standing on Par Beach looking out to sea ....it shows the exposed rocks at low tide.

Friday Report. R. Lane

"Tonight at PBP were the usual: 1 x L. EGRET; 5 x Grey Herons (my max.), the Bar-headed Goose; 2 Cormorants and 12 Rabbits !
This afternoon I saw my 20th butterfly species for Par (this year), and incidentally my first anywhere this year ! This was a single Clouded Yellow, which obligingly alighted on a Hawksbit flower, long enough to see it was a male. It came in with other migrants (Rd.Admirals, more Painted Ladies and a few Small Tortoiseshells.). Also single Peacock and single Comma (residents).
Oh yes, and a single male Stonechat ".

Thanks again for the report Roger.

We seem to have had a few days of good weather which has kick started the Butterflies.
Well done on the Clouded Yellow . I hope you can add another one or two to the list while the weather holds.

Two Cormorants

Cormarant ...........Phalacrocorax carbo

Two Comorants in tandem swimming down the river to the open sea at Par.

More Turnstones.

Turnstone at Par

Turnstone ............Arenaria interpres

The only other record I have of Turnstones was at Spit Beach(Sunday 2nd August 2009) which is the next bay to Par heading West.

A handful were out picking around the rocks at Par yesterday afternoon at low tide.

Bar-Headed Goose.

Bar headed Goose ....................Anser indicus

The Little Egret that Roger Lane saw on Monday evening is now missing or hiding but the Bar-headed Goose is still on Par Beach Pool (PBP) as todays photograph shows. What a striking individual he/she is .

Par Pied Wagtails

Pied Wagtail .............Motacilla alba

One of a number of Wagtails that frequent the beach and shoreline. Very active and forever darting around in what appears a relentless search for food.

Little Egret

Little Egret ...................Egretta garzetta

The Little Egret and the Bar-headed Goose were both photographed at Par Beach Pool (PBP) at an earlier date.

The Goose I suspect is the same one that Roger Lane saw yesterday evening. The Little Egret may be the same one ..it is very difficult to say.

Bar-Headed Goose

Bar-headed Goose...............................Anser indicus

The photograph was taken and kindly submitted by Angela Tonry.

Roger Lane Reports.

Monday Evening.


" Firstly stopping at Charlestown, where there were only 6 Gannets west (one on water offshore), and 3 Shags west to Porthpean.
Then on to Porthpean where there were 10+, Shags, 4+, Cormorants; 2 more Gannets west, a solitary Fulmar flew around the colony ledges (bit late !) and in the flock of BHGulls was my second Mediterranean Gull (ad.wint plumage) for autumn.
Still time to go to Par but very little about, on PBP were a couple of old friends: 1 x Little Egret and 1 x Bar-Headed Goose. Also Swallow numbers must be nearing 100+ (for Pool roost). Light too poor to pick out and Sd.Martins.
Best sighting, I guess, was my third MED.Gull for autumn on Par Beach in BHGull flock, another ad. in wint. plumage. Also in the Bay were 2 x Sand.Terns and LBBGulls had suddenly increased from 1 or 2 to 15+ (strong migrants)".

Thanks for the report Roger.

Curlew

Curlew ......Numenius arquata

Things are a little quiet on the Baywatch front so I thought I would have a look at another bird (The Curlew) that is missing from the site list. Hopefully we should have a visit or two before the year is out. The smaller Whimbrel has been seen on a few occasions at Spit Beach.

No Goose

Called at Par in the evening but once again nothing to report bar the usual residents. The tide was in and the shoreline was devoid of birds. A few gulls were bobbing on the waves but nothing else showed. The Brent Goose that Roger saw yesterday was not seen but it could have been at Spit out of sight. As Angie's fingers were continuing to play up we decided to call it a night and head home rather than walk down to Spit.

Jackdaw

Jackdaw ............................Corvus monedula

Corvids are one of my favourite species and a challenge to get a great photograph.

Brent Goose?

New email from Roger Lane...
"All I wanted to say, if you've not been down is that there is a solitary BRENT Goose in the Bay (Harbour Rocks), and at least a couple of Sand Martins with a couple of doz. Swallows over the Pond.
Could not see if Brent Goose was dark-bellied or pale-bellied form (against light), could be either at this date ".

Unfortunately we gave it a miss this evening with friends calling in. If anyone can confirm which of the two is in the Harbour I would be glad to hear from you.

Thanks Roger for the information.

Rock Pipit

Rock Pipit ...................Anthus petrosus

Most days the Rock Pipits can be seen at the far dock end of the sands searching the debris and rocks.

Waders.

A selection of waders that we hope will be seen on the Baywatch site over the coming months.

Turnstone . Dunlin