Birding in Lockdown: Links to Garden Lockdown Listing League and our Birding Ideas Page, helping to make the most of extra time as a result of the lockdown.

Late news, 3/4, Rosewall/Buttermilk Hill: 5 (4m, 1f) Ring Ouzel, 5m Wheatear and a flock of 20 Linnets that were new in. (V Stratton)

Wheatear, Viv Stratton

Porthgwarra: 1 Hoopoe. (M Wallace)

Nanquidno: 1 Jack Snipe, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Sand Martin. (C Moore)

Zoar, St Keverne: 1 Common Snipe, 1 Jack Snipe. (A Williams)

Drift Reservoir: 1 Snipe, 2 Gadwall. (D Flumm)

Newlyn: 2cy Iceland Gull still in harbour, 1 Red-throated Diver off Sandy Cove. (L Proctor)

Truro: 2 Greenshank, 3 Redshank, 1 Whimbrel, 27 Shelduck, 1 Oystercatcher. (D Eva)

Rosewall/Buttermilk Hill: 2 Canada Goose, 4 Mallard, 6 Golden Plover (flying over), 4 Stonechat, 12 Meadow Pipit, 6 Wren, 2 Blackbird, 3 Linnet. (P Nason)

Hayle-Leedstown: 1 Nuthatch in garden. (A Robinson)

Nuthatch, Andy Robinson

Nuthatch, Andy Robinson

Cornwall Lockdown Diary, Day 12:

Back up the Camel Trail again, inland towards Bodmin. Shelduck on Treravon Meadows but nothing much else until…a lone wader with a long bill silhouetted against the sunlight. Normally camouflaged in the sedge, this Snipe was standing proud in the mud for some minutes before slinking off into the long grass. Further along, Jays everywhere, Wrens everywhere, plus Nuthatch, the guffaw of a Green Woodpecker and Canada Geese (no sign of the Bar-headed Goose that seems to like their company, perhaps he’s flying over the Himalayas – they are thought to be the highest-flying birds in the world). Plenty of all the usual tits as well and then yet another Marsh Tit – in a different spot to my last one, so there must be quite a few about here. Bright sun still bathing everything in crystal light.

All this cycling must be improving my fitness and the savings on petrol (and indeed everything else except food and drink) are welcome when all else feels like bad news. But this horrid disease and the enforced lockdown are creating real hardships for many, many people and one fears for their state of mind as well as their health.

Simon Marquis (palores@cbwps.org.uk)

Birding in Lockdown: Links to Garden Lockdown Listing League and our Birding Ideas Page, helping to make the most of extra time as a result of the lockdown. We now have 26 participants in our Cornwall garden listing league, but room for plenty more!

Late news, 1/4, Buttermilk Hill: 12 Golden Plover (northern race), 1 Snipe, 4 Buzzard. (V Stratton)

Golden Plover, Viv Stratton

Golden Plover, Viv Stratton

Downderry: 23 Great Northern Diver, 1 Red-throated Diver, 8 Common Scoter, 1 Sandwich Tern offshore and a Wheatear seen flying north off the sea early this morning. (A Payne)

Devoran: Osprey this morning. (S Bearhop)

Watchcroft: 1 female Ring Ouzel near Garden Mine Cottage track. (J Evans)

Penzance: Black-throated Diver offshore. Also Cormorant caught an eel on the boating lake. (M Ahmad)

Cormorant, Mashuq Ahmad

Cormorant, Mashuq Ahmad

Constantine: female Merlin. (D Collins)

Maer Lake: 12 Black tailed Godwit, 2 Lesser Black backed Gull, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Greenfinch, 14 Herring Gull, c.14 Mallard. (H Kendall)

St Ives Island: 1 Kestrel, 2 Cormorant, 2 Shag, 112 Gannet, 2 Fulmar, 1 Manx Shearwater, 37 Kittiwake, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Common Gull, 2 Great-black backed Gull, 78 Herring Gull, 1 Turnstone, 1 Oystercatcher, 2 Rock Pipit, 10 Common Dolphin. (P Nason)

Nanquidno: Green Sandpiper. (C Moore)

Sancreed: 50 Linnet, 2 Reed Bunting. (D Flumm)

Drift Reservoir: male Shoveler, 2 Teal. (D Flumm)

Godolphin Woods: Stock Dove and Green Woodpecker. (C Richards)

Talskiddy: 2 Raven, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Treecreeper, 6 Yellowhammer, 50 Linnet (B Bosisto)

Gluvian: 1 Redwing, 1 Mistle Thrush (B Bosisto)

Penrose: 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Kingfisher. (J Witheywood)

Stithians: 1 Swallow.

