A & T Birding

Jays

2012-02-08T16:05:00.000Z

A pair of Jays were on the garden feeder early this morning. One is rare but two is a first. A great pity my camera was not handy,but to make up for the loss, I have put up some earlier Jay shots taken at various locations.

Pied Wagtails

2012-01-17T11:40:00.000Z

In the *Salad Bowl* at Par Beach.
Sunday at Marazion.

Little Spitfires

2012-01-13T10:46:00.002Z

Photographs of Long-tailed Tits. Aegithalos caudatus

Goldcrest

2012-01-11T10:11:00.000Z

Statistics

2012-01-06T16:32:00.000Z

A few statistics to begin the New Year with.

Followers to the Blog has risen to 223.

The total countries to have visited the Blog is a staggering 185 worldwide.

States and Region flags stand at 753

The total of UNIQUE Visitors is 31323
Record stands at 196 different individuals on July 31st 2010

Fatbirder's top 1000 Blogs. We stand at 413 which is rather disappointing as the blog was in the 200's at one stage.

Chiffchaff. Manoa Valley Yesterday

2012-01-03T10:58:00.000Z

Merry Christmas Everyone.

2011-12-21T21:16:00.000Z

Waxwing

2011-12-15T12:01:00.001Z

Waxwing from last year.

Alfie

2011-11-20T13:22:00.000Z

Alfie our new Cairn Terrier.

Wren.

2011-10-30T00:08:00.002+01:00

Sticking my Neck Out.

2011-10-24T11:04:00.000+01:00

On the Garden Feeder

2011-10-06T12:15:00.002+01:00

Peregrine

2011-09-29T10:09:00.004+01:00

Peregrine. Falco peregrinus

Yellow ring on the left leg.
Photographed at Botallack.

Bullfinch

2011-08-29T19:58:00.002+01:00

Greenshank

2011-08-19T20:05:00.002+01:00

Still on the wader theme.
Greenshank.....Tringa neblaria

Dunlin

2011-08-18T12:29:00.001+01:00

Crow

2011-08-17T10:28:00.003+01:00

Dipper Art.

2011-08-15T14:02:00.000+01:00

2011-08-15T13:42:00.000+01:00

After spending the 2 weekends prior to the last one at an Art and Birds Exhibition I decided to have a go and see what I could do using birds as a base for art work. This resulting work is not for purists. Still, I would be delighted to have some comments on it .

200 Followers.

2011-08-14T21:30:00.001+01:00

I am pleased to announce that http://luzias-art.blogspot.com/ became my 200th follower.

Also I am overwhelmed to think that 174 different countries have visited this Blog. A big thank you to all my followers and International visitors.

I am very pleased the blog has proved a hit not only with the British but also on an International level.
Having so many followers gives me that added incentive to carry on and hopefully improve the blog.
Reading other peoples blogs provides useful information and greatly increases ones knowledge of this fascinating hobby and I feel it gives one added impetus to go out and better our photographic and fieldcraft skills as well as respecting the varied natural beauty of our own and others lands.

Blackcaps

2011-08-12T23:05:00.001+01:00

2011-08-12T22:45:00.001+01:00

We are hoping the Blackcaps return again this year.

Blackcaps.....Sylvia atricapilla

Cat

2011-08-11T11:25:00.002+01:00

2011-08-11T11:12:00.000+01:00

I am not the only one who is watching the birds in the ol' backyard.

Egyptian Goose

2011-08-01T19:01:00.002+01:00

2011-08-01T18:50:00.000+01:00

A most unexpected life tick. Saturday 30th July at Millbrook.

Egyptian Goose ......Alopochen aegyptiacus

A Pair of Juveniles

2011-07-28T21:14:00.000+01:00

Meerkat on Guard

2011-07-24T20:50:00.000+01:00

Owl.

2011-07-23T20:40:00.000+01:00

2011-07-23T20:30:00.001+01:00

Photographed at the Screech Owl Sanctuary.

Thank you to Mark Whittaker for a very enjoyable experience.

