Sunday 22 February 2009

A little bit here.... and a little bit there....!

Well, as you can see from the title today I had a little bit here and a little bit there and I have to say it was very enjoyable... the best for a while.
Before I start I would like to say that when I go out watching birds I meet some really nice people. They are helpful and always willing to lend a hand to amateurs like myself. Thanks to them I continue to enjoy watching birds.
I did a head count in the garden this morning. but if I do that separately I am in danger of droning on even more than usual, so I have decided to include all the birds I have seen today in one count. I started in the garden early, and then we drove to Marazion (head counting all the way as I am a passenger). On to Penzance, Newlyn, Mousehole, Drift Resevoir, Hayle Estuary and finishing up at Stithians Resevoir (which is one of my favourite places).
I had 60 species today, but this includes 2 possibles. Here's my list:
5 Little Grebe, 2 Great Crested Grebe (fab), 9 Cormorant, 2 Little Egret, 1 Grey Heron, 8 Mute Swans (one of which flew over the A30 at Hayle), 2 Pink Footed Goose (a newby for my life list and a BIG thank you to Steve Rogers from South West Optics for pointing them out), Canada Geese (lots), 2 Mallard, 6 Wigeon, Teal (dozens), 2 Oystercatcher, 3 Shelduck (if I ID'd them correctly, which I think I did), 8 Tufted Ducks, 7 Goldeneye, 6 Common Buazzard (3 of which were soaring together), 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Moorhen, Coots (lots), 8 Turnstone, 12 Lapwing, 2 Redshank, 1 Bar Tailed Godwit (if the man was right, and I have no reason to doubt him by the way), Curlew (lots), Black Headed Gull (6), 1 Med Gull, H Gull (lots and I'm learning how the feathers develop on Juvs), 3 Lesser Black Backed Gulls (hope I got that right), 1 Iceland Gull (again, thanks to Steve Rogers for pointing it out, as without him I would have been sunk!), 5 Greater Black Backed Gulls, 9 Woodpigeons, 1 Collared Dove, 1 Gt Spotted Pecker (photos taken by the Abbot at Stiths), 20+ Meadow Pipit (hope I ID'd them okay), 5 Pied Wagtail, 1 Wren (a silhouette in the garden this morning, which I could not mistake), 1 Dunnock (may have seen more), 4 Robins, 1 Songthrush, 2 Redwing, Fieldfare (and I think Simon said 55 - I've had a glass of red and cannot read my scribble!), 9 Blackbirds, 3 Goldcrest (1 in garden am and 2 as I came out of the main hide at Stithians to go home), 1 Firecrest (at the front of my house in the bush as I was leaving this morning), 3 Gt Tits, 4 Blue Tits, 4 LT Tits, 1 Coal Tit, 3 Magpies, 6 Jackdaw, 2 Rooks (possible - I go by the bill), Carrion Crows (lots), 4 Ravens (I've cracked it now Simon), 14 Starlings, H Sparrows (lots), 11 Chaffinches, 1 Greenfinch, 3 Bullfinch, 4 Reed Bunting, 2 Water Pipits.
Back to humdrum tomorrow... but with a spring in my step.
I still love birding!

4 comments:

  1. If you think you saw the Shelduck at Hayle, then yes you have identified them correctly. there were a few there today.

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  2. Hello Duncan. Sorry we missed you today. Thanks for that. I must be improving then!

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  3. Yes, the two Goldcrest were one of many highlights today..

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  4. Ditto Simon... never had two before.

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