Bitterns

Photograph and report. Richard Ford. Kindly sent in by Nigel Climpson. Sunday 30th January 2011

Hi Trevor
Richard Ford sent me the below message and picture yesterday evening. It obviously relates to Sunday afternoon. Sadly I only picked the mail up today.


I was at Par Beach Pool between 14-16:00 today and saw the following:
2 Scaup (1 male, 1 female)
1 Water Rail
5 Bar Headed Geese
1 Grey Heron
16 Snipe
1 Jack Snipe
1 Bar Tailed Godwit
17 Oystercatcher over
1 Bullfinch over

And the 2 Bitterns are back, and after a bit of squabbling they ended up within a metre of each other for 20+ minutes – possibly pairing...?

Cheers
Nigel

Thank you Nigel for sending them in.

That is a great photograph of a pair of Bitterns ..Richard. You must be well pleased with that.

The lone Jack Snipe is also a great sighting.....I have yet to see one.

Iced up Par.

Report. R.Lane. 31st January 2011

A brief visit to Par this afternoon showed a 80% iced-over Pool with limited numbers of wildfowl. On the Pool were: 4 x Bar-headed Geese; 3 x Shoveler (fems); 2 x Scaup; 1+, Gadwall and 10+, Teal.
On the Bay were: 18+, G.C.Grebes; 2 +, Eider Duck (fems) and, unusually, a small flock of 5 x Goosanders (fems) preening just offshore. In the Dunes were 2 x Stonechats(pr) and 10+, Goldfinch.
On the way out 50+ Redwings were seen feeding on the Par football pitch.

Thank you for the report Roger.
I had a quick visit to the Manoa Valley at midday. I was too well wrapped up as it was a very pleasant wind free walk and I was sweating in the Davy Crockett on the way back.
Nearly all of the trees alongside the river have been cut down leaving it rather barren looking. The water was high and coloured and I could not find a Dipper at first so I continued walking till I came to the Holiday Park.
A pair of Dippers were just a few yards downstream of the bridge and I think they were collecting nesting material. On the way back I did see another Dipper a long way from the other two so I suppose that makes three.
A pair of Grey Wagtails were also performing a courting ritual darting back and forth chasing each other.
Close to the recently ploughed field I spotted a Male and female Bullfinch to round off a good day of pairs.

Summary.
Dippers 3
Grey Wagtail 2
Song Thrush 2
Bullfinch 2
Wren 2
Robin 2
Long-tailed Tit 2
Goldcrest 1.

The only negative to the days walk was....I had knocked a setting on my camera turning off the image stabilizer . What should have been one of my best ever shooting days turned into an average photographic wise.

Following the Plough

Pied Wagtail .....Motacilla alba yarrellii

Meadow Pipit .....Anthus pratensis

Both images have been heavily cropped.

Pochards at PBP

No sign of the Bittern at 0930 hrs.
The only things worth recording at the PBP:
Pochards x4, Snipe, Shoveler x2, Cormorants x2 and Buzzard over.

Redwings x4 were at the entrance close to the Indian Restaurant also a female Bullfinch in the trees by the Hut.

On the way to Menabilly I saw Buzzard x2.
The Barton car park had a chain across and I wonder If anyone knows why.

A very brief visit to the Manoa Valley.
A farmer was ploughing the field and the Gulls were following close behind keeping him company. Also interested in the proceeding were a couple of Buzzards who kept sending the gulls up and then flying back to perch in the trees.
Meadow Pipits, Dunnocks and Pied Wagtails were also in the field helping themselves to the freebies that had been churned up.

Count at Par

Report. M.Whittaker. 26th January 2011

Did a rough head count of the species on the pool and beach today :

Par Beach Pool : Mute Swan (20), Coot (including the colour ringed bird 76), Moorhen (19), Black Headed Gull (31), Canada Goose (102), Herring Gull (87), Mallard (17), Cormorant (1), Pied Wagtail (2), Snipe (9), Scaup (2), Shoveler (4 Female)

Dunes/Strand line : Pied Wagtail (17) , Turnstones (7) and Female Kestrel

Shoreline : Black Headed Gull (327), Lesser Black Backed Gull (4) Herring Gull (51 including birds on Kilyvarder rock), Common Gull (24) and 20 Great Crested Grebe in the bay towards Polkerris.

Thanks Mark.
I hope to be down tomorrow around 0930 hrs.

