Chough Junior Week 2020

Introduction

If there is one event of the year that I look forward to the most I would have to choose my October weeks birding and ringing with Bob that we have lovingly dubbed as Chough Junior week! We have taken the same 2nd week off in October since 2013 to birdwatch and ring in our home county of Cornwall and it has produced some truly outstanding birds such as Grey Catbird, Blyth’s Pipit, Penduline Tit and Moltoni’s Warbler to name just a few. In true birder style we have also kept a list of all the species that we have seen during this period and as of 2019 that list was on an impressive 214! Not a bad effort for 6 weeks work. So, like a child on Christmas Eve my anticipation and excitement steadily grew as the holiday neared and I wondered what delights would the 2020 week produce?  

Saturday 10th October

Sadly, Bob had to work on the first morning, so I opted to play to my strengths and head to Nanjizal for a mornings ringing. The weather was settled and with the local knowledge that this could change any day I thought it prudent to make the most of it. 

I was pleased with my choice as it was my first real taste of some decent autumn visible migration in action and by the end of the morning I had totted up a nice bit of variety overhead including 1 Crossbill, 13 Siskin, c.50 Meadow Pipit, Ringed Plover, 1 Merlin and a Peregrine. I was also pleased with the 48 new birds ringed. I had some great variety in the form of 2 Yellow-browed Warbler, 1 Firecrest, 5 Chiffchaff, 14 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler and 12 Meadow Pipit. A really enjoyable morning and a most pleasing start to the week. By lunchtime the valley had gone quiet and the birds overhead had also dried up, so it was on to my next mission. 

There was one very rare bird that had turned up during Chough Junior week a number of times before that we had just always struggled to connect with and always ended up dipping. A bird of this species had been reported in Kenidjack Valley and appeared to be quite settled so as news broke that it was still behaving as I was departing Nanjizal I knew where I had to head. As I parked up and started making my way down to the spot where it was frequenting a small group of khaki clad individuals could be seen. As I approached it was refreshing to see most seemed to be adhering to strict social distancing and were also wearing masks. I settled near the crowd and bumped into some locals including John Chapple, Steve Rowe and Peter Clements. The latter had the bird  pinned down in some deep cover and a few moments later the bird shifted from the spot and flew into some isolated willows lower in the valley. I soon had glimpses of the bird and was delighted to finally add Red-eyed Vireo to our Chough Junior list!  

My first glimpse of the Vireo was somewhat fleeting but exciting nonetheless!

This species tick so many desirable boxes in my mind, they are stunning to look at, are a long distant vagrant, coming all the way from America and have real rarity factor! I decided to stay with the bird and just enjoy it in all its glory. This move paid off and a little while later I got some terrific views that really made my day and made for some fantastic memories of this yankee visitor! 

After spending some time with the bird it eventually gave itself up and offered much better views!

Sunday 11th October

After the previous days results and with little change in the weather conditions we opted to head back to Nanjizal Valley for some more ringing and to see what else might occur overhead. 

The morning started well as it was obvious that some thrushes were on the move and we had our first Redwings of the week shortly followed by a mobile Ring Ouzel! These highlights were soon eclipsed by a bird tacking hard on one of the ponds near the ringing hut. Obviously, all present were soon binocular clad and scanning the area in hopes it was going to transpire into something notable. However, after a brief wait a Sedge Warbler came into view leaving the majority a little disappointed. Secretly though Bob and I were delighted as it was another new species for our list and the first we had caught up with during this period. As the morning progressed we had some nice birds overhead and in the general area including, Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Golden Plover, 2 Snipe, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Water Rail, 1 Merlin, 80 Skylark, 24 Siskin, 7 Common Crossbill, 2 Grey Wagtail, 150 Woodpigeon. However, the highlight of the morning came at around 11am as Bob and I were watching the birds flying through the valley I picked up on a large finch bounding across in front of us and that was reminiscent of a woodpecker in flight and it didn’t take me long to realise that it was a Hawfinch and I soon made Bob aware of it by bellowing its identity in his ear despite him being stood right next to me! We finished the morning with 43 new birds ringed. Including an incredible 5 Yellow-browed Warbler, 1 Firecrest, 5 Goldcrest, 12 Blackcap and 4 Chiffchaff. 

Yellow-browed Warblers were abundant in the area and it seems set to be another great season for the species in Cornwall.

The day had run away with us and it was now mid-afternoon, so we opted for a leisurely look at Hayle Estuary. We had some lovely birds including 7 Pink-footed Geese which is still a notable sighting in the county. We were also pleased to see 2 Pintail that seemed to be new arrivals and the Spotted Redshank that had been frequenting the area for a few weeks. An enjoyable end to another fantastic days birding and ringing. 

Monday 12th October

The forecasted weather for the day was pretty dire and was due to rain quite heavily throughout! We decided to stick to our local area in North Cornwall and utilise time in the car and see what we could turn up. But there was a short window of drizzle forecast from dawn, so we decided to start near home at Park Head and see if some birds were on the move overhead. 

I have to confess I wasn’t expecting much as we made it to our usual standing spot with brollies to the ready. However, the distinctive raspy rattle of a Fieldfare and seeping calls of Redwing in the early morning light, soon had my attention pricked and I started to realise that we might just do alright! It wasn’t long before small pockets of Meadow Pipits and Chaffinches passed overhead in dribs and drabs and then a familiar rather full and dry rattle call of a Lapland Bunting was omitted as two sailed passed, things were looking good!

A short while later a bird passed over that had me a little perplexed. It was accompanied by a couple of Meadow Pipit and didn’t appear much bigger than these; it was dumpy and showed broad wings and short tail and was undulating as it flew towards us. It then omitted an almost bunting like call reminiscent of an Ortolan and I did not know where to start with it! Luckily, I had Bob’s years of experience to draw on and he whipped out his phone and played me a call which was spot on and concluded that it was a Woodlark! I have never heard the species call like this before, but it seems it is quite common for birds on the move to do so. Here's hoping that I have successfully logged it into my memory bank and that I get to recall on this knowledge again in the near future! By 9am the weather had worsened but we had a great list given the conditions that consisted of 5 Lapland Bunting, 1 Woodlark, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, 113 Meadow Pipit, 21 Skylark, 6 Fieldfare, 8 Redwing, 21 Chaffinch, 23 Goldfinch, 1 Siskin, 2 Grey Wagtail, 8 Pied Wagtail, 9 Starling, 1 Stock Dove, 1 Goldcrest, Great Spotted Woodpecker over. I was pretty upbeat and the start of our day was much more productive and enjoyable than I ever imagined it would be but now we were relegated to the car for a few hours so decided to take a look at some other interesting spots nearby that we could check from the vehicle. Firstly, we headed to St Eval Airfield and were pleased to see 142 Golden Plover, 14 Snipe, 1 Lapwing and c. 50 Skylark and then on to a little wetland area in Mawgan Porth that can be a superb spot for wildfowl but today it sported just 1 Mediterranean Gull, 90 Black-headed Gull and 4 Teal. Not a bad little tally when you are just 10 minutes away from your own front door!

We then took a drive to our furthest point with the plan of checking a couple of places on the way back once the rain had eased a little. We arrived at the infamous Davidstow Airfield but our expectations were low given the conditions. We managed a list far better than I was expecting in all honesty with 15 Lapwing, 40 Golden Plover, 1 Snipe, 110 Lesser-black Backed Gull, 10 Fieldfare, 1 Redwing, 1 Swallow, 2 Wheatear. The beauty of this little expedition was that we also stayed nice and dry. Oh how I love a bit of car birding on a grey gloomy day! 

