The Newsletter of (CBWPS) No 29 - Autumn 2008 Cornwall Birds confirms Sennen reserve and new Tamar Lakes hide As previously reported in Palores, Cornwall Birds has been trying to establish a small re- serve near Land’s End. As Peter Crispin confirms on page 3 the documents are now signed for us to take over the management of the site for an annual outlay of less than £400. Committee member Paul Freestone has agreed to warden the reserve and oversee the development plan for the site. It is early days yet, but it is hoped to plant up the area with native species to provide suitable cover. The reserve, in common with the Land’s End area as a whole, should attract a variety of Paul Freestone, Cornwall Birds committee rare birds. member and the man behind the popular Discussions continue at Maer Lake Cornwall Birding website, is pictured above about purchasing a number of fields adjoin- second from left with Gordon Buchanan and ing the lane thus extending the reserve to the BBC Springwatch team at the end of provide a larger area for birds and to allow March. better access and viewing for birdwatchers. In his capacity as wildlife crimes At Tamar Lakes in the far north-east officer he assisted with the filming of Cattle of the county on the border with , a Egrets at Drift reservoir. new hide is to be constructed. South West The piece appeared in show No 10 Lakes Trust is undertaking and funding the of the 2008 Spingwatch series, hosted by Lands End - site of the new reserve work. Bill Oddie and Kate Humble.

We need a new Secretary! Late or non-delivery of July Would any member with a little bit of time and a willingness to help, please seriously Palores - many apologies... consider volunteering for the role of Secretary Sorry if you received your copy of the sum- of the Society. Darrell Clegg is currently mer Palores late or not at all. Please let the combining it with that of County Recorder. editor know by email, phone, text or letter. You don’t need to be an expert birder or have We were badly let down by our nor- any special qualifications. For a no-strings mally reliable distributors and letting us chat about what it involves please call Darrell know if your copy was late or never arrived on 01752 844775 or email him at secre- means we can a) send you a copy now and b) [email protected]. make a strong case for compensation from their suppliers, who will not be used again. Caradon wildlife review charts its flora and fauna CONTENTS The Caradon Field and Natural History Chairman’s Club’s annual review of wildlife recording Chat - p 3 in south-east Cornwall has just been pub- lished. Its 157 pages contain a wealth of Report: information on animal and plantlife (from lichens and moths to bats, hoverflies and Summer whales). - p 4 and 5 Interesting papers include features on the history of Spoonbills wintering on Reserve news the Lynher, extreme dates of flight periods - p 6, 7, 8 of moths and a summary of the stick insects naturalised in Caradon. Stithians Among the cover photos (above) - p 9 are a fine shot of the Siblyback Great Grey Buff-breasted Sand- Shrike; a new moth for Britain - the Peach Field meet- Moth (Conog punctiferalis) was found in a pipers recorded at ings: Autumn moth-trap; and the rare and lovely Davidstow Airfield on - p 10, 11 wasp spider taken in the Tamar valley. 18th September 2008. Copies available (£9.50 inc post- A Great Shearwater and Storm Petrel neatly age) from Tony Aston, 4 Dinas Court, Tre- Photographs David Chap- avoiding a mid-air collision at sea south of rieve, Downderry, Torpoint, PL11 3NH. courtesy of man - p 12 Cornwall. Photograph by Tony Blunden Cheques payable to “CFNHC”. Phil Stidwell

Committee and Officers Palores - October 2008 President: Steve Madge ust an hour ago, on a sublime September evening, a Peregrine flew over my Seawinds, Lower Trerive, Downderry, Torpoint, J garden. Not a bad one for the garden list and a reminder that birds can turn up PL11 3LZ (01503-250432) anywhere, anytime. Gardens and our countryside apart, the role that designated wildlife reserves Chairman: Peter Crispin play in sustaining birdlife has never been greater with building and development 5 Church Lea, Launceston PL15 8QZ encroaching even in relatively unspoilt Cornwall. The RSPB now has a staggering (01566-773455) [email protected] total of over 150 reserves (though only two in Cornwall - and ) which rather dwarfs our six owned or shared reserves. But, as the Tesco ads say, Vice Chairman: Graham Sutton every little helps, and Cornwall Birds - though small - can make a difference. Harcombe, West Park Road, , EX23 8PB That’s why we continue to put our reserves and their development at the top of our (01288-356605) Society’s agenda and why it is therefore such good news that we now have another small patch at Tower Farm, Land’s End to nurture as somewhere to encourage Honorary Secretary & birds. County Recorder: Darrell Clegg It is to be hoped as well that we can add to Maer Lake with the purchase of 55 Lower Fore Street, , PL12 6JQ fields adjoining the existing area in conjunction with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. (01752-844775) [email protected]

There is much to debate and agree about our strategy here, not least the issue of Hon Treasurer: Gary Lewis how the purchase will be funded. Cornwall Birds has sensible reserves of cash, but Manager ERCCISS, Cornwall Wildlife Trust not the deep pockets of the RSPB or even the CWT. But if we can, we will. That is (01872 273939 - 247) [email protected] the mood of the committee. It is to be hoped in future issues of Palores there will be more good news on the extension to our precious reserves. Membership Secretary: Sara McMahon Finally, you may have read the appeal for a Secretary on page 1 and thought 72 Underwood Road, Plympton, PL7 1SZ that’s not for me. That may well not be the case. If you have even the slightest curi- (01752-242823) [email protected] osity about the role, call Darrell for a full run-down on what it involves. You may find it is surprisingly fulfilling! Simon Marquis (Editor) Editor, Birds in Cornwall: Derek Julian 12, Dunveth Road, , PL27 7XD. (01208 816779)

