Little Gull at Slapton Ley

Wednesday 1st February and an early start to catch the 7:30 bus to Torcross for a birding walk at Slapton Ley on a grey and breezey morning with the occassional sunny spell.  I was feeling knackered after working 2 long days in a row and I am not sleeping particularly well at the moment, I have no trouble getting to sleep but can't stay asleep, I wake up in the early hours and just can not drop off again. I had thought about catching the 9:00 bus instead and trying to sleep in longer but as usual I was awake early anyway and with rain forecast for the afternoon I headed off on the early bus as originally planned.

Arriving at Torcross at around 9:20 and I had a quick scan around, noting year ticks in gadwall and great crested grebe amongst the tufted duck and coot flocks on the water. An immature male scaup was a nice find, also new for the year, it was busily preening before diving and despite searching I never refound it. However as I scanned around looking for it I immediately picked up a large adult gull with a Daz white head and mid-grey upperwings amongst the herring, common, lesser black backed and great black backed gulls - a very smart adult yellow legged gull, my second in a week! I often find this with my birding, I see a new or uncommon or scarce bird and then very soon after see another.

It really stood out amongst the gull flock, its white head almost gleaming and with grey upperwings coloured between the paler herring gulls and darker lesser black backed gulls nearby. Bill chunkier and very bright yellow with a bright red spot compared to gulls nearby, bright yellow legs seen when it leapt up off the water as it bathed and limited white in its wing tips when it eventually flew off - cue some more crappy photos!

 Yellow Legged Gull (top), Lesser Black Backed Gull (middle), Herring Gull (bottom)

 Yellow Legged Gull (top)

 Yellow Legged Gull (upper right)

 Yellow Legged Gull

 Yellow Legged Gull - upper right

 Yellow Legged Gull- upper left

 Yellow Legged Gull taking off

 Yellow Legged Gull with Herring Gulls

 Yellow Legged Gull - upper right

 Yellow Legged Gull - flashing its yellow legs

 Yellow Legged Gull behind a Lesser Black Backed Gull

Yellow Legged Gull - wingtips

After the yellow legged gull flew off I had another scan around for the elusive scaup but still couldn't find it and just as I was about to start my walk towards the Upper Ley a small gull flying towards the duck feeding area caught my eye. I thought it was an immature juvenile kittiwake as it had a dark black W across its upperwings but as it got nearer its small size was apparent - a 1st winter little gull!

It splashed down amongst the black headed gulls and mallards just a few metres away and had a bathe and a preen for a few minutes before flying off - amazing views of the worlds smallest gull and well worth my early start ( and I had also already seen the worlds largest gull, the great black backed gull).

 1st Winter Little Gull

 Little Gull

 Little Gull

 Little Gull

 Little Gull

 Little Gull

 Little Gull with Black Headed Gull

Little Gull with Black Headed Gull

I eventually started my walk towards the bridge between the Upper and Lower Leys and along the way saw a pair of stonechat, a meadow pipit, a small flock of around 6 long tailed tits and a Cettis warbler which showed very well in the reeds as it gave a wren like alarm call before disappearing.

Mid Ley and I eventually found 2 adult male and a female scaup amongst a small group of tufted duck and pochard, the female was definently a greater scaup as there have been reports of a potential female lesser scaup present on the Ley.

 Female Scaup

 Female Scaup

Male Scaup

Male Scaup

Coot and Scaup

From the Memorial car park I quickly found the wintering black necked grebe very close to the beach on a choppy sea along with a great northern diver, both year ticks, and there were quite a few gannets flying around, some very close in and flying along the beach.

 Black Necked Grebe

Great Northern Diver

In Ireland Bay I found 4 male and 3 female goldeneye amongst the duck flock, the 4th male being unpaired and busily displaying to the paired females without any success. 12 little grebes and a male teal were also seen but best of all was a female marsh harrier soaring over the reeds before heading off down the Ley.

From the bridge a firecrest gave some excellent views as it bathed in the water and then
preened in the willows before flying off and at least 3 water rails were squealing in the reed beds but I couldn't catch sight of one.

David duly arrived in the car and after parking up at the bridge we walked to Torcross for some lunch. I had another scan offshore from the memorial car park where there were now 2 great northern divers close to shore with a guillemot further out but there was no sign of the black necked grebe. A brief view of a dark fin very close to the beach was a surprise and as I scanned around I picked out at least 3 harbour porpoise in the breakers, the closest to shore I have ever seen porpoises before.

At Torcross a grey seal poked its head out of the breakers, again very close to the beach, and after some lunch in the pub we walked back to the bridge as the rain began to fall, noting the 2 male scaup again mid Ley and a group of around 30 gannets diving for fish off the memorial car park very near to the beach - obviously there was some very good fishing close to shore today.

And so an excellent day out - the birding Gods really smiled on me and I guess I was in the right place at the right time for some very good sightings.

