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Where to see Avocets and Spoonbills

Avocet — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 14:44:41 +0000

As we are not running any boat trips this winter we thought you might like some information on where to watch birds on the River Tamar and River Lynher. The page http://www.tamarwildlife.co.uk/where-to-watch-birds/ will give you some ideas

2nd overshoot from southern Europe this week!!

Avocet — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 00:11:02 +0000

This evening Chris and I took Tilley for her usual walk around Millbrook Lake, a bit later than usual about 7pm. As it was late I didn’t bother taking binoculars – I should know better! We parked at the dam and a Little Egret was fishing by the outflow grid, where often a Grey Heron sits. Our walk around the lake and surrounding area was uneventful apart from spotting a Song Thrush carrying food to its chicks in a nest in the depths of a bramble patch. At about 7.40 as we approached the far end of the dam, our attention was drawn to a Grey Heron that called as it flew towards the sluice grid flushing the Little Egret and another heron that we had not noticed. The Grey Heron ignored the Little Egret, but pursued the other Heron and I immediately noticed that it was somewhat smaller and slimmer than its pursuer. The two birds flew low over the water before swinging up over the dam; the smaller bird was much browner, especially on the forewing, ‘That’s a Purple Heron!’ I said to Chris and then cursed for not having my bins. The contrast between the two birds was distinct. The Grey Heron called off its attack and flew back to the sluice but we concentrated on the Purp. It flew over the dam and circled the top end of the Creek at one point flying towards us. The kinked neck was sharper than Grey Heron but what was most obvious was the jerky flight with more obvious power into the down strokes, rather than the more even flight of a Grey Heron. It then turned and headed purposefully down the Creek towards Lower Anderton and was lost from view, still with the same jerky flight. We hurried back to the car and drove down the southern side of the Creek but by now the light was fading and with the extreme high tide there was few places for the bird to rest and we could not relocate it. Well if you’d told me on Sunday that I was going to find two Southern European overshoots this week in my local patch I’d have said ‘No chance’ but it goes to show how wrong you can be.

There’s a moral to this – always expect the unexpected and take your binoculars.

Hoopoe at Penlee

Avocet — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 11:23:29 +0000

With the wind blowing south easterly I thought it good for a Hoopoe this morning. I started at Maker, just a couple of Chiffs and a Blackcap. Then onto Rame Head, picking up a Wheatear and a few more Chiffchaff, a Kestrel and several Cormorant and Shag on the rocks. Finally on to Penlee where there were a couple more Chiffs near the car park. The place where I’ve always thought would be good for a Hoopoe is the north eastern corner by the bee orchid bank. As I rounded the corner a bird caught my eye, feeding on the ground in the tussocky grass. As I raised my binoculars I was expecting to focus on a Green Woodpecker but no in full view now was a Hoopoe! I watched it probing into the turf for 3 or 4 minutes before it looked up and either spotted me or was spooked by something, but it flew off into Penlee woods. I waited for A while but it didn’t return so I continued around the reserve. Saw a Sparrowhawk and a couple of Blackcap but no further sighting of the Hoopoe. A good mornings birding.

Oldest Mediterranean Gull in Cornwall

Avocet — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 17:14:52 +0000

Derek Julian saw an adult Mediterranean Gull at Wilcove, Tamar Estuary, Cornwall, on 8th January 2014. It was wearing a white darvic ring with a black legend reading 3K55.

A photograph can be viewed at https://www.flickr.com/photos/camelbirder/11906319715/

This turns out to be the oldest Med Gull recorded in Cornwall, first ringed near Antwerp, Belgium in 1999, re ringed in 2006 and one that I first saw back in 2009

Summary of rings for individual: 10953

Colour Code of ring Leg Ringing scheme Metal ring Age of bird Ringing date Ringing location Ringer

Bruxelles 5T56371 Bruxelles 5T56371 >2CY 19/04/1999 Berendrecht, Antwerpen, BELGIUM 51,2N 4,19E Goris, Guido

White 3K55 right Bruxelles E907887 >3CY 29/04/2006 Berendrecht, Antwerpen, BELGIUM 51,2N 4,19E Goris, Guido

Sightings for individual: 10953

White 3K55 v 08/01/2009 Millbrook Lake, Torpoint, Cornwall, GB 50,21N 4,13W Taggart, Bruce

White 3K55 v 06/02/2009 Plym Estuary, Plymouth, Devon, GB 50,2N 4,1W McCarthy, Roy

White 3K55 v 18/04/2009 Oye Plage, Les Huttes d’Oye, Pas-de-Calais, FRANCE 50,59N 2,03E Duponcheel, Camille

White 3K55 v 23/01/2010 Plym Estuary, Plymouth, Devon, GB 50,2N 4,1W Aley, Pete

White 3K55 v 27/04/2010 Durgerdam, Noord-Holland, NL 52,23N 5E van der Waal, Willem

White 3K55 v 07/05/2010 Kinseldam, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, NL 52,22N 5,01 E van der Waal, Willem

White 3K55 v 13/05/2010 Kinseldam, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, NL 52,22N 5,01E at the nest van der Waal, Willem

White 3K55 v 19/05/2010 Kinseldam, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, NL 52,22N 5,01E van der Waal, Willem

White 3K55 v 12/02/2011 Strijen, Zuid-Holland, NL 51,46N 4,32E Muusse, Theo

White 3K55 v 17/05/2011 Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, NL 52,31N 4,55E prob breeds at the Kinseldam Altenburg, Ruud

