The Newsletter of The Cornwall Bird Watching and Preservation Society No 39 - Spring 2011

CONTENTS Chairman’s chat - p3 Bird Report - p4-5 Reserves - p6-8 White-winged Tern plus - What to see - p9 Where to go - p10 Urban Gulls - p11 Shearwaters - p12 Field Meetings - p14 AGM notice - p16

The renowned ornithologist and author Ian Wallace (pictured on one of his books, right) has kindly agreed to give a talk after this year’s AGM on Saturday 7th May. This will be the high point of a Mem-bers’ Day that starts at 10am with a seawatch at the Rumps (meet at Pentire farm) on the north coast near Polzeath, followed by a visit to

New Hon Treasurer needed Tony Jones is stepping down and so the society needs a new Treasurer. Could you do it? You do not need to be an accountant nor is it overly onerous - thanks to Tony’s great improvements to our systems. For a no-strings chat, call Tony or Derek Julian.

The British Library has just published a new CD of the best of British birdsong (see right). The BL has already produced a vari-ety of quality CDs cataloguing birdsong. To order the new CD and see the rest of the range, see the website. To win a free copy of the new CD, please email or SMS the editor (details p 2) with one word that in your view best de-scribes the song of the Blackbird. The edi-tor’s decision as to the winning entry will be final. The winner’s name will appear in the summer Palores. Go on—have a go!

Have you ever thought that you could help the Society and speed up the production of our annual “Birds in Cornwall” reports, if only you knew how to? Helping to write the reports may be easier than you thought. After the success of the recent Map-mate Training Day, we are planning to hold a Report Writing Day. This will take place on Saturday 14th May 2011, at 10.30am at The Victoria Inn, near Roche. If you are interested please contact Derek Julian (01208 816779) to book as places will be limited.

The 2010 online ringing report has recently been released by the BTO, which includes a breakdown by county. The national total topped 1m birds for the first time ever, and the Cornish total of 7,231 is also possibly the highest ever. Cornwall ringed more Green Sandpi-pers than any other county, and was in the top five counties for Peregrine, Great Black-backed Gull, Yellow-browed Warbler and Firecrest. The online report also lists plenty of interesting recoveries, and the most nota-ble Cornish ones include: *Swedish-ringed Kestrel killed by a train in Saltash in October *Robin ringed in Cumbria (in July) found dead in a building in Gwithian in December *Finnish-ringed Redwing found long dead in Penzance in March *Blackcap from Nanjizal found dead in France in May *Firecrest ringed on Lundy (Sept 2009) found long dead in December *Swedish-ringed Chaffinch found dead in Bodmin in February *Chaffinch ringed in Shrewsbury (Jan) hit glass (but survived) near Townsend in Oct. ht tp: / /b lx1 .b to .o rg / r ing / countyrec /results2010/recGBCO2010.htm

When you read this all of the Redwings and Fieldfares in Cornwall will have travelled north to breed and the Winter Thrush Survey will have ended. Although as I write (19th March) there are still Redwings and Field-fares being recorded. In fact since the weather warmed up in February sightings of both species have increased markedly, so the survey is still very much up and running! So has the survey been a success? A great number of people contributed and some really interesting counts and behaviour were noted for both species. Furthermore an efficient system has been set in place that can be used for other CBWPS surveys in the future. The submission of records via the CBWPS website has been a revelation and will definitely be used again. A review of the whole Winter Thrush Survey will be pub-lished at a later date. Finally I would like to thank every-one who contributed to the survey and I really hope you enjoyed taking part in it too.

Bob Bosisto

Thrush survey update

BTO ringing report

Learn how to write reports for CBWPS

Birdsong on new CD

New CBWPS logo coming Our Chough logo is being refurbished! A new look will be unveiled at the AGM...

Diary dates for our anniversary year

Members’ Day & AGM - Sat 7th May Art Exhibition - 24th Jul - 6th Aug CBWPS/BTO Conference - Sat 29th Oct

Ian Wallace to speak at Member Day and AGM

the society’s reserve at Walmsley Sanctu-ary at 3pm. Ian has said he would like to join the field excursions too. It promises to be a fantastic day and all members are as usual welcome to attend all or part of the day. Details of the AGM can be found on the back page of this issue of Palores, including the names of nominees for hon-orary membership of the society. See also www.cbwps.org.uk.

Goosander (Sam Williams); Red-breasted Merganser (Matt Sallis)

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I pity people who live in cities most at this time of year. They don’t really feel the arrival of spring.

In Cornwall, every day in March and April brings a new sign of the reawak-ening of life. The sun finally reminds us it has some heat in it, and the days start to stretch quickly: quite suddenly we have light evenings again. This year the spring flowers are late, thanks to the perishing cold of December, so primroses, daffodils, and violets are only just out.

For bird lovers, spring is a season of excitement as familiar friends begin to reappear: Sand Martins are the first hirundi-nes to return, and the Chiffchaff one of the earliest warblers to grace our county with summer song. The Wheatear, pass-ing through, is seen - dapper and alert - around our coasts. Even the commonest birds remind us of the change in sea-son as the Blackbird heralds us once more with his majestic voice. Even if you aren’t a fanatical birder, why not sample one of the headlands mentioned by Pete Roseveare on page 10? Anything can and quite possibly will turn up at this time of year and they are wonderful places to walk on a good

day. Or you may be lucky and spot one of the occasional Red Kites that Bob Bo-sisto talks about on page 9. Don’t for a second assume that our Field Meetings are full of experts mak-ing you feel ignorant! Try one of the excellent bird walks on pages 14/15 and you cannot fail to feel welcome, whether it’s your first or hundredth outing. SM

Committee and Officers

President: Steve Madge Seawinds, Lower Trerive, Downderry, Torpoint,

PL11 3LZ (01503 250432)

Chairman: Derek Julian 12, Dunveth Road, Wadebridge,PL27 7XD. (01208 816779) chairman@cbwps.org.uk

Vice Chairman: Bruce Taggart

Primrose Bank, Radford Lane, Millbrook, PL10 1AH (01752 829163) vice-chairman@cbwps.org.uk

Honorary Secretary: Tony Bertenshaw Hantergantick, St. Breward, PL30 4NH

(01208 850419) secretary@cbwps.org.uk

Hon Treasurer: Tony Jones “Lansdowne”, Southdown Road, Millbrook, Torpoint PL10 1EJ (01752 822694) treasurer@cbwps.org.uk

Conservation Officer: Tony Blunden

Pencairn, Penmenner Road, The Lizard, Helston, TR12 7NR. (01326 291064) conservation@cbwps.org.uk

Membership Secretary: Angela Tonry

20 The Copse, Boscoppa, St Austell PL25 3EU (07944 988599) membership@cbwps.org.uk

County Recorder: Darrell Clegg

55 Lower Fore Street, Saltash, PL12 6JQ (01752 844775) recorder@cbwps.org.uk

Editor, Birds in Cornwall: Derek Julian

(details as above)

Editor, Palores: Simon Marquis St Breock Place, Wadebridge, PL27 7JS (07711 883876) palores@cbwps.org.uk

Field Meetings Officer: Gordon Mills

11 Commercial Street, Cambourne, TR14 8JZ (01209 718144) grsd.mills@btconnect.com

Publicity Officer: Peter Crispin

5 Church lea, Launceston, PL15 8QZ (01566 773455) publicity@cbwps.org.uk

Committee members:

Bob Bosisto, Stephen Jackson, Dave Parker, Rosemary Parslow, Peter Roseveare

Website administrator: Nigel Climpson webmaster@cbwps.org.uk

Reserve Wardens:

walmsley_warden@cbwps.org.uk Adrian Langdon maer_warden@cbwps.org.uk Graham Sutton windmill_warden@cbwps.org.uk Andy Pay drift_warden@cbwps.org.uk Dave Parker

Loveny - Dave Conway Stithians - Simon Taylor

Honorary Solicitor: Greg Adams

2 Wendron Street, Helston TR13 8PS

Independent Examiner: Mr S.G. Hawkey ACA Whitakers, Bryndon House, 5 Berry Road, Newquay

TR7 1AD (01637-873838)

The Cornwall Bird Watching and Preservation Society

Registered Charity No 255899 The CBWPS was founded in 1931 to encourage the study and preservation of birds in Cornwall. The Society has over 750 members. It owns 3 reserves and manages jointly several others. The Society organises weekly bird watching field trips (some jointly with the RSPB local members group). Palores (its colour newsletter for members) is published quarterly. Every year the Society also publishes its authoritative annual record - Birds in Cornwall - sent to all members. 2011 Subscriptions: Adult £17 Family £21 Senior Citizen £14 Senior Family £16 Subscriptions for 2011 are due by 1st January 2011. Cheques made out to “CBWPS”. For all subscription payments, membership applications and en-quiries please contact: Angela Tonry, Membership Secretary CBWPS, 20 The Copse, Boscoppa, St Austell PL25 3EU or email: membership@cbwps.org.uk Gift Aid saves the Society £1,500 a year. Please pay - if you can - by Gift Aid.

