Hundreds of seabirds caught in Cornish fishing nets in just one day

Death toll is rising

January 2012: Conservationists are saddened and extremely concerned about the continued deaths of seabirds caught in nets in west Cornwall. On just one day in early January, an estimated 200 birds were found in a net to the north of St Ives and others washed up on local beaches. The Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (CIFCA) has now used a local bylaw to close part of the fishery due to birds being caught in nets nearby. 

Paul St Pierre, RSPB Conservation Officer in Cornwall said: ‘This is of great concern. At this time of the year birds such as guillemots and razorbills are frequently found near the coast feeding on sprats in the same areas used by local fishermen.'

Birds are trapped in nets and then drownHe added: ‘Unfortunately conditions have conspired to bring them into greater proximity than normal with the result that large numbers of birds are being trapped in the nets and drowning.'

Cornwall Wildlife Trust picked up a number of dead birds from Porthmeor Beach over the weekend. These were examined by a local vet and their deaths were found to entirely consistent with drowning while feeding on sprats.

Ruth Williams, marine conservation manager at  Cornwall Wildlife Trust said: ‘The birds that have been examined were healthy, had very recently been feeding, but had definitely died as a result of drowning in these nets.

‘We feel confident fishermen will act responsibly'‘This is a sad event, but we praise the CIFCA officers for their rapid intervention and enforcement of the by-law. Unfortunately, the area covered by this by-law is very small and the issue has continued outside the recently closed area of the bay, so we would hope that as part of their investigation and future discussions, the CIFCA may see fit to extend the area covered by it to give the protection needed to these seabirds.'

Conservationists are now urging local fishermen to work with CIFCA on a solution to the problem outside of the area covered by this bylaw.

Paul St Pierre said: ‘We have been talking with CIFCA and think there are a number of potential solutions to this immediate problem that should be explored such as restricting the setting of nets to the hours of darkness in the short term. Seabirds only feed by day so this could reduce much of this bycatch.

No clear plan to tackle problem in European waters‘We feel confident that we can rely on fishermen to act responsibly for the benefit of the birds with the encouragement of CIFCA. However, all parties do need to act quickly.'

The issue of bird bycatch around St Ives highlights a wider issue at a European level. Although much good work has been done in the southern oceans to prevent this with respect to albatross, there has to date been no clear and coherent plan to tackle bycatch of seabirds in European waters. This is of concern for a large number of seabirds, including the globally endangered Balearic shearwater that regularly feeds off north Cornwall at this time of year.

Paul St Pierre added: ‘The introduction of an action plan to tackle seabird bycatch in Europe is sadly much delayed, but we feel these awful incidents over the past week are a further reminder of the need for urgent action.'

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/seabirds-cornwall2012.html#cr

Killer whales spotted off Cornish coast

Two killer whales were spotted by walker Dom Clarke 100 metres off the coast of Cornwall.


Mr Clarke saw the endangered predators swimming along the British coastline whilst walking along the coast of Padstow.


Mr Clarke, who runs Explore the Shore, a rock pool exploration company, saw a six metre long whale and then a second smaller one, thought to be a calf.

The sighting comes as experts reveal more predators like sperm and killer whales - also known as orcas - are flocking to British shores due to warmer sea temperatures.

Mr Clarke said: "I couldn't believe it, it is certainly not what you expect to see while you're walking your dog.

"It's not totally unheard of for killer whales to be off the coast of England but it's certainly incredibly rare.

"It was amazing how clearly they could be seen. I first noticed a magnificent dorsal fin coming out of the water.


"People look out for porpoises and dolphins in Cornwall but you don't expect to see a killer whale.

"There was another man walking too and I grabbed his binoculars to get a better look.

"There was no mistaking what it was. I was just gutted I didn't have a camera."

Killer whales have a distinctive black and white colouring and males can grow up to eight metres (26ft) long and their dorsal fins can reach up to two metres (6ft).