Truro: 3 Blackbird, male and female feeding fledgling. (R Netherton) Also fem Blackcap in garden. (I Bott)

Blackbird, Robin Netherton

Cornwall Lockdown Diary, Day 10:

Apart from the relentlessly bad news, this ‘world on pause’ feels weird. Even in the last War, life carried on for most – if not as normal – at least in close proximity to one another. The social distancing thing is unnatural and painful, so we pad round our gardens or local walks more or less alone or sit at home waiting for the government to set us free again.

It’s a disconcerting experience, but at least there’s time to really look at nature (as opposed to just ‘seeing’ it). I wandered to the far end of our patch this morning wondering if I might see the owner of the hoof-prints I keep seeing on the muddy path. I gazed at the fading daffodils and the emerging bluebells thinking No, it would not be today, when suddenly – in plain sight – a brown shape moved: a Roe Deer. How could I have missed an animal the size of a Great Dane? Animals certainly know how to blend in.

I couldn’t resist the challenge of the Garden Lockdown Listing. I managed 27 species with ease, and today I saw and heard a Skylark somewhere above me – 28, but I don’t think unless a Montezuma’s Oropendola turns up in my back garden I have a hope in hell of getting to Bob Bosisto’s total of over 40 bird species spotted from his!

Simon Marquis (palores@cbwps.org.uk)

Birding in Lockdown: Links to Garden Lockdown Listing League and our Birding Ideas Page, helping to make the most of extra time as a result of the lockdown.

Drift Reservoir: 3 Sand Martin, 4 Chiffchaff. (D Flumm)

Sancreed: male Shoveler, 26 Canada Geese, 2 Little Egret, 2 Snipe, 8 Chiffchaff. (D Flumm)

Marazion Beach: c130 Common Gull (J Hawkey)

Marazion Beach: 17 Ringed Plover. (S Rogers)

Newquay, Trenance Valley: 4 Tawny Owl. (S Grose)

Trenance Lake, Gannel Estuary: 1 Little Grebe, 1 Greenshank, 1 Curlew, 1 Redshank, 1 Common Sandpiper, 5 Little Egret. (J Green)

Redannick; Truro: 1 Orange-tip butterfly,1 Sparrowhawk just missing it’s prey. (G May)

Port Navas: 1 Common Sandpiper, I Greenshank (D Collins)

Mousehole: 1s Yellow-legged Gull in harbour. (M Elliott)

Penzance: 1 Holly Blue butterfly (first of year for observer), Lidden area. (T Mills)

St Erth: singing Willow Warbler, 3+ Sand Martin, 1 Nuthatch at Tregilliowe Ponds. (R Veal)

Colan, Firhill Wood: 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Treecreeper, 3 Coal Tit., 9 Goldcrest, 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Song Thrush. (S Grose)

Lady Nance: 8 Skylark, 6 Buzzard, 3 Yellowhammer. (S Grose)

St Ives: 1 Iceland Gull, 1 Glaucous Gull, 2 Sandwich Tern from the St Ives window today (G Jones)

St Ives Island: 1 Guillemot, 6 Shag, 1 Cormorant, 2 Sanderling, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Iceland Gull, 2 Common Gull, 28 Herring Gull, 2 Lesser-black backed Gull, 2 Black-backed Gull, 42 Gannet, 2 Rock Pipit (P. Nason)

Adult Mediterranean Gull – Peter Nason

Iceland Gull – Peter Nason

Launceston: Approx 150 Golden Plover pitched in three fields away to the north of our home (N Banks)

Cornwall Lockdwon Diary, Day 8

A different walk today. I took another quiet lane on the outskirts of Wadebridge. The light poured through the naked branches to the woodland floor – spotlighting the wild garlic that grows in every dank patch. We’re eating as much of it as we can. They say it has amazing health properties. Doesn’t cost anything either. The stream that joins the Camel in town gurgles happily, spreading sparks of sunlight as it goes.

