What birds (are you/have you been) watching? What birds have been watching you?

[ardcarp]

I've emailed my mate to ask if he took more than one pic, but I don't think he did. We were occupied in sailing the boat at the time.

[Richard Tarleton]

I've emailed my mate to ask if he took more than one pic, but I don't think he did. We were occupied in sailing the boat at the time.

Good! But do send it to the Scilly recorder, it should be of interest.

I was out in a boat on Monday, with someone else doing the driving - a seabird and cetacean watching trip that took us out to Skomer, Grassholm, the Smalls and beyond. Lovely encounter with pod of common dolphins

[Richard Tarleton]

My other expert friend also goes for Acrocephalus, probably Reed warbler (agreeing with Vox's first impressions) - bill too long for Marsh warbler, he says. He also comments on the difficulties of identification from a "cold" photograph.

So we're in the "unstreaked acrocephalus" ballpark.

[Vox Humana]

A few observations from a sailing trip to the Isles of Scilly. ... One tiny warbler (whitish chest and very thin bill) landed on our rigging. It was so exhausted that a temporary 'landfall' overrode its fear of humans. It stayed for a few minutes before setting off again.

Assuming the photo is of this bird, your description does sound like a phylloscopus species and the apparently thick bill must be a photographic illusion.

This event reminds me of a time many years ago when I was travelling to St Mary's on the Scillonian. The boat was packed with birders, most of whom were on deck looking for seabirds. An exhausted Goldrest landed on the top of one bloke's binoculars which were dangling on his chest. He was so fixed on watching the sea that he didn't notice. Then he lifted the binoculars to look at something. The Goldcrest promptly tried to fly and dropped straight into the sea. Migration is tough.

[ardcarp]

Yes it is tough. It is hard to imagine our tiny warbler (and your goldcrest) making that stupendous journey..and in our case against a Northerly wind. I wonder what percentage of migrating birds just don't make it?

[greenilex]

Do they get eaten by fish, or by seabirds?

[ardcarp]

Those who are keeping up with Springwatch (and can ignore the grinning, gesticulating, oh-so-jolly presenters) will know that many bird species are down in number. I wonder if this is related to lack of insects? Butterflies seem to have suffered a quite sudden decline here in the West Country. Whether this is because of a climate blip or because farmers are not preserving habitats I don't know. I also worry that many gardens are just too tidy. (Ours definitely isn't. Being environmentally friendly is a great excuse!) One good news story is the buzzard. We see loads now, whereas 30 years ago they were quite sparse.

BTW the owl which got confused and spent the winter on St Martin's, Isles of Scilly was a snowy owl. (We didn't see it.)

http://scillyspider.blogspot.com/2018/01/snowy-owl-on-st-martins.html

[Lat-Literal]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=997RTKzc39c

[Richard Tarleton]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=997RTKzc39c

Lovely recording - although he's singing at his rivals, not to his friends

Also one or more greenfinches on the soundtrack

[Lat-Literal]

Lovely recording - although he's singing at his rivals, not to his friends

Also one or more greenfinches on the soundtrack

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/national-parks-review-launched

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/designated-landscapes-national-parks-and-aonbs-2018-review/terms-of-reference

[Richard Tarleton]

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/national-parks-review-launched

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...s-of-reference

Lat, I think we should keep government spam out of the birds thread please can you copy your post to Recent Articles and News Items if you want to pursue it?

Interesting choice of chair - journalist Julian Glover, partner of Times columnist and former MP Matthew Parris but beyond that I know nothing about him - his Wiki entry sparse to say the least.

[Vox Humana]

Whooper Swans - four of them in Cornwall, according to the latest episode of Poldark. I wonder where they found those. Mind you, I'm not sure that any of them had two full wings.

[Richard Tarleton]

Whooper Swans - four of them in Cornwall, according to the latest episode of Poldark. I wonder where they found those. Mind you, I'm not sure that any of them had two full wings.

Bizarre. I shouted at the TV. I wonder how many props people were involved in lining them up.

[gradus]

Suddenly tiny wrens making an entirely disproportionate racket - I counted 6 in the garden, perhaps newly fledged and out for the first time?

[vinteuil]

Whooper Swans - four of them in Cornwall, according to the latest episode of Poldark. I wonder where they found those. Mind you, I'm not sure that any of them had two full wings.

... I understand Poldark is set in the 1780s.

Perhaps the distribution / migrations of Whooper Swans might have been different then, with greater frequency in Cornwall?

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/whooper-swan/

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