Cornwall Birds Website administrator: Andy Pay The Cornwall Bird Watching and Preservation Society Salena Cottage, Wendron TR13 0EA e-mail: [email protected]

Editor, Palores: Simon Marquis Place, Wadebridge, PL27 7JS (07711 883876) [email protected]

Field Meetings Officer: Colin Selway Registered Charity No 255899 Committee member: Rosemary Parslow Cornwall Birds (as the CBWPS) was founded in 1931 to encourage the study 17 St Michael’s Road, Ponsanooth, TR3 7ED and preservation of birds in Cornwall. The Society has over 750 members. It (01872-865013) owns 3 reserves and manages jointly several others. The Society organises weekly bird-watching field trips (some jointly with the RSPB local members Committee members: group). Palores (its colour newsletter for members) is published quarterly. Bruce Taggart Every year the Society also publishes its authoritative annual record - Birds Paul Freestone in Cornwall - sent to all members. Public Relations Officer: vacant

Conservation Officer: vacant 2009 Subscriptions: Adult £14 Family £18 Senior Citizen £11 Senior Family £13 Reserve Wardens: Life member £200 Walmsley: Adrian Langdon Maer Lake: Graham Sutton Subscriptions for 2009 are due by 1st January 2009 . Windmill Farm: Andy Pay Loveny: Dave Conway Gift Aid saves the Society £1,500 a year. Please pay - if you can - by Gift Aid. Drift: Dave Parker Stithians: Simon Taylor Membership: to join Cornwall Birds, please call, email or write to Sara McMahon, Membership Secretary, 72 Underwood Road, Plympton, PL7 1SZ, (01752-242823), e-mail: [email protected]. Honorary Solicitor: Greg Adams 2 Wendron Street, TR13 8PS

Palores is published four times a year - January, April, July and October. Advertising rates: Full colour page £100, Half page £50. Independent Examiner: Mrs J E Cox FCA Small ads and notices are free to members: contact the Editor. Whitakers (Chartered Accountants) Design and typesetting by the Editor. Bryndon House, 5 Berry Road, TR7 1AD Printed by R. Booth Ltd, The Praze, Commercial Road, Penryn, TR10 8AA (01637-873838) Distribution by Envelope Supplies, Holsworthy, Devon.

2

I have recently signed on the society’s behalf a licence Chairman’s Chat agreement that provides us with a small but well-situated reserve in the far west of the county at Tower Farm, Sennen. The ten-year he autumn passage is well under way. Re- licence enables us to create a reserve close to Land’s End that T cent stormy conditions have been ideal for should attract rarities. In consultation with the RSPB we intend to sea-watching, whilst welcome sightings of va- develop a management plan that will increase the attractiveness of grant and passage migrant waders, such as Buff- the site to migrant and vagrant species. We will provide access Breasted Sandpiper and Temmick’s Stint at details in due course. Walmsley and Davidstow, are a taste of good The other exciting prospect is at Maer Lake reserve, Bude, things to come over the autumn period. where we may be able to purchase additional land. For those mem- Those of you who log in to the Cornwall bers who know the reserve, this means the fields leading from the Peter Crispin Birds website (www.cbwps.org.uk) have no lake up to Maer Lane which would increase its size and also enable doubt enjoyed the wonderful pictures appearing us to develop better viewing facilities, as cur- there and in Palores. Thanks to all those who Exciting develop- rently the only way to watch birds is to view so generously share their pictures with us. To them from the lane. Again, this is in early nego- avoid duplication, recent bird sightings now ments include a tiation, and I will update you next time. appear on the Cornwall site Something that has become a reality is (www.cornwall-birding.co.uk), operated by small new reserve at a new hide at Upper Tamar Lake, near Kilk- Paul Freestone, one of our committee members, Sennen and possible hampton. This idea was instigated by Devon and is updated on a daily basis, something it Bird Watching and Preservation Society, sup- was not possible to do on our website. Regular extension to our ported by ourselves, but has been funded by reports from the reserves will continue to fea- South West Lakes Trust. By the time you read ture, as of course they will here in Palores. I Maer Lake reserve this, it should be complete and ready to access. would appeal to all who submit sightings that The area is well-known for passage migrants in they also send their records to our County Recorder, Darrell Clegg. autumn, so if you have not been before, there is a car park at It is very important that we have as complete a record of Cornish SS286118, and also a café, or park at the entrance to the South birds as possible, which also feeds into Birds in Cornwall, our West Water land and walk in. annual report. Finally, I must bring to your attention the recently pub- Work is nearly complete on the 2006 report, and once it lished ‘Best Birdwatching Sites: Cornwall and the ’, has gone to the printers we are on target to publish it before the end which is co-authored by Sara Mc Mahon, our membership secre- of the year. A fuller update appears on the website, where you can tary. Sara has written the Cornwall section, with Nigel Hudson, see that we are still appealing for section writers to assist with BBRC secretary responsible for the Isles of Scilly. Another exam- finalising the 2005 report. If you feel you can help, please contact ple of the expertise we have amongst our membership - read the Derek Julian, the Birds in Cornwall editor. glowing review by Mark Golley (Birdguides) on our website! Titbits...

