Monday 14th March – Bird Sightings

0845-0930 – high tide produced 2w RING-BILLED GULL initially on Ryan’s Field then flew to main estuary amongst 420+ Black-headed Gulls, 17 Med Gulls and 8 Common Gulls. On Lelant Saltings there were 5 Grey Plover, 6 Oystercatchers, 25 Dunlin, 2 House Sparrow, Sparrowhawk, Rock Pipit, 2 Buzzard, 3 Cormorant, 70+ Wigeon and 8 Shelduck. Other birds present but totals not counted were LBB Gull (c60), GBB Gull (c40) and Herring Gull (c200). The Spoonbill was also reported from Carnsew Pool.

Sunday 13th March 2016 Bird Sightings

The 2w RING-BILLED GULL was again on Ryan’s Field early morning. Late morning high tide produced SPOONBILL, Kingfisher, Snipe, Common Sandpiper, 37 Wigeon, 3 Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, 2 Raven, 5 Little Egret, 4 Greenfinch, 2 Long-tailed Tit and 16 Black-headed Gulls on Ryan’s Field and 78 Dunlin, 16 Oystercatcher, 1 Sanderling, 4 Ringed Plover, 4 Canada Geese, 12 Shelduck, 6 Wigeon, 17 Redshank, 3 Greenshank and 5 Med Gulls on Lelant Saltings. Great and Lesser Black Backed, Herring and Black-headed Gulls were present but not counted.

Recent March Sightings

A juvenile GLAUCOUS GULL was on the main estuary on the 1st and a 3w CASPIAN GULL was see on the 4th and 5th. A Common Sandpiper was on Ryan’s Field on the 6th and remained until 12th. A Water Pipit was on Lelant Saltings and a ‘siberian’ Chiffchaff was near Ryan’s Field on the 7th and the same or another 3/4w CASPIAN GULL was on the main estuary with a 1w YELLOW-LEGGED GULL on the 8th. Two adults and a 1w GLAUCOUS GULL were on Lelant Salting on the 12th and a 2w RING-BILLED GULL was on Ryan’s Field.

Recent February Sightings

A Water Pipit was on Lelant saltings on the 16th and then seen sporadically at Copperhouse Creek up to the 20th. The immature Spoonbill is still present as is the GN Diver on Carnsew Pool. An adult Yellow-legged Gull and a juvenile Iceland Gull was on the main estuary on the 20th as were 6 Goosander. A female Red-breasted Merganser was on Carnsew on the 18th and 2 Water Rails were on Ryan’s Field on 17th (News courtesy of CBWPS)

Recent Sightings

The Spoonbill and GN Diver were both reported on Saturday and Sunday. Only other birds of note were 200+ Lapwing and a Sparrowhawk on Ryan’s Field on Saturday (CBWPS)

Extremely windy on the main estuary at 0845 this morning with the following seen: 29 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 50+ Herring Gull, 144 LBB Gulls, 115 GBB Gulls, 82 BH Gulls, 1 SPOONBILL, 22 Carrion Crow, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 20+ Curlew, 3 Golden Plover, 21 Oystercatcher, 3 Cormorant, 1 male Wigeon and 2 Rock Pipit.

Friday 5th February 2016 Bird Sightings

Main Estuary – incoming tide at 1100hrs, birds seen from The Old Quay House Car park were: 35 Teal, 31 Wigeon, 34 Lapwing, 9 Golden Plover, 44 Curlew, 300+ Herring Gulls, 32 BH Gull, 4 Oystercatcher, 11 Shelduck, 43 Carrion Crow, 304 LBB Gulls, 162 GBB Gulls, 1 Peregrine and 4 Rock Pipits. In addition, the SPOONBILL, a red-head Goosander, 10 Grey Plover, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 185 Dunlin and a Greenshank were reported (CBWPS)

Copperhouse Creek – 183 Herring Gulls, 1 Oystercatcher, 6 curlew, 11 Shelduck, 1 Little Egret, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Cormorant, 45 Wigeon and single LBB and GBB Gulls.

Of interest, an unusually plumaged Lesser Black-backed Gull was seen and photographed on Lelant Saltings today. It is thought that it is possibly an aberrant LBB Gull. Photographs can be seen HERE and HERE by M.Spicer and M. Ahmed on the CBWPS website.

 

Thursday 4th February 2016 Bird Sightings

Main Estuary – 1100hrs on the incoming tide at Lelant Saltings were: 85 Curlew, 16 Dunlin, 1 Bar-tailed godwit,30+ Wigeon, 3 Little Egret, SPOONBILL, 270+ Herring Gull, 60+ GBB Gull, 60+ LBB Gull, 160+ BH Gull, 40+ Teal and 8 Shelduck.

Carnsew Pool – Great Northern Diver still present. Also 8 Little Grebe, 3 Oystercatcher, Curlew, 2 Shag, 2 Little Egret, 2 Wigeon, 4 Curlew.

Ryan’s Field – 26 Lapwing (one recently killed by a Peregrine left in front of the hide) 1 Snipe, 2 Raven flew south, 4 Redshank. The bushes by the Eric Grace memorial hide contained Chaffinch, Wren, Long-tailed Tit, 2 Blue Tit, Goldcrest, 4 Dunnock and Blackbird.

Copperhouse Creek – No sign of yesterdays Iceland Gull but 30 Dunlin, 9 Ringed Plover, 1 Greenshank, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Linnet, 14 Redshank, 118 Herring Gull, 2 LBB Gull, 2 GBB Gull, 2 Little Egret, 20+ Wigeon and 40+ Woodpigeon flew south.

 

Wednesday 3rd February 2016 Bird Sightings

Hayle Estuary (1100hrs) – 37 Curlew, 50+ Wigeon, Teal (not counted), 5 Rock Pipit, 16 Shelduck, 24 Carrion Crow, 112+ LBB Gull, 90+ GBB Gull, 168+ Herring Gull, 220+ BH Gull, 4 Little Egret, 5 Grey Heron, 4 Linnet, 8 Oystercatcher, 2 Greenshank, 8 Redshank, 1 Lapwing, 3 Jackdaw, female Blackcap, 1 Redwing, 10+ Goldfinch, 1 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover

Copperhouse Creek – 1w Iceland Gull at west end, 138 Herring GUll, 1 Little Egret, 2 Shelduck, 1 Cormorant, 30+ Wigeon.

 

Recent Bird Sightings

The Red-necked Grebe and Great Northern Diver were reported from Carnsew Pool again yesterday (30th) with 5 Med Gulls there too. (CBWPS)

The Spoonbill was still present on the main estuary today (31st) at 1500hrs and the Water Pipit was reported again at Lelant saltings. (Birdnet)

Tuesday 19th January – Bird Sightings

Main Estuary – 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 1 Goosander, 1 Spoonbill, 11 Grey Plover, 10 Dunlin, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Common Sandpiper, 5 Greenshank, 5 Common Gull, 3 Med Gull and 1 Peregrine on Lelant Saltings.  234 Lapwing and 1 Firecrest were on Ryan’s Field. (CBWPS)

Copperhouse Creek – 1 Greenshank, 41 Redshank and 1 Grey Plover (CBWPS)

Carnsew Basin – Great Northern Diver trapped in illegal fishing net across northern corner of the pool appeared to be okay when released. The net also contained some good sized Grey Mullet! The Red-necked grebe was also reported on the pool along with 8 Little grebe.