Birds in Cornwall 2001 Ydhyn yn Kernow Cornwall Bird-Watching and Preservation Society CORNWALL BIRD-WATCHING & PRESERVATION SOCIETY SEVENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT 2001 Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) The emblem of The Cornwall Bird-watching & Preservation Society HONORARY OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE 2002/03 President Steve Madge, Seawinds, Lower Trerieve, Downderry, Torpoint, PL15 3LZ Chairman Stuart Hutchings, 24 Kernick Road, Penryn, TRIO 8NT Vice-Chairman Graham Sutton, Harcombe, West Park Road, Bude, EX23 8PB General Secretary Steve Rogers, Roseland, Cyril Road, Truro, TR1 3TA Treasurer Colin Boyd, 4 Henliston Drive, Helston, TR13 8BW 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, PL12 6JQ Field Meetings Officer Vacancy Public Relations Officer Tony Langford, Miango, Trewirgie Road, Redruth, TR15 2SX Honorary Solicitor Greg Adams, 2 Wendron Street, Helston, TR13 8PS Committee Members: Francis Couch (Bodmin), Pete Fraser Truro), Andy Pay (Helston) Clare Mucklow (Exeter), 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, Graham Sutton & Laurie Williams Photographs Front Page: Baird's Sandpiper, Long Rock Beach, September 2001 - Gary Cockill Back Page: Rosy Starling, Newquay, June 2001 - Gary Cockill 2 CONTENTS Page Review of the Year 2001 Kester & Ian Wilson 4 Editorial Ian Wilson 12 Acknowledgements 12 Submission of Records 13 Submission of Rarity Reports 15 Systematic List for 2001 Kester & Ian Wilson 17 Records for which details are still required 153 First and Last Dates of Summer Migrants 154 Contributors 154 Photographers 156 Gazetteer 156 Ringing Report 2001 Greg Conway 163 Chairman's Report Stuart Hutchings 171 Conservation Officer's Report Brian Craven 172 Obituary: David Barker Stuart Hutchings 175 2001 Balance Sheet and Accounts 176 The Society's Rules 180 Printed by B. J. Press Ltd., Unit 29 Threemilestone Ind Estate, Truro, Cornwall, TR4 9LD Copyright Cornwall Bird-watching & Preservation Society 2002 3 REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2001 Reports were received from two hundred and fifty observers covering two hundred and seventy-six species, three less than the average of the previous ten years. No new species were recorded on the county mainland this year, the first time since 1994 and only the second time since 1957. The more new species we see the less there are to see, and blank years are likely to happen more frequently in future years. However, the year did see the second records of Paddyfield Warbler and Hume's Leaf Warbler. The major event affecting bird watching was the confirmation of a case of foot and mouth disease in the north of England on 20th February. The disease quickly spread across much of the country, and the only things moving more quickly were the restrictions on movement in the countryside that resulted in most of the county being placed out of bounds to bird watchers. This reduced the number of reports received for the next six to seven months and will undoubtedly have resulted in some distortion of data. Happily, the restrictions were lifted in early autumn, and the pleasure of being able to again get out and about undoubtedly helped to offset the disappointment of largely unfavourable weather conditions in August and September. It is often said that nature evens things out over the longer term, and the normally quiet months of November and December saw the arrival of a number of interesting birds. JANUARY Several rarities remained in the county since last year including American Black Ducks at Colliford Reservoir and Stithians Reservoir, and Green-winged Teals at Loe Pool, on the Hayle Estuary and at Maer Lake. Great Bitterns were still in residence at Loe Pool and Marazion Marsh. On 1st there was a Black Guillemot and fifty Great Cormorants in Carbis Bay, one hundred Shags were in Falmouth Bay, and St John's Lake had two thousand Dunlins and one hundred and ten Grey Plovers. Two Spoonbills appeared at Maer Lake and three Greater Scaups were at St John's Lake on 5th. Three hundred and forty Skylarks were on Reskajeage Downs on 6th together with four Lapland Buntings, and a Rosy Starling was found at Torpoint. The following day there were thirty- one Black-necked Grebes in the Carrick Roads. A Pied-billed Grebe was on Upper Tamar Lake on 8th when a Great Bittern was seen on Bude Marshes. Twenty-two Red-throated Divers were in Harlyn Bay on 9th and an early Barn