Birds in Cornwall 2002 • Ydhyn yn Kernow Cornwall Bird-Watching and Preservation Society CORNWALL BIRD-WATCHING & PRESERVATION SOCIETY SEVENTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT 2002 Chough {Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) The emblem of The Cornwall Bird-watching & Preservation Society HONORARY OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE 2003/04 President Steve Madge, Seawinds, Lower Trerieve, Downderry, Torpoint, PL15 3LZ Chairman Gary Lewis, 40 Pondfield Road, Saltash, Cornwall, PL 12 4UA Vice-Chairman Graham Sutton, Harcombe, West Park Road, Bude, EX23 8PB General Secretary Darrell Clegg, 55 Lower Fore Street, Saltash, PL 12 6JQ Treasurer Bob Bridges, 21 Pare Peneglos, Bells Hill, Mylor, TR11 5SL Membership Secretary Sara McMahon, 72 Underwood Road, Plympton, PL7 1SZ Conservation Officer Brian Craven, 15 Compass West, Tregadillett, Launceston, PL 15 7EA Assistant Conservation Officer Adrian Brown, 31 Alexandra Road, Illogan, Redruth, TR16 50G Newsletter Editor Darrell Clegg, 55 Lower Fore Street, Saltash, PL 12 6JQ Field Meetings Officer Terry Hasdell, 1 West Tehidy, Tolvaddon, Camborne Public Relations Officer Vacancy Honorary Solicitor Greg Adams, 2 Wendron Street, Helston, TR13 8PS Committee Members: Francis Couch (Bodmin), Clare Mucklow (Exeter), Rosemary Parslow, Mark Tunmore (The Lizard). The Society is a Charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales Number 255899 The Trustees are the Honorary Officers and other Members of the Executive Committee shown above County Recorder Kester Wilson, 1 Tol Pedn House, School Hill Road, St Levan, Penzance TR19 6LP [email protected] Editor "Birds in Cornwall" Ian Wilson, 3 Hunters Close, Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire, LEI7 6LG Records Committee: Mashuq Ahmad, Greg Conway, Pete Fraser, Steve Madge, Keith Pellow, Graham Sutton & Laurie Williams Non-voting Committee Member Steve Rogers, Roseland, Cyril Road, Truro, TR1 3TA Photographs Front Page: Kingfisher - Gary Cockill Back Page: Woodchat Shrike, St Levan, April 2002 - Ian Wilson 2 CONTENTS Page Review of the Year 2002 Kester & Ian Wilson 5 Editorial Ian Wilson 12 Acknowledgements 12 Submission of Records 13 Submission of Rarity Reports 15 Systematic List for 2002 Kester & Ian Wilson 17 Exotica 139 Records for which details are still required 140 First and Last Dates of Summer Migrants 140 Contributors 141 Photographers 142 Gazetteer 143 Ringing Report 2002 Greg Conway 150 The Chough (Reprinted from the 1932 report) Lt. Colonel Ryves 158 Choughs on The Lizard in 2002 Claire Mucklow 161 Corn Buntings in Cornwall 2002 Claire Mucklow 163 The Society's Reserves 164 Chairman's Report Stuart Hutchings 167 Conservation Officer's Report Brian Craven 169 2002 Balance Sheet and Accounts 172 The Society's Rules 178 Printed by B. J. Press Ltd., Unit 29 Threemilestone Ind Estate, Truro, Cornwall, TR4 9LD Copyright Cornwall Bird-watching & Preservation Society 2002 3 4 REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2002 Reports were received from two hundred and forty observers covering two hundred and ninety-one species, one more than in 1998 and the highest ever number of species seen in one year. Three new species were recorded on the county mainland this year, Red-billed Tropicbird, Black-throated Thrush and (if accepted) Syke's Warbler. JANUARY Several of last year's rarities remained in the county at the outset of the year, a Great Bittern at Par Beach Pool until 17th February, three Cattle Egrets at Gweek with the last seen on 17th May, a Spoonbill on the Lynher Estuary until 16th February, an American Wigeon until 29th January, Green-winged Teals at Colliford Reservoir until 19th January, Hayle Estuary until 23rd February and Loe Pool until 16th February, two Ring-necked Ducks at Loe Pool until 13th April, a Rough-legged Buzzard in the Catchall area until 22nd April, a Bonaparte's Gull at Millbrook Lake until 9th March and three Choughs on The Lizard. However, the number of wintering Chiffchaffs was low and the number of Blackcaps very low. The 1st also saw a count of three hundred and fifty-four Common Shelducks at St John's Lake, two hundred and nineteen Mallards on the Upper Tamar Estuary north of the Tamar Bridge, fourteen Northern Pintails on the Lynher Estuary, four Hen Harriers at Men- an-Tol, two hundred and seventy-two Avocets on the Upper Tamar Estuary and two hundred and thirty Common Gulls at Millbrook Lake. Fifty-eight Great Cormorants were at Loe Pool on 2nd, one thousand two hundred and thirty Eurasian Teal were on Hayle Estuary, four Red-crested Pochards were on Drift Reservoir and one hundred and thirty-eight Common Pochards and one hundred and twenty Tufted Ducks were on Loe Pool. A Great Bittern was at Crowdy Reservoir on 3rd and a pair of Red-crested Pochards