s old as Sergeant Pepper! According to A the BTO, 41 was the age of a , ringed on the island of Bardsey, North , back in the 60’s and recently discovered alive and well in the same place. Apparently, Ra- zorbill M23170 looked much the same as he/ she did all those years ago. Sadly, the same cannot be said for most humans. Does any- one know of any avian OAPs in Cornwall?

embers visiting South Africa might like to know there is a special price of £90 available to M them for Pelagic Birding Trips run out of Simonstown harbour in the Cape. You are likely to see whales and dolphins as well as . Contact Anne Blacklaws at [email protected].

nformation leaflets describing three of our reserves have been produced by Stithians warden I Simon Taylor and are to be found at Walmsley, Windmill Farm and Stithians.

avid Palmer, a new member, writes: “I have had an interest in bird-watching for a couple of D years. I live in Plymouth and would like to attend some field meetings, especially those in the Here’s a must-have for the bird- far west of Cornwall. Is there any arrangement where members share cars and petrol costs? If any- watcher in Cornwall - the new one is interested please email: [email protected] or call 01752 512670 ” guide in the Swarovski-sponsored series of Best Birdwatching Sites. Terry Smith, a member Sara McMahon, membership of Cornwall Birds, has secretary of Cornwall Birds, just taken up bird pho- teamed up with Nigel Hudson, to tography. The juvenile Great Black-backed produce this useful and informa- Gulls and Kestrel are tive book on what to see - and nice shots, recorded at where - in Cornwall and Scilly. and Godrevy. Published by Buckingham Press. Keep it going Terry!

3

seen at Land’s End, but there were no reports of Spotted Crakes this year.

bird bird report Waders – Auks Return passage waders began dribbling through Cornwall during July with a Little Ringed Plover on the Camel Estuary, a Curlew report Sandpiper at Carnsew and up to nine Green Sandpipers at Walmsley. Wood Sandpipers also started to appear during July with birds being noted on Hayle, and at Brew Pool and Gwithian. During August a possible Red-necked Stint was at Walmsley be- fore moving to Davidstow briefly where Curlew Sandpipers, Ruff and Little Stints could also be seen. April-June 2008 Bird birdJuly-September report Report 2008 July-September 2008 Two Temminck’s Stints graced Guineaport in September, with one of them spending a few hours at Walmsley too. Two (April-June 2008) Pectoral Sandpipers were also at Walmsley during September although they could prove hard to find at times. A Spotted Sandpi- per – sporting spots – was on the Camel Estuary for a couple of Sara McMahon reveals the late summer/early days in August as Pectoral Sandpipers were noted at both autumn birdwatching highlights in Cornwall and Brew Pool. Buff-breasted Sandpipers and Dotte- rel didn’t appear until the early part of September with individual birds being noted at several sites; although three Dotterel were at Wildfowl – Game Birds Rame in one field along Military Road. A Pink-footed Goose visited Drift Reservoir briefly in July and The beginning of September also produced 60 plus Grey Hayle in September when one was accompanied by a Snow Phalaropes at Pendeen in a single day although odd birds had been Goose. Pale-bellied Brent Geese were noted at Porthgwarra and on noted at various coastal sites both in July and August and more the sea at Marazion during August and September. A Garganey than a 100 birds at Sennen. Skuas were also noted throughout the spent much of July at Walmsley, while another bird was present on period with maximum counts including two Pomarine Skuas at Hayle during September and Scaup were seen at Stithians Reser- Porthgwarra on several dates, 83 Arctic Skuas passed the same site voir and on the Camel Estuary in the same month. on a single day in September, Long-tailed Skuas at and

Divers – Coots Seawatching produced a Fea’s Petrel off Porthgwarra in late Au- gust and reports of Yelkouan Shearwaters at Pendeen, Sennen Cove and St Ives in the same month. Maximum numbers of other shearwaters included: 710 Cory’s passed Lizard Point in 30th July, five Greats and 33 Balearics passed St Ives 13th August, 115 Sooty Shearwaters passed Porthgwarra on 18th August and over 15,000 Manxies passed Sennen Cove on 6th July. A Wilson’s Petrel was off Porthgwarra during August the same month as over 250 Storm Petrels were noted off Pendeen – the site where the first Leach’s Petrels of the autumn were noted in September. For more information about seawatching numbers and cetacean reports please visit www.seawatch-sw.org. A Purple Heron was seen around Nanjizal in September and in July a Spoonbill was reported on Hayle briefly, the same month as a Red Kite was seen over Devoran and a lone over Falmouth. Other Ospreys reported around the county in Au- gust included birds at Saltash, Rame, Land’s End, St John’s and a youngster at Hayle that hung around for several days at the end of the month. During the first few days of September a Corncrake Little Terns was flushed from Porthgwarra and a week later another bird was

Osprey Wryneck, Lizard 13.9.08 photo Tony Blunden 4

Pendeen during September and 29 Bonxies passed Porthgwarra during a single day in September. After a trickle of Mediterranean Gulls being reported around the county in June the flood gates opened and 77 were noted on the Camel in July and another 78 in August along with 72 at Torpoint and many other smaller groups at various sites countywide. Other gulls reported included small numbers of Little Gulls on seawatches at Porthgwarra during August and September; a Ring-billed Gull at Loe Pool and on Hayle in August; three Yellow-legged Gulls at Crowdy Reservoir and odd Sabine’s Gulls again from seawatches in the far west throughout the period. Reports of terns included 15 Little Terns on Hayle during July, 24 Arctics at Porthgwarra in September and small numbers of Black Terns at both Porthgwarra and Pendeen during August and September. Melodious Warbler, Lizard 13.9.08 photo Tony Blunden

