Adult in winter plumage with two Black headed gulls. Photographed today opposite the doctors surgery. There was a second winter bird also present but too distant to photograph. These are not unusual and yesterday 7 were present, 4 adults, 2 second winters and a first winter. Mediterranean Gull has not bred in Cornwall but does so in south east England and East Anglia. The population is expanding to inland sites where they nest amongst colonies of Black-headed Gulls. The recently […]

Two weeks since the work was completed on the island and the lake has been filling slowly from the freshwater inflow since the sluice was closed. It is now almost full as the images show. The bank is already beginning to grass over. I’ve been tree planting over the past week, ably assisted by Tony Jones. Over a 100 plants, of a selection of native species that will provide a wildlife corridor and screen the football club to create a […]

  Well it had to happen one day – the weather was somewhat grey and damp to say the least. Still 50 or so people braved the elements and while waiting at Saltash several of the party watched a Peregrine on the bridge. We began our usual  route up the River Tamar. As we were on neap tides the birds were rather distant in the lower reaches of the river and the large mussel banks normally exposed at low tide remained […]

Tony has sent me a couple of images from the last cruise and two taken yesterday on Millbrook Lake. The lake is gradually filling up from the inflow and will probably be almost full by Monday depending upon how much rain we have over the weekend

The final stages of the project. With the island complete the digger tracked back across the causeway removing the boards and cleaning them off. All that’s left is to restore the lake bank and access path.

Yesterday I installed 2 new interpretation boards next to the path on the north side of the lake.  One illustrates some of the commoner birds and the other, some of the trees that can be found. The artwork was drawn by Devon based artist Mike Langman who regularly illustrates for the RSPB. The boards were designed by Freeline Graphics of Exeter and manufactured by Shelley Signs.

The final countdown! The digger is now off the island and finishing the north bank that was used for access. Its looking good now I and can’t wait to see the water back in. Congratulations to all – excellent job, well done. Click on thumbnails for full size image    

Today we looked at the finish material and the what the island will look like. Its taken 160 tonnes of 150mm – 100mm perimeter stone and 180 tonnes of 75mm – 6mm infill stone that has brought the island up by a metre. Although originally I thought not to plant any trees, I have re-considered and will put in some Osiers that can be coppiced on a rotational basis. This will prevent them from growing to large when they would […]