Palores - April 2011

Palores is published four times a year - January, April, July and October. Advertising rates: Full colour page £100, Half page £50. Small ads and notices are free to members: contact the Editor. Design and typesetting by the Editor. Printed by R. Booth Ltd, The Praze, Commercial Road, Penryn, TR10 8AA Distribution by Envelope Supplies, Holsworthy, Devon.

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S pring is here. I am writing this in the middle of March and we have already had more

sunny days during the month than we have had in the last six. Sand Martins and Swallows have both been spotted hawking insects over my house in the last few days and the dawn chorus is already loud enough to wake me. Recent visits to some of our reserves have also shown the first signs of spring with

birds aplenty, some feeding up before their long flights to their breeding grounds, whilst others are actively looking for a mate and defending territories. The reserves as usual are in good shape and are all well used by both people and wildlife. Many rare or scarce species have been noted (see the Bird Report on p4). Whilst thinking about bird news, our sightings page on the website has now been running for over 12 months and is now one of our most used pages. Thanks must go to all who con-tribute their sightings and to Dave Parker for his nightly uploads.

I have to report that the Society’s Hon. Treasurer has de-cided to step down at the AGM because of ill health. Tony Jones has done a fantastic job since taking office two years ago, with a large number of new procedures put in place. The next incumbent will have a hard act to follow but at least the new procedures will allow them to hit the ground running. If you are interested in help-ing to fill this position please call me. After the success of the Mapmate training day, we have decided to hold a Report writing training day, (see p1 for details). Unfortunately, as you all know, we are still behind with Birds in Cornwall and it is felt that if a small dedicated team could be found then it could implement a timed action plan which would see all outstanding reports finalised. As always, the committee are looking for people to help with a number of tasks, so if you think you can help please just give me a ring for an informal chat. I would be very pleased to hear from you. Stop Press: The Society has just been given a grant by OPAL to encourage people to look at birds and other wildlife at our reserves and hopefully to grow our membership. Thanks to all those behind the successful application. More on this soon.

Chairman’s Chat

Derek Julian

Treasurer’s report

T he Financial Statements of the Society for the year ended 31st December 2010 are currently with the Independent Examiner

at Whittaker’s, Chartered Accountants, Newquay, for examination in accordance with the Charities Act 1993 and associated legisla-tion. Hopefully, he will be satisfied that we have continued to maintain proper accounting records in accordance with Section 41 of the Act; and that the accounts presented agree with the support-ing records and documentation and comply with the required ac-counting requirements. A copy of the examiners report will be placed in the Mem-bers’ Section of the Society’s website together with the relevant Statements of Finance once it has been received back and accepted by the Trustees. In summary, despite the wider financial difficulties of 2010, the Society continued to support all key activities finan-cially. Specifically: a. The annual Publication of “Birds in Cornwall”; b. The publication of the quarterly newsletter “Palores”; c. Enhancement of the Society’s website; and d. The continued management of our nature reserves.

At the 1st January 2011, the Society held cash assets totalling £85,721 comprising: Investment Account £80,800 Current Account £4,833 Cash Account £88 However, this balance reduces to £28,777 once projected liabilities for the printing and distribution of outstanding issues of BIC and the Restricted and Designated Fund reserves are taken into ac-count. Although this is slightly under the preferred minimum fi-nancial reserve agreed at the AGM in May, the Trustees feel that this falls within agreed policies to maintain sufficient funds to meet all known liabilities with regard to “Birds in Cornwall”, as well as maintaining reserves to meet planned conservation costs at Maer and Walmsley. Although the purchase of the additional land at Maer Lake was unsuccessful, the generosity of the original donors to the Maer Appeal in allowing the Society to retain their donations (and to claim Gift Aid) has provided a substantial reserve for the support of wider conservation projects in the county. A contributory factor to the small increase in the financial reserves held at the beginning of the year is attributable to the forethought of a number of mem-bers who sadly died in 2010, but generously left legacies to the Society in their wills. Tony Jones

Treasurer’s report

Bar-tailed Godwit, Marazion by Steve Rogers

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These records are unchecked and unau-thenticated. Publication here does not

constitute acceptance. If you found or saw any of these birds and can supply a description please send it to the county recorder recorder@cbwps.org.uk. National rarity description forms can be downloaded from the submissions tab at www.bbrc.org.uk Pacific Diver Our old friend returned to Mount’s Bay where it remained throughout the period. It could be seen anywhere from Marazion to Newlyn. Sooty Shearwater The January winter gales brought 2 sightings of this species both from Gwennap Head on the 16th and 17th of January. Balearic Shearwater Small numbers were observed in December and January in Carbis Bay, peaking at 15 on December 12. Elsewhere odd birds were seen at Pendeen and St Ives but the maximum count came from Gwennap Head Porthgwarra with 13 on January 15 and 29 on January 16. Gannet This is not a species which would normally appear in these reports, however mention must be made of the larger numbers appearing off our coasts this winter. The North coast in particular held large numbers with reports of feeding flocks from Newquay and in par-ticular Carbis Bay where at least 1500 were feeding on February 9. Great Bittern The cold weather throughout the country brought good numbers of this shy and secretive species into the county. Up to 4 were present at Marazion, and at nearby Helston Loe pool 3 birds were re-corded. Par beach pool and Porth reservoir held up to 2 birds and singles were recorded from Stithians, College reservoir, St Wenn, Walmsley sanctuary, Lostwithiel, and St Erth. Some amazing behaviour was observed on December 11 at Mara-zion by Chris Barnard, as this account, taken from the Society website attests: At approx. 14:00 today I noticed 2 Bitterns at the edge of the reed bed in the Sanctuary area at Marazion Marsh. One of the birds was high in the reeds with wings half spread, head extended for-ward, neck feathers fluffed out, crown feathers raised, glaring down at the other which was standing in the water looking up also neck extended upwards and with neck and crown feathers raised. The upper bird stretched forward making stabbing movements with its bill toward the other. This went on for several minutes and then the lower bird seemed to submit to the upper and moved away to its left seeming to swim toward a small island. Coming out of the water its left wing appeared to droop as if injured possibly in some confrontation with the other before I first noticed them. The aggressive bird then flew to the island pursuing it. The pursued bird then tried to flee across open water to the reeds but was pur-sued by the other which landed on its back pushing it down into the water. The attacked bird tried to struggle out from under the attacking bird but failed to do so pinned down presumably by the large feet of a bittern and the others weight. The attacker then started to continuously stab with its bill at the head of the other seeming to aim at its eyes. The attacked bird's struggles grew weaker and I was amazed to see the aggressor grab it by the throat in it's bill and push its head under the water holding it there until