Doves – Buntings The first Short-eared of the autumn was noted at Land’s End in early September. Wry- necks were noted at Land’s End, Sennen and St Agnes during the first part of September; while there was only one report of an Aquatic Warbler during August this year at Marazion; Polgigga did produce a Tawny Pipit in Sep- tember. A Marsh Warbler was trapped and ringed at Brew Pool in early September and another bird was reported at Land’s End a week later, near where two Melodious War- blers had been present in August. By late August other Melodious Warblers were pre- sent at Land’s End and Porthgwarra – the Porthgwarra birds still being noted into Sep- tember, when other birds were at Nanjizal, Lizard Point and . A Barred Warbler was in Nanjizal in September and a Greenish Warbler was at Pendeen during the same month, while Rosy Starlings had been seen at St Ives, Hayle, Green Sandpiper Gwithian, , Treen and St Agnes dur- ing August and September. Nanjizal also produced a Golden Ori- ole and a Red-backed Shrike during Septem- ber. And finally the small Crossbill invasion continued into September with small parties being reported during September at Windmill Farm and Porthgwarra.

Birds to look out for: Wigeon and Teal begin moving back on to the reservoirs and estuaries in the region during the autumn so keep an eye out for their larger American cousins the American Wigeon and the Green-winged Teal which regularly visit places such as Hayle. Golden Oriole 5

reserve news

July-September 2008 he unbelievably wet sum- Walmsley T mer has continued into Sep- tember with water levels looking By Adrian Langdon certain to stop us being able to get our contractor in to cut back the juncus for this year. Fortunately in 2007 we had 2 cuts in the latter part of the year which helped in our drive to thin out some of the denser stands of vegetation and to encourage new areas of muddy scrapes. These scrapes have proved their value recently with good numbers of waders using them, especially when the big tides force birds off the estuary mudflats. We have seen up to 60 Black-tailed Godwits, 20 Greenshank and various other waders such as Dunlin, Ruff and Stints. Many people turned up at the reserve seeking a view of the Red Necked Stint that was recorded in August, most leaving disap- pointed. There was some doubt as to the full identification as we go to press so it will be interesting to see how the BBRC interpret the record. Hopefully it will go down as another great bird for Walmsley. Earlier in the month a Spotted Sandpiper was recorded from the Burniere hide and this time it stayed a while and many people got good views of it. Unfortunately I’m not aware that it ventured up the Amble stream to Walmsley! We have been experiencing an ongoing problem with 2 dogs running amok in the sanctuary and I have twice visited the owners and sent various messages to them also. The dogs seem to be quiet at present but I have put the contact details for the owners on a notice in the tower hide so I would ask members to politely ask them to remove the dogs if they should reappear. I have had a meeting with engineers working on behalf of the Environment Agency with the aim of restoring the Amble val- ley to its true SSSI standard. To this end they have sunk several boreholes into the valley floor to measure water levels. This data over a 12 month period will help them draw up a model of the hydrology of the area and it is hoped that Walmsley will benefit by gaining some more areas of open water and also have a more con- trollable system of sluices so that we can better manage the site, both for breeding birds and for winter and passage species. Barn Owl and Greenshanks at Walmsley by Adrian Langdon

wader passage with dropping water levels, but then along came the Drift summer rains and the reservoir has been full to capacity ever since! In spite of this a few waders have been seen but usually just By Dave Parker over flying rather than stopping to feed. These have included a couple of Dunlin, Whimbrel, Curlew, Greenshank, Green and ink continue to be a problem for the breeding birds with the Common Sandpipers and two Redshank a surprisingly scarce visi- M Canada goslings dropping to ten by June 3rd and nine by tor to the reserve. June 11th. As might be expected through the summer months, gull An unseasonal (and therefore of suspect origin?) Pink- numbers dropped right off but a couple of hundred Herring and footed Goose appeared on June 10th and stayed for much of the Lesser Black-backed Gulls continued to use the reservoir to bathe period except for brief forays to Hayle and Stithians. Mute Swans and rest. Late July early August brought a few records of Mediter- peaked at 51, Canada Geese at 44 and Greylags at 11. ranean Gulls in line with the usual influx into the county at this Other wildfowl, apart from the resident , which time. peaked at 18, were conspicuous by their absence with only four The only of note were four Crossbills seen in Tufted Ducks and a single drake Gadwall. pines on the North East arm of the reserve in June, again part of a By late May conditions were looking promising for a good wider influx into the county.