was on College Reservoir. Eurasian Teal and Northern Shoveler numbers were still high with good numbers at several sites. A Great Bittern on 5th began a two-month stay on Marazion Marsh. A maximum of forty-six Black-necked Grebes were in the Carrick Roads on 6th and, on 7th, there were seven Goosanders on the Lower Tamar Lake and five hundred Common Guillemots and one thousand Razorbills off Cape Cornwall. A Great Bittern was at Trevellan Park, Cubert on 9th Jan and, with continuing winds blowing from the southeast on 10th, there were one hundred Common Chiffchaffs at St Austell Sewage Works and a Green-winged Teal commenced a fifteen-day stay at Trevorian Pool. Thirty-eight Black-throated Divers were off Hemmick Beach on 11th, a Great Bittern was at Stithians Reservoir on 12th, and sixty Northern Shovellers were on Loe Pool. A second Great Bittern was at Par Beach Pool and one was at Mylor Bridge on 13th, a Spoonbill was on the Camel Estuary, six Velvet Scoters on the Carrick Roads, three thousand Northern Lapwings on the Camel Estuary, eighty Sanderling were in Mount's Bay and five hundred and ten Common Snipes were at Maer Lake. There were eight Jack Snipes at Sennen on 14th when what was presumably an over-wintering Richard's Pipit was at Holmbush. There were forty Coal Tits on 16th at Trago Mills and, with winds having moved to southwest on 21st, an Iceland Gull appeared at Drift Reservoir. What was presumably last year's Black Duck returned to Colliford Reservoir on 19th and remained until 5th August. There were fifty Mute Swans on Drift Reservoir on 23rd and an Iceland Gull was on Hayle Estuary. A record of Little Owl at Pulla Cross on 24th was one of very few reports of this species during the year. Nineteen Great Crested Grebes were in Par Bay on 26th and sixty Long-tailed Tits at St Austell Sewage Works. Westerly winds were blowing and, on 28th, two new Ring-billed Gulls joined the existing bird at Drift Reservoir and two Little Auks, six Balearic Shearwaters and a Great Skua passed Pendeen Watch. 5 FEBRUARY Thirty-three Great Cormorants were at Upper Tamar Lake on 1st, a Green-winged Teal at Maer Lake, thirteen Spotted Redshanks at Kingsmill Lake and eighteen Yellowhammers at St Columb Major. Two Leach's Petrels at Hannafore on 2nd, the first ever for the county mainland in February, turned out to be only a portent of things to come four days later when, after south westerly gales turned to north north-westerly overnight, two hundred and fifty-seven were seen at Pendeen Watch and two hundred and fifty at St Ives - the numbers at St Ives were most likely much higher as the count did not start until 10.30am. Forty Great Northern Divers were in St Ives Bay on 3rd and, on 5th, there were thirty Black-throated Divers off Swanpool. A second calendar Night Heron was at Nanjizal on 7th and an adult was at Land's End. Two hundred and twenty Shags were in Harlyn Bay on 9th and, on 10th, a Green-winged Teal was at Trevorian Pool, twenty-two Common Goldeneyes in the Carrick Roads and seventy-eight Black-tailed Godwits on Truro River. A second Great Bittern appeared at Marazion Marsh on 11th, and an early Hoopoe was at Bosullow Common. Twenty Red-throated Divers were in the Seaton/Downderry area on 13th and, on 14th, a Great Bittern was at Trelowarren. A Great Bittern was at Bude Marshes and a Ross's Gull at Torpoint on 15th was a bird initially found in Devon. A Ross's Gull arrived at Sennen on 19th on an increasing northwest wind. Thirteen Slavonian Grebes were at Seaton on 20th, the Camel Estuary held one thousand one hundred and eighty-one Lesser Black-backed Gulls on 22nd and, on 26th, there were four Long-tailed Ducks in St Austell Bay. MARCH The wind was blowing from the east on 1st when a Spoonbill was at St Buryan and twenty-three Black Redstarts at Sennen. Thirty-five Black-throated Divers were off Pentewan and thirty-three were in Gerrans Bay on 3rd when eleven Slavonian Grebes were off Pendower Beach, sixteen Common Buzzards at Friendship Wood and five hundred Sand Martins at Marazion Marsh. On 4th thirty-eight Great Northern Divers were in the Seaton/Downderry area, eighty were in St Austell Bay and there were three hundred and twenty Pied Wagtails at Penzance Railway Station. The winds changed to westerly and on 6th a Kumlien's Gull appeared on Hayle Estuary. An American Herring Gull was on the Hayle Estuary on 9th and on 10th there were sixty Carrion Crows at St Austell Sewage Works. The first Sandwich Tern was on 11th in Carlyon Bay. Hannafore on the 12th was the site of an Iceland Gull, and there were fifty-five Common Ravens at Park Clay Pit. Strong easterlies on 13th blew in the first signs of spring migration, fifty-six Northern Wheatears and a White Wagtail were at Land's End, thirteen Chiffchaffs at Porthgwarra and two Little Ringed Plovers at Maer Lake.