On our way back home the rain had started to ease so we opted to check Walmsley Sanctuary where we observed 8 Shoveler, 40 Curlew, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Ruff, 1 Lapwing, 8 Shoveler, 3 Swallow, 2 Redwing. It is such a shame the tower hide has to remain closed at this reserve due to Covid-19 restrictions and makes you realise that sometimes you take a facility for granted only realising its true value to you once it has gone! Our final stop of the day was the Camel Estuary, and it was pretty evident that a fair few waders were present. We had around 200 Dunlin and 30 Ringed Plover to trawl through but sadly couldn’t find anything rarer but we also logged 24 Grey Plover, 6 Knot, 2 Ruff, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Whimbrel, 2 Snipe, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit and 47 Wigeon. Not a bad list of birds considering the conditions we were presented with and another great day under our belt!

Tuesday 13th October

We had made some plans to seawatch today as there was a strong wind and once again, we were due to be hit with rain all day. However, that plan went awry as I had woken up late and was in a foul mood! The past few months of hard professional work combined with the getting up early every morning to go ringing and birding had finally caught up with me and the thought of getting pi**ed wet through and cold did not appeal to me one bit! Bob cottoned on to my thought process quite quickly and as he was driving opted to change our plans and venture near the county border which was less taxing on my morale and would allow me to relax a little before the interesting weather pattern hit us in the coming days and we would need to be much more astute in our ventures and effort to optimise on it. However, today we did have a target in mind that we had been unable to catch up with on a previous Chough Junior week as the species normally arrive in the county much later in the year. Would we finally catch up with our target today?

We started on the River Lhyner which we checked thoroughly but had little to show for the effort with the exception of a Barnacle Goose! We did however tally 10 Great Crested Grebe, 51 Shelduck, 45 Wigeon, 125 Teal, 3 Swallow, 1 Mistle Thrush and there are much worse place to spend your mornings when weather conditions are not in your favour! Content with our efforts we then headed to St Johns Lake, Torpoint where we had an incredibly early season count of 642 Wigeon. There was also a good scattering of waders that included 1 Whimbrel, 4 Grey Plover, 56 Dunlin, 79 Turnstone. But our intended target had still not been found! It was time to up the game and head to the real hotspot.

It had been some time since I had ventured to the China Fleet Club at Saltash but always think of it fondly as it has been kind to me in the past and I had often come away from the location with something noteworthy for my efforts. We ambled to our intended location where we would have a good vantage point to overlook the hightide roost and were greeted by a smattering of loafing Curlews and Little Egrets. Our attention was soon pulled from the river and drawn into the sky as Bob clocked a large flock of Hirundines feeding over a distant woodland. A few minutes later they had neared and consisted of no less than 60 Swallow clearly making the most of the food supply before continuing on their journey south! I started scanning the shoreline again and although a little distant and obscured by other waders I clocked our intended target! 2 Avocet were asleep on the far bank and now firmly on our Chough Junior list. We stayed and watched the roost grow as the tide came in and ended with a nice tally consisting of 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 48 Black-tailed Godwit, 84 Curlew, 2 Avocet, 6 Dunlin, 1 Greenshank, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Snipe, 1 Spotted Redshank, 10 Little Egret and c. 60 Swallow. We were pleased with the day and I was in much better spirits which I hoped would bode well for the rest of our week! 

Wednesday 14th October

Finally, the wind was swinging and coming from the east and we had a much more interesting weather pattern to contend with! Viz Migging had been kind to us and conditions looked good for some more action so today we opted to visit Porthgwarra. 

We arrived just after dawn and stayed at the top of the valley to ensure we could connect with birds moving overhead. It didn’t take long for birds to stir and the first thrushes and pipits started to move. At 8.15am we had the first bird in some time that we had to let get away. A Bunting estimated to be roughly the size of a Reed Bunting passed behind us quite quickly and omitting a distinctive “zit zit zit”. Bob and I had recently brushed up on our Bunting calls mainly due to the incredible fall of birds on the East coast and us strongly suspecting that something unusual from this taxon may well turn up! With the views that we had and the recognition of the call we strongly suspected that this was a potential Rustic Bunting candidate but alas we were far from getting any required detail on the bird and logged it into the “might have been” folder. As if by coincidence a Rustic showed up once again in West Cornwall around Nanjizal less than a week later! Hopefully, the next time it happens we get some more prolonged views and a sound recording. 

We settled ourselves back down and continued to concentrate and it didn’t take long for a decent bird that we knew somewhat better to materialise. At 8.50 am we heard the distinctive and characteristic explosive "shreep" call of a Richard’s Pipit and managed to get brief but pleasing views of it as it strongly undulated past accompanied by some Meadow Pipits. By 10 am the passage overhead was starting to dwindle so we dropped into the bottom carpark and started to flog the bushes and fields to see what else may be lurking. Our final tally for the morning was pretty impressive and included 40 Golden Plover, 3 Snipe, 23 Pied Wagtail, 153 Meadow Pipit,  1 Richards Pipit, 1 Swallow,  4 Yellow-browed Warbler, 4 Firecrest,  31 Skylark, 6 Fieldfare, 24 Redwing, 3 Song Thrush, 5 Chough, 1 Jay , 1 Goldfinch, 11 Linnet, 9 Greenfinch, 19 Siskin, 3 Redpoll, 259 Chaffinch, 4 Brambling, 1 Lapland Bunting, 5 Reed Bunting. It was a very autumnal morning full of the signs of migration all around us. Exactly the reason we like to have this particular week off!

It wasn't only exceptional Viz Migging, the view was pretty special too!

Before heading to our next port of call, we popped into Nanjizal for an hour as conditions looked good over the coming days to mist net some Meadow Pipits so we erected a triangle in anticipation! After the eventful morning at Porthgwarra and then struggling to get nets set up in the fierce wind I was pretty beat. Bob still had a bit of fuel in the tank and suggested that we stop at Drift Reservoir where he could take a walk and check it out properly and I could continue to scan what was heading over above us. It sounded good to me and I certainly felt like I had the better end of the deal. Fast forward 20 minutes and I was merrily scanning away when Bob called to say that there were 2 adult Whopper Swan in the Northern Arm and would be shortly showing well as they were heading out of the channel and towards the main lake. It was a delight watching them through the scope and was pleased that Bob had a decent reward for his efforts. It felt like the perfect conclusion to another brilliant day in the field.

These Whopper Swan's were a fitting end to a truly enjoyable day and a nice reward for Bob's efforts.

Thursday 15th October

A decent easterly breeze and dry conditions overnight would surely see some new birds arriving in at Nanjizal Valley and there was no place we would have rather been! We were not alone in thinking that it might be productive and were joined by the legendary Dr John Ryan or as a few of his dearest companions like to call him "Tom Thumb", due to his recent near miss with a chain saw! Also in attendance was the ever more notorious Reuben Veal whom I still like to refer to as “the Boy”. This is partly because when he started birding he was a mere young whipper snapper but more recently I like the name as I often get a sigh of irritation from him when I use it and it really doesn’t justify his skill level anymore! Local stalwart Royston Wilks was also due to pop down and say hello which I was particularly pleased about as he had been unwell in recent weeks and I was pleased he was making a quick recovery and felt well enough to get out. Lastly, Kester had courteously popped down to open the nets ready for our arrival and the first net round. He decided that as there were so many competent ringers about that he would take a walk in the local area and see what birds he might kick up. 