I didn’t see much birdlife this time – Long-tailed Tits, now paired up and out of their winter gangs and Coal Tits which I rarely see other than at our feeders. I scan the trunks for a Treecreeper but to no avail. The trees look perfect for them but if they’re here I can’t spot them. I am struck by a recurring thought: in Nature nothing jars. Nothing is discordant. Nothing is out of place. Even fallen trees and messy tangles of brambles and nettle patches look as they should. But then, the eye catches something that truly does jar, stands out horribly from the spring greenery – a discarded lager can (almost invariably that wretched Aussie brand). The garish blue aluminium can, thoughtlessly hurled from a car window, will sit where it falls for year after year, looking and being an afront to Nature. Why, oh why, do people do it?

Simon Marquis (palores@cbwps.org.uk)

Garden Listing League: To help with those self-isolating at home and as many of us are able to spend more time in the garden this spring, we have set up a Garden Lockdown Listing League here on the website to help in keeping motivation going and improving your garden list (you may just get hooked) in these strange times. To take part just email your tally and updates to us at the usual bird-news@cbwps.org.uk address. Let the competition begin … 

Late news, 28/3, St Ives: 1 Red-throated Diver, 5 Common Scoter, 3 Sandwich Tern from window. (G Jones)

Truro to Newmills: 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Nuthatch, 4 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 2 Mallard, 2 Bullfinch, 1 Grey Heron. (D Eva)

Penzance: 22 Rook nests counted, difficult to see if they are all active as they are in the tops of tall conifer trees, west end of Alverton Road next to A30 roundabout. (T Mills)

St Ives Island: 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Black-throated Diver, 2 Cormorant, 11 Shag, 10 Gannet, 2 Common Gull, 28 Herring Gull, 4 Lesser-black backed Gull, 8 Great-black backed Gull, 9 Kittiwake, 280 Fulmar (flew East), 1 Sandwich Tern (East), 2 Rock Pipit. (P Nason)

Marazion Marsh RSPB: 1 House Martin, 1 Sand Martin, 2 Shoveler. Also 1 Knot and 6 Ringed Plover on the beach. (S Rogers) Also 1 Red Kite this afternoon. (D Parker). Also 53 (6 ad) Common Gull. (J Hawkey)

St Erth: 1 Red Kite (flew East); 1 Willow Warbler, 8+ Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap all singing. (R Veal) 2 Sand Martin at Tresilliowe. (M Spicer)

Chyandour: Marsh Harrier in off the sea. (P St Pierre)

Carne Creek: 6 Redshank, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Little Egret, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Wren. (R Nicholls)

Newquay, Trevemper /Treringey: 1 m Kestrel, 2 Skylark, 3 Raven over. (S Grose)

Porthguarnon: 2 Swallow. (J Ryan)

Swanpool: Black Tern fishing 70 yds offshore. (M Burnley)

St Ives: Black-throated Diver, 2 Common Scoter, 4 Sandwich Tern and 2 Common Dolphin leaping. (G Jones)

Birding Ideas in Lockdown: Your ‘5-a-day Bird Quiz’, and ‘An Occasional Gull Diary from Tony Mills’ – see Here on the website.

Cornwall Lockdown Diary, Day 6:

It’s barely a week since we were all instructed to stay home. Will the nerves stand it? Main excitement now is to stand solemnly in the Tesco car park for 40 minutes waiting your turn for a lonely tour of the aisles. Has to be done though.

The weather continues to smile on our sorry world. There is something odd about cloudless skies, warm air yet completely bare trees. Yes, the buds are there but the look is still winter, though it does give a good view of birds busying for the breeding season. The Nuthatch fidgets around in the treetops, his insistent call heard from a hundred yards away. Blue Tits bustle around purposefully. But now is the time for the spring arrivals. Chiffchaffs came first, as they always do, in mid-March, and now they are chiff-chaffing the whole day long. This week our Blackcaps have turned up. Lord Grey (Foreign Minister in World War 1 and lifelong bird lover) prized its song particularly highly, pipped (if that’s the right word) only by the Blackbird. The full spring song of the male Blackcap – perhaps not at its best for a few weeks yet – is a silken delight. The notes pour forth from within the young greenery as pure and delicious as honey. But the Blackcap also has rather a curious sub-song. It sounds as if it’s muttering to itself, rehearsing under its breath for a few seconds before launching into the full-volume rendition. From nervous dummy-run to full-on concert recital. Magical.

Simon Marquis