it's struggles ceased and it was drowned. It seemed the attacking bird's actions were deliberately aimed at drowning the other. The attacker then released the by now corpse and swam to the island disappearing into the reeds. I have not had a lot of opportunity to consult the literature on ag-gressive behaviour between Bitterns but BWP Vol. 1 says under "Antagonistic Behaviour" "...males highly aggressive in defence of territory; sometimes found mortally wounded or dead from stab wounds. Reported interlocked in ground conflict. Will engage in aerial combats... trying to stab each other". No reference to drown-ing of one by another. However BWP published 1977 and so probably much behaviour observation since. If anyone has any additional information I would welcome it. I can only assume this was a feeding territory dispute which had a tragic end for one bird and that the victor was the older more dominant bird and that pos-sibly both birds were male. Cattle Egret The large influxes of previous winters seem to have disappeared. A single bird was present in a muddy field at St Winnow from February 5 to February 19. Spoonbill The regular wintering group on the River Lynher peaked at 5 this winter, spending time anywhere between Beggars (Rat) Island and Sconner corner. Elsewhere, three first winter birds found that Walmsley Sanctuary and the nearby Camel estuary made an ex-cellent place to spend the winter. Bewick’s Swan (photo above by Steve Rogers) This rather lovely swan is now only an occasional visitor to the county so it was nice to have at least one small group visiting our pools and reservoirs. A group of up to eight birds, four adults and four juveniles paid almost daily visits to Stithians Reservoir be-tween January 5 and January 23. Seven of these birds also visited Windmill Farm on January 29-30, but where they were in the meantime remains a mystery. Four birds were recorded at Doz-mary Pool on January 8 and a single bird delighted visitors to Par Beach Pool between February 2-7. Whooper Swan A single bird was present in the Walmsley area between January 7 and February 6. The only other record during the period was of one bird (the same?) at Drift reservoir on 13th February. Tundra Bean Goose A Bean Goose (of unknown race) was reported from Colliford Lake on January 8. At Walmsley and surrounding areas a bird of the race rossicus also known as Tundra Bean Goose was present from February 5 into March. Pink-footed Goose A single bird was present in the Walmsley area from January 1 – January 29. This was joined by two other birds to form a small group, which, along with the Tundra Bean Goose graced the area throughout the rest of the period. A single bird was also reported from Colliford Lake on January 1 and January 8, and from Doz-mary Pool on January 15. Greenland White-fronted Goose A first winter bird entertained birders at Drift Reservoir from Janu-ary 1 – March. Two were seen at Colliford Lake on January 8. Ring-necked Duck A splendid drake toured various sites providing some excellent views along the way. He turned up first at Stithians Reservoir on January 7, staying until January 16. He then relocated to St Gothian Sands NR on January 26, remaining there until February 16. His next home was a brief stop on the small private lake at Penhalvean on February 26 before heading back to Stithians in March. Lesser Scaup A drake was found at Dozmary Pool on January 9 where he re-mained into March, save for a brief visit to Colliford lake on Janu-ary 30. Could this be the same drake present during the early part of 2010?

bird report Dec ’10 - Feb ’11

By Darrell Clegg

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Long-tailed Duck Few were reported during the period, but two of those were long staying birds allowing ample opportunity to view one of the loveli-est of our wintering ducks. At Helston Loe Pool a female was present from December 29 to at least February 17, and a male was at Sennen Cove from January 1 – February 2. Elsewhere single birds were reported from Newlyn on January 15, Gwennap Head, January 16, and from Marazion beach on January 28. Velvet Scoter Only three records were received during the period. One was seen in Par Bay on January 2; two flew past Gwennap Head on January 18. A first winter drake was present in Kenneggy Cove from Feb-ruary 25 into March. Smew A Boxing Day treat for one observer who found a bird at Marazion on December 26. Elsewhere, the Bodmin moor reservoirs provided the only records with one at Colliford on January 2 and another (or the same?) at Siblyback Lake on February 8-9 Goosander Another species which doesn’t feature often in these reports. This winter has seen phenomenal numbers move into the county, and reports from elsewhere indicate similar increased numbers have been recorded from other parts of the country. Carbis Bay pro-vided some of the highest numbers with regular counts of 20 birds and a high of 26 on January 15. Helston Loe Pool held the highest individual count with a maximum of 30 on December 29. Porth Reservoir had 22 birds on January 1 and Stithians Reservoir held a maximum of 12 on January 23. In Mid Cornwall a group of up to 13 birds toured the St Andrews/Par Beach Pool area and at Hayle 11 birds were seen on February 22. Other, smaller numbers were seen at many other sites, including Marazion, Walmsley, Colliford, Dozmary Pool and Treraven Meadow. Goshawk A juvenile female was seen and photographed at Sancreed on De-cember 19 Black Kite An intriguing record concerned a bird reported from Hewas Water and later from nearby London Apprentice on February 3 Hen Harrier A bird showing characteristics of the North American race hud-sonius “Northern Harrier” was present from at least January 8 – February 10. Peregrine Another raptor showing characteristics of a distinct race – this time tundrius “Tundra Peregrine” This bird was present in the Walmsley area from at least January 4 into March. It was also seen at Davidstow and is probably the same bird seen in the Lizard area in October 2010. Grey Phalarope Mount’s Bay provided a refuge from the winter storms for this lovely little wader. Up to two birds were seen between Long Rock and Newlyn from December 27 – January 5 Ring-billed Gull Not so long ago Ring-billed Gulls, even finding your own, were a regular part of winter birding in Cornwall. Times have changed however and these two records are the only ones this winter. A bird was present at Par Beach Pool between January 30 – February 4. An adult was photographed at St John’s Lake on February 24. Azorian Gull A second winter bird was seen occasionally in the Sennen/St Just area between January 26 and February 9. What was possibly the same bird was seen on the sea at Pendeen Watch on February 25. American Herring Gull A second winter bird was seen in Sennen Cove on February 7. Iceland Gull Yet another winter period with few records. Only four were re-corded, which may refer to 1 or 2 individual birds. Birds were seen at Prussia Cove January 18; Drift Reservoir, January 26; St Levan, February 6; Sennen Cove, February 9.

T he Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus) really is an amazing creature, weighing only about 7 grams and barely

10cm long. They somehow manage to fly thousands of miles from North and Central Asia to land on our shores in seemingly ever increasing numbers. Cornwall is a relatively good county for this species and with some forward planning and a bit of luck there is no reason why you can’t find your own Yellow-browed this Au-tumn. Identifying Yellow-browed Warbler in the field is pretty straightforward. Their striking yellowish double wing bars and long supercilium together with a ‘clean’ looking appearance really stand out amongst other crests and warblers. The problem is that they are very active and will often feed in dense foliage or high up in the canopy of trees. Prolonged views are always difficult and a great deal of patience is needed to obtain them. This is why their call is so useful and important to learn: ‘Tswooeet’, a loud disylla-bic call sounding almost like a Coal Tit but slightly higher pitched and usually repeated at a faster rate. Most birds will usually move through Cornwall in a six week period, starting in the last week of September and continuing on into early November. This is when it is important to keep an eye on the weather charts, especially wind direction and air pres-sure. Any easterly airflow coinciding with high pressure further to the east at this time will almost always throw up a Yellow-browed or two. A good idea is to keep checking national bird sightings websites such as Bird Guides as it gives a picture of how many are arriving nationally and whether or not there has been an influx. As a general rule early birds tend to turn up on the East Coast and Scilly, whilst in Cornwall the first few tend to turn up a few days later usually in the west of the county. The best place to start looking as with most migrants is on the coast. Willows, sycamores and mature tamarisk will still hold enough insects to attract warblers and flycatchers including Yel-low-browed. Keep checking through mixed flocks of warblers, crests and tits (especially Long-tailed Tits) as Yellow-browed will often join up and feed alongside them. From my own experience an early morning start is vital . Not only as this seems to be when the birds are at their most active but also if there isn’t much ground cover they can move through very quickly.

