A small flock of 8 of these ducks was spotted on the water in Falmouth Harbour today. The photo shows an adult female with three first-winter males. Insight: Eider (Somateria mollissima) are seaducks eating coastal molluscs, especially mussels which they … Read More
Two Great Black-backed Gulls watching out for a meal standing on a channel marker buoy in the middle of the Carrick Roads near Falmouth in Cornwall. Insight: The Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) is the UK’s largest gull and will … Read More
Flowering on the grassy slopes above Swanpool Beach, Falmouth. Insight: Red Dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum) flowers from March to October and is common throughout most of the British Isles.
Alexanders flowering yesterday in the warm spring sunshine on the coastal path above Swanpool in Falmouth. Insight: According to Culpeper, it is “effectual against the biting of serpents“.
Suddenly, a couple of days ago, there’s a bit of sunshine and one or two hedges in and around Falmouth are full of blossoming Blackthorn. Insight: Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) is also known as Blackhaw, Buckthorn, Scrogg, Snag and Sloe.
This Black-headed Gull photographed on Swanpool Local Nature Reserve lake was showing the chocolate brown summer hood breaking through the white winter head plumage. Insight: The Black-headed Gull is the most common Gull in the UK and may be found … Read More
More in hope than expectation the 15 watt actinic light was left to run for the first time overnight. A single Acleris cristana was the only moth but at least it’s a start. Insight: Acleris cristana is a micro moth … Read More
The first Frogspawn we’ve seen this year was at College Reservoir, Falmouth, Cornwall. Insight: Clumps of Frogspawn may contain as many as 2,000 eggs. However, very few of the emerging tadpoles will survive to become adult frogs. Disease, drought, predation … Read More
A pair of Red-Breasted Merganser were fishing in Falmouth harbour early this morning. Conditions were hopeless for photography so here’s one I did earlier! Insight: Red-breasted Merganser belong to the sawbill family because of the serrated edge to their bills. … Read More
This Common Buzzard was wheeling around high above the wreckage of a car that plummeted off Pendennis Headland, Falmouth. Fortunately nobody was badly hurt. Insight: The most widespread bird of prey to be found in the UK, it is also … Read More
Of all the wading birds found around the coastline of Cornwall during the winter, a Purple Sandpiper must be one of the easiest to photograph. Today, two Purple Sandpiper feeding on the rocks of Pendennis headland at the mouth of … Read More
Birds photographed today at Pendennis Point at the mouth of the Fal estuary include a Purple Sandpiper and a Knot.