What was this guys name Mark?

Garden Birds

2011-07-17T11:32:00.001+01:00

Time now for a back garden update.

Considering the small size of the garden we have been extremely lucky over the years to see so many different species on our feeders.
Goldcrests and Firecrest have visited most years but the Firecrest failed to put in an appearance this year. We hope they both return this winter.
A strange visitor was a Moorhen that stayed around for a few weeks.
The Chaffinch flock included a pair of Bramblings that took a liking to the Nyger Seed and became daily visitors for a number of weeks.
The Greenfinches have all but deserted us with only a couple of sighting all year. A single Siskin was also seen early in the year.
Bullfinches appear but not generally on a daily basis and a lone juvenile was observed late last month.
Goldfinches have increased in numbers on the seed feeder with a record of six seen yesterday.
This year we have had a bumper crop of Blue Tits with fifteen in the garden at the same time. I suspect we have at least twenty plus in and around the garden area and they certainly are a joy to watch as they try everything in sight.
Great Tits, Dunnocks, Robins , Chaffinches and Coal Tits have all reared youngsters as have the
Sparrows, Blackbirds and Starlings .
The Swifts returned again to nest at the roof of the house and are still feeding the young.
A Jay appeared on the feeder last week (the first time I have seen it away from the trees) and along with the Magpies, Wood Pigeons and Collared Doves make up the larger visitors.
Long-tailed Tits appear regularly and are more active when the woodland flocks appear a little later in the year.
A pair of Blackcap were with us during the winter months and have reappeared again recently.
The Great-spotted Woodpecker seen on the peanuts last year has failed to appear this one.
Another visitor that was absent last year but has now returned with a vengeance is the Song Thrush. We have a pair that continually return to the feeders on daily visits and by the amount of feed they take off with we suspect they have youngsters. They are becoming quite tame.
Wrens show themselves most days but how many we have is anybody’s guess.
Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers are sometimes seen or heard in the woods that backs onto the garden.
Owls are sometimes heard at night (not by me though)
Rooks and Crows are often in the adjacent trees but I have never seen one in the garden. That also applies to the Herring Gulls that fly over.
Swifts, Swallows and House Martins can be seen hawking overhead during their stay.
Yesterday as Angie reported ,a GBB Gull was foraging outside the front door. Occasionally a Pied Wagtail also appears around the frontal area.

If we are to add to our garden tally….what will it be?
I would like to have a Nuthatch, Mistle Thrush and a Jackdaw visit.
Due to the number of woodland birds that visit us I would rather any raptors around kept their distance.

Penrice Jay. (Latest)

2011-07-12T12:22:00.000+01:00

Images from the Back Garden.

2011-07-12T11:38:00.000+01:00

Song Thrush.

2011-07-03T21:19:00.001+01:00

One of a pair that visit the garden daily.

More from the Garden

2011-07-01T12:00:00.000+01:00

Jay.

2011-06-20T21:23:00.000+01:00

Jay .....Garruus gladarius

Photographed on Sunday at Penrice. A lot of the cover behind the feeder has been cut down leaving a very open appearance. The small woodland birds were few and far between and the only positive was the Jay that made one sortie which I managed to capture.

Garden Birds

2011-06-17T11:23:00.003+01:00

Latest Nuthatch. (Penrice)

2011-05-16T21:46:00.000+01:00

Nuthatch.....Sitta europaea

Kittiwake

2011-05-12T11:57:00.000+01:00

Kittiwake.........Rissa tridactyla
Photographed last year at Par beach pool.

Cygnets

2011-05-10T21:27:00.000+01:00

Cygnets

Kestrel

2011-05-09T22:01:00.003+01:00

Kestrel .....Falco tinnunculus

The best I could do at the time......

Yellowhammer

2011-05-02T22:28:00.002+01:00

Yellowhammer.....Emberiza citrinella

Photographed 2nd May 2011 at Treskilling Downs

Jay. Penrice

2011-04-28T21:07:00.001+01:00

Jay........Garrulus glandarius

Great Spotted Woodpecker

2011-04-24T10:43:00.002+01:00

Great Spotted Woodpecker..........Dendrocopus major

Taken at Penrice. My first for the year at the site.