Glaucous Gull Slightly more records than the previous species, but again numbers were well down on previous winters, and perhaps very few indi-viduals were involved. One was seen at Newlyn and Penzance on January 1-2. Also on January 2 a bird was reported flying past Looe Island at Hannafore. A bird frequented the St Ives, Hayle estuary St Gothian Sands area from January 15 – February 18 and a further bird was seen at Sennen Cove on January 25. An interest-ing bird at Hayle on February 18, photographed by Steve Rodgers turned out to be a Herring Gull x Glaucous Gull hybrid, often called “Nelson’s Gull” Check out Steve’s excellent blog site http://www.swopticsphoto.com/ to see the photos. Sandwich Tern A rare wintering bird was recorded at St Ives on January 8. Black Guillemot One was seen off Cape Cornwall on February 25. Barn Swallow A wintering bird was seen at Probus on January 10 and one has to wonder how it survived the exceptional December weather. What was probably the first migrant of the spring was seen at Camelford on February 16. Bohemian Waxwing The country as a whole has experienced “Waxwing” years before when food sources in Scandinavia have failed forcing birds over to Britain, but Cornwall has always missed out as birds have never had the need to head this far west. The extremely cold weather this winter however seems to have forced unprecedented numbers into the county allowing many people their first views of this loveliest of birds. The first two were seen in Saltash on December 7, fol-lowed by one in the car park of Cornwall Farmers at Wadebridge from December 10 – 12. Also on December 12 one lucky observer saw two from a bus at St Blazey Gate. A group of seven flew over Burraton, Saltash on December 19. Two were seen at Marazion on December 15 and at Treneer, Penzance on January 2. One re-mained at this site until January 9, and is possibly the same bird was seen again in March. Two birds were photographed in a gar-den at Illogan by a lucky householder on January 4.Further singles were seen at Long Lock, January 3; Falmouth, January 14 – 16; East Looe, January 18 and Helston, February 1-17. Northern Wheatear The first bird of spring (and the first recorded anywhere in the country) was perhaps surprisingly a female seen near St Mawes on February 15. Ring Ouzel A wintering bird was seen at Camperdown Farm, Bodmin Moor on January 3. Great Grey Shrike A bird seen at Colliford Downs on January 24 and at nearby Nine-stones the next day was a very welcome record, and could refer to a bird first seen at Siblyback in late 2007 and reported sporadically in each subsequent winter. Rose-coloured Starling Yet another bird finds Penzance to its liking! A first winter bird first reported on January 28 remained in the area around Weethes cottages into March. Common Redpoll Despite the name, Common Redpoll is anything but – especially in the far South-West. Five were reported from Kenneggy Downs on December 1 and a single bird at the same site on December 18. Lapland Bunting The bumper winter for this species continues, with at least two large flocks in the county. At Chyvarloe as many as 40 were re-corded on January 31 – February 1, though between six and 12 was a more normal number at this site. On the North coast a spec-tacular group of 80-100 birds was present on the coast path be-tween Port Isaac and Port Quinn. Elsewhere, 13 were seen at Sen-nen on December 13 and singles were seen at Brew on December 5; RAF Portreath, December 12; Keggeggy Downs, December 20.

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A s I write this, territoriality has begun. The Great Crested Grebes

are displaying - always a treat to watch. A Song Thrush sings repeatedly every morning from just behind the Stuart Hutchings hide, Tawny Owls have started calling from various areas nearby and Mallard are swimming around in pairs. The breeding season is here and as you read this the first Sand Martins will

have arrived from their migration out of Africa. This year coin-cides with the last year of the BTO Atlas, my first proper year as a nest recorder. As we say goodbye to the winter and hello to the lighter evenings of spring we also say goodbye to those fantastic sightings of Fieldfare, Redwing and Starling in the fields, Pochard, Goldeneye and Goosander on the water. In December, Farleigh Rice turned up his second great find of the year at Stithians. Not content with his Purple Heron earlier in the year, Farleigh turned up the first twitchable Bewick Swans for many a year when no less

than seven dropped in. The normally clear and calm weather that Stithians is famous for broke the next day when the reserve was shrouded in mist from dawn till dusk denying the many visitors the opportunity to add them to their County List. The day after brought no further sightings nor the day after that. New Years Eve brought the next sighting which wasn’t actu-ally picked up until 3rd January when the news for New Years Eve was released. The birds then put an appearance in later that day and on the 5th seven Bewicks had become eight. From this day to around the 12th saw the eight Bewicks dropping in almost daily. After this, eight once again became seven and the seven continued to drop in for a few days until they relocated to the Lizard. A Ring-necked Duck made two brief appearances, one before arrival at Gothian Sands and again a couple of weeks later. Water Levels are high at the moment destroying any chance of a good count of Teal and Wigeon. Over the past few weeks there have been repeated occa-sions when gates, doors and flaps have been left open. Please con-sider others when leaving the area and close everything up espe-cially when it's raining. Thank you. (photo Simon Taylor)

A s usual, wildfowl and gulls have dominated the winter months,

although given the cold weather this year there were disappointingly low numbers. The Mute Swan flock rose to a peak of 41 and a Whooper Swan joined them on 13/12. Geese numbers hit new highs with 131 Canada, 52 Greylag and 14 hybrids. The first winter Greenland White-fronted Goose remained throughout the pe-riod. Also present was the collar-

ringed Greylag which arrived earlier in the autumn. It was last seen on 30/12 and was relocated on Hayle Estuary on 3/1 and was later reported in Dorset. A party of five Shelduck on 23/12 and two on 30/1 were unusual records, as was a Red-breasted Merganser on 24/12. Apart from that, peak numbers were Wigeon 280, Gadwall 20, Teal 136, Mallard 105, Pintail 2, Shoveler 10, Pochard 18, Tufted Duck 101,

Goldeneye two and Goosander three. Two Great Crested Grebes appeared in February and are still present. Cormorants peaked at just three and Coots at 51. Waders have been represented by the occasional Green Sandpiper, Lapwing, Snipe, Woodcock and Curlew. Unusual gulls were represented by up to three different Mediterranean Gulls, plus a second winter Little Gull which visited the site on a number of occasions in February along with an Iceland Gull on a single date in January. Single Firecrests have been reported on a number of dates and flocks of winter thrushes and Wood Pigeons built up just before Christ-mas before dissipating in the New Year. The clearance of willow in the reedbed is now nearing comple-tion thanks to Greg Humphries who is using the whips for making traditional crab pots. Fingers crossed for a dry summer as water continues to pour over the dam.

Drift

By Dave Parker

By Simon Taylor

Stithians

reserves report

Slow Worm warming up in the spring sunshine at Windmill Farm. Photo by Andy Pay

January - March 2011

Firecrest by Mark Whittaker

7

M ost of the plovers which arrived in the

hard weather from late November remained on the reserve for several weeks,

favouring the slightly sloping pastures where the daily frosts were the first to thaw. Around 260 Golden Plovers remained, although some of the Lapwings moved on. Ten Dunlin and 55 Snipe were regularly feeding in the same fields, along with 50 Redwings. There was an influx of 200+ Fieldfares in mid January. Five species of duck were present throughout the winter, highest counts being 51 Wigeon, 13 Shoveler, 22 Teal, 28 Mallard and five Gadwall. The party of four adult and three juvenile Be-wick’s Swans which had been present at Stithians earlier in the winter put in an appearance on Jan 30th. A ringtail Hen Harrier was seen regularly. Other visitors included a Greenshank on 9th Jan and an adult Mediterranean Gull on 14th Jan. The first Chiffchaffs were back on territory on 17th March, but early indications are that numbers of resident Dun-nocks, Robins and Wrens are way down after another hard winter. We’ve had a straggly hedge “laid” by Martin Rule and Richard Sharp and it’s already full of new buds. Our partners from the Wildlife Trust carried out a couple of controlled burns on the heathland. There will be lots more going on over the next few months. Planning permission has been secured for some new ponds and scrapes, which will be going in when the site has dried out. Three students from the University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, are carrying out studies on the farm into the effects of conservation grazing on populations of small mammals, a survey for Water Shrews and a census of some of our rare plants. Let’s hope for a few scarce migrants this Spring and a good breeding season. Photos by Andy Pay

