Little Gull

Little Gull

Little Gull

This adult winter Little Gull ( Larus minutus ) had been reported to be at Par Beach Pool in Cornwall for a couple of days so I managed a day off  to try my luck at getting some photographs of a bird I'd only managed a few record shots of previously..On arrival the bird was showing well and already posing nicely for David C.& Nigel C. I joined them and watched this dainty Gull (the smallest of the Gulls I believe ) as it preened and took short flights for a few dips in the water.The light was quite nice, the only real problem was trying to isolate it from the many Black Headed Gulls,& Coots etc,but pretty pleased with the photographs.Nice bird.

Little Gull preening

Little Gull

Mediterranean Gull

More photos will be on my main website. Also got a couple of shots of an adult Mediterranean  Gull,which was nice.

Common Cranes

Thaks to Adrian Langdon for the heads up on the 24 Common Cranes feeding in stubble fields near St Issey on November 13th, got there just in time to see them fly around for a short time before dissapearing into the distance, a fine sight to witness,I managed one very poor record shot,just dots in the distance really but well worth the visit just to see them. For Adrian Langdons shots of the Cranes & lots of other super wildlife photos go to images-naturally!

The Lizard Choughs & other stuff

Three very confiding Snow Buntings at Kynance Cove

Snow Bunting

Shag lift off at Kynance

Big waves at Porthleven

Bufflehead

Whilst Joyce & I were having a nice week down on the Lizard , the news came through of a Bufflehead only about five minutes walk from our accommadation, and although we had left for a day out she understood that I would be no fun to live with at all if we did'nt turn back to take a look..This pretty North American duck, probably a first winter female was apparently the first for Cornwall (a second for me ) and appeared to me like a genuine wild bird, being fairly wary,having no visible rings, and its visit coinciding with the recent gales.It fed at the far side of a pool near Housel Bay not far from Lizard Point.

More photos of the Lizard week to follow soon.

Wryneck-A Superb Bird

Wryneck

Wryneck hunting for ants

Wryneck posing nicely

A couple of hours this afternoon at Davidstow,I could,nt find anything of note on the airfield,so took the usual drive down towards Crowdy where a nice male Sparrowhawk was sitting on a fencepost but flew off before I even got the camera out, so I turned around and noticed a small bird sunning itself on another fencepost & quickly realised it was a Wryneck, I took a few distance shots before stopping opposite it-what a little beauty-and then it flew down onto the grass verge right in front of me and started to feed on ants and perform superbly.Brilliant.I was joined by  friendly chap  Ray from Kilkhampton who was delighted to see this first for him and we photographed it to our hearts content.A few more photos will be in the diary section of my main website soon.

Other Davidstow Birds

Kestrel on the lookout

Lesser Black Backed Gull

Wheatear

While the waders have been taking all the top prizes at Davidstow, a few other birds have found  themselves in front of my lens.

The Davidstow waderfest continues

Long Billed Dowitcher

Snow Bunting

A Long Billed Dowitcher was found on Davidstow airfield,continuing the great run of American waders seen at this site this autumn, and although the weather was rainy & foggy I had to go see it. I have seen two in the county before but this would be my first at this,one of my  my favourite sites.It spent most of the afternoon roosting (or sheltering )tucked in behind some reeds but came out to feed briefly later in the day.Also present on the airfield were two nice Snow Buntings which I got a few o.k ish shots of..Another couple of photos of these can be found on my main website.

An early morning Stint at Davidstow

2nd October.Early Saturday morning I was back at Davidstow airfield in search of the three Pectoral Sands but unable to find  them ,however I did find a very small wader which at first I thought was probably the Little Stint which had been reported a few days earlier,but on closer inspection ( and this bird was pretty confiding ) I thought this was'nt really like any Little Stint I.d seen before and appeared more like the Semi Palmated Sandpiper I,d watched last week ast Drift, I looked for webbing between the toes but was,nt really sure to what extent this should be, so took some photographs and hoped they might prove the i.d.

Andy Bond & then Brian Craven turned up & although I said I was trying to turn the bird into a Semi Palmated Sandpiper ,I lacked the courage of my convictions & settled on maybe an adult winter Little Stint, I later met Steve Rogers who also photographed it ,and that evening he rang to confirm that it was indeed a Semi Palmated Sandpiper,so after apoligising to our visitors who could see I was itching too download my days photos I was also able to pick out the webbed feet & other i.d. features of the Semi P.

Three Pectoral Sandpipers

Pectoral Sandpiper-Davidstow,October 1st.

Two of the three Pec Sandpipers

On Sat 1st October Joyce & I spent a nice sunny afternoon on the cliffs near Tintagel & on the way home took the obligitory turn towards davidstow for a quick scan of the airfield. The first birds I saw were three waders on the edge of the runway,obviously not the usual Dunlin or Ringed Plover , at first I thought they were Ruff but driving closer I was delighted to find they were Pectoral Sandpipers,my camera was at the ready and I managed a couple of photos,unfortunatly one man and his dog walked within a few feet of them,and although they did'nt flush they moved further away after they had passed ,so I decided early tomorrow may be good to see if they were still around.On arriving home the three Pecs had already been reported on the Cornwall Birding
website two hours before I found them.Does it count as your own find if someone else found has them before you but you did.nt know they had been found?

