CORNWALL BIRD-WATCHING AND PRESERVATION SOCIETY CORNWALL BIRD-WATCHING AND PRESERVATION SOCIETY SIXTY-FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT 1994 St George Printing Works Ltd • Redruth • Tel: (01209) 217033 Contents Page Officers for 1995/6 Inside front cover Chairman's Report - R.J.Hooton 2 Conservation Officer's Report - A.R.Pay 3 Editorial and Review of the Year - S.M.Christophers 4 Contributors 11 Gazetteer 13 Species List for 1994 - S.M.Christophers 15 Exotica 144 British Birds Rarities Committee Decisions 144 Wild Birds Handled by the RSPCA 145 Ringing Report - G. J. Conway 146 Pentire Farm Common Bird Census 155 Glaucous and Iceland Gulls in Cornwall, 1954-1993 - J. Ryan 157 CBWPS Stonechat Survey: 1993 - D. Lord 161 - 1 - Officers 1995/6 President Steve Madge, 2 Church Row, Sheviock, Torpoint, PL 11 3EH Chairman and Membership Secretary Richard Hooton, 17 Hawkens Way, St Columb Major, TR9 6SS (01637 880350) Vice-Chairman Graham Sutton, Westering, Elm Drive, Bude, EX23 8EZ General Secretary Mike Lord, "Gue Gassel", The Lizard, TR12 7PH (01326 290981) Treasurer Roger Jones, 25 Trevarrick Road, St Austell, PL25 5JW (01726 72177) Recorder and Editor "Birds in Cornwall" vacant Assistant Recorder vacant Conservation Officer Andy Pay, Salena Cottage, Wendron, Helston, TR13 0EA Assistant Conservation Officer Derek Julian, 9 Keraow Close, Wadebridge, PL27 7XB Research Officer and Field Meetings Greg Conway, Tregenna, Cooksland, Bodmin, PL31 2AR > Newsletter Editor Dave Thomas, Mirador, Whitecross, Newquay, TR8 4LW (01726 861093) Editor "Isles of Scilly Bird Report" Peter Robinson, Riviera House, Parade, St Mary's, IoS Recorder (Isles of Scilly) Will WagstafY, 42 Sally Port, St Mary's, IoS Honorary Solicitor Greg Adams, Penryn Committee Members : Stuart Hutchings (Penryn), Vic Simpson (Chacewater) - retire 1996 Gilbert Thomas (Truro), Peter Williams (Sticker) - retire 1997 F. M. Couch (Bodmin), S. Rogers (Truro), and Dr. J. F. Ryan (Penzance) - retire 1998. Trustees Francis Couch, Stan Christophers Viv Stratton, Dave Thomas Cover Photograph Barn Owl Graham Riddell Chairman's Report 1995 Welcome to the 1994 Report - yet another superb effort by all those involved. I am sure you will all enjoy the read. Where is the Society going ? - a frequently asked question. CBWPS caters for all birders, those in an armchair or those in the field before sun-up. However, what does this actually achieve for the birds of Cornwall ?. Derek Lords' paper (at the end of this report) on his work at Pentire Farm highlighting the plight of farmland birds shows how the Society can achieve something for our birds. So please continue to help us in our surveys, or if you want to, do some of your own fieldwork. Also, don't forget to recruit those new members - greater membership means better services for all of our members. Happy birding 1995 Richard Hooton -2- Conservation Officer's Report The Society's two reserves, at Walmsley Sanctuary, near Wadebridge, and Maer Lake, Bude, (the latter owned jointly with Cornwall Wildlife Trust) have continued to provide havens for plenty of birds and a sprinkling of rarities for plenty of birders. Walmsley is actually under-watched, mainly because the majority of birds on the reserve cannot easily be seen from the existing watchpoints, but it is certainly fulfilling its purpose of providing safe habitat for wildfowl and waders. Plans are afoot for an additional hide and for a new scrape to be created, as well as further juncus control. New fencing, ditches and sluices are to be provided at Maer Lake thanks to generous funding by the Blanchminster Trust and the National Rivers Authority. As well as huge numbers and variety of wintering birds, the lake has supported breeding Black-headed Gull and Water Rails. Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Temminck's Stint, Eurasian Spoonbill and Marsh Harrier have ensured a steady flow of visiting birders. At the time of writing we await details of South West Water's proposals for Lower Tamar Lake. An excellent bird haunt in former days, lack of management has led to a general impoverishment of the habitat. We would like to see the dam repaired and the water-level raised, but the cheaper option of lowering the levels and reducing the lake to a fraction of it's former size is likely to be forthcoming. We continue to be consulted by various bodies and agencies regarding various matters directly affecting bird conservation within the county. In recent months we have passed our comments to the National Rivers Authority on their draft catchment management plans and made representations regarding the Fowey Estuary management plan and the Looe voluntary marine conservation area. We have also expressed to English Nature our concern that some inter-tidal zones may be excluded from the new Special Protection