Mid way through a net round I got a call from Bob that Kester’s efforts had paid off and he had found quite a showy Stone Curlew in a nearby field and he had also flushed a couple of Short-toed Larks. This was great news as they are a very rare species in the county and one we may never get again during our annual week off! Obviously, we couldn’t drop what we were doing and all head off at once so decided to take it in turns. Firstly, John and Bob headed off whilst Reuben and I continued with the ringing activities and Kester came back to give us a hand. Thankfully, they had soon connected and were on their way back so that myself, Reuben and Royston could take a look. Worryingly when we arrived at the location there was no sign and the general consensus was that it had squat down in a furrow and out of view. Reuben started to walk the perimeter of the field to see if he could see where it had settled but after a good scan it became apparent that it had done a bunk! Thankfully visiting birder Lewis Thomson noticed us gazing in the field and asked if we were looking for the Stone Curlew as he had relocated it a few fields further down a little closer to Porthgwarra. We were all delighted to get great views of the bird a short time later and it was by far the best views any of us had of this interesting and elusive species in the county.

We were all really pleased to get such fabulous views of Stone Curlew in Cornwall!

As we were admiring the Stone Curlew and yapping to some passing dog walkers my attention was drawn to a number of larks and pipits moving overhead, seemingly moving off the fields behind us. With half an ear kept open I was soon greeted by a “trilp-trilp-trilp” call reminiscent of a House Martin and looked up to glimpse one of the Short-toed Larks moving through with the flock! We headed back to the ringing site to carry on with our morning, but the good birds continued to come. Mid-morning whilst grabbing a quick cup of tea and generally enjoying the break 3 Lapland Bunting made their way over the valley and a short while later Reuben got a heads up that 3 Great White Egrets had been spotted near Land’s End heading towards us. Just a few moments later they sailed into view and were a fantastic addition to an already great day! I was pretty pleased with our day list which consisted of 1 Stone Curlew, 2 Short-toed Lark, 1 Snipe, 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Wigeon,  3 Great White Egret, 1 Woodlark, Skylark,  1 Fieldfare, 25 Siskin, 6 Crossbill, 1 Redpoll , 3 Lapland Bunting, 1 Chough, 1 Merlin, 1 Peregrine, 1 Swallow. The ringing had also been productive and a total of 108 migrants were ringed. Birds of note included 1 Yellow-browed Warbler, 4 Firecrest, 18 Chiffchaff, 2 Cetti’s Warbler, 15 Blackcap, 11 Blackbird, 1 Redwing, 13 Meadow Pipit. 

Two of the three Great White Egrets that added some exciting variety to our morning!

During the morning news had broken of a White-tailed Eagle that had been photographed passing by a North Cornwall headland and heading west! Once we had packed up we hatched a plan to drive to the coast and try and intersect the bird by visiting a couple of spots at prominent locations in the area. Sadly, after a couple of hours hunting, we drew a blank. Our last-ditch effort was to head back to Drift Reservoir in the hope that it may well choose the location as a roosting spot. Although the Eagle never materialised, we were still pleased to encounter a couple of Cattle Egret flying off some nearby fields and offering some pleasant views and a nice ending to our day!    

The two Cattle Egrets at Drift Reservoir were a pleasing find to end our day 

Friday 16th of October  

After yesterday’s exciting happenings and similar weather conditions forecast for the day, we opted to head to Nanjizal once again to see what had dropped in! Bob, John and I were onsite ready to go and Reuben planned to carry out some Viz Migging above the valley but was ready to help ring if we were busy and needed him.

It was apparent that more Thrushes were about as calls of Redwing and Fieldfare echoed over the valley in the early morning gloom. There were also a good number of finches on the move; predominantly Chaffinch but the occasional Brambling omitted a piercing “yeck” call from within the flocks. Perhaps the most exciting movement was that of Crossbill and they appeared to be much more abundant compared with yesterdays tally. The nets also produced some interesting birds early on that included a good Siberian Chiffchaff candidate, a Yellow-browed Warbler and a Fieldfare in the first net round.

The first Siberian Chiffchaff of the autumn was a welcome surprise.

The morning ticked away nicely and whilst nothing majorly rare made an appearance there was some great variety once again. A combined log for the morning included 2 Great White Egret, 3 Lapland Bunting, 5 Brambling, 34 Crossbill, 560 Chaffinch, 12 Bullfinch, 40 Siskin, 40 Linnet, 1 Redpoll, 4 Reed Bunting, 9 Mistle Thrush, 7 Redwing, 15 Fieldfare, 70 Starling, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, c.30 Pied Wagtail, 2 Grey Wagtail, c.45 Skylark, c.65 Meadow Pipit, 1 Snipe, 3 Golden Plover, 1 Green Sandpiper, 3 Grey Heron, 5 Chough, 1 Merlin, 1 Peregrine Falcon, 6 Stock Dove, 12 Woodpigeon, 1 Wigeon. A pretty desirable viz mig list by anyone’s standards! We also finished on 98 new birds ringed. Migrants of note included, 1 Fieldfare, 3 Redwing, 24 Blackcap, 2 Cetti’s Warbler, 14 Chiffchaff, 1 Siberian Chiffchaff, 4 Yellow-browed Warbler, 1 Firecrest, 14 Meadow Pipit. A great effort and another thoroughly enjoyable morning was had by all!

After we had finished at Nanjizal Royston called us as he had just had a Bearded Tit in the Reed Bed at Ryans Field, Hayle. This was another rare bird that turns up very infrequently in the county so we headed over to see if we could catch up with it. Sadly, after giving it an hour we drew a blank but had a pleasant conversation with renowned local photographer Tony Mills. As we started to get restless Tony’s phone beeped and he proceeded to show us some photos of a Shrike that had some interesting characteristics and was currently being seen very sporadically at Chapel Porth, St Agnes. Bob and I looked at each other and knew that we needed to see this bird properly and help try and ascertain its true identity!  We were about 10 miles away from the elusive Shrike and it was no easy task getting there in any respectable time as we were travelling during Cornwall’s rush hour! We may not have the volume of traffic down here, but we don’t have many multi lane roads either.

After many choice words and hand gestures we finally made it to the location where it had last been seen. John Chapple was on site and had seen the bird briefly in a blackthorn hedge in the adjacent field, but not for quite a while. When questioned about its identity he hadn’t yet clinched it but knew it was something really interesting! I decided to leave Bob and John to it and went for a mooch to see if I could relocate it further up the moor where there was some more suitable habitat. After 30 minutes I had not had any luck and decided to see if Bob and John were fairing any better. On arrival back at the original spot there had still been no luck but several more locals were present including Brian Mellow, Mike Spicer and the original finder Graham Lawlor.  We were all scanning around hoping to glimpse our longed-for prize as well as partaking in the general chitchat that goes hand in hand with such gatherings. 

As attention spans were waning and conversations concluding, things were not looking hopeful! I started to get that “oh well” feeling and started thinking about other areas I might try in a bid to relocate the bird in the vicinity. Thankfully, John caught a fleeting movement and locked on to the Shrike perched on top of a bare tree at the bottom of the field hedge we were stood next too. Most of us caught a glance of the bird before it flew into thick cover once more, and oh boy did it look interesting! Some made a dash closer to the birds location but I decided to hang back as I wanted to get an overall perspective of the bird and check out some key features and felt I could do that better from slightly further away with prolonged views. It wasn’t long before it started showing again and I had the ability to check out the finer details I was hoping for. All the features that I had hoped to see became apparent and I knew that we were looking at a juvenile Brown Shrike, (I wont go into any finer detail as Bob is planning an article on this particular bird in the very near future)! I was absolutely ecstatic to finally set eyes on this long distant vagrant and there is nothing better than seeing a lifer in your home county as well. I headed down towards Bob and the rest of the group to discuss the identification features and see if I couldn’t get some better record shots of this beautiful individual. After a short time it was once again spotted and now seemed quite settled which allowed for the desired photographs and some more refined study of the species detail. What a way to end our day and what a great bird for me and our Chough Junior Species list! The pleasant memories will last with me for a life time. 