Windmill Farm

By Andy Pay

T he last few days in Bude have been sunny with some real

warmth in the sun. Sand Martins have arrived right on schedule on their traditional date of 7th March, and Wheatears are also now appearing on the cliffs. It is very easy to forget the periods of ex-treme winter weather that we experi-enced during the winter of 2010/11, and maybe it is a good thing that we are able to move forward and onward

so quickly. All problems come into perspective when you view the unprecedented images of devastation coming from Japan after the earthquake and tsunami, and the consequences and manner in which the Japanese people are trying to deal with them. The severe weather in December with a temperature of -6 degrees recorded at Maer (on drives to Exeter I was recording temperatures of -10 degrees in the Okehampton area) forced many birds south to look for better conditions and indeed survival. The usual large flocks of Golden Plover and Lapwing were forced away from the Reserve and never returned, with only the occasional sightings of smaller flocks of 200 plus birds. It will be interesting to see from members’ records if numbers built up on the south coast, or if birds in fact were forced to fly even further south to the Continent. The Golden Plover is such a fascinating species, and I have certainly missed hearing them from my house this winter as they move in and out of the Reserve at night. Con-sidering all the concern and effort that is put into Golden Plover conservation nationally it is so disappointing that this bird is still legally shot. One of the most interesting sights I recorded during the severest of the weather, when the lake was frozen, was of a male Shoveler feeding with a strange rolling gait on the field at Maer

with the Wigeon Flock. The bulk of Snipe also left the Reserve with just a few remaining in the feeder ditches and local gardens. Local gardens also attracted Water Rail which unfortunately makes them an easy target for the local cat population. Sadly, I also found two dead song thrushes – feather light in weight – which presumably had simply starved to death. A Cattle Egret was reported from nearby Maer Down feed-ing in with the sheep flock, this was a few days before one long staying individual appeared further down the county. A single Whooper Swan was present on farmland at Poundstock and late night dog walkers at Bude Marshes told me that a lone swan was present there at night. I went to check it out just before dawn, and it was indeed the Whooper Swan which then flew back towards Poundstock just after first light. This interesting pattern of behav-iour lasted for over ten days. After two harsh and difficult winters we will all be hoping for a very successful breeding season. Hopefully - Wren, Gold-crest, Stonechat and Song Thrush etc numbers will then have a chance to recover. I am now also really looking forward to flocks of Whim-brel coming through on spring passage, and also to seeing birds in summer plumage. I am sure that I will be seeing that wonderful blood red bill of an adult Mediterranean Gull, but not so sure that I will be seeing past sightings like Grey Plover and Knot in spec-tacular summer plumage. The excitement of bird watching is that, speculate as we might, we simply do not know what we might discover. The important thing is to be out there birding, especially as we have we have such superb and varied habitats for bird watching. It would be nice to celebrate the Society’s 80th birthday year with a stunning find, preferably on a CBWPS Reserve. By rights it should be at Walmsley which has had such a great run of interesting birds lately. However, do not rule out Maer Lake - I certainly won’t!

Maer Lake By Graham Sutton

Bewick’s Swans, and the new Stuart Hutchings bench at the farm...

8

A fter the excitement of our hosting of the American Bittern it was a pleasant sur-prise to give refuge during a hard winter to the more traditional European Bittern

(B.stellaris). How many Bitterns have been present in the Camel area this winter is uncertain as reports have come to me from various sources of birds showing in several wet areas in the locality. Another highlight has been the possible tundra Peregrine that has been a regu-lar visitor to the reserve. I was particularly fortunate to be there when it landed in the marsh after a bit of a spat with a gull. It then proceeded to fly directly toward the tower hide which allowed me to get some good shots as it veered off above the hide at the last moment. The jury is still out on the true identification of this bird but my pho-tographs have been passed to a top raptor expert in Finland for aid in the ID. Other good birds that have been long stayers have been the three Pink footed Geese and their “hanger-on” a Bean goose. These geese have spent several weeks in the valley and have shown very well to birders. We have also held three Spoonbills for the whole winter with them roosting virtually every night in the reserve and often staying during the day if undisturbed. Today (13th March) they were seen to be displaying and doing a mock courtship/copulation routine along with breaking off twigs and flying around with them. They don’t appear to be full adults but it is an exciting thought to think that they may well follow the Little Egrets and become a Cornish breeding species in the future. As I write this in the 2nd week of March I had my first Sand Martins passing through Walmsley which is always a great sign that the spring migration is now under way.

By Adrian Langdon

Walmsley

Photographs at Walmsley Sanctuary by Adrian Lang-don, anti-clockwise from top: Canada, Bean, Pink-footed and Barnacle Geese; European Bittern; three young Spoonbills and the possible tundra Peregrine

9

T he White-winged Tern, (Chlidonias leucopterus), is a small “marsh tern” which breeds in the eastern parts of the Western Palearctic from Latvia to

Kazakhstan, (occasionally as far west as Italy), but winters on inland water bodies of the Afro-tropical region. In Cornwall a total of 23 individuals have been recorded, all in the period April 21st to October 20th. The first was a juvenile which was shot at Sennen in 1887. In more recent times the first was a splendid adult in breeding plumage at Melancoose (Porth) Reservoir on 4th-5th May 1964. Hayle Estuary hosted the next bird, also an adult in breeding plumage, which arrived on 3rd August 1965 and then proceeded to tour Penwith visiting Drift Reservoir and Marazion Marsh dur-ing the next three days. Ten years passed before the next arrived at Siblyback Reservoir on 12th September 1975, staying until 21st, and was surprisingly joined by an-other on the 17th. Then for the next seven years, (up to 1982), this species became almost annual with sightings around the county in all but 1978. All records were of singles except two adults where watched together at Crowdy Reservoir on 13th May 1979. There were then no records until a juvenile arrived at Bude on 10th August 1988, moving to Upper Tamar Lake the next day. During the 1990’s single birds visited the county in all but 1992 and 1998. The last bird of the century was a juvenile at Marazion Marsh on 17th October which then moved to Cot Valley the next day and stayed until the 20th. Interestingly there have been no accepted records in the 21st Century. These birds are known to move around the country after making landfall in Britain and this is best illustrated by a juvenile at Hayle Estuary on 18th October 1995 which was seen the pre-vious day on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly and was relocated at Greater Westhay Moor, Somerset on 23rd to 27th October.

White-winged Tern

Rarities by Derek Julian

1 2 3 4 5 6 1 8 9 2 3 4

1

5 7

7

9 8

2

6

1 2

5

3 4

S

SS

S

S

S

Top sites are: Hayle Estuary 5; Marazion Marsh 4; Tamar Estuary 3.

References: BBRC: Report on rare birds in Great Britain in British Birds 1964 to date; CBWPS: Annual Reports; Cramp et al.: The Birds of the Western Palearctic Volume IV; Penhallurick: Birds of the Cornish Coast: Snow and Perrins: The Birds of the Western Palearctic Concise Edition.

T hroughout Great Britain the success story of this

iconic raptor has given the Red Kite an almost celebrity-like status. Indeed it was named ‘Bird of the Century’ in 1999 by the BTO thanks to its remarkable fight back from the brink of extinction. After being declared vermin in the 16th century, wide-

spread persecution ensued and by the late 18th century Red Kites had bred for the last time in England. A small community battled on in mid Wales, probably reaching an all time low in 1977 when it was thought that the entire population emanated from just a sin-gle female bird. Thankfully, due to a dedicated conservation effort backed by many individuals and organizations, the Red Kite now has a healthy ever-expanding population. From the famous feeding station at Gigrin Farm in Wales to the busy motorways in southern England, many people have been reacquainted with this elegant raptor. In Cornwall however it remains a relatively scarce visitor and is still very much a prized find. Hopefully by reading this article you will stand a better chance of seeing one whilst out bird-ing this spring. So you’re looking at a bird of prey that is way off in the distance... With its rather narrow wings that are held down from the carpel joint it almost looks like a heron. As it gets closer, glid-ing effortlessly and buoyantly, you notice this large raptor has a long, deeply forked, constantly twisting rufous tail with prominent light ‘windows’ on the under-wing and a pale head. Bingo it’s a Red Kite! Whilst identifying Red Kites isn’t all that difficult, in

my experience finding one in the first place is the hard part! Whilst you have a slim chance of seeing a Red Kite at almost any time of the year, this is by far the best time to spot one in Cornwall. For the last ten years or so there has been a small influx of Red Kites at some point every spring. This seems to al-ways coincide with a settled spell of weather with high pressure and winds from an easterly or south-easterly direction. Where exactly they come from is unknown to me. I imagine that they are a mixture of British birds looking for new territory and migrant birds from Europe. They can turn up anywhere so you always have a chance of seeing one no matter where you live. However when they move through they don’t seem to hang around for long and the main passage often only lasts a few days. It really pays to keep a close eye on bird sightings websites such as the Society’s ‘Daily County Bird News’ page to help you learn of any movements. When you’re out looking for kites get up on some high ground with a good vantage point. If you see gulls spiraling up on a thermal or hear them making a fuss over something concentrate on that particular area. You will often find a ploughed field under-neath them which is a classic Kite scenario. The best times of day to look for them seem to be late morning and later on in the after-noon. In the middle of the day if it is very warm many raptors will soar up out of sight. Breezy days are also better than still days as the birds seem to fly lower and are more active. Remember also to look out for the many other birds of prey that could be migrating through Cornwall at this time of year. Marsh Harriers, Osprey and Hobby are seen with increasing regu-larity each spring. If you are very lucky you could even come across a Montagu’s Harrier or a Black Kite. I really hope you see a Red Kite in Cornwall this spring as they are such impressive crea-tures - just remember to keep scanning those skies!