6

other record of Redshank. The second Wood Sandpiper of the year Stithians was recorded on and off between the 7th and the 10th. The 11th saw 10 Black-tailed Godwit fly over without stopping and 4 Dunlin By Simon Taylor flew onto the South Western Corner. 2 Wheatear were found by myself on the 16th flitting around the shoreline around the concrete ince the last report 17 new species have been added to the slip on the eastern side of the reserve with a Ringed Plover and a S reserve’s Year List. Great Crested Grebe numbers went from single Dunlin in foul weather. The Wheatears were present for 4 3 (2 ad+1juv) to 5 on the 22nd with another adult and juv appearing days. from - well who knows? On the 24th June a Scaup was found and Bank Holiday Weekend saw a Spotted Flycatcher in the was subsequently recorded on and off for around a month. The 24th bushes around the Golden Lion Hide and was present for around a June also saw the first Wood Sandpiper of the year just to give a week. Possibly the same bird was seen again on the 6th Sept this little taste of wader passage later on. The 28th June saw the first time from the Main hide. A great record came on 12th Sept when Curlew with records on an almost daily basis since sometimes G Beeston from Birmingham reported a Barn Owl. The following numbering over 50. day saw the first Wigeon arrive. Two Whimbrel were also seen The 10th July the first Common Sandpiper and a Gadwall with a flock of 30+ Curlew. were recorded by an unknown person. On the 20th participants in The 14th Sept produced the first reported Ruff, Little Gull the first guided walk of the reservoir were treated to top views of and Tern sp (Commic) along with a Green Sandpiper and the first Peregrine and Scaup, and 43 species were recorded in this 4hr Lapwing (1) of the Autumn. An interesting fact about the Ruff – It walk. The last of the Black Swans departed on or around the was exactly the same date last year that the first of the year was 22nd. Wader movement started on the 27th when a Ringed Plover recorded. A Marsh Tit was seen on the evening on the 17th on the was seen on a small island in front of the Main Reservoir Hide. feeder. Also recorded on and off in August/Sept were Med Gull, Later in the day a Little Ringed Plover, Redshank, Snipe, and Kingfisher, Common Gull, fluctuating numbers of Teal, and a Green Sandpiper were also found along with the Common Sandpi- up to the present day. Great Spotted Woodpecker has per. The day also produced the first sightings of Teal (4). The day been regularly visiting the peanut feeder. The year list as I write after, the waders were represented again by Greenshank and most this now stands at 108. of the previous day’s birds. 6 Shoveller also turned up. Regular visitors will have noticed that the Logbooks have With most birds having departed by the 30th passage was been replaced with Log sheets. It is hoped that these will be easier over as quickly as it had begun. Into the next month and the 2nd and quicker to fill out and quicker for me to type up and send to August saw D Eva record a Black Tailed Godwit. The day after, the County Recorder. When visiting please make try to fill them my full circular walk started in tremendous fashion with 23 Whim- out as recording is still poor. Many thanks to the regular contribu- brel flying over in a V formation whilst calling – superb. Com- tors – D Eva, L Hadley, D Jenkins, D Bray et al without whom this mon Gull and Green Sandpiper were also seen. The 4th saw an- report would be half the size.

sually when I write about sheer scale of the increase in Canada Geese numbers means that it Maer Lake U Maer for the autumn issue of may become a problem that will have to be addressed in the future. Palores, I report on the manage- If you have a copy of the 1983 Bird Report it contains a picture of By Graham Sutton ment work that we have under- one of the first breeding pairs in the County that I took at Crowdy taken during the summer months. Reservoir (the other being at the Upper Tamar Reservoir) Amaz- What summer? we would all ask, with August and the early part ingly successful progress in twenty five years. Snipe were back on of September being particularly wet and dismal. Apart from a few the reserve by July 19th and as usual followed by Greenshank. days brush cutting, in the main to keep the sluices clear and run- They were followed by an adult and two juvenile Little Egrets ning, the management programme is still on hold. Depending on later in the month, interesting to speculate where they had arrived what conditions are like in the last two weeks of September, I still from. Wet and windy August brought the usual pattern of waders hope to top the fringe vegetation around the Lake, which will through in low numbers. greatly aid viewing. It is always surprising just how small waders I normally regard Coot as quite a scarce species at Maer like Little Stint are when viewed close to and they can be very but they found the higher water level attractive. Juvenile Shoveler difficult to see at Maer when feeding amongst the overgrown appeared and two early Wigeon arrived on the 31st of August, and vegetation. I must admit it certainly had begun to feel like Autumn. If any- My problems are mirrored by the work on the Flood Pre- thing the weather deteriorated in early September with torrential vention Scheme, which is now well behind schedule. While appre- rain swelling the Lake to unknown September levels. Mid month ciating the difficult conditions that they have had to work through and things have improved somewhat, although we do not seem to this summer I will be more than pleased when they are finally be able to get through a day without rain falling at sometime or finished. At a site meeting with them on the 12th September we other during the day. A good run of species using the Reserve soon went through all the work still outstanding. We agreed that three or brightens things up however. Black Tern and four juvenile Pintails four consecutive days of dry weather should see them finish the were excellent records, Ruff and Little Stint good to see, and Coot project. Although the site of track that they are supposed to pro- numbers have now gone up to six. vide for our maintenance access to the rear of the Reserve is still A neighbour rang early one Sunday morning to report two under water, and I very much doubt that this will be completed to of the bullocks in his garden! They had not broken the fence down, our satisfaction this year. If they are unable to complete this track, more had wriggled through it, and it was a work of art to get them I will request that they cover our own contractor costs next year. out the same way. Because of the wet weather they had really The unusually high water levels at Maer are much to the churned the lawn up. I was brought up on a farm so I know how- liking of the Canada Geese and hundreds of birds roost in the Re- ever well you feed your cattle one or two trouble makers will al- serve every night. The sheer numbers bring their own problems, ways be seeking to breach your defences. with the birds feeding on neighbouring farmland and eventually, We have been offered some extra land at Maer which unfortunately shooting takes place. This tends to push the birds would help us to develop the Reserve in terms of visiting and back up to the Tamar Lakes and disappointingly also scares off viewing. I would hope to have positive news on this for the next some of our desirable winter visitors like Black-tailed Godwit. The issue of Palores.