The Juvenile Brown Shrike was a long awaited lifer and a superb bird for our list!

Saturday 17th of October 

The wind was still coming from the east but was stronger than the previous days and was being accompanied by drizzly rain and heavier showers throughout the morning. Bob and I had had some luck in the past around the Lizard in similar conditions so decided today would be a good day to give it a go and see what we might kick up.

We arrived on site just after dawn and proceeded to our normal spot near the main National Trust car park which was a location that had been generous in the past and we had some previous success whilst vis migging here. Conditions started pretty dire and the drizzle turned into prolonged periods of heavy rain! Not what we were after, however the updated forecast was suggesting that it would eventually clear so was worth sticking it out. Time soon ticked by and was aided by overdue catch ups with two top notch local birders. Firstly, legendary big year lister Mark Pass who was on his daily rounds and then top county ecologist and superb birder Tony Blunden. It was great seeing them both after Covid-19 restrictions earlier in the year meant that visits to the Lizard were sadly off the cards! After a good natter and the world put to rights it appeared that conditions were improving somewhat and finally bits and pieces started to move overhead. However, our attention soon got drawn to the nearby bushes though as several Crests started to grab our attention. We decided to flog the area and see what we could turn up and were delighted to witness a real fall of Goldcrest accompanied by the odd Firecrest and Chiffchaff. It is a real pleasure witnessing such movements of migrants and whilst it would have been nice to find something rarer in the roving flocks we were content with our start and had a great count consisting of: Black Redstart, 2 Chough, 4 Firecrest, c.50 Goldcrest, 5 Chiffchaff, Fieldfare, Woodlark, 7 Skylark, 4 Blackbird, 4 Song Thrush, 1 Redwing, 49 Chaffinch, 17 Goldfinch, 7 Greenfinch, 2 Siskin, 8 Collard Dove, 27 Wood Pigeon, 2 Grey Wagtail, 25 Pied Wagtail, 99 Meadow Pipit, 42 Swallow.

After our pleasant morning around southerly point we opted to cover some more ground that was a little more sheltered so headed for Church Cove. This historical and quaint little valley is surely one of the most picturesque locations in this part of the world and it has a fantastic track record for turning up several rarities over the years. We spent a lot of time around the church yard and it was awash with Goldcrests and several tit flocks making their way around the mature trees and hedges. Another local resident and top birder David Collins had already given the area a good scouring and soon got us on to a lovely Yellow-browed residing in the area. We leisurely made our way down the valley and checked several likely looking spots along the way gently adding to our count as we went. Again nothing that unusual became apparent but we still had a wonderful time and after a tot up recorded 1 Yellow-browed Warbler, 1 Firecrest, c. 30 Goldcrest and 1 Grey Wagtail.

Church Cove is always worth a check and is never a chore 

Once again the day had run away with us but we couldn't resist grabbing a bite to eat from the infamous Anne's Pasties to fulfil our late lunch requirements. As always they were incredibly good and definitely in my top 3 favourite pasty makers. Not a list I take lightly or for granted! 

After our hefty lunchtime meal and our efforts during the day we were pretty beat so decided to start making our way home. As we were so close and practically passing we knew we should pop into Helston Boating Lake and check there were no unusual ducks settled and awaiting discovery! Sadly after a thorough scan, a count of 28 Tufted Duck was all we had to show for our effort. We did bump into Mark Grantham though and it was nice to catch up once again in the flesh and not via a zoom meeting! I pointed out a colour ringed Herring Gull that I was pretty sure was part of a scheme that Mark had some involvement in. Before I could finish my sentence Mark had reeled off the code combination and it transpired the bird was pretty much resident at the site. The individual was ringed as part of a local rehabilitation project to study how well these individuals fair once released and to see if their behavioural traits differ from birds that haven't received any human intervention at an early age. I am sure that an update or two will be published by the group once data has been analysed in the future. You can keep an eye on the progress of these gulls here: West Cornwall Ringing Group

If you are visiting the Boating Lake keep your eyes open for local resident Blue W:546

We had enjoyed our day and the birds that we had encountered. However we were starting to realise that our week was nearly over. Could the finale tomorrow be a fitting tribute to our week?  

Sunday 18th of October 

As it was normally our day to cover Nanjizal, the weather still reasonably settled and the wind still from the east, we felt it would be worth one more ringing session to see out the week. 

A nice little team was on site ready for the morning ahead that consisted of Myself, Bob, Dr John, Reuben and Devonshire based ringer Nik Ward. Sadly Nik had sustained a foot injury in recent days (gout, probably from too much wine!) and wasn’t very mobile but non the less it was great to have his experience and witty banter to hand to keep us all in check! Before dawn had approached, we each had the sincere pleasure of congratulating him on his recent lucky ringing expedition on Lundy Island where he had ringed a Whites Thrush (more info on this incredible record can be found here: lundybirds.blogspot.com)! “You jammy b*****d” and “you lucky git” were some of the more pleasurable terminologies used. With the nets open and dawn fast approaching we parked the welcoming taunts and concentrated on the first net round. We split into pairs so that we could complete the rounds as quickly as possible and headed on our merry way. It seemed like there were a few birds in and Ruben was quite excited about a Lesser Whitethroat that he had extracted and thought it was almost certainly a Siberian type! Once back at the ringing table we proceeded to process the bird and it certainly looked good with plenty of features that fitted the race “blythi”. A dropped feather sample was also taken for DNA analysis so hopefully we will get some confirmation soon. 

We all had a pleasant morning as a gentle passage of birds trickled through over head and our viz mig list consisted of 2 Redpoll, 20 Siskin, 4 Crossbill, 2 Lapland Bunting, 1 Brambling, 5 Fieldfare, 1 Yellow-browed Warbler, 6 Swallow and 4 White Wagtail. We also ended the morning with 71 new birds ringed that included a “blythi” Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, 12 Blackcap, 25 Chiffchaff, 1 Firecrest, 5 Meadow Pipit  and 1 Kingfisher. Another noteworthy encounter was the recapture and control of a Meadow Pipit in the triangle! The birds unique code was checked online and as it transpired was from one of my old stomping grounds on Dartmoor which I was most pleased about!

"blythi" Lesser Whitethroat showing characteristic plumage traits.

We were all delighted to get a Meadow Pipit control which is a rarity in itself!

Once packed up at Nanjizal we heard through the grapevine that a Cuckoo that had been showing intermittently at Lands End over the past few days and was now putting on quite the display and it sounded like it was well worth having a bash for the bird as it would be a great for the Chough Junior list. I mean how often do you see a Cuckoo in October and more importantly was it a Common Cuckoo or something with an Asian persuasion? 

When we arrived on site we noticed that a few locals were already in situ and were scanning an area where the Cuckoo had presumably last been seen. Before we had even finished setting ourselves up a distraction came in the form of a Short-eared Owl quartering the heather. It was incredible to watch it fly so low just over peoples heads on the nearby footpath in the middle of the day and I am always pleased to get such great views of these dynamic roamers. 