Red Kite What to look out for this Spring… by Bob Bosisto

Andy Pay

10

I do hope that you have had some success getting to know the birds which have visited your garden this winter and that you

have tried to get to know them a little better. My own winter gar-den highlight came in the form of a pair of Bullfinches - they were stunning! Visiting reservoirs has also paid off with a Lesser Scaup deciding to spend the winter on Bodmin Moor. They are often found on Colliford in the Loveny arm. So, where are we going to have luck at this time of year?

Well, spring is well and truly underway, which means many species of birds are flock-ing in. If you want to witness this amazing avian ritual then my first port of call would be one of Cornwall’s headlands. There is a good reason for this. Imagine you have just flapped your wings for several hours, fighting against winds and all manner of obstacles and dangers. You can’t land as all there is beneath is mile upon mile of ocean. You are ex-hausted, hungry and in need of an urgent pit

stop. Then, in the distance you notice land jutting out into the sea, and on this land you have the chance to stop and refuel before the next leg of your long and arduous journey. This really is how pas-serines, (small to medium size birds which perch, and to a lesser extent, sing) see our headlands. They are fuel stops where they can eat, drink and then get on with the rest of their journeys. If you wish to watch birds at a headland then there are a few key points to remember. First, try and get to know the layout of the foliage and paths before the birds start arriving. If you be-come familiar with an area you are much more likely to pick out something new and different. Second, take your time! Often pass-ing migrants can be shy and elusive. Let them ease out of likely looking cover. You will be surprised how often even experienced

birders will miss good birds due to rushing! If you have the chance, try and go with somebody who is experienced. You can learn so much from somebody who is familiar with migrating birds. Just watching an experienced birder in action is fantastic education, and you soon learn some important hints and tips. There are a number of field meetings throughout the county, at a variety of headland sites. Take a look at the Field Meetings section in this newsletter for more information. If this has whetted your appetite and you want to get out there now, here are a few places to go. • Lizard Point and Kynance Cove Both spots are fantastic for watching migration in progress. They can both turn up rarities. Parking is cheap and easy, and you have the added advantage of possibly seeing two resident speciality birds as Dartford warblers are resident at Kynance and Choughs breed at Lizard Point! • Land’s End, Nanjizel and Porthgwarra A real Mecca for the rarity hunter! Being our most westerly point hundreds of birds can pass through these valleys and very often will bring some of their less numerous cousins with them! Every year these westerly valleys with their dense vegetation and nooks and crannies turn up rarities. These valleys can make the heart pound with excitement, but can also be very frustrating. My advice would be to go with someone who knows the area and has knowl-edge of some of the avian wonders you may encounter. • Stepper, Pentire and Rumps Point The North coast can also hold its own. It has its fair share of pas-sage birds. There too you can often turn up rarities, although probably not in the numbers our westerly headlands can. There is never a bad day to be had at these sites, as they are in their own right, beautiful. • Rame Head This is an under watched headland which attracts a lot of our more common migrants. It also throws out the occasional rarity, such as Cornwall's first Red-flanked Bluetail. However, a note of warning! Be careful if you do decide to visit any of the aforementioned areas as all have cliffs and turbu-lent seas below them. If you find a site next to the sea with a little cover and some insect life I can guarantee you a migrant passing by soon. Keep your field guide handy as they really come into their own at this time of year! Enjoy the spectacle of migration and make sure you have fun. In the next issue I hope to introduce you to farm and woodland watching.

Birdwatching: where to go…(2)

Peter Roseveare provides more useful ideas about where and how to find birds...

Stepper Point and Pentire Head, N. Cornwall by S Marquis

11

F or a few years I have conducted the wintering Hen Harrier survey for the BTO at Bartinney Downs. This was prompted

by having a roost site near where I live and also by the Hen Harrier being one of my favorite birds. I used to live in West Yorkshire and frequently watched wintering harriers in the Yorkshire dales. Occasional sightings of an ‘orangey’ bird had been re-ported from last October onwards from Men an Tol and Bartinney which raised my interest. Could this be a Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius), the American form of Hen Harrier, previously known as Marsh Hawk. In early January I decided to do a daily watch at roost time. On the first two nights I saw three ringtails but unfortunately it was too dark for photographs. On the third I witnessed two ring-tails “play fighting” near the summit. I photographed these to-gether until the smaller bird, presumably a male, broke off to mob a Buzzard (see Fig 1). I managed to take some further photos and on examining them found that although both birds were rusty one was considerably more so than the other and this was the bird that broke off. One of these photos taken at a distance of over half a mile, which is my excuse for the poor quality, is shown below. I also include for comparison purposes a photo of a hen harrier (Fig 2 below). So what are the key ID features supporting a first winter northern harrier and how far does this particular bird match them?:

1. Colouration of underparts and extent of streak-ing. Colour of body of northern should be apricot/cinnamon buff extending to lower belly and undertail coverts. But it should be noted some juvenile hens can have a

Northern Harrier ...or not?

body colour approaching that of northern. The important distinc-tion is that on northern the body streaking is generally limited to flanks and upper breast. This bird meets colouration criteria particularly as another photo enabled colours of two birds together to be compared. Un-able to say whether it meets streaking criteria in view of distance of photo. 2. Colouration of upperparts. Upperparts should be dark sepia brown, darker than a Hen Harrier. This is difficult to deter-mine without pictures of two birds together. 3. Head and neck pattern. Northern has a more hooded look than hen created by solid dark brown head and dark neck boa contrasting with upper breast. Photos indicate a darker head than the normal hen, al-though I have seen a couple of hens at Bartinney with quite dark hoods but not a clear cut contrast between dark neck and upper breast colour. 4. Baring on primaries. Hen normally has four bars on its longest primaries, but occasionally can have up to six ( count ex-cludes the dark tip ). It also usually has three bars on the tenth primary, the outer primary. Therefore when a bird shows more bars than the norm it can be an additional indication that it may be worthy of consideration as a northern. On blowing up my photo there appear to be five bars on the longest primaries and four on the tenth primary – or at least the space for a fourth bar. So rather inconclusive on this evidence. The Hen Harrier photograph included for comparison pur-poses gives an indication of how difficult an exercise this is as it is clearly quite a rusty bird. But it seems to fail the above tests as it does not have a contrasting boa and only has four bars on P7. It also appears to be quite streaked on the belly. Therefore, I believe the only clear way for a conclusion to be reached is to have really good photographic evidence – which unfortunately I don’t! I do believe that the fact that four probable

Northern Harriers arrived in the Brit-ish Isles in the autumn is good supporting evi-dence that one (or even more!) could be in the far south west in view of the wintering harrier numbers we regu-larly achieve here .

Colin Moore tries to unravel the identification challenge of the harriers on his watch...

1 2

Y ou’ve just got to love the Herring Gull! Sure they can be noisy, will pinch your pasty or chips and are guaranteed to ‘aim’ for the person wearing the smartest or most expensive

clothing! However, no-one can deny that Gulls are an emblem of our busy harbour-side towns and their presence inland is ever increasing. They pay their dues by mopping up unwanted scraps of food and adding to the hustle and bustle that make our shoreline villages such a treat. The CBWPS would like to find out just how many Gulls are nesting in our towns and villages to get some sort of prospectus and gauge for future reference. With pressure growing on natural breeding locations we predict that more and more will opt to nest in the urban envi-ronment. This is probably due to easy food opportunities as well as lots of adequate nesting sites. If you locate any Gulls breeding in an ‘urban’ environment please fill out the form (right) as this information could be very useful. Either e-mail the completed details back to me on pete@theroseveares.adsl24.co.uk, fill in the form on www.cbwps.org.uk, or by post to: Peter Roseveare, Cornerstones, 4 Meadow Way, St Issey, Wadebridge, PL27 7QR. Thank you.

