Week ending 20 May 2018

What a cracking week weather wise! It is still fairly quiet on The Lizard rarities front - that said a visiting birder had a Black Kite on Saturday afternoon. As it happens I was sat, having a picnic with my wife, at Soapy Cove (in sight of the Windmill) at the time! FFS lol.

A friend of mine (Al Taylor) took a lovely shot of one of the resident Roe Deer this weekend:

I was on hand at the Farm on Saturday morning to watch the Peregrine below take a Wood Pigeon over Ruan Pool. I was sat in the hide and the Peregrine took the Wood Pigeon and flew over the hide into the field behind me; I heard Magpies making a commotion - indicating the Peregrine had landed with its prey. I went and had a look and the Peregrine was in the field right outside the hide. The Peregrine was not happy and took off scolding me all the way - I got a few shots. The leg ring is yellow and had YD on it - indicating that it is a Cornish bird ringed in North Cornwall.

 

 

 



Cuckoo

Another week has gone by with no rarities crossing my patch (whilst I am there!). I managed to get a few decent shots of a Cuckoo (there were 3 males calling on Sunday).

This chap was being harassed by a Meadow Pipit. One of the regular visitors to the Farm (Al Taylor and his partner Sheila) saw a SE Owl being harassed by a Red Kite - see the shot below (thanks Al). It is good to see the SE Owl still around! I managed to miss all the Red Kites over the last ten days. I did bag my first Swift yesterday though.

The Dragons and Damsels are emerging in good numbers - to date I have seen Broad Bodied Chaser, 4 Spotted Chaser, Black Tailed Skimmer, Beautiful Damsel, Azure Damselfly, Blue Tailed Damsel and Large Red Damselfly. Windmill Farm is a superb location for dragonflies.

Broad Bodied Chaser (Female)


There are also still a few snakes out and about. Here is one of the young girls from the carpark.

Latest stuff

Well what a cracking Bank Holiday Weekend - I managed to evade all the Red Kites but hey ho...I will get some next weekend. I have been away (birding in Cyprus) hence no post last week; I shall do a Cyprus blog post soon.

Anyway here what's been going on at Gates. A couple of weekends ago I met up with my new lil mate - Charlie Francis-Trevail - and had a walk around the reserve looking for Adders and birds. Charlie found these beauties:

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birdwise Charlie and I found Grasshopper Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Cuckoo and Redd Bunting. I managed to get record shots of some of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





I think Charlie had a good time - looking forward to his next visit.

 

This weekend was glorious - the weather was amazing and I spent many hours at the farm. There are a few Dragonflies on the wing - Broad Bodied Chaser, 4 Spotted Chaser, Black tailed Skimmer and Large Red Damselfly. I also had a lovely view of a Stoat and Green Winged Orchids are blooming.

 

 



Spring is nearly, nearly here......

Another week of high expectations...not fulfilled birdwise at Windmill - apart from a good influx of Willow Warblers and 2 Groppers no other migrants have braved the journey to date. I am hoping that the warm weather, forecast for this coming week, will push some birdies my way.

 

There have been some good signs of things starting to happen with a couple of Green Veined Whites and an Oil Beetle out on the Lizard coast path yesterday. I also went down to the Farm early yesterday (it was cold and mizzly) and I found this lil beauty:

 

 

 

 

This is a female Emperor Moth - she was very wet and limp - I came back later in the day and she was much perkier! It won't be long until she attracts a mate. Whilst I was on the way to check on her I nearly stepped on this little bad boy....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also found another new adder on Saturday. That is 9 individuals this year so far.

 



 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 





Spring is coming lol

Well the weather has finely turned a little Spring like and the first migrants are in on the Farm. I normally have had my first Damselfly (Large Red) by now - but it is too cold. No March Willow Warblers or Swallows but both turned up this week. I also had a couple of lingering/passing Raptors this week.

 

 

There were two S E owls hunting over Predannack Airfield and a Merlin roosting nearby,

 



 



There are 3 Roe Deer regulary feeding in the arable fields.

 

 





 

I spent hours over the weekend at the Farm hoping that one of the Alpine Swifts would come my way but in the end I had to go down to the village for them - Alpine is not on the Farm list.

 

There are plenty of Adders about.

 

 

Spring? No way lol

Normally by this time I have had Willow Warblers and Swallows at Windmill Farm and on a couple of occasion Cuckoo....not this year. That said I have still had some good times down there this week.

I was taking a pic of one of my reliable Adders and a mate of his slid past!

 

 

Slow Worms are awake now too - these two seem happy in each others company - I think they are both males (due to the lack of brown side stripes).

 

 



 

 

We also have at least 3 Roe Deer that frequent the Farm - here is one from early this morning.

 

 

I have had a Nijer feeder up for about 5 months - it is now working!

 

 

 

 

Away from the reserve the best of the week was a pair of Peregrine on the Lizard cliffs - here is Mr P.

 

 



 

 

Let's hope for some migrants next week!

 



Latest stuff week ending 25 March

What a strange week weather wise. As I said last week I cancelled the walk at the Farm on the 18th and rescheduled it for today - the 25th (my birthday - 30th lol). 6 people turned up and we had a great morning. We saw 3 Adders, 5 Slow Worms, 2 Common Lizard, 1 Newt and a Stoat. Birdwise the highlight was 4 Pintail.

I was particularly pleased to catch up with this guy today as when I saw him last Sunday he had ice on him! I have known this chap since he was born - he is 3. It was also really good to find a very young newt under one of my sheets (Palmate); this guy was about 2.5cm long.

There were not that many birds around today but I did manage to bag a decent record shot of one of the 4 singing Skylarks,

 

 

 

The rarest find of the day was the 3 Lobed Water Crowfoot that we have on the Farm. It has just started flowering.

 





 



Love this time of year..full of promise and expectation.