This Short-eared Owl put on a truly incredible display for all present

After our superb views of the Owl our attention was drawn back to the Cuckoo and it had finally started stirring from its favoured Willow clump. Once out of its slumber it started to dart around the moorland, bounding from perch to perch with intermittent drops to the ground where it would gorge on large hairy caterpillars of which there seemed to be a good supply in the locality! It was a very pristine looking 1st calendar year bird and seemed very bright eyed and healthy. Questions around the origins of this bird started to get raised? Why was there a Common Cuckoo hanging around at such a late date in October? How do you identify 1st year Oriental Cuckoo's? Unfortunately, we couldn't answer these questions and as it transpires the later question is a pretty difficult task in itself. However we did hear through the grapevine that a faeces sample had been collected the day after so we are hopeful that a DNA sample can be taken and assessed which will put the matter to bed once and for all! Watching a Cuckoo go about its business is a pleasure at anytime of the year but to observe this individual so late in the season was a real delight and seemed like a very fitting end to our week. 

The Cuckoo at Lands End was a fitting end to our week and it was real bonus finishing on another Chough Junior tick! 

Conclusion

After every week we have had off I always think to myself “well we will never top that” and yet here I am once again reminiscing about a near perfect October week in Cornwall! We had some incredible birds on both a national level, but perhaps even more so on a County level! Undoubtedly Red-eyed Vireo and Brown Shrike were the star birds of the week, the later even more so for me as it was a lifer that I can gratefully add to my dearest Western Palearctic and County lists. However, birds that I never thought we would get during this week made it all just ever so special for me. Stone Curlew, Short-toed Lark, Common Cuckoo (if that is what it was), Avocet and even Sedge Warbler were all out of the blue and added to the wonderment of Cornwall birding in October! Our Chough Junior list has grown to an incredible 221 species with seven new species this year. One thing is for sure I won’t be missing it next year and have already allocated the time off work. Happy birding!  

Davidstow and the Dombrowskii

When I think of September birding in Cornwall there is one area that always excites me in it's birding potential; the classic site of Davidstow Airfield. This amazing abandoned airfield has a phenomenal track record for American waders and seems to produce rarities like clockwork each autumn, despite it being well watched I'm usually lucky enough to find at least one of these every year with 2019's adult American Golden Plover being my last decent find there. Sadly 2020 hasn't been easy for me to check this area as I have been working in other parts of the county and also continuing to push for my ringing permit but out of just four visits me and Libbie did pretty well in what seems like a poor year for Davidstow.

Our first visit on 10th August produced a lifer for Libbie and a new wader for the site for me in the shape of two immaculate juvenile Wood Sandpipers which dropped in to the pools by the control tower all too briefly before presumably flying off to Crowdy.

A write off trip before work in the fog when I had a day's work in Wadebridge left me ruing my choice of getting out of bed at 6am (!) and then I almost had to forget about the place for the time being. Fast forward to 22nd September and with rain all day and work sending me close by I decided on a quick trip to Davidstow in the evening with Lib. As I hunted for waders Libbie found  a funny Yellow Wagtail within a group of Pied and White Wagtails and asked me what it was? Now I usually can sort out Yellow Wagtail to sub-species or at least make an educated guess by noting several features and building an identification by a process of elimination but this bird had me stumped.

The dark looking head, even darker ear coverts & 'cold' green mantle made me think of Thunbergi but it had a thin supercilium which was yellow in color,  The bird then flew across the road calling as it went (much more raspy than standard UK  *Flavissima call). From then on I decided to write some field notes and take plenty of pictures in the hope of sorting it out after the event. Photographs below are unedited.

The thin yellow supercilium, dark headed appearance with even darker ear coverts and yellow wash to the white throat patch didn't point firmly to any sub-species I was familiar with. 

Note the contrast to the greater coverts with the juvenile retained outer feathers looking faded and white in comparison to the fresh buff tinged (adult type) inner greater coverts. Ageing this as a 1st winter. Body moult has already progressed more than would be expected of an Eastern Yellow Wagtail which would be typically grey and white and in more juvenile plumage. The brightness of the overall plumage and amount of yellow already moulted through would suggest it is a male.

The greenish upperparts had a distinctly cold grey tinge especially on the mantle. Differing somewhat to the brighter green tones of Flavissima or Flava. Pointing perhaps to an eastern origin.

This head on shot shows the  striking head pattern well with dark grey head, broad well defined ear coverts which were even darker than the rest of the head plus white throat with yellow suffusion. Note the thin yellow supercilium.

This image shows the very subtle 'necklace' on the bird's breast.

So it would appear that the Davidstow Wagtail is an intergrade between two more well recognized sub-species. In my opinion it surely has some * Feldegg genes owing to the dark headed appearance and what sounded to my ear a raspier flight call than typical Yellow Wagtail. However the darker ear coverts, prominent supercilium and obvious lower eye-ring point towards some * Flava influence or perhaps more likely in my opinion * Thunbergi as the subtle necklace on the upper breast is an often quoted feature of this subspecies. These intergrade Wagtails are often named as 'Dombrowskii' or 'Superciliaris' are commonly found migrating in the eastern Mediterranean in Greece and Cyprus during the spring and autumn migration and occur in Romania during the breeding season. My bird would appear to fit Dombrowski better. 

Whilst it would be pushing the boat out a bit to be 100% sure on a 1st winter bird in the autumn I feel that it would be too easy to not at least try and work out any interesting Yellow Wagtail's we see during Autumn in the UK. This is a constantly evolving species group and I am sure that birders and ornithologists alike still have much to learn about their plumage's and identification. It will get you ready for nailing the ID of future birds and also help you identify Citrine Wagtail or perhaps Eastern Yellow Wagtail by looking that little bit more thoroughly.

* Flava - also known as Blue-headed Wagtail, the nominate race in mainland western Europe. A scarce but annual passage migrant in Cornwall which has bred on the Lizard Peninsular.

* Thunbergi - also known as Grey-headed Wagtail, the Scandinavian subspecies of Yellow Wagtail. A rare passage migrant in Cornwall.

*Feldegg - also known as Black-headed Wagtail, a distinctive subspecies of Yellow Wagtail breeding in the Balkans east to the Caspian Sea, south to Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan.

Further Reading: Pipits and Wagtails of Europe, Asia and North America by Per Alstrom and Krister Mild. 

Thank you to Kester Wilson for originally suggesting the ID of Dombrowskii whilst I was still fairly clueless and to Peter Roseveare for his research into the matter.

Kernow Orchid Summer

Pyramidal Orchid-Dave Thomas. Not a widespread Orchid but common where it does occur. Search during late June and July in sand dune habitats. Best sites Penhale Sands, St Gothian Sands & Trevose Head.

I have always had a passing interest in wildflowers during the summer months and in particular the Orchids. I think it's because they represent a glimpse into a time when our landscape was more sympathetic to nature than it is now, they are often visually stunning and they represent an ID challenge which all birders can relate to in a roundabout way. My fiance Libbie is very passionate about all wildflowers as well and she lists and documents the local flora and sends many records to the county recorder. Flowers are her birds and between us we learn from each other so our walks together are fun as we share our passions for nature.

During lockdown we spent many hours walking and recording different plants around St Columb Major and most excitingly we also found a colony of Early Purple Orchids and randomly a single Southern Marsh Orchid in our garden. As lockdown eased a visit to the Lizard Peninsular saw us by chance finding Green-winged Orchid in Soapy Cove and also Heath Spotted Orchid. Now with 4 species seen in the county the inner lister in me surfaced! How many Orchids are there in Cornwall? Could we perhaps see ten species in our own Kernow Orchid summer? I set ourselves the challenge as a fun thing to do and an incentive to walk whilst the birding was quiet. 