Par Report

Report.M.Whittaker. 25th January 2011

Had a hour this afternoon despite the horrible weather and got 5 minutes between the showers to scope the pool and saw the following :Little Grebe (2), Gadwall (Pair), Scaup (Pair), Shoveler (2 Female), Tufted Duck (4 Male & 9 Female), Teal (7 Female 2 Male) and 7 Male Pochard. No sign of the Bittern but I was alot later going down and if it was there, it was probably active mid-day ish. Didn't scope the sea due to the constant rain.

Not a bad haul for a hours scoping at PBP

PBP. Sunday

Par Beach Pool on Sunday – 23rd January 2011

3 Shoveler, 4 Tufted Duck, 2 Scaup M&F, 5 Bar Headed Goose, 1 Barnacle Goose, 18 Snipe, 1 Cormorant, 1 Buzzard, 1 Little Grebe, Bittern (2 seen in the morning having a scuffle - M Whittaker and 1 seen in the afternoon), mixed flock of Goldfinch and Linnet late afternoon. The ringed Coot was still there.

A Brief View

At long last we managed to get down to the Pool...and boy was it cold standing out in the open for long periods of time.
We managed to catch up with some old faces and a few new ones during our stay.
Derek and Sam Julian, Nigel Climpson and his wife, Mark Whittaker and late arrival R.Lane all managed to keep us company and impart valuable knowledge which we thank them for.
Roger kindly presented Angie and myself with a very good book on Butterflies in the hope I suspect to get us into form two by the end of the season. Thank you Roger we appreciate it very much.
Mark Whittaker has been sending in regular reports on the Bittern over the last two weeks and I am sure most of the new faces with bins, cameras and scopes were all hoping for a sighting.
The bird did make a brief appearance during the time we were there (1400-1700 hrs) but unfortunately it was not a photographic opportunity.
Thanks to Mark for keeping us updated on the bird.

Peacock Butterfly

Report. R.Lane. 23rd January 2011

Regarding Butterflies on the patch. This morning I drew a blank at Trenarren and Pentewan, due to the bitter NE wind. Gave up and came home for lunch (Holmbush, N). Happened to glance out of the window (2.15pm) only to see a PEACOCK butterfly come over the hedge and head toward our garden shed, presumably looking for a place to roost after a morning out ! The 3 species in January is unusual.

Well done Roger. Is another one possible this early in the year?

Par Beach Pool

Report M.Whittaker.22nd January 2010

Bittern showed briefly around 1ish at the back right of the pool. Scaup pair still present, 3 Female Shoveler, 1 Male Gadwall, 1 Male Wigeon, 20ish Snipe and late afternoon 1 Med Gull with the Black Headed giving them quite a hard time.

I hope the Bittern is still showing when I get down tomorrow.

Comma at Trenarren

Report. R.Lane. 21st January 2011

On Thurs.20thJan., in addition to another single Red Admiral at Trenarren, I had a single COMMA (which is very rare this early, 9degsC). Hence 1 x COMMA, Trenarren, 20thJan.2011, 1st for year.

Today (21stJan) at Trenarren,, I was treated to a fine display of up to 15 x Ravens in courtship flights (they nest in Jan/Feb); flying upside down and 'side-slipping', also a new one to me, one of a pair would 'dive-bomb' the field below, pulling out of dive at the very last minute !

Later, on 21stJan, I met Andy, Mark and others at Par Pool where several new ducks were seen and confirmed by Mark and Andy. Namely: 8 x Shoveler; 10 x Tufted Ducks; 2 x Scaup (pr); 2 x Gadwall and 1 x Wigeon (MW). The Bittern had been showing well earlier, apparently. In Par Bay there were 20+ G.C.Grebes.

Butterfly list is kicking off early Roger. Well done

Par Beach Pool

Report PBP. M.Whittaker. 21st January 2011

Bittern showing well .. Snipe (29), Pair of Scaup, Male Wigeon, Pair Of Gadwall, 8 Shoveler (7f & 1m) and Mallard x Pintail hybrid thats normally on St.Andrews.

Thanks for the report Mark.

Report from Five Sites

Report M.Whittaker. 20th January 2011
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Porthpean : Black Throated Diver (6), Razorbill (4), Fulmar (11), Great Crested Grebe (3), 2 Flocks of Common Scoter (21) & (11)

Charlestown : Red Necked Grebe (1), Black Throated Diver (5), Fulmar (7), Great Northern Diver (1)

Carlyon Bay : Black Throated Diver (5), Fulmar (13), Gannet (3), Slavonian Grebe (7), Razorbill (17), Great Northern Diver (2)

Spit Beach : Eider (8 - Immature Male & 7 Female), Razorbill (9), Black Throated Diver (1), Great Crested Grebe (20)

Par Beach Pool - Gadwall (Male & Female), Wigeon (1 Male), Shoveler (3 Female), Snipe (14), Scaup (Male & Female), Bittern showing well and at one point sitting in a tree at the back of the pool. Another different bird (A Carey) showing earlier as well.