Under Starters Orders

2011-04-21T20:00:00.002+01:00

Return from Meltdown.

2011-04-20T20:15:00.000+01:00

The lack of recent posts has been due to a computer meltdown. All my recent photographs are now floating about in Cyber Space along with a lot more stuff.

So to keep the Blog active I will post a couple of photographs from last year.

Bullfinch

2011-04-08T19:34:00.002+01:00

Bullfinch...Pyrrhula pyrrhula

I saw the male Bullfinch on one of the garden feeders this morning. I rushed upstairs and photographed him from the bathroom window (grab shot).

Although Angie has seen and heard them around the garden area it was the first one we have seen on our feeder this year.

Red-Throated Diver.

2011-04-04T21:44:00.002+01:00

Red-throated Diver......Gavia stellata

Photographed at St Andrews Pool

Slimbridge

2011-03-27T18:14:00.000+01:00

I will let you guess what this is.

Dippers at the Manoa Valley.

2011-03-24T21:15:00.001Z

Dipper.....Cinclus cinclus

They seem to have a varied diet.

Jackdaws having a Chat.

2011-03-18T21:18:00.000Z

Stonechats at Par.

2011-03-10T20:58:00.001Z

Stonechats.......Saxicola torquata

I have been under the weather the last week....hence the lack of posts.

Mandarin Duck

2011-02-28T20:18:00.002Z

Mandarin Duck....Aix galericulata

Manderin Ducks were seen at both Slimbridge (resident birds) and at a small lake at the Forest of Dean. Although they are rare here in Cornwall they seemed in good supply in Gloucestershire.

Goosander

2011-02-23T20:49:00.000Z

Goosander...Mergus merganser

Woodland Birds

2011-02-18T19:45:00.003Z

Great Tit....... Parus major

Coal Tit ...... Parus ater

Blue Tit...... Parus caeruleas

Marsh Tit ....Parus palustris

I went out to St Andrews Pool yesterday to see if I could find the Siskin flock reported.
I never located them..so I amused myself with the woodland birds at the *Cafe*.

Nuthatch

2011-02-16T21:55:00.000Z

Nuthatch ...Sitta europaea

Photographed at Penrice. My first for this year.

Wren

2011-02-10T22:19:00.001Z

Wren ......Troglodytes troglodytes

Humble Blackbird

2011-02-10T21:15:00.001Z

Blackbird .....Turdus merula

Barn Owl

2011-02-07T12:09:00.001Z

Barn Owl .....Tyto alba

Hen Harrier

2011-02-06T20:26:00.003Z

A Hen Harrier at Rosenannon Downs yesterday took my Life List to 200.

A couple of year ticks today:
Cattle Egret at St Winnow
Sparrowhawk at the Manoa Valley.

Marsh Tit

2011-02-03T21:49:00.003Z

Little Hitler.

Marsh Tit....Parus palustris

Photographed in the trees close to the *Hard Rock Cafe* St Andrews Pool.

Marazion Marshes

2011-02-01T10:55:00.003Z

Redwing ......Turdus iliacus

Snipe.....Gallinago gallinago

Pintail (Drake) .......Anas acuta

Mute Swan.....Cygnus olor

All taken at Marazion Marshes last Saturday.

I had knocked the image stabilizer off accidentally so I was rather disappointed with the finished articles.

Jay and Pheasant

2011-01-31T16:40:00.000Z

Pheasant.....Phasianus colchicus

Jay.......Garrulus glandarius

The Big Six

2011-01-31T16:25:00.004Z

I had my first daytime visit to Penrice and although I had only a 45 minute window I was hoping to connect with some of the *Big Six*.

