On Par Beach this evening there were 5 Whimbrel, 10, Dunlin, 6 Ringed Plover, 1 Sanderling and about 30 Swift over the pool.

 

 

I have just spent a few days away in London and East Anglia visiting relatives but the day I was allowed to spend at Minsmere produced these pictures.

 

 Sedge Warbler

Marsh Harrier 

 

 Common Tern

 

 Reed Bunting

 Barn Swallow

and finally a Canary! mixing with the Sparrows around a campsite outside London.

A large number of dead sea birds have been washed up on Par Beach and other places along the South Cornwall Coast presumably as a result of the chemical discharges at sea.

I, and others have been collecting them for examination by Falmouth Marine School. This morning I located bags containing some 40 birds that had been gathered yesterday.

At high tide this morning a sweep along the beach produced another twenty They were mainly Guillemots and Razorbills but there was one Gannet and an unidentified Gull/Tern.

One lucky? Guillemot was found alive and taken away by a lady from Tywardreath to be passed to the RSPCA.

 

Another day with some sun and another view of the Green Sandpiper that has been at Par Beach Pool. And around the back there was the bonus of two Water Rails.

My thanks to Daniel Cole for spotting this Green Sandpiper on Par Beach Pool and dragging me out on a miserable afternoon to photograph it.

Images of one of the two Spoonbills at the Walmsley Sanctuary today and a passing Buzzard. Also making an appearance but distant were a Sparrowhawk, Merlin and Peregrine.
Interestingly there was only one wader in the reserve, a Lapwing, but on the estuary there was a flock of 58 Black-tailed Godwits.

 

 

 

 

 Meanwhile on Par Beach this evening the place was buzzing with Wheatears.

Sadly the Common Scoter at Swanpool refused to play for me and stayed stubbornly on the far side of the pool.
So it was back to Par Beach Pool where the light was good and there was a Pochard just begging to have its picture taken,  several Shovelers and some amorous Swans.