After catching nothing for over an hour, a superb adult male Blackbird zipped across the back of the garden straight into the top shelf of my net. A deep orange bill and completely black primary feathers, all in great condition. A very underated bird. Next in the net was a drab little blue tit, a small female by comparison with short wing length (59mm) and weighing only 10.5 grammes. Bird of the day was without doubt the adult male Collared Dove! Usually very wiley, flying down and walking under the net to the bird table, this one pecked at the seed on top of the shed and then hopped off down towards the bird table, straight into the net! A beautiful bird up close, it flew straight back to it’s usual song post and began cooing, new ring and all!

hip hip hip hooray!!!! The SAD syndrome has lifted with glorious warm sunshine all day! I managed a few hours walk around my local patch with my daughter AND caught a new bird for my Garden Ringing list! So to St Gothian Sands NR near Gwithian, Cornwall. A two minute drive from my cottage, the old sand quarry has made a superb wildlife haven and there are plans to put more fencing up to keep the bloody dog walkers at bay!

(Above) The Main pool with Gulls roosting on the island and the top of Godrevy Lighthouse in the distance!

I caught up with the Water Pipit on the flashes and again later on the main pool. A cracking little bird but too wary for me to grab a photo! A pair of Shelduck are in residence but i suppose it is just a little early to hope they stay and breed. Other species seen today included: Lapwing, Buzzard (3), Redshank, Rock Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Stonechat and other common species such as Wren, Dunnock, Robin etc.

Let’s hope the sun keeps shining so i can get out again tomorrow!

I thought i would share this ‘videograb’ of a Cream-coloured Courser that turned up on the Isles of Scilly in September 2004. Living so close to the Scillies, I couldnt miss the opportunity to see this rare desert bird in the UK, so myself and birding mate, Mark, jumped on the next available boat and went over to see it! Unfortunately the Courser eventually secumbed to illness and eventually died having been taken to Mousehole bird hospital on the mainland. I went back to see it last year, as it now resides in the Museum on St Mary’s! It was the first record of this species in the UK in 20 years! It may be another 20 year before another turns up so i’m glad i made the effort.

Seasonal Adjustification Disorder. I’m sure I’m a sufferer!  I’m fed up with wet windy days and long for sunshine and light winds! This weather is killing my birding exploits and forcing me to fill my blog with tat! But anyway, chin up, spring is just around the corner and Im getting married (again!) in May on the wonderful Isles of Scilly then honeymooning in the Dominican Republic. Can’t wait!! All those new birds await!

Thought I’d add a few photos to brighten up my blog!

This is me a few years ago on a very cold winter morning at the seaward end of Cot Valley!

This is the Long-billed Dowitcher that Kingfisher identified in the Bird Quiz! This was taken at Hayle Estuary in 2005.

Working nightshifts at St Ives does have its advantages! Another sunrise over Godrevy Head and Lighthouse.

Welcome to my birding blog! I will try to keep this as updated as possible with my birding exploits in Cornwall and ringing in my garden and elsewhere.

Paul