Great Spotted Woodpecker..Generally it is the female that appears but I have seen and photographed both.
Green Woodpecker.... I have had only a brief glimpse of it but never managed to photograph it.
Nuthatch... A lot of photographs of this fast bird.
Buzzard. .. A very light coloured one has been seen but never photographed.
Jay.... A cautious bird that plays tantalising games with me. I am confident that another close-up will be taken in due course.
Pheasant... A friendly colourful bird that I am always glad to see .

The first one to appear was the male Pheasant and I was glad it had survived any shoots that may have been in the area. It posed for a full length photograph and I could almost hear it saying ..."make sure you get my tail in Mr Moore"
Robins, Blue Tit and Great Tit also came down to the feeder plus a blackbird which although there are plenty about ...normally give the site a miss whilst I am there.
A rustling in the bushes gave me my first indication the Jay was on the scene. I got ready for it to appear in the open but it decided to fly off into a tree...I grabbed a record shot. That was the only time it came into full view. It kept creeping back into the bushes but would not venture out. This was basically a replica of last years game of hide and seek. No doubt as soon as it saw me drive off he would have swooped down .
So only two out of six but I was well pleased with that.
There were also many Redwings and Blackbirds searching the leaf mould beneath the canopy.

Turnstone

2011-01-28T22:31:00.002Z

Turnstone.....Arenaria interpres

A shoreline photograph of a Turnstone searching the *salad bowl*

Blackcap (Female)

2011-01-26T20:19:00.002Z

Blackcap.......Sylvia atricapilla

We have three Blackcaps visiting the garden this year. Two females and a Male.

Brambling

2011-01-24T21:42:00.002Z

Brambling ....Fringilla montifringilla

The Brambling has become a welcome daily garden visitor.

Woodland Birds

2011-01-22T22:11:00.002Z

Marsh Tit .......Parus palustris

Long-tailed Tit ......Aegithalos caudatus

Greenfinch ......Carduelis chloris

Return of the Past

2011-01-20T21:14:00.003Z

Blue Tit.....Parus caeruleus

Blackbird .....Turdus merula

Rook.......Corvus frugilegus

Squirell

Stonechat....Saxicola torquata

Penrice

2011-01-08T20:59:00.003Z

Great Spotted Woodpecker ......Dendrocopus major

Pheasant......Phasianus colchicus

Nuthatch....Sitta europaea

Jay.....Garrulus glandarius

Penrice is one of my favourite birding places. Unfortunately most of our visits are done in the evening and at this time of year that means no photographs.
As the evenings get lighter I hope to connect again with all of the above birds that I encountered in 2010.

Black Redstart.

2011-01-05T20:06:00.002Z

Black Redstart ..........Phoenicurus ochruros

.
Song Thrush ........Turdus philomelos

Robin.........Erithacus rubecula

Song Thrush

2011-01-03T20:47:00.001Z

Song Thrush....Turdus philomelos

Life Ticks

2011-01-02T20:18:00.002Z

Spit Beach provided me with two new Life Ticks today.

Velvet Scoter and Grey Plover.

Now I am stuck on 199.

Chiffchaff

2011-01-01T21:20:00.001Z

Chiffchaff...Phylloscopus trochilus

Photographed today at Par Beach

New Year Message

2010-12-30T22:10:00.000Z

Over the Christmas Period.

2010-12-29T19:50:00.002Z

Tufted Duck ......Aythya fuligula. St Andrews Pool.

Barnacle Goose.....Branta leucopsis. Par Beach Pool

Dipper.......Cinclus cinclus. Manoa Valley

Dipper. Manoa Valley

Grey Wagtail .......Motacilla cinerea. Manoa Valley

Christmas Message

2010-12-24T21:42:00.002Z

A & T Birding wishes all its UK and International readers a very Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year.

Special thanks to those who leave comments.

Thank you all for keeping the Blog alive .

Robin

2010-12-22T15:35:00.001Z

Robin ......Erithacus rubecula

Moorhen at the Fort Copse

2010-12-16T19:08:00.003Z

A days shopping in Truro was the order of the day. I arrived back home to see eight Long-tailed Tits on the fat balls..a record for the garden.

