Around the Bay

Report:  Derek Julian
Male Ring Neck Duck still at Par beach pool
Female Goosander at St Andrews Pool, Par.

Thanks for the report Derek. A

Around the Bay

Report.  Derek Julian

Ring Neck Duck still at Par Pool today.


Thanks for the report Derek.  A

Great Northern Diver

Report and photograph. Nigel Climpson

Sadly not a Pacific Diver but a Great Northen inside Par Harbour this morning.

Nigel

Nice photograph Nigel.

Around the Bay

Report. Derek Julian

A quick look around St Austell today, highlights below;

Off Porthpean this afternoon, 7 Black-throated Diver, 1 Great Northern Diver, 4 Wigeon and a single Kittiwake.

No sign of the Little Gull at Par Beach Pool just after lunch, (but can be very elusive). Species included 153 Canada Goose, 17 Mute Swan, 34 Coot, 24 Moorhen, 5 Tufted Duck and a Common Gull.

At St Andrews Pool, Par 4 Siskin and a Chiffchaff were of note.

Best wishes and seasons greetings,

Thank you for the report Derek.

Hope you had a good Christmas. Happy New Year to you, Sam and Ben.

Porthpean

Report. Mark Whittaker


Porthpean 11am-12pm 

Went down to Porthpean after seeing Rob Davey's report of possible "Pacific Diver" from Charlestown. Couldn't get parking at Charlestown due to boxing day swim .. MAD !! Diver definatly showing characteristics of Pacific diver although distant. 9 Black throated Diver, 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Med Gull and good numbers of Fulmar, Gannet & Shag. Also the Bittern was present at Par Beach Pool yesterday.

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas .. sadly I didn't get Kelly Brook in my stocking !


Thank you for the report Mark.
Pity about Kelly.

Christmas Message

St Austell Baywatch would like to wish all friends, contributors and followers of the Blog ...
A very Happy Christmas and a Mega New Year.
Thank you all for your support.

Turnstones

Report and photographs. Andy Cross


Took these photos on Tuesday afternoon of Turnstones out on the shoreline good job i had my wellies on        Not a lot about at the moment and the weather is not very good        Happy Christmas and a happy new year to you all.


Thank you for the report and photographs Andy. A Merry Christmas to you and the family.

Photographs. Nigel Climpson

Black Redstarts

Report and photographs.  Nigel Climpson

A couple of images on Christmas Eve. How different from last year. The first is a Grey Heron striking a dramatic pose on Par Beach against the sun. And then around at Spit on the rock pile by the harbour wall there were three, possibly four (they move so fast) female Black Redstarts. Also present was  a male Stonechat, a wren, and some Redwing.

You can follow my blog at http://parexcellent.blogspot.com.

Merry Christmas to you all

Thank you Nigel. A Happy Christmas to you and your family

Yellow Legged Gull

Report. Phil Barlow

Sorry this report is a day late( computer prob). 1st winter yellow legged gull in with herring gulls yesterday about half ten. Possibly same gull seen a few weeks ago?

Thank you for the report Phil.

Has anyone taken a photograph of it?

Menabilly and Gribben Head

Report .Mark Whittaker

1 "Ringtail" Hen Harrier
4 Peregrine
1 Merlin
2 Buzzard
10+ Siskin
1 Firecrest
1 Brambling
2 Stonechat
8 Redwing
2 Fieldfare
1 Swallow
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Jay
1 Raven
4 "Melanistic" Pheasant

Loads of other common bits and bobs like Skylark, Linnet, Goldfinch and various tit species

A very similar report to John's. Does seem a lot of activity around Menabilly at the moment.

Thank you for the report Mark.

Menabilly Barton

Report. John Rance. Sunday 16th October

A few highlights from around Menabilly Barton early this morning:

1 ‘ringtail’ Hen Harrier ( overhead, being mobbed by 3 Carrion Crows)

2 Brambling

25+ Redwing

3 Fieldfare

10+ Siskin

1 Wheatear

Tens of Skylarks, Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails

Also Linnet , Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Blackbird, Robin, Kestrel, Blue, Coal and Great Tits, Woodpigeon, Herring Gulls and a single Swallow.

