Here’s a new petition on the Avaaz Community Petition Site, and we thought you might be interested in it: Save Britain’s Barn Owls Barn owls, a majestic icon of the British countryside, are dying off in their thousands. A changing climate and habitat loss is part of the picture, but Britain’s barn owls are also being killed by powerful rat poisons being used on farms across the country. When owls eat poisoned rodents, they ingest toxins which can cause internal […]

Many of you will have heard of the plight of thousands of seabirds affected by the recent storms. The RSPB reports that over 800 birds have been found exhausted or dead in the south west including 227 from Cornwall and 174 from Devon. The casualties are mainly auks but have also included Kittiwake, Shag, Great Skua and Manx Shearwater. In addition 200-300 auks have been reported washed up in south Wales. However these figures are small compared to the situation […]

Having spoken to the boat operator at lunchtime today who considers that the weather will ease tomorrow morning we are going ahead with the trip as planned. This decision takes into account the fact that the wind is going round to the west and the river is fairly sheltered from winds from that direction.

The forecast this weekend is not bad considering what it has been like recently. Sunday is likely to be better than Saturday. The trips will go ahead unless the skipper believes there is a risk or conditions are too bad to view the birds. Birdwatchers are a hardy bunch!! A decision will be taken on Friday evening or early Saturday morning if the weather is dire and we will contact all passengers only if the trip has been cancelled. The […]

Derek Julian saw an adult Mediterranean Gull at Wilcove, Tamar Estuary, Cornwall,  on 8th January 2014. It was wearing a white darvic ring with a black legend reading 3K55.   A photograph can be viewed at https://www.flickr.com/photos/camelbirder/11906319715/   This turns out to be  the oldest Med Gull recorded in Cornwall, first ringed near Antwerp, Belgium in 1999, re ringed in 2006 and one that I first saw back in 2009 Summary of rings for individual:                                                                                 10953 Colour          Code of ring         […]

Tony has sent me some more pictures from the last birdwatching cruise.

 On Sat 22nd February there will be a one day conference at the University of Exeter’s Penryn campus near Falmouth. The programme includes talks from local speakers, staff from the BTO and from other conservation organisations and the event represents an excellent opportunity to meet other birdwatchers. I’ll be giving a presentation on the Great Black backed Gull project on Looe Island. Tickets for the conference are £20 per person (£10 student rate) and include tea/coffee and a buffet lunch. […]

   The first trip of 2014 did not disappoint. Firstly we had a 3 hour window when the sun shone, the wind was virtually nil at times with the river flat calm like a millpond. Ok it was a bit cold but the birds made up for it. Highlights were over 300 Avocet, those on the Lynher were very close and brilliantly lit by the low sun and 2 Kingfisher, both of which sat in the open for all to see […]

On Wednesday morning, 22nd January, I led a guided walk and finished the tree planting with help from children from Millbrook and Fourlanes End Schools. The day was organised to view the works that have been undertaken this winter and to celebrate their completion. Attended by 58 children from the schools and 30 adults, some staying for a buffet lunch afterwards. The event was a successful celebration of the many hours of work put in by volunteers of the Millbrook Lake […]

Tomorrow I am leading a guided walk around Millbrook Lake to explain the thinking behind the recent works instigated by Millbrook Lake Conservation Group and Millbrook Parish Council. The walk starts at 11am and will last about an hour and will be followed by tree planting by children from Millbrook School and Fourlanesend School. There is a buffet lunch in the Scout Hall afterwards. To give an idea of numbers please confirm your attendence by email to K4office@aol.com or telephoning […]