7

Windmill Farm By Andy Pay

n contrast to the exciting Spring, the summer and early autumn I have been disappointing, due to a large extent to the appalling weather. No Marsh Fritillaries were seen this year and it may well be that the colony has been lost as a result of two very poor sum- mers. Other butterfly species were all in much reduced numbers, Two superb photo- dragonflies too. graphs from Andy There have also been few bird highlights. The pools were and Shirley Park. looking spot on for wader passage by late July and it was hoped th Top, a watchful that five Green Sandpipers on 27 presaged a good passage. The Sparrowhawk rest is meteorological history. We ended up siphoning some water shows off its mag- out of the ‘Plantlife’ pool (see above) to create some muddy mar- gins and this paid an instant dividend with the reserve’s first ever nificent plumage Sanderling. Also seen during the same week were a Kingfisher and below, a and 12 Crossbills flying over, bringing the bird-list to 149. Let’s Ringed Plover hope we’ve broken through 150 by the next Palores and that our catches the light very full pools will attract plenty of wildfowl this winter! beautifully at Looe

SW Optics ad here

8

Close-up on... Stithians

unny to think that less than 50 years ago the area immediately to the west of the village of Below, from the top: Scaup; F Stithians was farmland: the 274 acre lake that now bears its name looks as if it’s been Peregrine; view westward across there forever. Back in the hot, dry summer of 1976 the water level dropped so low that field Stithians Lake; the field meeting boundaries and cottage walls started to reappear above the surface as a reminder of the valley’s led by warden Simon Taylor history. Today, past secrets lie well beneath the choppy waters: Stithians is reputed to be the (white tee shirt) on a breezy Sun- windiest inland place in Cornwall. day 20th July 2008. Cornwall Birds (CBWPS) looks after the lake for birds though it is managed overall by the South West Lakes Trust. It’s easy for birdwatchers to feel grumpy about the wind-surfers, sailors, dog-walkers and model boat enthusiasts who crowd here on nice days, but in truth the lake is a great resource for all. Stithians Lake has a meandering shoreline with many creeks and quiet inlets. In the east is the dam that retains the water, in the north and south are cut-offs - areas of water, marsh, vegetation and scrub separated from the main body of water by causeways carrying roads. Both are good bird watching areas. On the north-western side is the sailing and wa- tersports centre, but not far south of it are peaceful backwaters and a well-made boardwalk through a boggy area worth visiting. Overall, the lake is just under two miles long from north to south and no more than half a mile across at its widest. Bird welfare is the responsibility of our warden Simon Taylor, born in Lancashire, but resident in Cornwall since his teens. Simon lives with his wife near and works as a health and safety officer at Falmouth Docks. He is passionate about his patch (as are all our wardens), but having only recently volunteered for the role, he has an almost parental pride in the lake and its beautiful margins. He has worked hard to improve conditions for members in and around the three hides that look out on quieter reaches of Stithians and so as not to disturb last winter’s much-watched Bittern, cut down all the scrub in front of one of the hides by hand. In July 2008 Simon led his first guided bird walk around the reserve (see bottom pic- ture) and the first for some years at Stithians. About a dozen people attended, meeting at the eastern dam and setting off anti-clockwise around the shore. Being a breezy summer’s day it was not likely to produce a stunning selection of birds, but in the end we chalked up a tally of 46 in about four hours. A twitter of Linnets produced the first entry, and Willow Warbler, Reed Bunting, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Bullfinch and Goldfinch were to follow. Whitethroats were much in evidence. Buzzards were seen around the fields bordering the lake, but the raptor highlight was a Peregrine cruising at an astonishing altitude, causing arms to ache and eyes to strain to keep up with its circuits above the lake. Something must have caught its eye as it suddenly hurtled down towards the northern end, most of us struggling to keep up with the tiny speeding anchor shape in the heavens. Past the sailing centre, quiet areas yielded Little and Great-crested Grebe and the Scaup that had been recorded some days before. One of the two Black Swans that seem to have taken up residence made an odd sight out in the middle, while Cormorants traversed the lake from end to end. Pied and Grey Wagtail were ticked off and a handful of Common Sand- pipers spotted from afar. Stithians is a satisfyingly open place to watch birds. The shoreline is always worth keeping tabs on and the wild areas of the cut-offs deserved their recent visits from Cattle Egrets and that obliging Bittern. Simon believes the habitat may even be good enough for Bittern breeding should a pair decide to visit the South West. Our Peregrine on 20th July was the 95th bird species recorded at Stithians in 2008 - an excellent tally for an excellent reserve. Simon plans more walks around Stithians including all-day excursions round the whole perimeter of the lake. Anyone who has not visited this glorious stretch of water to sam- ple first hand what it has to offer by way of birdlife, should sign up for one of these field meet- ings. You will see plenty of interesting things and - as the cheerful crew to the right demon- strates - be in the company of other like-minded members of Cornwall Birds.

