Dusky Warbler and Another Bonaparte's Gull

It was mostly overcast and cool as I headed out to The Plym for a walk on Monday 30th March, a flock of 8 Black-tailed Godwit had been present the previous day but as expected they had moved on although I can't help but wonder if The National Trust wasn't messing about with the water levels on Blaxton Meadow they might have lingered for longer.

Anyway, I started my walk at Laira Bridge, it was low tide and from the Bridge the usual birds were seen including a Mute Swan, a Shag, a Common Sandpiper and a Greenshank while a Sparrowhawk was seen flying over the river being pursued by a Carrion Crow.

From The Amphitheatre I scanned the mudflats and found the now long staying 1st winter Bonaparte's Gull roosting amongst a flock of 20 Common Gull along with a single Black-headed Gull, distant views only before something spooked them and they all flew off upriver and out of sight.

There were no Red-crested Pochards on the duck pond again but a male Mandarin was present before flying off and the pair of Grey Wagtail were still catching Flies from the pond edges. The blue Ring-necked Parakeet was also in the usual tree and defending the nest hole from all comers along with her green mate.

Syrphus Sp.

Ring-necked Parakeet

With a Dusky Warbler having been found at Boscathnoe Reservoir near Penzance in December last year and with it still being reported this month I decided it was high time I went to have a look for it on Tuesday 31st March as it has only been present now for over 3 months!

I caught the train down to Penzance and then the bus to Madron with the bus stop being very close to the reservoir entrance. It was cool and overcast again but within minutes of checking out the Willows where it is usually seen I had found a Chiffchaff closely followed by the Dusky Warbler. It showed ridiculously well as it fed in the Willows along the waters edge before moving up into the bare branches of a nearby tree where it caught a massive Fly, scarfed it down and promptly disappeared into cover, never to be seen again. 

Dusky Warbler

Dusky Warbler

It had been very showy for what is usually a bit of a skulky bird and I enjoyed my views of it, certainly better than the views I had of my only other sighting of one at Landguard in Suffolk in 2014 where I saw it flitting between Bramble patches being chased by Twitchers.

While waiting around for the Dusky Warbler not to reappear I also saw 4 Sand Martins overhead, a Green Woodpecker, 2 Jays, a pair of nest building Little Grebes, a Moorhen sitting on eggs and a male Blackcap before I caught the bus back to Penzance and then the train to St.Erth for a look at the Hayle Estuary.

On arriving at the causeway bridge there were plenty of the usual Gulls out on the mudflats - Herring, Common, Great Black-backed, Mediterranean, Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed - and I easily found the reported 1st winter Bonaparte's Gull amongst them. It showed very well and quite close to the bridge at first, sometimes busily preening and other times settling down on the mud for a nap. A Little Gull and a Ring-billed Gull had also been reported but I failed to find them although while scanning around for them I did see 2 redhead Goosanders, 9 winter plumaged Bar-tailed Godwits, 13 Sandwich Tern and 2 Greenshank before heading back to.St.Erth to catch the train back to Plymouth.

Hayle Estuary

Bonaparte's Gull with Black-headed Gulls

Spring Slowly Marches Onward

Sunday 22nd March was another sunny but cool start to the day as I headed out to The Plym for a look about. It was a spring high tide but sadly no water was coming through the Blaxton Meadow sluice gates thanks to The National Trusts continuing misguided habitat management plans. There were birds roosting out on the Meadow though and the 1st winter Bonaparte's Gull was easily found amongst them, sitting out on the mud all on its own and occassionally flying around the Meadow before flying off upriver and out of sight.

The usual birds were seen along the River and included a male Goosander, a Common Sandpiper, 8 Greenshank and 4 adult and a 1st winter Common Gull. The usual birds were also seen around the Park and included a male Linnet, a single Rook and an unseen singing Mistle Thrush.

Comma and Peacock were flitting about and my first Small White of the year flew past me at Longbridge. I also saw my first Dark-edged Bee-fly of the year.

Comma

I headed out to Wembury on the 7am bus on Monday 23rd March, it was sunny but cool yet again but warmed up nicely as the day went on. The tide was starting to ebb and along the beach I found my first Wembury Dunlin of the year amongst a small flock of 12 Turnstone. A Stock Dove flying over the fields above the sewage farm was also a Wembury first along with a Feral pigeon flying over the village.

I took my telescope with me but a quick scan offshore with my binoculars revealed nothing! However on setting up my scope at The Point and having another look about offshore I picked up a pod of around 40 Common Dolphins moving west, some were closer in but the group further out had attracted inquisitive Gannets along with Manx Shearwaters, another first for the year and my earliest ever sighting. There were also Auks flying about offshore and resting on the sea, those close enough to ID were all Razorbills.

Spring arrives and so do the fishing boats in the Marine Conservation Area

Other highlights along my walk were 3 knackered looking Wheatear amongst the rocks below the footpath at The Point, presumably having just made landfall, and there were 2 nervous looking Red-legged Partridge in the wheatfield where Cirl Buntings were also being unusually showy.

Wheatear

Cirl Bunting

It was sunny but cool on Thursday 26th March as I headed out for a quick walk along The Plym. It was very quiet with a single Greenshank, a pair of Linnets, a male Goosander, a Shag, a pair of Mandarin, a Common Sandpiper and 2 pairs of Grey Wagtails the highlights with a single Peacock also seen despite the chilly conditions. I also saw a pair of Ring-necked Parakeets mating, a green type male and a blue phase female.

Mandarin

Ring-necked Parakeet 

I headed off on the train to Dawlish Warren on Friday 27th March, it was a last minute decision and I didn't arrive off the train until around 12:30 but I fancied a change of scenery. It was damp and claggy and I only spent a couple of hours there before returning home but I had an enjoyable walk.

It was quite calm offshore but quiet too and the highlight was a Great Northern Diver moulting into summer plumage and struggling to swallow a flat fish it had caught before the nearby Great Black-backed Gulls realised. A summer plumaged Great Crested Grebe, 2 Razorbill (1 in summer plumage) and Gannets were also seen and it was great to see returning Sandwich Terns patrolling back and forth along the beach.

Great Northern Diver

At the main pond 2 Little Grebes were heard trilling away with a third bird seen, a male Teal was dabbling away and a Chiffchaff was flitting about in the reeds. A Collared Dove in the nearby trees was a surprise while a pair of Cirl Buntings showed well out on the open grassland.

Saturday 28th March was sunny but cool and breezy again as I caught the 9am bus out to Wembury for a walk. Being a sunny Saturday and the start of the Easter school holidays there were dogs and people everywhere and with the National Trust now having completed the footpath upgrade all the way to the sewage pipe it was busy the whole way along my walk - I will have to avoid weekends and holidays in the future and catch the early morning bus if I want a less disturbed visit. Despite this I did enjoy todays walk and had some interesting sightings along the way although with it still being the early days of Spring it was quiet.

Upgraded Path, Wembury Point

I did however see my first Speckled Wood of the year and an Adder was again seen basking in the sunshine out of the wind while a few Peacock were seen dashing past in the strong breeze and a few Chiffchaffs were heard singing away. It was quiet offshore too with just 2 adult Gannets seen flying west and there were no Fulmars to be seen on The Mewstone while along the beach there were 11 Turnstone, 20 Oystercatchers, 3 Little Egret, 5 male Mallards and a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull.

Adder