Green Winged Orchid-Tony Blundon

A rare Orchid in Cornwall which can be found in Soapy Cove Valley and the Predannick area.

Our next Orchid species was completely out of the blue and was thanks to an intrepid Libbie and the local knowledge of naturalist Dave Thomas. We bumped into Dave at one of his favorite spots in Cornwall, the delightful nature reserve of Breney Common in mid-Cornwall. Like us he was there to photograph the recently emerged Marsh Fritillaries and as we enjoyed super views of this stunning butterfly we started to talk about our Orchid hunting. 'oh you know there's Common Twayblade here don't you?'. My brain pondered for a moment, 'What is a Twayblade?!,' 'Is it an Orchid?' Soon Dave had already answered these questions and more importantly the directions of where they were. The only problem being that I'm useless at listening to directions and for some inane reason I always find myself nodding to people and saying yes yes I know were you mean! When I don't have a clue where they are talking about! We also learnt that Dave hadn't seen them for 5 years or so (which probably meant 10!) so as we entered the stunted woodland I held little hope of finding any and after a few minutes I had given up. Not Libbie though! She was well in front and scuttling through the undergrowth like an intrepid explorer and soon her perseverance had payed off and she excitedly shouted over to me ' I've found some!'. It turned out after that Dave had left a stick as a marker for us to see on his way back that I probably stepped on and our colony was in a completely different place! Five down and five to go with plenty of time to spare.

  

Common Twayblade is by no means common in Cornwall but I would imagine that if people searched for it more then new colonies would be found. Damp woodland with mature Willow seems to be a good place to start. 

No Orchid hunting can be complete in Cornwall without a trip to Goonhilly Downs and the surrounding Lizard heathland. Many rare plant species can be found in this area of Cornwall owing to it's unique geology and unspoilt, uncultivated meadows within pristine heathland. Our quarry for the day was Heath Fragrant Orchid and Early Marsh Orchid. In the heathland habitat it didn't take too long for Libbie to find some Heath Fragrant Orchids amongst the many thousands of Heath Spotted Orchids. We then searched through some wonderful meadows which were blanketed in Wild Thyme and Ragged Robins. I searched and searched through the many Southern Marsh Orchids and the myriad of hybrid Orchids but couldn't find a pure Early Marsh (despite some stringy attempts which were rightly identified as hybrids by local expert Tony Blundon via Whattsapp). 

This Heath Fragrant Orchid can be found throughout Goonhilly Downs amongst the far more common Heath Spotted Orchid

As I mentioned earlier Libbie has recently been given a great deal of help in her leaning of Botany by local plant guru and County Recorder Ian Bennalick. What Ian doesn't know about the flora of Cornwall probably isn't worth knowing and for me he is the perfect expert as he is willing to share his knowledge with others and is very friendly and approachable. I asked Ian about seeing any remaining Orchids and he soon sent me site maps of old records in the county for our desired species. Which was ever so helpful to us and also helpful for him in a way as it is one less area that he needs to check himself. Armed with the knowledge that in the past Lesser Butterfly Orchid could be found on Tregonetha Downs we searched the heathland high and low and almost gave up before Libbie spotted these delightful Orchids amongst bracken.

Sadly Lesser Butterfly Orchid is declining fast in Cornwall. It is not easily found at Tregonetha Downs but hopefully should be present again next year. We have also seen them well at Luckett Woods on the Tamar border.

One thing I have learnt about Orchid hunting and looking for special flowers in general is that road verges are actually a haven for wild flowers these days. Part of me finds this a little sad that they cannot thrive in our wider countryside and farmland but I have to admire this most unlikely micro habitat and it's importance to nature (being un-ploughed and usually pesticide free. Probably the best road verges in the county for plant hunting are around Hayle and Lelant in west Cornwall. Remarkably this is the best place to find Bee Orchid in Cornwall and after spotting many hundreds of Pyramidal Orchids and Southern Marsh Orchids (including the Leopard Orchid, a variety of Southern Marsh) we found these vivid Orchids hidden within the shade of Bracken , a surreal experience to enjoy so many wild flowers 

as cars sped by at 50mph!

The best place to see Bee Orchid in Cornwall are the roadside verges of Hayle. We saw ours on the verge opposite the Old Quay House pub.

                 Leopard Orchid is currently regarded as a form of Southern Marsh Orchid. We saw them at Penhale Sands and the Hayle area. Basically a large Southern Marsh Orchid with spotted leaves and double loops on the inside of the flowers.

Penhale Sands is Cornwall's largest sand dune complex and extends from Holywell Bay to Perranporth. It is a well known site for it's rare Butterflies with thousands of Silver Studded Blues and small numbers of the critically endangered Grizzled Skipper. Botanically it is also a very special place with several species of international importance growing there. I was very lucky to be invited along to a small scale Bio Blitz led by Dave Thomas in the restricted military area which away from disturbance and well grazed by Rabbits is a haven for wildflowers. Along with experts Ian Benallick and Paul Gainey we were overwhelmed with rare plants (including Shore Dock and Early Gentian). The dune slacks here are home to the only colonies of Marsh Fragrant Orchid and Marsh Helleborine which we enjoyed in small numbers. The icing on the cake from a very enjoyable day was that we had now reached and passed our target of ten orchids in Cornwall!

The only current site for Marsh Fragrant Orchid & Marsh Helleborine in Cornwall is Penhale Sands however searching other coastal dune slacks could well produce. Historically Marsh Helleborine was once found near Rock. 

As August began we went to Indian Queens in mid Cornwall to search for perhaps the most westerly occuring Broad-leaved Helleborines in Britain! Again the area looked nothing special and it was right by the A30 as cars sped by at 70mph but Ian Bennallick (god knows how he found these back in 2017) had come up trumps again and Libbie's eagle eyes did the rest as we re-discovered 3 plants in amongst some scrubby woodland. 

Broad-leaved Helleborine is usually found around the county border but it just shows that any area is worth checking for Orchids. 

My photo's don't do Autumn-ladies Tresses justice. The neatly pleated stalks and subtle white Orchid flowers are a stunning sign that Autumn is arriving on the coast. They can be difficult to spot as they are very small plants but they seemed to grow around short areas of grass so once you get your eye in the twisted green stalks show up well.

Our final Orchid for 2020 was hopefully going to be Autumn Ladies Tresses, a declining grassland species which can be found in patches along the coastline of Cornwall. Perhaps once it would have been found inland as well but changes in land management and loss of habitat has had a negative impact on this delightful mini Orchid. The first spot we tried was Cubert Common but we didn't have any luck at all, especially when a thunderstorm rolled through and soaked us! A second attempt took us to East Pentire near Newquay and aided with directions from Dave Thomas we were able to find 16 plants in a small area beside the golf course. It was a great ending to our summer Orchid hunt and with 13 different species we had an excellent year. Back to birding non stop for now though but 2021 will see the search continue for at least 3 species that we missed. Thankyou to Dave Thomas, Ian Benallick and Tony Blundon for their help with locations and their expertise.

 

North Cornwall Barn Owl Ringing 2020

As a licenced bird ringer it is imperative that I take a scientific approach and ensure that my activities are done with some validity and structure to ensure that the data that I obtain is of significant substance, either locally or nationally and in the ideal situation, both. I feel that in most instances I tick all the boxes; carrying out constant effort ringing in the summer months to monitor some of Cornwall’s breeding birds and also by helping out at the monumental site that is Nanjizal, where a large volume of migrating birds pass through each autumn. However, there is a particular species that I cannot help but get all doughy eyed over and feel immense privilege and joy when surveying.

