Rospannel Farm

 Wildlife Notes From Rospannel Farm
                 Birds seen on or flying over Rospannel Farm during the last fifty years.
Cormorant                               Flies over rarely on way from coast to Drift res.
Heron                                      1-3 around all year on pool or stream
Little egret                               Occassional visitor to pool
Crane                                       Have seen up to 3 fly over
Whooper swan                        Rare visitor to pool
Mute swan                              1-3 fly over from time to time
Greylag goose                         1 in severe winter of 1963 (pool not made till early 1990s)
Teal                                         Small flock on pool some winters
Mallard                                   Pair nest in valley most years
Shoveler                                  Trio on pool in March 1998
Red kite                                  1 flew over towards Porthcurno December 1999
Osprey                                    1 on telegraph pole 2001
Marsh harrier                          1-3 pass over on Spring migration
Hen harrier                             Few winter in the area,November to March
Montague's harrier                  Rarely on Spring migration
Buzzard                                  Resident (Res.) Have seen 12 in one field in winter
Goshawk                                1 in December 1998
Sparrowhawk                          Res.
Kestrel                                    Res.
Merlin                                     1 male in December 1998
Hobby                                     Breeds in valley some Summers
Red-footed falcon                   One spent a week hunting over our pool in late 1990s
Peregrine falcon                      Breeds on near-by cliffs
Short-toed eagle                      Flew over after leaving Scillies in October1999
Booted eagle                           Viewed in distance over Drift November 1999
Pheasant                                 Res. in recent years
Quail                                       Sometimes heard but not seen in valley
Water rail                                Regular in Winter on pool and stream
Spotted crake                          Glimpsed at times
Moorhen                                 Breeds on pool
Ringed plover                         Have rested in field on migration, in small group
Golden plover                         Flock of up to 100 in cold winters, rest,feed in field
Lapwing                                 As above, has bred on farm, many more in past
Snipe                                       Regular in winter, up to 30 on pool on pool
Jack snipe                               Seen most winters
Woodcock                              More plentiful during cold spells
Greenshank                            5 on pool 2001
Redshank                                1 on pool 2001
Black-tailed godwit                Odd one on migration
Whimbrel                                Occassional small flock dropps in on migration
Curlew                                    Flocks of over 100 in fields in July and August
Green sandpiper                     Regular on pool late Summer and sometimes in March
Common sandpiper                 Regular in early Autumn
Black-headed gull                   Seen most often when ploughing, not otherwise
Common gull                          As above, but rarely
Lesser black-backed gull        Rests in fields when weather is bad
Great black-backed gull          Small numbers as above
Herring gull                             Always present
Wood-pigeon                          About 50-100 breed in valley, 300 in winter
Collared dove                         Res. Had reached about 150 then crashed to 2-3 in 1998
Cuckoo                                    2-4 in valley most years
Barn owl                                 Seen more often in December and January in recent years
Little owl                                 Bred in 1960s, not often seen now
Tawny owl                              Res. Several in valley
Nightjar                                    Heard in past, a few breed near-by, seen here 2003
Kingfisher                                Seen twice 2003
Wryneck                                  On migration in Autumn
Swift                                        Flocks of over 100 scream overhead at times
Golden oriole                           Around most Summers I suspect
Bee-eater                                 One stayed 3 months in 1970s
Hoopoe                                    Seen 3 times on farm
Green woodpecker                  Res.
Great-spotted woodpecker      Res.New breeder since 1996
Swallow                                   2-3 pairs breed
Sand martin                             Have seen flock of 75 stranded in fog beginning of April on way N.
House martin                           Bred once in past
Skylark                                    Increasing after several years absence
Tree pipit                                 Rarely
Meadow pipit                          Small flock each Winter where I feed steers hay  in field
Pied wagtail                            Res.
White wagtail                          Seen on migration at times
Grey wagtail                            Frequently seen in Autumn around yard
Starling                                    Has bred
Magpie                                    Res.
Jay                                           Hunger flocks, rarely
Jackdaw                                   Res.
Rook                                        Res.further up the valley
Carrion crow                            Res.
Raven                                       Breed near-by
Wren                                         Res.
Dunnock                                   Res.
Grasshopper warbler                Breed near-by
Sedge warbler                           Breeds by pool
Reed warbler                            Sometimes
Melodious warbler                    On migration
Aquatic warbler                        Odd sitings
Garden warbler                         Breeds in valley
Blackcap                                   Pair over-winters sometimes in garden
Whitethroat                               Breeds by pool
Lesser whitethroat                     Has been ringed here
Willow warbler                          Breeds
Chiffchaff                                  Breeds, stays all winter now
Goldcrest                                    Breeds
Firecrest                                     Over-winters here
Spotted flycatcher                      Breeds
Pied flycatcher                            Rarely
Whinchat                                    On migration
Stonechat                                    Breeds near-by
Wheatear                                    Breeds near-by,and seen on migration
Black redstart                             Regular on migration
Common redstart                        Most years on migration
Robin                                          Res.
Blackbird                                    Res.
Song thrush                                 Res.
Mistle thrush                               Res. most years
Fieldfare                                      Up to 30 in winter
Redwing                                      As above
Long-tailed tit                             Res. Once saw flock of 100-150 pass through
Blue tit                                        Res.
Great tit                                       Res.
Coal tit                                         Sometimes late Summer
Tree-creeper                                Rarely seen
House sparrow                             Died out,when we stopped feeding hens.
Chaffinch                                     Res.
Brambling                                     Rarely seen
Greenfinch                                    Res.
Siskin                                             Rarely seen
Goldfinch                                      Res. Have seen 60 lined up on wires twittering like swallows
Linnet                                           Res.
Crossbill                                        Saw 17 on 30th. June 1997
Bullfinch                                       Occassionally a family pass through, now res.
Yellowhammer                             Once very common, now very rarely seen
Snow bunting                                On Autumn migration rarely
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If you would like more information you can contact us, Bernard and Rosemary Hocking at
gbernard@v21.me.uk
or write to
Mrs.Rosemary Hocking
Rospannel Farm
Crows-an-Wra
Penzance
Cornwall
U.K.
TR19 6HS