A nice collection from Menabilly Barton. The Redwing, Fieldfare and Brambling are the first reported to the Blog this Autumn. 

Thank you for the report...a good day by all accounts.

Herons

Photograph and report. A. Carey. Tuesday 27th September 2011

Good to see you out and about today, despite the lack of birds.

I saw 5 speckled wood and 1 red admiral butterfly, Roger's Shelduck was still on the pool, and two of the four herons that flew in had a right go at each other!! 

Nice capture that Andy.

Just for the record ...The Pool and shoreline were dismal to say the least with nothing worth recording. I did manage to see a Kingfisher 3 times as it moved around way out of camera range upstream by the bridge close to Imerys  private road.

G.S. Woodpecker

Report .R.Lane Sunday 25th September 2011.

A brief visit to Par about 4pm today gave the following results:

 

             Par Pool is still being filled with equinox tides which will go on for several more days. The only bird addition was 1 x Shelduck.

             Moving on to the 'Wilderness' I heard, and briefly saw, a G.S.Woodpecker, possibly an immature, in the Pine trees.

             The Bay was noisy with Sandwich Terns, a youngster calling and being fed on the strand-line, though I could see only up to six adults. Amongst many feeding B.H.Gulls was at least 1 x adult MED.GULL

Nice one in the Wilderness Roger.

Tree Pipit at St Blazey

Report. Danny the Pirate.


Yes the first of Andy's photos is of a juvenile Knot with the pale fringes to the feathers on the back. The second photo is of a Juvenile Dunlin with a few grey winter feathers appearing on the back. I've had a few Yellow Wagtails and a Tree Pipit over St Blazey in the last Week.
Cheers

Thank you for the confirmation Danny. I am still waiting to see a Tree Pipit.

Waders at Par

Report and Photograph Andy Cross


Please could identify these two waders  both were on Par beach pond but not at the same time nice to be able to get close to take some nice photos i am never sure on the species of several birds but learning all the time andy cross

Spit Waders.

Report. Phil Ouless


I wandered down to Spit Beach at about high water this afternoon. On and around the harbour wall were 32 Oystercatchers, 3 Grey Herons, 3 Little Egrets, 2 Curlews, 2 Common Sandpipers & 2 Wheatears. The rocks just west of the beach held 15 Turnstones & 8 Ringed Plovers.

Thank you for the report Phil. Spit definitely had the luck of the draw today.

Wheatear

Report and Photograph. Nigel Climpson

On Spit Beach this afternoon two Wheatear and four Sandwich Terns.


Nice one Nigel.

Scaup?

Report and Photograph. A.Carey 17th August 2011

Popped down to Par Beach Pool when the sun came out and grabbed a couple of pics of Roger's indeterminate duck! For what it's worth I'd say it's an immature female Scaup, from the markings, which extend under the chin, unlike the female tuftie, which in my experience tends to stop at the bill. Whilst Roger and I were watching this bird from the car park, a kingfisher flew over the bushes behind us, and at speed across the lake, and over the island.

Attached a piccy of the duck, let me know what you think.

Thank you for photograph and report Andrew. 

Scaup-Faced Tufted Duck?

Report. R.Lane. 16th August 2011

Another short visit to Par this afternoon showed that the 'Tufted Duck' (of 15th) was still present. But the female bird may be a Scaup ! At this early season it is more likely to be a 'scaup-faced' Tufted Duck. I should be glad if someone else with better optics should take a look at the facial pattern. Something about the rapidity of diving (scaup-like?) suggests scaup too, yet the apparently pointed head again suggests 'scaup-faced' Tufted Duck! Should have gone to Spec-Savers I guess !

             Meanwhile on the pond the Moorhen is down to 1 chick now. Despite 40+, BHGulls there was NO med.gull today(4pm). The Bay was empty apart from c.30 large gulls, and just 6 x 'B.H.Gulls', except that 1 of the 6, was an ad. MED.GULL, probably the one seen on 14thAug.. It was mid-tide and any sand.terns would probably have come in later with the tide.

I hope someone can supply you with the information Roger.