9

Sunday 9th November 9.30am Leader Gordon Mills field meetings (01209 718144 evenings) Drift Reservoir, . A morning walk around the reservoir looking for gulls, waders and ducks. Meet at the reservoir car park October-December 2008 off the A30 Penzance to Land’s End Road. Map ref: SW436 288

Friday 14th November 7.30pm Contact Gordon Mills Sunday 5th October 9.30am Leader Gordon Mills (01209 718144 evenings) (01209 718144 evenings) Chacewater Village Hall. A RSPB evening meeting, all welcome, Tehidy Woods and Basset Cove. A morning walk around the with a presentation of the Local Group’s recent visit to Brittany. woods and cove looking for woodland and coastal birds. Meet in Subject for second half of the evening to be confirmed. the Tehidy North car park – signposted off the B3301 coastal road Admission £1 from Hayle to Portreath. Map ref: SW642 436 Saturday 15th November 12 noon. Leader Simon Taylor Thursday 9th October 1.00pm Leader Eric James (01209 614857) (01326 573225) Stithians Reservoir. An afternoon walk lasting around four hours Tresillian River, . An afternoon walk along the river look- around the reservoir looking for resident birds and waterfowl th ing for returning migrants. Waterproof footwear if it has been wet. along with any migrants. Meet in eastern car park, see 12 Octo- High water around 1.30pm. Meet at Tresillian/St Clement car ber walk for details. Map ref: SW715 364 park. Map ref: SW852 438 Sunday 16th November 9.30am Leader Gordon Mills Saturday 11th October 11.00am Leader FCFCNR (01209 718144 evenings) ( 01752 Marazion Marsh and Beach. A morning walk looking for gulls, 846407) waders and wintering birds. Meet Folly’s Field car park – first on Churchtown Farm Community Nature Reserve, Saltash. the right when approaching Marazion from Penzance (overlooking A morning walk around the Reserve, organised by the Friends of the sea). Map ref: SW513 309 Churchtown Farm Community Nature Reserve, to discover wading birds. Map ref: SX421 582 Sunday 16th November 2.30pm – Dusk. Leader Steve Madge (01503 250432) Sunday 12th October 9.00am Leader Simon Taylor Hannafore, West Looe. A meeting to study winter Pipits i.e. to (01209 614857) try to establish differences between British and Scandinavian Stithians Reservoir. Weather permitting, an all day circular walk Rocks and to check for Water Pipits. Also the possibility of win- around the reservoir looking for resident birds and waterfowl tering Firecrest or Black Redstart and to wait for the Gull roost in along with any migrants. Bring packed lunch and suitable clothing late afternoon. Warm clothing and hot flask useful. Meet by the for October. Meet at the eastern car park (not the Golden Lion). Coastguard lookout. Map ref: SX256 523 Take the only turning between Goonglaze and Hendra, this takes you to the car park. Map ref: SW715 364 Saturday 22nd November 9.30am Leader Mike Lord (01326 290981) Sunday 19th October 10.00am Leader Roy Phillips Carminowe Creek, Helston. A morning walk, particularly suited (01736 351793) to newcomers to bird watching, looking for water-birds and any- Inland Penwith, Penzance. A round trip walk of approximately thing sheltering in the hedgerows. Meet at the Degibna Chapel car 4k (2½miles) along a tarmac lane and across a stretch of moor near park – follow Degibna Lane behind Helston Cottage Hospital. Ding Dong mine looking for resident birds and arriving migrants. Map ref: SW653 252 Bring lunch and suitable footwear, not suitable for dogs. Meet at lay-by in Gear Lane near Trythal Farm, New Mill, Penzance. Sunday 23rd November 9.30am Leader Gordon Mills Take New Mill road off B3311 Penzance to St Ives at Chyandour. (01209 718144 evenings) Map ref: SW452 339 Loe Pool, Helston. A morning walk from the Helston Boating Lake to the National Trust Hide looking for wildfowl, gulls, wad- Saturday 25th October 2.00pm Leader Julian Crewes ers and woodland birds. Meet in the Helston Amenity Area car Messack Creekside, Roseland. A circular walk as part of Rose- park opposite the boating lake on the B3304 Helston to land Festival 2008 led by National Trust Warden Julian Crewes, road. Map ref: SW654 270 Phil White with Nick Tomalin of the RSPB. Free but donations to the National Trust. Meet St Just church car park. Map ref: Sunday 30th November 9.30am Leader Mike Garland SW849 356 (01326 377192) Swanpool, Falmouth. A morning walk around the pool and sur- Saturday 1st November 9.00am Leader Viv Stratton rounding area. Meet Swanpool car park opposite Swanpool beach. (01736 796487) Map ref: SW801312 Porthgwarra, Lands End. An all day walk looking for migrant birds and maybe the possibility of some sea-watching. Bring a Sunday 30th November 10.00am Leader Derek Julian packed lunch. Meet in the car park (fee payable). (01208 816779) Map ref:SW371 218 , Camel Estuary. A short walk along the Camel Trail to look for wintering wildfowl, waders and gulls. Meet at the Lob- Thursday 6th November 1.00pm Leader Eric James ster Hatchery Centre – in the car park on the Wadebridge side of (01326 Padstow. 573225) Map ref: SW921 751 Tresillian River, Truro. Details as 9th October walk. Low water around 4.45pm.