Urban Gull Breeding Survey CBWPS Seabird Campaign

2011

DATE:

OBSERVER:

LOCATION GRID REF:

SPECIES:

ROOF TYPE:

NUMBER OF NESTS:

NUMBER OF YOUNG:

COMMENTS:

By Pete Roseveare

12

Shearwaters Peter Roseveare helps sort out our Manx from our Balearics...

the Balearic is often seen racing past Manx, seeming to power through at twice the speed. • Feeding habits are also very much the same as the Manx Shearwater. • They are under severe threat from the development of holiday resorts near its breeding sites, and also from animals such as cats and rats. They are considered critically endangered with extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It differs from the Manx in that it has a browner, less dark, back. Its underside is described as dirty white, there is usually still con-trast between upper and lower body whilst “shearing”, however it is not as striking as in the Manx. It also lacks the white patch the Manx has on the rump, and the crescent that the Manx shows behind the ear coverts are also missing. Sooty Shearwater • The Sooty Shearwater is a spectacular long-distance migrant, following a route travelling north, up the western side of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans at the end of the nesting season, reaching sub Arctic waters where they cross from west to east, then returning south down the eastern side of the oceans back to their breeding colonies in November. • They are 40–51 cm in length with a 94–110 cm wingspan. Noticeably bigger than the Manx and Balearic. • Although typical in its flight style, i.e. “shearing”, the flight is powerful and direct, with wings held stiff and straight, giving the impression of a very small albatross. • The Sooty Shearwater feeds on small fish and squid, and will dive up to 68m deep for food, however, surface feeding is preferred. This shearwater will also follow boats for free offerings of offal and scraps. • Like so many bird species its numbers have been declining in recent decades, and it is presently classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. It is called Sooty for a reason, it appears dark all over, including the under wing. In good light you may notice a silvery patch on the under wing. It also appears larger than the Manx and Bale-aric .The bird gives a long-winged impression and comes across as very aerodynamic. There are two other species that pass through our waters here in Cornwall. They are the Great and Cory’s Shearwater. These are the type of bird that regular sea-watchers crave! Although, not at all common, there are normally a small number of recorded sight-ings each year. Great Shearwater This shearwater is 43–51 cm in length with a 105–122 cm wingspan. It is recognizable by its large size. It has brown upper parts. It’s under parts are white except for a brown belly patch and dark shoulder mark-ings. It has a black cap, black bill, and a white horseshoe on the base of the tail. The stiff flight, like a large Manx Shearwater, is also distinctive. Cory’s Shearwater This is another large shearwater at 45-56 cm in length and a 112-126 cm wingspan. It has brownish-grey upperparts, white under parts and yellowish bill. It lacks the brown belly patch, dark shoulder markings and black cap of the Great Shear-water. This bird flies with long glides, and al-ways has wings bowed and angled slightly back, unlike the stiff, straight-winged flight of the similarly-sized Great Shearwater.

I n the last issue we looked at the Divers that grace our shores, and right on cue good numbers of them wintered right around

the county. There was also the added pleasure of a Pacific Diver wintering off Marazion and Penzance! Incredible as they are, Di-vers are not the only interesting species that use our coast. The Shearwater family truly are amazing, spending almost all their life at sea. The only time they come ashore is to breed where they are almost useless on their legs, finding it very difficult to walk. They mainly come ashore at night to feed and tend young, which are often hatched in disused rabbit burrows and other similar excava-tions. So, here are three Shearwaters that pass our shores, and by joining us on one of the arranged sea-watches, you will have a good chance of seeing any or all of them. Manx Shearwater • This is our most common Shearwater, and in peak migration, you can see literally thousands pass by some of our headlands. • It is 30–38 cm long, with a 76–89 cm wingspan. Often appearing smaller than imagined, it is often described as a flying ‘plus sign’ due to the right angle of the wings whilst shearing. • It has the typically "shearing" flight of the family group, changing from side to side on stiff wings with few wing beats, the wingtips almost touching the water. • The Manx Shearwater feeds on small fish, especially her-rings and sardines, but will also consume crustaceans, cephalopods and surface offal. • They are extraordinarily long-lived. A Manx Shearwater breeding on Copeland Island, Northern Ireland, was as of 2003/2004 the oldest known living wild bird in the world: ringed as an adult (at least 5 years old) in July 1953, it was re-trapped in July 2003, at least 55 years old! Remember, the back is black and the belly and under wing are white. This makes for a sharp contrast when the bird is “shearing” from side to side. The white on the rump sides extend up behind the wing and give the impression of a patch. There is also a white crescent found behind the ear coverts. These are good distinguish-ing features from Balearic and Sooty shearwater. Balearic Shearwater • Probably our most interesting species, as it breeds on is-lands and coastal cliffs in the Bale-aric Islands. Most winter in that sea, but some enter the Atlantic in late summer, reaching north to Great Britain and Ireland. • This bird is approximately 35–40 cm long, with an 85–90 cm wingspan. Very similar in appear-ance to the Manx, however, it usually appears to be slightly bigger with an almost domi-neering feeling when the two are compared. • Like the Manx it has the typically "shearing" flight of the family group, changing from side to side on stiff wings. However,

CBWPS Seabird Campaign

2011

Steve Rogers

Steve Rogers

Steve Rogers

Steve Rogers

Tony Blunden

13

H ouse Sparrow numbers have dropped dramatically in recent years. Farming methods have changed. Many of the grain

silos that provided small birds with plentiful food from the spilt corn are no longer in existence, plus the fact that modern farm buildings provide very little in the way of nooks and crannies in which the Sparrows can build their nests. In spring, our resident flock of Sparrows usually totals about twenty to thirty birds. This particular flock, or its descen-dents, have been with us for the last thirty years and have had to adapt as farm buildings have been given change of use, and the cattle and horses have gone. The colony live mainly in and around a small barn, nesting either in spaces under the roof or in the thick ivy which covers most of the roof and one wall. There is however always a shortage of nesting space and pairs often will comman-deer last years Swallows’ nests, building their untidy structures on top of them, creating a war when the Swallows arrive after their journey from Africa in the spring and try to regain their property. Many fights result, and sadly, the Sparrows win the day, the unfor-tunate Swallows having to look elsewhere to set up home. The overflow from the Sparrow colony have also built in a thick privet hedge using an old Blackbird’s nest as a base and, for only the second time that I can remember, others have woven a nest in a hawthorn tree which, while not comparing favorably with nests by their weaver bird cousins, will doubtless suffice!

Our Sparrows, like those on the island of Tresco in the Scilly Isles have learnt to exploit certain exotic plants for nectar and seeds. Some species of Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker) are in bloom throughout the year and the Sparrows have learnt to hang on the flower stems and extract nectar from the blooms. The tall plumes of the New Zealand “Toe Toe” , a type of Pampas Grass ,are full of seeds ,which ,once ripened are enjoyed by the birds who perch en mass on the plumes busily pecking away as the stems wave up and down in the wind, the whole thing looking like a giant mobile! Occasionally panic sets in when a Sparrowhawk arrives with the speed of light, having reviewed the situation from the tall ash trees behind the house, whizzing around the barn hoping to catch the unwary Sparrow that is a bit slow to take off. Tawny Owls also take any Sparrows that are roosting in easy to get at places after dark. The Sparrow flock are very much part of life on the farm. Their social cheeping joining in with the morning chorus. Early vegetable plants suffer from the sparrows beaks as do polyanthus flowers, which for some reason the birds like to shred, and my wife complains bitterly when bits of twig, feathers, or worse, fall into the milking bucket from above, in the barn when the goats are being milked but for all that we enjoy having our cheeky, feathered tenants, life would not be the same without them!

