SWAN SONG ON A BITTER-N DAY WITH NO R-EGRETS.

What a great weekend I was up early on Saturday morning, the plan was to go to Marazion, then Drift Res and onto Sennen near Lands End. Stepping out of the house I realized that Jack Frost had been up and about before me as the car windscreen was frozen over. Arriving at Marazion The morn was crisp and clear with the sun peeking over the horizon giving a light of intense clarity, Winter days dont get much better than this. This weekend I was chasing year ticks of winter visitors for my bird log, so firstly below I will list these for the weekend and follow it with some of the images.

MARAZION MARSH. Saturday 23/01/10
Bittern = 3
Water Pipit
Chiffchaff
Sunday 24/01/10
Dark Bellied Brent Goose = 6
Black Redstart

LONGROCK BEACH
Slavonian Grebe = 2
Red Throated diver

DRIFT RES
Whooper Swan.

SENNEN
Golden Plover = 50
Cattle Egret = 2
Sunday 24/01/10
Long Tailed Duck
Little Gull.
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First up is the Whooper Swan at Drift Res, This has to be one of the most elegant of the Swan family. This bird was very confiding allowing close views as it mixed with the resident Mute Swans, The last image is of a Mute Swan for comparison.

WHOOPER SWAN

...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Next we have the Bitterns at Marazion which is one of the rarest breeding birds in the UK with  only around 50 -60 pairs. At the moment there are at least 3 at Marizion which shows how the recent cold weather has moved them from their normal areas.

BITTERN

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Finally we have the Cattle Egrets a pair of which are at Brew Farm Sennen near Lands End. This pair appear to have over wintered here. Last year this species bred in the County of Somerset so maybe a breeding population will become established as with the Little Egrets 3 or 4 decades ago.

CATTLE EGRETS

So that's the weekends birding activity, with a good count of scarce winter visitors added to the log. My friend Mark and I refer to days like these as Purple Patches, which sort of mean they dont get much better.