White 3K55 p 11/04/2012 Kalverpolder, Zaanstreek, Noord-Holland, NL 52,29N 4,49W de Jager, Kees

White 3K55 v 21/01/2013 Millbrook, Cornwall, GB 50,2N 4,13W right leg cut Nicholls, John

White 3K55 p 26/03/2013 Pegwell bay, near Ramsgate, Kent, GB 51,19N 1,22E Haughie, Scott

White 3K55 p 19/06/2013 Marken Island, Noord-Holland, NL 52,27N 5,06E van der Waal, Willem

White 3K55 v 08/01/2014 Tamar Estuary, Cornwall, GB 50,22N 4,11W Julian, Derek

Total number of sightings : 15

Hobby versus Swift

Avocet — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 10:47:28 +0000

I was recently sent this link of a pair of hobbies hunting a swift – most spectacular! Watch the whole clip because the second part is a slow motion replay and the third section is magnified slow motion. You can clearly see that the swift has several near misses and is only caught when the larger female hobby appears and probably distracted it. Also note the food pass after the catch indicating that the pair were probably feeding chicks. Click on the link here www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHOV40b9_xA

2013/14 Birdwatching Cruises

Avocet — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 09:31:27 +0000

The dates and Saltash departure times for this winters cruises are

17th November 2013 11.00am

15th December 2013 10.30am

29th January 2014 10.00am

15th February 2014 12.00 mid-day

For details and how to book click on the Birdwatching Cruise page in the banner above.

Still Here!

Avocet — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 10:40:56 +0000

After a quiet summer we’re now finalising the winter 2013/14 birdwatching cruises. The first will be on Sunday 17th November, leaving Saltash at 11am. Phone 01752 829163 to reserve your places. There are more trips planned for December, January and February. Details to follow shortly.

National Nestbox Week 2013

Avocet — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 09:12:29 +0000

Tamar Wildlife is able to supply a range of nestboxes and now is the time to think about the coming breeding season. Valentine’s Day 2013 is the start of the 16th annual National Nest Box Week (NNBW), organised by the British Trust for Ornithology, which encourages people across the UK to put up nest boxes for birds. Last year, the wet weather in April and June led to the worst breeding season on record for many species. Caterpillars were in short supply and Blue Tits fledged 13% fewer chicks than normal. Great Tits fared worse – 18% fewer chicks which is the second lowest productivity recorded in almost 50 years.

However, Blue Tits and Great Tits, produce large numbers of young and have the capacity to bounce back quickly after a single bad year. All they need is somewhere warm and safe to build a nest, and some favourable spring weather. Putting up a nest box is one of the easiest of things that you can do to help. Whether it is a home made box or a specially designed box that has been purchased from us, why not put up a nest box this National Nest Box Week and do your bit to help.

Apart from Blue Tits and Great Tits over 60 species have been recorded using nest boxes. House Sparrows and Starlings will use the typical round-hole design and Robins, Pied Wagtails or Spotted Flycatchers use the open fronted type. Boxes for Kestrels, Barn Owls and Swifts are also available. See our Nestbox page for the full range available.

Guided tour

Avocet — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:54:05 +0000

Today I led a group of three clients on a birding trip in the lower Tamar valley. Meeting them from the Cremyll Ferry we immediately started with an adult Mediterranean Gull, firstly sitting on the river and then in flight. Our first stop was Millbrook Lake. As it was high tide the waders, all Redshank, were roosting on the island together with several Little Egret and 4 Cormorant. Plenty of Black-headed and Herring Gulls and a single Little Grebe.

We then drove to the China Fleet Club at Saltash. The plan was to get to the hides overlooking the Tamar and Kingsmill Lake in time for the waders leaving their roost. Walking alongside the golf course the path took us through a nice belt of woodland. In the spring it would have been alive with singing birds but today all was quiet. The first hide gave us limited views of the estuary. The tide had started to ebb but there was not yet any exposed mud. All we saw was a Cormorant fishing just off shore and numerous distant gulls. No Osprey today!

By the time we reached the second hide over looking Kingsmill Lake there were still plenty of waders roosting on the saltmarsh. Good numbers of Curlew and Redshank were partly concealed amongst the vegetation and a couple of summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwit were resplendent in their chestnut plumage. Twenty or more Dunlin were ‘stitching’ along the water’s edge and single Oystercatcher and Shelduck were added to the day list. As the water receded several Greenshank flew upstream to feed in the exposed creeks, their evocative ‘chew-chew-chew’ calls echoing across the marsh.

We set off back to the ferry at Cremyll stopping off for lunch at Wacker Quay. Twenty or so Redshank and then a Common Sandpiper flew in and landed briefly on top of the mud before dropping down into a creek. Then something spooked the numerous Black-headed Gulls – a Sparrowhawk glided over the river. At St Johns Lake, a Swift soared overhead and a Little Egret was busy foot-tapping to disturb invertebrates and small fish from the mud.

Finally were drove past Millbrook creek. By now the the tide had fallen exposing plenty of mud. Still more Redshank and then on the nearside of the creek a Whimbrel – excellent view and out came the camera. We had 5 minutes to catch the the ferry so leaving the Whimbrel we made off to Cremyll. A successful day out – nice birds and good company.

Ringed Avocet on 10/12/11 cruise

Avocet — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:39:45 +0000

Tony Jones noticed that one of the Avocets photographed on 10th December last year was ringed. Its the 9th bird from the left and although not clear, appears to have orange rings on both legs and also a yellow ring on the left with either a 6 or 0 inscription. I’ll try and find out more information.