The Barn Owl has to be one of the most iconic and loved birds of the British Isles and indeed further afield. Its ethereal presence has captivated the hearts and souls of so many Britons for centuries. Yet for such a captivating species it has undergone some worrying strife. In 1932 the British population of Barn Owls was estimated to be around 12,000 and even this was a substantial drop in numbers from what was once Britain's commonest owl. A further survey was undertaken between 1982-1985 and concluded that there were approximately 4500 pairs breeding in Britain. Seeing a further decline of 67%! This prompted it to be amber rated in the list of Birds of Conservation Concern having had a moderate (25-49%) decline in the UK breeding population or range over the previous 25 years. In addition, it was assigned a Schedule 1 status and special protection. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as amended by the Environmental Protection Act 1990, it is an offence, liable to special penalty, to intentionally disturb any wild bird included in the Schedule while it is building a nest or is in, on, or near a nest containing eggs or young or to disturb dependent young of such a bird. As with so many British birds, the main reason for decline seemed to be the decimation of natural nesting locations and the ever-changing countryside and suitable hunting habitat. Traditional sites in old farm buildings have also been lost as barns have been converted to other use including residential occupation or have simply been allowed to deteriorate until they collapsed or were demolished. 

It is important to monitor this species in order that the current population levels can be assessed to determine whether any further declines have occurred. West Cornwall Ringing Group participate in a national project that is coordinated by the British Trust for Ornithology to provide ongoing assessments of the UK Barn Owl population. Monitoring consists of a visit to the nest site by specially trained and licensed bird ringers in the breeding season, where details of occupancy rates, breeding performance and survival are recorded, and any young are ringed with uniquely numbered leg rings. To find out more about ringing in general please visit: BTO Ringing Scheme

2020 Monitoring Results 

Monitoring a north Cornwall Barn Owl Box.

Over 100 nest boxes are currently surveyed across Cornwall and I have slowly started to assist in growing the number of sites monitored in the north of the county. In 2020 a further 7 boxes were added to the North Cornwall monitoring list. Sadly due to the Covid-19 lock down I was unable to do any early monitoring, so egg clutch sizes were not recorded during this period. However, early brood sizes were obtained so I was still able to produce some important nest record data nonetheless. I was interested to compare this years data with last seasons and noted that the average brood size was very similar to that of 2019.     

Adults Ringed

             

A distinct lack of adults were processed during 2020 by me! This was partially down to the late initial checking dates but also some alteration was needed in the catching technique. However, I was pleased to add 2 adult females and an adult male to the scheme. I am hopeful that I might encounter these again in the future. 

Chicks Ringed

         

 

I had heard from other Owl ringers across the UK that it was going to be a pretty dire year for the productivity of the species as they were finding many nests unoccupied. However, Cornwall seemed to have bucked the trend and it appears we had a bumper crop of juvenile Barn Owls! Of the 10 boxes occupied 32 chicks were ringed. The largest clutch being 5, but the majority having clutches of 3 and 4 birds and all looking very health and likely to fledge. Interestingly, birds that chose to lay eggs later did not appear to be as successful; only producing 1 or 2 fledglings. This was most likely due to the atrocious weather we had here in Cornwall that was almost consistent through the whole of June!

I am looking forward to seeing how the Barn Owls fared across the rest of the county and indeed the rest of the UK during 2020. I know there are a couple of boxes with some breeding activity still occurring within Cornwall, but will be checking the ringing groups web page with regularity for the final outcome. If you wish to do the same then please keep an eye on here: West Cornwall Ringing Group

Over the past couple of seasons I have also had the upmost pleasure of attending many boxes with legendary photographer and naturalist Adrian Langdon. His photographic works speak volumes on his commitment and passion. Your eyes will be in for a real treat if you visit his blog spot found here: Images Naturally   

Lastly, it is always a real pleasure to witness the enthusiasm of those persons that grant permission for us to monitor boxes. There is none more so than those with cameras fitted to their boxes who get a real intimate showing of the trials and tribulations that the owls face. One of the nests that I monitor has such a device and it makes for some pretty addictive viewing. To watch how this family group has fared this year then please grab a hot beverage, put your feet up and take a look here: Mike and Molly the North Cornwall Barn Owls    

Sylvia's: Warbler Sound Quiz Answers

The answers to our Sylvia Warbler Quiz are now finally ready! Each species has a brief account on what makes it's song unique and there are also some handy tips if you would like to see and hear one of these stunning Sylvia Warblers for yourself. The rarer species in this quiz are all very possible finds for the intrepid birder in spring. Listening out for unfamiliar Sylvia song once your knowledge of the common species builds up will hopefully pay off one day with the birding find we all hope for. If you do ever find a rare Sylvia recording it's song and or calls is now an important part of the process of ID. Many portable recorders are now available from companies such as Tascam but it's surprising how good smart phones can be for this job. 

1) Eurasian Blackcap. The full song of Blackcap can be confusingly similar to Garden Warbler and it's varied subsong typically heard in short bursts early in the breeding season or on migration can include mimicry of other species. However there are always clues to it's identity. The main song is rather loud and has a rich fluty quality to the tune. It is delivered at a fast pace and the most distinctive part of the song is the ending which speeds up into a trilled whistle. Pretty much every Blackcap I've heard singing repeats this phrase eventually, even as part of it's sub-song. Blackcap is a common (seemingly increasing) summer migrant to the UK and can be heard singing from woodland, parkland and even large gardens. Winter visitors from the continent can also be heard singing on sunny late winter days in urban areas and from sheltered spots around the coast near to Ivy or Blackthorn. Try Goss Moor Nature reserve to test yourself with Blackcap and Garden Warbler in the summer months as they sing alongside each other. During winter Padstow, Pentewan and Gannel Estuary hold good numbers of birds that will sing their sub-song on milder sunny days.

2) Garden Warbler. The song of the Garden Warbler is one of my favourites of all bird song. At first it is difficult to separate from Blackcap in particular but once you familiarise yourself with it there are distinctive differences. The song has an even tempo and a richness which is very different to the more erratic song of Blackcap. The ending doesn't speed up and it doesn't have the fluty ending . For me it has the qualities of a Blackbird and a Skylark mixed together! Garden Warbler has a rather patchy distribution in Cornwall and is much scarcer than Blackcap, found close to moorland and in some sheltered valleys. It seems to prefer more open areas with scattered tree's than Blackcap. In conifer plantations it is usually found in young conifers alongside Tree Pipit and Willow Warbler whilst Blackcap tends to sing from the mature conifers alongside Chiffchaff. The top site in Cornwall is Goss Moor National Nature Reserve whilst it is also patchily distributed throughout Bodmin Moor.

3) Common Whitethroat. The typical song of Common Whitethroat is a series of four or five scratchy notes which is often repeated note for note whilst it sits on a prominent perch. It is a familiar summer sound in our countryside. However it's subsong can be confusing as it often sounds richer ,  more warbling in quality and noticeably varied with some mimicry. If you are patient and continue to listen a bird in sub song will eventually utter the more well known song phrase, usually at the end of the subsong. A male Common Whitethroat on territory will also burst into song flight which sounds like a fast paced, ramped up version of it's typical song, although lasting considerably longer before intervals as the bird hovers in the sky in a Pipit like fashion. It can be found throughout Cornwall in coastal locations and inland in mature hedgerows and road verges. My number one spot in Cornwall for this species would be Lands End were if you walk along the cycle track in early May there will be 20-30 birds singing from almost every thicket!