West Cornwall Delights

Wednesday 25th January and it was off to West Cornwall for the day on the train. For a change I caught the 7am train - it cost the same as the 8:20am train I usually catch, I'm usually awake early in the morning anyway and it would give me an extra hours birding.

I arrived at Hayle at around 9am and headed off to the Carnsew Pool, walking all the way around the edge, but there was no sign of the now resident spoonbill although I had some nice views of a pair of goosanders feeding at a low tide on the river off Lelant.

Goosanders

I walked over to Copperhouse Creek where the spoonbill has sometimes been reported from and I quickly found it feeding in the river channel but as I walked around the creek to get a better view it flew off to towards the Carnsew Pool - typical! I walked back to the pool, seeing a kingfisher along the old quay along the way, and had some nice views of the spoonbill busily feeding around the pool although it was more distant than the views I had back in October.

 

Spoonbill with Cormorants and a Grey Heron

Spoonbill

Spoonbill

Spoonbill - getting closer

Spoonbill

Spoonbill

Spoonbill

After watching the spoonbill for a while along with 3 adult winter plumaged Mediterranean gulls I wandered off along the estuary towards the causeway bridge, noting bar tailed godwit, teal, wigeon, lapwing and dunlin along the way. From the bridge a large group of gulls were loafing about on the mudflats and I scanned through the herring, lesser black backed and greater black backed gulls but couldn't find any of the recently reported Caspian, yellow legged or Iceland gulls.

I eventually found the wintering green winged teal roosting amongst the teal flock out on the mudflats, a little distant and difficult views as it slept amongst a mobile flock but at times showing well. It eventually showed very well as it waddled off across the mudflats before disappearing into a tidal creek, its white breast stripe being very noticeable.

Teal

Lapwing

Just as I was about to leave the causeway for the walk to St.Erth railway station to catch the train to Penzance I caught sight of a very white headed large gull with dark grey upperparts preening alone on the mudflats - a third winter/sub adult yellow legged gull! Large, bright bill, grey upperparts darker than nearby herring gulls but paler than nearby lesser black backed gulls, larger and bulkier than nearby herring gulls and with olive green looking legs, it certainly stood out before flying to the waters edge to bathe. After a while it flew off and disappeared amongst the roosting gulls but it was quite a distinctive looking bird and nice to find - cue some crap photos (distant views, harsh light, buffeting winds).

Yellow Legged Gull

Yellow Legged Gull

Yellow Legged Gull

Yellow Legged Gull

Yellow Legged Gull (right)

Yellow Legged Gull (right) with Lesser Black Backed Gull (upper left) and Herring Gull (upper middle)

Yellow Legged Gull

Yellow Legged Gull

Unfortunately with the strong breeze it kept itself facing into it and therefore facing me and I didn't manage to get much of a view of its wingtips and both times it flew I missed getting a good view of it but I was pleased to have picked it out.

It was time to head off to Penzance on the train from St.Erth and as the train pulled in to Penzance I noted how rough the sea was looking and was undecided as to where to go, east to Marazion or west to Mousehole, but when I walked over to the bus station the bus to Mousehole was just about to leave so west it was.

I quickly found the male Eastern black redstart on arriving in Mousehole, it was busily feeding along the beach rather than amongst the boulders and was being watched by just one other birder. It was very active and at times came very close to me and I was struck again by how almost curious it seemed to be - cue some decent photos (close, good light, sheltered from the breeze).

Eastern Black Redstart, Mousehole

Eastern Black Redstart

Eastern Black Redstart

Eastern Black Redstart

Eastern Black Redstart

Eastern Black Redstart

Eastern Black Redstart

Eastern Black Redstart

Eastern Black Redstart

Rock Pipit, Mousehole

Offshore a few gannets and kittiwakes were flying around in the strong breeze while 2 adult winter plumaged Mediterranean gulls flew along the shoreline. A pale grey seal was sleeping on the rocks of the small island off the beach which was also covered in lots of roosting gulls.

I then caught the bus back towards Penzance and again got off at Newlyn for the walk along the beach promenade to the Jubilee Pool. 3 adult winter plumaged Mediterranean gulls were found amongst the black headed gulls resting on the sea but there was little else I could find on the choppy water.

Turnstone, Newlyn Harbour

At the pool there were 31 purple sandpipers roosting on the rocks at high tide which gave some very close views and a dark grey seal popped its head out of the water by the harbour wall a few times.

 Purple Sandpiper

 Purple Sandpiper

 Purple Sandpiper

I had a quick walk along the coastpath from the bus station towards Marazion before catching the train home but there was no sign of any black redstarts. I did find some roosting waders along the pebble beach though - ringed plover, turnstone, dunlin and sanderling - quite well camoflagued and easy to overlook.

 Sanderling with a Dunlin

 Sanderling and a Dunlin

 Sanderling with a Dunlin

Heading home on the train and I felt pleasently knackered after a busy but very productive days birding.