House Sparrows Rex Harper writes with his usual warmth about a likeable and familiar bird which was once so common we barely paid it any attention... How times have changed. Painting by Dick Twinney

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T his season’s programme has a wide range of walks and field meetings which will give both newcomers to bird watching

and experienced birdwatchers the opportunity to join with others to learn more about bird identification, habitat and bird behaviour, as well as share knowledge and information. If your interest in our local seabirds has grown and you would like to know more about the diverse species that can be frequently seen around the Cornish coast, then please join us on one of our organised field meets. These will also continue into the summer programme. Camel Trail Nature Walks (see end of programme for de-tails) are a great way for families, visitors to Cornwall and local bird watchers to visit these areas with leaders with knowledge of butterflies and flowers as well as birds. Gordon Mills Sunday 3rd April 7am - 9 am Leader: Tony Blunden The Lizard Point. The meet will take place from the point just below the Café. Parking is available at the N.T. car park (fee pay-able), at the Point or on the Lizard Green. Species that should be seen include Auks, Divers, Gannets and Kittiwakes. Meeting will continue after 9 am if conditions are good Wednesday 6th April 6 pm Leader: Gordon Mills

(01209 718144 evenings) St Erth. An evening walk along the river looking for residents and early summer migrants. Also an opportunity to study bird song. Meet in the car park opposite the church. Map ref: SW549351 Saturday 9th April 9 am Leader: Viv Stratton (01736 796487) Towednack. A morning walk around the moors looking for resi-dent and early summer migrants. Also chance of Ring Ouzel. Meet at Towednack Church. Map ref: SW498388 Thursday 14th April 1pm Leader: Pat Farmer (01209 718648) Tresillian River, St Clements. An afternoon walk along the river looking for waders, ducks, gulls and spring migrants. Particularly suitable for newcomers to bird watching. Path can be muddy so strong footwear recommended. Meet at St Clements car park. (Parking can be limited), Map ref: SW852439

Friday 15th April. Indoor meeting at Chacewater Village Hall 7:30pm Contact: Roger Hooper (01209 820610) Falklands wildlife and RSPB local group AGM. A presentation by Cornwall’s Dave Thomas on the Wildlife of the Falklands. Pen-guins, Albatross, Seals and windy weather. Admission £2 on the door. Sunday 17th April 9 am Leader: Colin Moore

(01736 788787) Nanquidno Valley. A morning walk looking for resident and mi-grant birds. Actual walk may vary according to local information. Meet in the large lay-by on the east side of the B3306 opposite Lands End aerodrome. Map ref: SW377292 Sunday 1st May 4:30am Leader: Derek Julian (01208 816779) Respryn / Lanhydrock. An early morning walk to listen to the dawn chorus. (A part of national Dawn Chorus day). Meet at Re-spryn car park. Wednesday 4th May 6 pm Leader: Gordon Mills (01209 718144) A new season at Gothian Sands. An evening walk around the area looking for resident and migrant birds, butterflies and wild flow-ers. Meet in the first NT car park. Map ref: SW584422

Saturday 7th May 9 am Leader: Steve Rowe

(01637 875788) Porth Joke. A morning walk around the area looking for migrant and resident birds. Turn off A305 Newquay to Crantock road, take 1st left between Crantock and West Pentire past Treago Farm and meet in NT car park map ref: SW776599 Saturday 7th May - Members’ Day Leader: Derek Julian (01208 816779) Rumps Point A sea-watch at 10am (meet at Pentire Farm, Map ref SW936803), followed by a visit to Walmsley Sanctuary at 3pm. The AGM will follow at 6pm at Wadebridge Town Hall, after which there will be a presentation by renowned ornithologist and author Ian Wallace.

Wednesday 11th May 6 pm Leader: Gordon Mills (01209 718144) St Erth. An evening walk along the river looking for residents and early summer migrants. Also the chance to study bird song. Meet in the car park opposite the church. Map ref: SW549351

Sunday 22nd May 6:30 am Leader: Roger Hooper (01209 820610) Tehidy Park. Dawn chorus walk. Meet South Drive car park for early morning walk to listen to the dawn chorus in Tehidy Woods. Sunday 29th May 9am Leader: Viv Stratton (01736 796487) Porthgwarra. An all day walk looking for migrant and resident birds with hopefully some sea watching. Bring packed lunch; meet in car park (fee payable). Map ref: SW371218 Sunday 5th June 7 am-midday Leader: Bob Bosisto Trevose Head. Bob will be heading out to Trevose Head, plenty of parking is available in the top car park (fee payable £3). Possible species include Manx Shearwater, Puffin, Storm Petrel, Kittiwake and Gannet. There is also the chance of Dolphin and Basking Sharks.

field meetings

April-June 2011

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Camel Trail Nature Walks. Duration approx 4 hours. The walks, covering Flora and Fauna as well as birds, take place every Wednesday throughout April 2011. Walks start at 10.00am and will be led by Bernard Ide, Paul Whittick and Jack Humphrey. Meet outside Countrywise, Eddystone Road, Wadebridge. Phone 01208 812423 to check walk is on. Map ref: SW989 725

Pentire and Rumps Nature Walks. Duration approximately 4 hours, the walks take place every Wednesday during May, June, July and August and cover Flora and Fauna as well as birds. Walks start at 10.00am and will be led by Bernard Ide, Paul Whittick and Jack Humphrey. Meet at Pentire Farm. Map ref SW936803 Phone Countrywise on 01208 812423 to check that walk is on. Map ref: SW989 725 PLEASE NOTE Walk leaders have given their telephone numbers with each walk. However before contacting them would you please check the RSPB (www.rspb.org.uk/groups/cornwall) and CBWPS (www.cbwps.org.uk) websites for the latest information. Every effort will be made to keep the websites updated with cancella-tions, changes in venue or route or any access problems.

Wednesday June 8th 8:30 pm Leader: Roger Hooper (01209 820610) Croft Pascoe, The Lizard. Nightjar watch. An evening walk to see these stunning birds. Bring warm clothing, insect repellent and stout footwear. Meet at the lay-by near wooden gate on the Kuggar to Ruan Minor road, first right after Goonhilly. Sunday June 12th 9am Leader: Viv Stratton (01736 796487) St Erth River. A morning walk along the river to look for resident and migrant birds meet in the car park opposite the Church. Map ref: SW549351 Wednesday 15th June 8:30 pm Leader: Roger Hooper (01209 820610) Croft Pascoe, The Lizard. Nightjar watch. An evening walk to see these stunning birds. Bring warm clothing, insect repellent and stout footwear. Meet at the lay-by near wooden gate on the Kuggar to Ruan Minor road, first right after Goonhilly. Sunday 19th June 9am Leader: Gordon Mills (01209 7198144) The Lizard. A morning walk around The Lizard headland to in-clude heathland, valleys and cliff paths looking for residents, sum-mer visitors, sea birds and hopefully Chough. Stout footwear ad-visable. Meet at the Lizard Green Car park (voluntary contribu-tion) ref: SW 703125 Wednesday 22nd June 6 pm Leader: Gordon Mills (01209 7198144) Gothian Sands. An evening walk around the area looking for resi-dent and migrant birds, butterflies and wild flowers. Meet in the first Godrevy NT car park. Map ref: SW584422

Pentire Head

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The Cornwall Bird Watching and Preservation Society

Annual General Meeting 2011

The Annual General Meeting of the Society will be held at Wadebridge Town Hall on Saturday 7th May at 6pm. A Members’ Day is planned to start at Rumps Point (meet at Pentire Farm, map ref SW936803) at 10am for a sea-watch, followed by a visit to Walmsley Sanctuary at 3pm. The business part of the AGM will be followed by a presentation by renowned ornithologist and author Ian Wallace. Non-members are welcome at all these events.

Agenda

1. Apologies 2. Confirmation of the Annual General Meeting minutes from 15th May 2010, and matters arising. 3. The Chairman’s report. 4. The Treasurer’s report. 5. Election of members of the Executive Committee. 6. Election of Honorary Members on the recommendation of the Executive Committee as set out below in recognition of outstanding service to the objects of the Society: 7. Any other business. Nomination form for election of Honorary Officers and other members of the Executive Committee in accordance with the Society's Rules. I nominate .........................................................................................................................(who has agreed to serve if elected) of (address) .................................................................................................................................................................................. for the post of * .......................................................................................................................................................................... *please state which Honorary Officer or it will be taken as a nomination for a general committee member. Proposed by (name and address) ................................................................................................................................................. Seconded by (name and address) ................................................................................................................................................ Nominations must be in writing and reach the General Secretary, Tony Bertenshaw, Hantergantick, St Breward, PL30 4NH or by email: secretary@cbwps.org.uk no later than 30th April 2011. You do not need to use this form to make nominations but make sure you include all the information requested in it in your letter or email. Proposed Honorary Members: Stan Christophers Nigel Climpson Steve Madge Paul McCartney Andy Pay Roy Phillips Graham Sutton

23rd March 2011