4) Lesser Whitethroat. The rattle of Lesser Whitethroat is one of my favourite summer sounds and it is surprising how far the noise can carry, several hundred yards from my experience. It sounds a bit like the beginning of a Chaffinch's song but is dryer and harsher in tone. If you get close enough to a singing male you will also be able to hear the much quieter start to the song which is a short, sweet and rather melodic warble. Males often set up territory in coastal valleys amongst Blackthorn scrub , moorland edges and mature hedgerows but it is a relatively scarce summer migrant and is always a nice find. Top sites in Cornwall include Porth Joke valley in mid to late May and Windmill Farm Nature Reserve on the Lizard Peninsular.

5) Spectacled Warbler. The song of Spectacled Warbler is perhaps a little softer in tone to my ear than it's Mediterranean counterparts (such as the Subalpine Warbler complex and Dartford Warbler). A rather whistley and sweet warble with a mournful quality (sounding a bit like Crested Lark) that is sang in short bursts at staggered intervals every 2-3 seconds. Spectacled Warbler is a rare vagrant to Britain with just nine accepted records by BBRC. However seven of these have been in spring and at least six of these have been singing males (including one on Dartmoor 3rd-6th June 1999). The likelihood of one eventually turning up in Cornwall is quite high in my opinion. They seem to like low gorse and saltmarsh habitat so one could turn up in any number of places in Spring but if I had to predict one site in Cornwall it would be along the Kynance road on the Lizard Peninsular or perhaps the cycle track at Lands End.

6) Dartford Warbler. This spritely Sylvia 's song is a rather monotonous dry sounding warble lasting around two seconds and usually repeated at regular intervals when it is delivering full song. The song isn't particularly complex and the rather low toned, harsh sounding notes lack the tuneful and melodic qualities of Spectacled and Subalpine and are closer to Sardinian Warbler in many ways. The male will often sing under cover but will briefly pop up onto the tops of Gorse in response to threats whilst a bird on territory will often sing from a prominent perch during the breeding season (typically March to June). It is a specialist of heathland and is our only sedentary Sylvia Warbler in the UK (meaning it doesn't tend to migrate and can be found throughout the year). In Cornwall it is rarer now than it was five years ago mainly due to the "beast from the east" of February 2018 and a succession of wet winters. It could possibly be found on coastal heath or inland on many of our moorland areas so long as there is an adequate amount of Gorse, it is a schedule 1 breeding bird so specific sites around the county cannot be disclosed but a trip to RSPB Arne in Dorset at almost any time of year would be productive.

7) Sardinian Warbler.  This rare vagrant is a particularly vocal Sylvia that utters distinctive dry (machine gun like!) calls seemingly whenever it moves and if you travel to the Mediterranean coast of Spain you will hear them almost constantly. The song however surprised me when I first heard it as it was much more musical than I was expecting. The harsh rattle like call notes are interspersed with a fairly basic loud yet sweet and melodic warble which lasts for around 3-5 seconds (typically longer in duration than other small Sylvia's) before being repeated. In a habit that reminds me a little of Common Whitethroat the warble gets even more melodic and tuneful when it alights into a song flight. When in song the male tends to sing from a conspicuous perch but it will also sing from deep cover and can be fairly skulky on migration. Cornwall has a good track record for this species with the last two records involving singing males from

The last three bird songs are from the recently split Subalpine Warbler complex. I have some field experience of all three species but it has been interesting for me to research and refresh my knowledge on how Eastern Subalpine, Western Subalpine and Moltonis Warbler can be identified and seperated by sound. Whilst my conclusions might be a bit amateurish compared to some of the birding sound guru's out there but I do believe that songs and particularly calls can help to identify a vagrant in the UK. Around 80% of Subalpine Warbler records relate to males so knowledge of songs and calls plus having a device to record them for later analysis is important.

8) Western Subalpine Warbler. 

Western Subalpine Warbler occurs within a large area encompassing North Africa (Tunisia to Morocco) and Western Europe (Iberia, southern France, and north-west Italy). It is a rare but annual vagrant to Britain in the Spring. This is potentially the most likely Subalpine Warbler to be found in Cornwall and they are generally annual in their occurrence. Any coastal site could turn up a Western Subalpine with Porthgwarra and Lands End in West Penwith and the Kynance area of the Lizard peninsular being good areas to search in April/May in Blackthorn. In comparison to Eastern and Moltoni's the song sounds slightly richer in quality and tends to have more variance and more complex warbling. The call is also a distinctive hard 'tack tack' which sounds rather dry (a bit like Lesser Whitethroat). 

9) Eastern Subalpine Warbler.

As the name suggests Eastern Subalpine breeds in Eastern Europe (north-east Italy, the Balkans & Greece) plus part of western Turkey. A further subspecies (Sylvia cantillans cantillans) breeds in parts of southern Italy and Sicily. It is rare vagrant to Britain typically in April and May. It is a rarer occurence in Cornwall than Western Subalpine but shares the same habitat niche and pattern of arrival so there will be more records to come in the future hopefully. The song of Eastern Subalpine reminds me a little of a Sardinian Warbler, the rapid song sounds harsher and dryer in tone and there is less variance and more repetition of notes. The call is very similar to Western but is slightly softer in quality: 'Trrrett' 'Trrett'.

10) Moltoni's Warbler.

The range of Moltoni's Warbler is much more restricted compared to it's two sister species; occuring in parts of central Italy, Corsica, Sandinia and the Balearic Islands. This is the rarest form of Subalpine Warbler to occur in Britain with eight accepted records, all have been in spring and seven have been males. Cornwall has yet to record an accepted record by BBRC but I believe a male which turned up at Porthgwarra in October 2014 was this species on plumage but sadly no sound recordings were obtained. However a male in spring 2016 on nearby Isles of Scilly was accepted so there is a good chance another will occur perhaps in west Cornwall. The song has a Common Whitethroat quality but has the speedy delivery of a Subalpine. It has a buzzy tone to the song, lacking perhaps the rich notes of a Western Subalpine but not sounding as harsh or dry as an Eastern, The call (which can be heard in the recording) however is the clincher for this species and is diagnostic; a buzzy Wren like trill which is completely different to the calls of Eastern and Western Subalpine.

A big thankyou to Gary Thoburn for allowing me to use his excellent photographs for this post

Warbler Sound Quiz Part 2: Sylvia Warblers

Eastern Subalpine Warbler - Gary Thoburn

For the second instalment of our sound quizzes we will be looking at the Sylvia Warbler family. In a UK context this familiar group of warblers are a mixture of long distance migrants, rare vagrants and a single resident. As we all know they can be skulky and difficult to view in their favoured habitat of dense vegetation and having the knowledge of their songs is a great time saver when counting breeding pairs on a local patch. Being aware of some of the rarer species songs will also one day hopefully pay off as rare Sylvia Warblers that turn up in spring have a tendency to be singing males.

Spectacled Warbler by Gary Thoburn

Some of the Sylvia's in this sound quiz have only recently been given full species status and it's been a learning curve for me producing this! As always I will post the answers shortly which will include a write up on each species song and explain what for me makes them distinctive and unique. I will also be including some sonograms in the answers for the more difficult species as recording bird song and analysing them on a computer has become a key part of sound recognition in birding and on a scientific level and has been something I'm getting to grips with myself since lockdown and I am not an expert but I feel it's part of the future of birding so hopefully you can learn with me along the way!

Common Whitethroat Paul Ash

We hope you enjoy the quiz! Click below on the ten questions to have a go.