Swallow was seen at Newlyn. Twenty Eurasian Woodcock were reported at Sheviock on 13th and there were four Wood Larks at Trebah and a Black Guillemot was in Mount's Bay. There were two hundred and thirty Shags off Swanpool Beach on 14th and eight Goosanders on Lower Tamar Lake on 15th. Three hundred and ten Common Gulls visited the Camel Estuary on 18th, and one hundred and eighty-four Common Shelducks were at the same site on 19th. Eighty Reed Buntings were on Goss Moor on 21st, four Water Pipits were at Walmsley Sanctuary on 22nd and seven Nuthatches were at Lanhydrock on 24th. Thirty-three Moorhens were seen on Bude Marshes on 25th and there was a Chough at Pendower Beach the following day. On 27th there were one hundred Grey Plovers on the Camel Estuary, and eighty-five Black-tailed Godwits on Tresillian River. Kingsmill Lake was the site of one hundred and ninety Avocets and three hundred and twenty-nine Common Redshanks on 28th. What was presumably last year's returning Green-winged Teal reappeared on the last day of the month at Colliford Reservoir, together with thirty Northern Shovellers on the Camel Estuary and six Grey Partridges at Little Halveor. 4 FEBRUARY A large gathering of one hundred and sixteen Magpies was seen at Marazion Marsh on the first day of the month. A third Ring-billed Gull arrived at the Hayle Estuary on 2nd, the trio remaining in the area for a few weeks. On 3rd there were forty Yellowhammers at Duloe, a high number for the county in the twenty-first century. Three thousand seven hundred European Golden Plovers were on the Camel Estuary on 4th, there were two thousand two hundred Northern Lapwings at Crowdy Reservoir and a Great Bittern appeared at Ruan Lanihorne. The gull roost on the Hayle Estuary contained six Western Yellow-legged Gulls on 8th, there was a Black Guillemot off St Anthony Head and the first Garganey of the year was at Land's End on 9th, and forty-three Lesser Redpolls were at Bodmin on 10th. The earliest House Martin of the last twenty-five years was seen at Newlyn on 11th and seventy Red-breasted Mergansers were in the Carrick Roads on 17th. Numbers of Black-throated Divers were at their highest on 18th when there were fifty-five off Hemmick Beach and forty-three off Pendower Beach, and the latter site also held twenty-one Slavonian Grebes. What was presumably last year's Spoonbill returned to the Lynher Estuary on 21st, and the following day there were thirty-five Red-throated Divers near the Jubilee Pool in Penzance and six hundred and fourteen Great Black-backed Gulls on the Camel Estuary. On 23rd there were two Glaucous Gulls on the Hayle Estuary. A Great Grey Shrike appeared at Kilkhampton on 26th, probably a bird previously seen in Devon, and there were two thousand and ninety-two Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the Camel Estuary on 27th. MARCH The earliest reported Willow Warbler for the last twenty-five years was at Wheal Kitty on 2nd and a Green-winged Teal was at Marazion Marsh on 7th. The wind was blowing from the southeast, there was some movement of Chiffchaffs and Meadow Pipits, the first Sand Martin of the year was at Maer Lake on 8th and the first Sandwich Tern of the year passed Hannafore on 9th when the first Northern Wheatear appeared at Godrevy Point. One thousand four hundred and twelve Lesser Black-backed Gulls were on the Camel Estuary on 10th and there was an Iceland Gull at Loe Pool, one of five seen in the county during the month. Ninety-six House Sparrows were seen at Caerhays on 11th, a high number for this species by today's standards. Light easterly winds on 16th brought a White Stork to Copperhouse Creek on its way to Devon, and the first Alba Wagtail of the year was at Trevose Head. There was a movement of Goldcrests and Firecrests on 20th and a Kumlien's Gull was identified on Hayle Estuary. A Black Guillemot was on the Helford River on 21st. A Chough was in the Land's End area on 24th. On 25th a Great Spotted Cuckoo appeared at Land's End amongst a good arrival of migrants on a light easterly wind, fortunately visiting one of the few sites still open to birdwatchers during the foot and mouth disease restrictions. Forty-eight Great Northern Divers were in St Austell Bay, and the first Hoopoe of the year was at Tresmeer, on 30th. APRIL One hundred and fifty-six Whimbrels were at Drift Reservoir on 1st, Hoopoe was found at Praa Sands and there was a good movement of Sand Martins and a scattering of Barn Swallows.