Wildfowl.

9/12/09.

At present the majority of interest is around wildfowl which come here to escape the worst of the weather up country,there are currently a mixture of Mallard and Teal in the area which can sometimes be seen flying over the Tregurno area and also over the sea, there are about thirty individual birds with Teal in the majority but I have seen one Pochard among them.

Other wetland birds seen have been Moorhen and the occasional Snipe.

Offshore there have been small groups of Guillemots and the odd Fulmar.

First Daffodils.

29/11/09.

Walked to Carn Barges and back to the cove, four Moorhen, three Mallard two male one female and two Teal. Grey and Pied Wagtails, Robins, Wrens, Rock Pippits and Dunnock feeding along the shoreline.

30/11/09.

Goldfinches feeding on Evening Primrose seeds, also later in the week.

2/12/09.

Walked back from Sheffield this morning, a Buzzard on a fence post, one Curlew and several small flocks of Starlings. In the twenty five years I have lived here I have never seen so much water lying in the fields and running out of the hedges onto the roads.

4/12/09.

A flock of duck overhead on the way to Carn Barges c24 mixed Teal and Mallard.

5/12/09.

Driving along Wharfside this morning a Gt Northern Diver in the harbour, first I,ve seen this winter.

6/12/09.

Winter Heliotrope coming into flower, also known in Cornwall as Coltsfoot, this is not the Coltsfoot that country people used to use as a tobacco, that plant has yellow flowers in the spring which come before the leaves.
Talking of the spring there are already signs that it is on the wayI was looking the other day at a Purple Filbert tree, this is a member of the Hazel family and the catkins and the female flowers were there to see allthough still dormant I will try to get some pictures of it when it flowers as the catkins are bright pink and it is quite a sight when in full flower.
With the recent bad weather it has been interesting to see the way that birds will adapt to it, on the roundabout by Morrisons garage Black Headed Gulls and Oystercatchers were happily feeding in the worst of the weather ,it may have been reshaped and manicured but the attitude seemed to be it,s our field and always will be.
I,ve given this a title and have,nt mentioned the reason ,the first Daffodil in our garden is in flower I do have a photograph of it which hopefully will appear in due course.
,
,

.

First Viola.

23/11/09.

A Grey Heron this morning flying up the valley. A small group of Long Tailed Tits in the garden at lunchtime.

24/11/09.

The first Viola has bloomed along the downs path, these are probably the descendants of the flowers that were grown comercially.

ead25/11/09.

A small flock of Lapwings in the Sheffield area this morning. Gannets far out at sea, Black Headed, Herring and Great Black Backed Gulls in the cove also Shag, Cormorant and Oystercatchers. One Cormorant was in the garden of Gilly Cottage, the combination of short legs set far back and large feet plus long grass made its progress difficult but it eventually made it to one arm of the stream which it entered and promptly started searching for food, however it soon tired of this area and climbing out proceeded to clamber through the dead stems of the Gunnera to gain access to the next part of the stream where it again started to search for food.
29/11/09.
Walked over the top to Carn Barges today, four Moorhen, three Mallard two males one female,two Teal. In the cove Grey and Pied Wagtails, Robins, Wrens, Rock Pippits and Dunnock
feeding along the shoreline 0n the cast up weed.

Woodcock.

16/11/09.
Green Woodpecker Tregurno cliff, Water Rail seen and heard on way to Carn Barges also two Moorhen and six Teal. Grey and Pied Wagtails, Rock Pippits and a Black Redstart in the cove.Jay on way up through the woods. A Woodcock on the way to Carn Barges, first of the winter
17/11/09.
A Red Admiral at Treverven.
19/11/09.
A Peregrine on the way on the way to St Buryan this morning, Moorhen, Oystercatcher,Gannet.
Kelvin saw a Swallow over the valley this morning.
Small flock of Goldfinches in the garden.
22/11/09.
Went for a walk this morning, a Stonechat between Carn Barges and Lamorna point and a seal in the cove.

Riders of the storm

11/11/09.

Large flocks of Woodpigeon 1st light, in the high hundreds! maybe as many as a thousand.

Curlew at Sheffield.

13/11/09.

A Grey Heron over the valley this morning, in the vicinity of the Merry Maidens a flock of Woodpigeon over a thousand strong.

Black Redstarts.

2/11/09.
A Song Thrush in the garden this morning feeding on Myrtle berries.
5/11/09.
Large flocks of Redwings and Fieldfares at first light this morning passing through the valley also between shefield and Castallack, a male Black Redstart at Castallack.
7/11/09.
A Sparrowhawk over the harbour car park early morning and another down in the cove mid morning.
8/11/09.
On the way to Carn Barges this morning two Moorhen twenty + Teal and approximately 200 Woodpigeon, a Song Thrush along the coast path and in the cove several Rock Pippits, Robins, Pied Wagtails and two Black Redstarts. A male Seal in the cove below the cross.
Coming up through the woods a Grey Wagtail on the stream and a Redwing overhead as I was approaching home.

Golden Plover.

25/10/09.
Out early this morning, a Song thrush on the way to perch Cottage and a small flock (30+) of Golden Plover between Perch Cottage and Tregurno fm.
Pied Wagtails around the new lagoon at Rosemodress fm and Sparrows on the road Meadow Pippits on the way to Tregiffian.
Between Boscawen fm and St Buryan turn two Ravens, a Buzzard large flocks of mixed finches and small groups of Starlings.
A solitary Redwing by the Maidens was my first definite sighting for this Autumn.
A Kestrel and a Sparowhawk in the cove around midday.
27/10/09.
On the way to Carn Barges A Moorhen And a Water Rail ,heard but not seen also a Kestrel and A Sparrowhawk.
31/10/09.
Song Thrushes in the garden this morning feeding on Pyracantha berries.
1/11/09.
Large numbers of Redwings passing through the valley early morning.