Lookout.

Cormorant .....Phalacrocorax carbo

Hesper on Squirrel Watch at the Settlement.

Marsh Tit

Marsh Tit ......Parus palustris

One I am looking forward to seeing a lot of in the coming winter months. We have never recorded a Marsh Tit at the Settlement.. but maybe this year things will change.

American States Completed..

A visitor today from Delaware USA completed the set of American State visitors to the blog.
Thanks to you all.

Now the Canadian Provinces /Territories are my next target with two remaining... thanks to visits today from Newfoundland and the Yukon Territory.
I shall be looking out for visitors from the Northwest Territories and Nunavut to complete the set.

Birdwatching is indeed a Global hobby.

One State to Go.

Special thanks to the visitor from Fairbanks Alaska today. That leaves me with just a visit from the state of Delaware to complete all the American states.

Coal Tit at the Settlement

Coal Tit ....Parus ater

Robin at the Settlement

Robin .......Erithacus rubecula

Bar-Headed Goose

Photographed today at Par Beach Pool.

In the ****

Pied Wagtail .........Motacilla alba yarrellii

Little Egret

Little Egret.........Egretta garzetta

From the Archives

House Sparrows

House Sparrow ..Passer domesticus

Turnstones.

Turnstones ........Arenaria interpres

Photographed in the *salad bowl* at Par Beach

Pipit.

Playing cagey.

American States.

After having a visitor from North Dakota today I am now left with just three states to complete the whole of the United States.
The remaining states needed are: Alaska, Delaware, and South Dakota.
It will probably be a while before I complete the set but I shall be well pleased when it does happen and know the Blog has been visited by a blogger from every state in the U.S.A.

Pheasant. Heligan

Pheasant (female) .........Phasianus colchicus

Green Heron.

I saw the Green Heron at the Lost Gardens of Heligan today....naturally it was a life tick as they are scarcer than Hen's Teeth in Cornwall and the rest of Britain.

Humble Dunnock

Dunnock ....Prunella modularis

Photographed at the Manoa Valley .

Dipper

Dipper ....Cinclus cinclus



An unexpected chain of events yesterday left me with a window of free time.

I decided to have another go at locating the Dipper at Manoa Valley before proceeding on to Par to round off the day.

Very little was seen as I made my way towards the River. Weather wise it was quite pleasant, a far cry from Davidstow I visited on Tuesday.

As I approached the railing I cautiously crept the last few yards to see if the Dipper was around the extended pipe which is a place I have seen it before. O!! I must have flushed it because it shot of low downstream.
While pondering my next course of action I noticed a dog walker going downstream on the opposite bank. The dog was waggling along 50 yards behind the man who repeatedly stopped to let the dog gain ground. Right I thought…maybe he will flush it again …and … ideally it will head upstream towards where I had remained.
Lo and behold this was exactly what happened . The Dipper landed on a half submerged rock 50 yards downstream of me. Quickly I rested the camera on the railing and fired off a few record shots.
Now I had to get closer.
Well I have read a few S.A.S books and watched Ray Mears so as I recall it called for a little Bushcraft. The only problem was ..there was no where to go. The river was on my right and a fenced field on my left and the slight wind was blowing my Gucci downstream right towards him. My crawling days ended many years ago….so it was hope for the best. While the Dipper looked downstream I moved a few yards and rattled off some shots and much to my surprise I was gaining ground.. I got to within ten yards of it and then it was off like an Olympic Sprinter sucking a Fisherman’s Friend…and like the sprinter it did not go far and I saw it land about 50-60 yards further downstream. This went on for about one hour….back and forth. On one occasion a dozen or more middle aged mountain bikers flushed it back into view . I ended up photographing it in five different locations. Most of them are just average record shots but a few will pass muster for the blog although not up to Charlie Flemings standard.
As I was leaving a Grey Wagtail was spotted briefly close to the river bank and completed what was an enjoyable morning.

Also repeated on St Austellbaywatch Blog.