Looks like you have been on the move today Mark. Well done.

Scaup

Photograph and report. A.Carey 19th January 2011

Hi guys, hope you made it back from Wolverhampton in one piece!!?

It has been fairly quiet down at the Par Beach Pool, guess the birds must have been missing you. Highlights include the pair of scaup coming in to clean and preen, and they spent much of today there, a photo of the young male bird attached, and Ian Prophet's probable Siberian Chiffchaff yesterday.

30+ curlews flew over yesterday late afternoon, as did a presumed escaped budgie or canary (not sure which, but it was very yellow!!)

The bittern showed this afternoon in the reeds beyond the causeway.

Thanks Andrew.
Yes we are back in sunny Cornwall. It seems as if it has been quiet while we have been away.

Grey Heron

Grey Heron .......Ardea cinerea

Photographed at PBP 2010.

Westerly Wind

Report. R.Lane. 14th January 2011

Around the Bay once again. Nothing exciting at Porthpean but 1,000s of gulls sheltering from the stiff westerly wind, together with 30+, resident Fulmars and 10+ diving Gannets (and one probable Kittewake)
The 1,000s of gulls were made up of double figures of GBBGs; LBBGs; and Comm.Gulls; triple figures of BHGulls and Herr.Gulls, more gulls were flying in from the east. Despite checking 100s of BHGulls not one Med Gull could be found !
Drove on to Charlestown where gulls were all flying west toward the shelter of the Porthpean cliffs. Very few diving birds could be seen (due to SUN on the water), with the exception of 2 x GNDivers and 1 x Slav.Grebe.
On to Par Pool where I met Andy and Mark, and heard about today's limited Pool sightings. I went on up to overlook Par Bay where 'everything' was feeding in the shelter of the harbour wall: hundreds of gulls naturally, but also 3 x Brent Geese and 2 x Wigeon. Other birds were waders: Oystercatchers; Turnstones also 2 x Bar-T-Godwits and several Dunlin, presumably from the inner harbour.

That must have tested your gull skills looking through that lot.

Site Message

Sadly, a relative of Angie’s is terminally ill, so unfortunately, we will not be around for a few days as we have to travel up Country. Please continue to send in your reports and we will endeavor to post them as soon as possible.

Latest Bittern Photograph.

Report and Photograph. M.Whittaker. 13th January 2011

9 Oystercatcher and flock of 200+ Jackdaw over, 2 Female Shoveler, 3 x Greater Black Backed Gull, 1 Lesser Blacked Backed Gull, 6 Tufted Duck (5 Male + 1 Female) on the pool, 1 x Cetti's Warbler finally confirmed and Bittern showing very well .

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Well done Mark with both the Bittern and Cetti's Warbler.

Gulls

Report. M. Whittaker.12 January 2011

Large amount of gulls on the pool with 7 x Greater Black Backed and 5 x Lesser Blacked Backed. A further 4 Greater Black Backed on the shoreline. 5 x Bar Tailed Godwit on the beach. Kingfisher present on the Western River and 9 x Goosander over making there way towards Spit. At least 2 x Bittern present on the pool between 1pm - 3pm.

I hope the Bitterns are friendly to each other and not going to start a patch fight.

Seabirds.

Report. R. Lane. 11th January 2011

Just a basic 'Round the Bay' today. Porthpean first where there were: 10+, Gannets; 40+, Fulmars; 4 x Razorbills; 15+, Comm.Scoter; 4 x G.N.Divers; 2 x B.T.Divers and 2 x Slavonian Grebes.
On to Charlestown where there were 10+, Razorbills, 1+, Guillemot; 2 x G.N.Divers and 3 x B.T.Divers; 2 x G.C.Grebes and 1 x Slavonian Grebe.
Only other stop was Par Pool where I met Marilyn; Mark, Andrew and several local birders. Not much on the Pool except c.12 x Snipe; 3 x Tufted Duck and several people reported the Bittern. I went up to overlook the Bay and there were only 12+, G.C.Grebes.

A nice list of seabirds Roger....5 year ticks in that bunch for me.