10

Thursday 4th December 1.00pm Leader Eric James (01326 573225) Tresillian River, Truro. Details as 9th October walk. Low water around 3.15pm

Saturday 6th December 9.30am. Leader Mike Lord (01326 290981) Windmill Farm, . A morning walk around the reserve to see what’s wintering there. Be prepared for wet and muddy conditions under foot, wellingtons are essential footwear. Meet at the reserve car park at the end of the track just off the Helston- Lizard (A3083) road approximately two miles north of The Lizard village. Map ref:SW 694 152

Friday 5th December 7.30pm Contact Gordon Mills (01209 718144 evenings) Chacewater Village Hall. A RSPB evening meeting, all welcome, – programme to be confirmed. Admission £1

Sunday 7th December 9.30am Leader Gordon Mills (01209 718144 evenings) Marazion Marsh and Beach. A morning walk in early winter, could be bracing, looking for gulls, waders and wintering birds. Meet Folly’s Field car park – directions as 16th November walk. Map ref: SW513 309

Saturday 13th December 9.30 Leader Terry Hasdell (01209 710683) Carbis Bay. A morning walk around the bay to St Ives looking for divers, grebes and seabirds. Meet in the Carbis Bay car park be- low the railway station. Map ref:SW528 388

Sunday 21st December 9.00am Leader Viv Stratton (01736 796487) Hayle Estuary. A morning walk around the estuary looking for wintering wildfowl, waders and gulls. Meet at Ryan’s Field car park. Map ref: SW549 326

Sunday 28th December 9.00am Leader Simon Taylor (01209 614857) Stithians Reservoir. A day’s circular walk around the reservoir, chance to walk off the excesses of Christmas, with a light lunch at the Golden Lion – walk free but lunch to be paid for! Limited to 10 places so please contact walk leader by 14th December to book a place. Meet at the eastern car park, see 12th October walk. Map ref: SW715364

Camel Trail Walks. Duration approximately 4hours.

The walks, which will cover wild flowers, butterflies and animals as well as birds, will take place every Wednesday from Septem- ber through to April 2009 inclusive, starting at 10.00am and will be led by Bernard Ide and Martin Cutland. Meet outside Countrywise, Eddystone Road, Wadebridge. Phone Country Wise on 01208 812423 to see if walk is on. Map ref:SW989 725 A donation of £2 is requested towards the purchase and erection of a hide at a location to be agreed at a later date.

Field meeting safety advice Please: always take stout footwear, appropriate clothing and protection against sun, rain, thorns, insects etc. Ask permission before bringing a dog - and keep it on a lead. Beware of rabbit holes and low branches. Take water to drink. Observe the Countryside Code at all times and lis- ten to instructions given by the Leader. Let the Leader know if you wish to leave early. 11

Bird people David uses a Canon 5D and a range of lenses, plus a 100- 400 zoom and a 500mm for the bird photography. His father was a keen amateur photographer so David picked up the basics and the David enthusiasm from an early age. He doesn’t have favourite birds as such but particularly enjoys close observation of common birds such as the Song Thrush, which he photographed extensively in Chapman May of this year on Scilly, and the obliging Sky Lark which posed for him at Godrevy in the spring (see pictures below). David is also fascinated by unusual birds such as a part albino Robin he A profile of one of recorded recently. He was particularly thrilled to photograph King- Cornwall’s most accom- fishers last autumn as this was a species he hadn’t managed to plished wildlife photogra- capture much before. It’s good that he did - see the stunning por- trait below. phers and writers by David Chapman’s interest in wildlife started with birds but Simon Marquis didn’t stop there. He became fascinated with wildlife in general and joined the Cornwall Wildlife Trust some 12 years ago. He was avid Chapman (pictured) is a professional photographer who chairman of the photographic group for about five years (a role D has written and illustrated a number of books about wildlife now filled by Walmsley warden Adrian Langdon) and is now its in Cornwall. It wasn’t always so: he used to teach maths at Helston secretary, treasurer and organiser of outdoor field trips. School. As if that wasn’t enough, David designed the first ever Born In Blackpool in 1965, David did a maths degree at CWT calendar featuring shots from the photographic group. The Sheffield University, where he co-founded the bird club with a project made money for the Trust and has now been taken on by friend. His love of birds influenced his choice of job location, permanent staff. picking first Norfolk and then Bridlington “because it is near For five years David has been a trustee of CWT and is Flamborough Head”. He moved to Cornwall partly to discover involved in their marketing and fund-raising committees - a fantas- somewhere new to watch birds, met his wife Sarah and bought a tic commitment, and a significant contribution to wildlife conser- five acre small-holding near Hayle, which he now maintains as a vation in our county. wildlife refuge and photography studio. David’s patch boasts a David’s new projects include Iconic Cornwall, written by thriving colony of House Sparrows as well as a Tawny Owl which his wife Sarah, and featuring 60 of the most historic and iconic has taken up residence in an owl box, and Cetti’s Warbler. sites in Cornwall. The tally of books includes ones on wild flowers Packing in the day job at school about six years ago, David and exploring the coast of Cornwall. In the pipeline is another now concentrates on building his image bank of wildlife shots for ‘big’ book called A Year in Cornwall which charts a year’s worth use on cards and in calendars, in magazine articles and in his of wildlife experiences. books. In 1999 he started writing about wildlife for Cornwall To- There is of course an excellent website for anyone wanting day and now contributes to around eight magazines. His first book to know a bit more about David and his work; it can be found at on Cornwall’s flora and fauna was Wild about Cornwall, his most www.davidchapman.org.uk. recent a small guide to the Birds of Cornwall and Scilly published Phew! Plenty going on in David’s life then. No wonder the by Alison Hodge (and mentioned briefly in the last Palores). maths has taken a back seat!

12