More Waders

A quick scoot out to Davidstow airfield on Saturday evening and found the Buff Brested Sandpiper easily enough .Got pretty close and took a few shots, spoilt with these super birds here ,expecting to see at least one each autumn, but still one of my favorites.

Buff Brested Sandpiper-Davidstow airfield

Semipalmated Sandpiper at Drift.

On Sunday I spent  most of the day at Drift resevior and eventually got excellent views of the Semipalmated Sandpiper as it fed along the shoreline with Dunlin & a Curlew Sandpiper and had brief views of the Lesser Yellowlegs but too far for any photos. The waders just keep coming ,and I've just seen that there is a White Rumped Sandpiper at Davidstow but I and the current Mrs Davey are off to Derbyshire for the week and I'm not too sure how understanding she will be if I want to dissapear in the morning and delay the journey.Perhaps it will stay for a week ,but I doubt it. Oh well must'nt grumble.

Greater Yellowlegs & Sabine's Gull

Just could'nt concentrate at work this morning ( sep 13th ) with the news of a Greater Yellowlegs found at Wadebridge on the previous day,so left at lunchtime and went a twitching for what would be a lifer for me,and I think a first for Cornwall..On arriving at the Camel trail was told of a Sabine's Gull flying around at very close range,and a very smart juvinile bird was easily located,now the problem was do I stay with the Sabs and try for some decent photos or do I walk the mile or more for the Yellowlegs first and hope the gull was still around later.,The rareity of the American wader won the day and half an hour later I was looking at the Greater Yellowlegs through the scope on the opposite side of the water,way to far for any photos but had to take one just for the record.Luckily the Sabines Gull was still showing well & I managed a few shots.

A very poor distant record shot of the Greater Yellowlegs

Sabines Gull

Juvinile Sabines Gull

A couple more photos of the Sabines Gull are on my main website.

Some commoner waders

Juvinile Curlew Sandpiper

Juvinile Ringed Plover

Two waders taken on Davidstow airfield last week , a Curlew Sandpiper which now seems pretty tame what with all the American goodies turning up down west,and a common old Ringed Plover (or juvinile actually),but a Buff Brested is present at the moment ,but west is best at the moment so perhaps a trip at the weekend.

An inquisitive Stoat

This was the best view of a Stoat ( or is it a Weasel ,never did see its tail, and i'm not going anywhere near that terrible old joke ) I've had,shame it did'nt last a bit longer though. I noticed it in a roadside ditch at Davidstow and managed to pull up in front of it , getting the camera ready,I opened the window and used a beanbag to rest the lens on,and put on my trusty hat to break up my outline.The vegitation was moving right beside me so I made a few squeaking sounds too see if I could get its attention,and this chap looked out at me, my squeaks got louder & as high pitched as I could manage and the Stoat got bolder,I managed a few shots but just as it got up onto its back legs to get a better look to see where the noise was coming from a bloody great lorry & horsebox went past and scared it away, that would have been the compitition winning shot. But at the end of the day lovely to see and happy with the few photos I've got.

Wasps

Looking aroud the garden searching for some sort of bug life to photograph I noticed the number of Wasps flying around,not having any decent photos of these poor misunderstood insects I looked more closely and noticed they were loving the Cornflowers,in fact they were pretty well unaware of any thing else going on around them ,so I got out the camera & tripod and sat among them for a while and watched them going about there waspish lives.Toby thought I'd really lost the plot this time and could'nt understand why I was.nt getting stung,I managed a few niceish close up shots and quite enjoyed the experience.Ironically while I was sat outside among the Wasps Joyce was indoors reading when she got stung on the arm by one, somehow she did'nt see the funny side.
Now it must be the time to find some good waders at Davidstow,I.m getting to feel like I need a bird fix,it seems like ages since I,ve seen and photographed anything much.Probably it will be the same story as other autumnes,Ill go out there regularly (Ive been a couple of times already and nothing) and the very day I dont go someone else will find that Buff-Brest or Bairds or Pec or who knows what.The weather looks pretty promising today ,maybe leave work early...

Purple Hairstreaks

Female Purple Hairstreak

Purple Hairstreak underside.

o.k. I know they are 'nt the best of shots,and very heavily cropped, but I was dead excited to find a small colony of Purple Hairstreak Butterflies at a local woodland nature reserve. I ve not seen them before so had to try and get a couple of record shots ( a long lens, hand held looking up into the tree ) If we get another sunny evening soon I'll go have another look.

Penadlake

Ladybirds mating

Two Grasshoppers

Green Lacewing

Blue Damselfly (unsure of which one )

Oak Marble Gall ,caused by the larva of a species of Oak Gall Wasp

Yellow Bartsia a parasitic plant of Southern England.

An enjoyable day out with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust Photo group at the home of Philip Hamley at Penadlake not far from Looe. Great hospitality ( pasties,cream teas,cakes are hard to tear yourself away from) and a wonderful site set up for wildlife ,with lakes ,meadows,& woodland attracting a variety of insects,birds,and wild flowers etc.A real inspiration.Most of my day was taken up with insect photography which I enjoy more & more,a nice day in good company.