Also a strange bird has been glimpsed in the trees..we are pretty sure it is a Moorhen. A new record and unexpected garden list visitor.

Still no sign of the Firecrest or Goldcrest but we did have a lone Greenfinch visit...the first for many months.

Another Waxwing Photograph.

2010-12-14T10:39:00.002Z

Waxwing ........Bombycilla garrulus

Wadebridge Waxwing.

2010-12-13T15:01:00.002Z

Waxwing.....Bombycilla garrulus

It was nice to see *Digiscope King* John and his wife Sue again at the site.

It seems to be a long while since our paths crossed.

Dipper.

2010-12-10T16:09:00.001Z

Dipper...Cinclus cinclus

Photographed yesterday at the Manoa Valley.

Female Blackcap.

2010-12-09T21:34:00.002Z

Blackcap.......Sylvia atricapilla

A grab shot from the bathroom window.

Photographed just above the Elfland.

Goosander.

2010-12-08T21:23:00.003Z

Goosander ....Mergus merganser

Photographed today at St Andrews Pool.

The bird never left the middle of the pool all the time I was there.

It was taken about 40-50 yards out ...hand held but I did get a shutter speed of 1500 secs.

Quite pleased with the result.

Marsh Tit

2010-12-07T22:01:00.001Z

Marsh Tit .....Parus palustris

Blackcaps

2010-12-05T22:05:00.004Z

The Judge and his wife (Blackcaps) paid their annual visit to the Settlement a week early this year.

We are hoping they will stay well into the new year.

Next should be the Goldcrest and Firecrest if history is to repeat itself.

Chaffinch over the Farm

2010-12-04T17:10:00.001Z

Chaffinch .......Fringilla coelebs

Great Tit

2010-12-02T18:48:00.000Z

Great Tit .....Parus major.

Marsh Tit

2010-11-30T14:56:00.003Z

Marsh Tit .......Parus palustris

Photographed at the *Hard Rock Cafe* St Andrews Pool.

Conditions were not ideal for hand held photography...so not as sharp as I would have liked it.

Cormorant

2010-11-29T22:06:00.002Z

Cornorant ....Phalacrocorax carbo

Photographed at St Andrews Pool.

I cannot recollect ever seeing one before at the site.

Fort Copse Brambling

2010-11-28T18:48:00.000Z

A New Visitor to the Fort Copse Settlement

2010-11-28T16:06:00.002Z

Trouble with the Internet connection yesterday.

The first of the winter arrivals came yesterday and it was indeed a surprise to me. Not only was this a Fort Copse first but it was until very recently a life tick for me.
The bird landed on the Nyger lookout just above the Mousetrap Farm. At first I thought it was the same as the others in the small flock...but after close scrutiny through the bins I was happy to see my first Brambling close up.
Unlike the Chaffinches ...the Brambling only fed on the Nyger seed feeder.
Today the flock returned and I think a female was also with them.

Dunnock at the Cafe

2010-11-24T18:50:00.001Z

Dunnock .....Prunella modularis

Song Thrush

2010-11-23T18:58:00.003Z

Song Thrush .......Turdus philomelos

I went out hoping to find a Marsh Tit or two. Unfortunately they were absent along with the Coal Tits.

Still all was not lost as the Song Thrush was a new visitor to the Hard Rock Cafe.

Great Spotted Woodpecker.

2010-11-20T23:01:00.002Z

Great Spotted Woodpecker ........Dendrocopus major

Black-Headed Gull

2010-11-18T09:51:00.001Z

Black-headed Gull ......Larus ridibundus

The Big Meal

2010-11-16T20:47:00.001Z

Song Thrush ....Turdus philomelos

Tufted Duck

2010-11-14T18:21:00.001Z

Tufted Duck .......Aythya fuligula

Coot

2010-11-09T20:20:00.001Z

Coot .....Fulica atra

Oystercatcher.

2010-11-07T12:56:00.001Z

Oystercatcher......Haematopus ostralegus