Areas and passed on our dismay at the burgeoning harvest of peeler crabs on the Camel Estuary. We are most grateful to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds for supporting the Chi Bunting study in 1995 although the early signs are extremely discouraging. Thanks are especially due to Derek Julian, Peter Robinson and Graham Sutton for their hard work on the conservation front this year. Andy Pay Conservation officer - 3 - Editorial and Review of the Year A total of 274 species was reported during the year and found to be acceptable. Over 400 observers submitted records for consideration and as usual the vast majority were of a high standard. Unfortunately there is still a nucleus of birders who are either not aware of the necessity to submit field data for selected species or are too lazy to do so. Pacific Golden Plover was added to the county mainland list, but Olivaceous Warbler has been deleted following a review of all old records by BBRC. Both Desert Wheatear and Arctic Warbler occurred for the fourth time and Franklin's Gull recorded its fifth appearance. Other highlights included increasingly large numbers of Little Egret (but still no proof of breeding), good numbers of Garganey and Wood Lark and a European Roller. The weather of January continued in the same vein as the end of 1993. The mild, wet and windy conditions ensured that there were no influxes of wildfowl or winter thrushes. Overwintering birds included the Pied-billed Grebe at Stithians, ten Black- necked Grebes, 77 Little Egrets, two Eurasian Spoonbills, single Tundra and Whooper Swan, 25 White-fronted Geese, the resident drake Ring-necked Duck, four Long-tailed Ducks, a drake Smew, a Little Stint, 14 Wood Larks, 13 Water Pipits and a Rosy Starling. Rarely has a first winter period produced so few birds of note. Nine Little Auks were identified during the month including one which stayed in St. Ives Bay for six weeks. Two Common Redpolls at Par on 2nd was the sole record for the first winter period whilst an elusive Great Grey Shrike remained at Treslea Downs for three months, but was the only representative of the species for the year. A Long-eared Owl was identified in car headlights at Sithney and 33 White-fronted Geese arrived at Upper Tamar Reservoir. A huge gathering of finches on stubble fields at Otterham included 1000 Chaffinch, 500 Greenfinch, 600 Goldfinch and 500 Linnet, whilst at least 500 Brambling fed on linseed at Trebursey. A redhead Smew was found at Loe Pool on 25th and a flock of 25 Wood Larks were located at Rame the following day. By the end of the month the flock had moved to nearby Maker and had increased to 31 birds. With the exception of 14th and 21st, when snow fell, the month of February was again mild, wet and windy. There were considerable accumulations of snow in some areas of the U.K. but local falls dispersed rapidly. A record 260 Avocets were counted at Tamar Est. and 32 Goldeneye were a new site record at Stithians Res. 23 Common Crossbills were at Halvana on 5th and six more were at Lostwithiel on 15th. The honour of the first summer migrant this year was bestowed upon an exceptionally early Swallow at Penzance on February 22nd but this was closely followed by a Northern Wheatear at Looe on 26th. A Black Guillemot at Falmouth on 23rd continued the recent near annual appearance of this former rarity. March weather was changeable. There were wet and windy days interspersed with warm spring like days but strong west or north-west gales at the end of the month. The first of an excellent spring passage of Sand Martins was at Marazion on 3rd and the only Hoopoe of the month arrived at Lamorna the following day. Other assorted migrants noted during the month included an unseasonal Mediterranean Shearwater off -4- St. Ives, and a Pink-footed Goose at Ruan Lanihorne. Two European Serins were found at Phillack on 19th, whilst an exceptionally early Reed Warbler was at Marazion and a Hooded Crow arrived at Lands End the following day. Sandwich Tern, Ring Ouzel, Willow Warbler and House Martin all made landfall before the end of the month. The unsettled climatic conditions continued during the first ten days of April before a change to cold northerlies signalled a temporary halt to incoming migrants. The winds were strong and the cold intense - resulting in substantial damage to emergent vegetation. Common migrants were generally late with only Whimbrel, Tree Pipit, Common Tern and Grasshopper Warbler obvious in the first half of the month. Less predictable were a Rosy Starling and a Hoopoe, both at Penberth, a Richards Pipit at Lands End Airfield and a European Serin at Porthgwarra. The succeeding week proved a barren spell before Common Cuckoo, Common Redstart, Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler and Pied Flycatcher all arrived simultaneously on 17th.