Good birds on campus and finally the live equivalent! (6th November)

My Environmental Science course involved a ringing session today on campus and together with the Zoology Students we enjoyed very close up views of Goldcrest Regulus regulus, Blackbird Turdus merula, Blue Tit Parus caeruleus, Great Tit Parus major, Greenfinch Carduelis chloris, Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis, Dunnock Prunella modularis and the highlights, a female Nuthatch (an absolute stunner up close in the hand), a male Firecrest Regulus ignicapillus and a feisty young Great Spotted Woodpecker Denrocopos major!  A very enjoyable experience as all of us were allowed to ring a t least one bird (a 1st win. female Greenfinch for me).

ringed Great Spotted Woodpecker

A Raven Corvus corax also flew over during the session before we finished at around 9am.  News soon came in of a Great Northern Diver at Swanpool (thanks Dan).  I was much in need of the live equivalent as I had only recently found a dead one at Marazion so I cycled quickly down to Swanpool in hope of getting a relatively easy tick.  Not so.  I spent about 40mins on the beach and could find nothing except for a Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus.  After giving up at the beach I decided to move on to Swanpool Point and finely after another long scan I came across the GREAT NORTHERN DIVER Gavia immer casually floating in the distance near Pennance Point   I quickly rushed round to the point in hope of better views but on arrival it took me another 40mins to again reconnect with the bird (I wonder why it took sooo long, I'm not that bad a birder!)  At least I got much better views and for a few seconds as the glare of the sun on the water diminished it gave a brief good view before diving again, happy at last!!!

maybe the worst record shot of a Great-northern Diver, you'll have to trust me on its ID

Forgot to mention I also saw a Red Admiral during the ringing session when there was a brief period of sunshine (so far the latest I've seen them so far this year).  Who knows it might be my last till next year?