They are the largest members of the dolphin family, weighing up to six tonnes, and are typically found in the Arctic and Antarctic seas and in warmer waters like the coast of Australia.

The sighting, which was made last week, follows news that more predators are likely to be found in waters around the South West of England as water temperatures rise.

It is thought that some species are hunting for new territories as global warming bites.

A dwarf sperm whale was spotted for the first time in the UK off the coast of Mount's Bay, in Cornwall, this autumn.

And experts now expect the 16-metre (52ft) grey whale to one day be found in water around Cornwall.

The whales, which can weigh 36 tonnes are usually found in the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans.

Peter Evans, director of the Sea Watch Foundation, said: "We are now seeing a number of species far from home, and they probably will continue to recur with increasing frequency.

"Several are normally found off West Africa. For the moment they tend to be seen at times of year when our sea temperatures are at their warmest.

"Whales and dolphins can cope with a wide range of temperatures but their fish and squid prey tends to be more constrained, and their ranges are extending significantly northwards.

"The dwarf sperm whale was a big surprise when it was spotted.

"If the fish are extending their range, as we know many are, then the whales and dolphins will follow.

"Anchovies for example were really quite scarce in the North Sea 10 to 20 years ago.

"Now they are widespread and may be why the common dolphin is now a regular in the North Sea."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8937921/Killer-whales-spotted-off-Cornish-coast.html

Rare sea creature and slimy surprise found in Cornwall

Violet sea snail spotted near Polzeath

July 20l1. A rare and beautiful sea snail has been found by a Cornwall Wildlife Trust volunteer in Polzeath, North Cornwall. This is the first sighting of such an unusual creature in over 3 years, according to the Environmental Records Centre of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Violet sea snail
A violet sea snail, which gets its name from its vivid colour, is an oceanic drifter with a mucus bubble raft which supports them on the ocean surface. They travel with their prey in tropical and semi tropical ocean drifts therefore arriving in Cornish waters must be quite a shock! Once in a while they wash up in this part of the world, often with other exciting drifters such as goose barnacles and the infamous Portuguese Man-of -War jellyfish.

Abby Crosby, Marine Conservation Officer for Cornwall Wildlife Trust says "Finds like this rare sea snail are exciting and incredibly interesting to marine biologists as they inform us about the processes occurring in the ocean. What is also fantastic is that our volunteer Steve Hearnshaw, who has been supporting the Trust and helping with marine events and activities around Polzeath through our ‘Your Shore' project, has learnt so much through his volunteering that he has the knowledge to spot these exciting things!'

Cornwall Wildlife Trust is the county's leading wildlife conservation charity and has 14,000 members and over 85 Business Members. The Trust supports the Polzeath Voluntary Marine Conservation Area and its Marine Centre through the Your Shore Project.

If you would like to volunteer like Steve please www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/yourshore or contact Your Shore Project Officer Abby Crosby on abby.crosby@cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk and find out more.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/violet-sea-snail.htmlsea

Beast of Bodmin' sighted at Trewithen Gardens (via Lindsay Selby)

Could these scratch marks have been made by the 'Beast of Bodmin'?A large black cat-like creature sighted at gardens in Cornwall could be the so-called Beast of Bodmin, according to a head gardener.Strange claw marks an inch thick have also been found on the bark of a shrub at Trewithen Gardens near Truro.Head Gardener Gary Long had a glimpse of a "very large black cat-like creature" and now believes it could have been the 'Beast'.He is unworried by their encounter believing it must be a timid creature.Mr Long said his view of the creature was so fleeting "he thought nothing more about it".But he later discovered one of the garden's rare plants showed clear signs of claw damage.


Read rest see pics here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-13944608

Biggest stick insect colony in the UK discovered in a garden in Cornwall

The colony came to light after bug-spotters responded to a call for reports of the spindly creatures.


Charity Buglife last month launched a public survey to record Cornwall's stick insect population.

The creatures are not native to these shores, but are known to thrive in the more sheltered parts of Cornwall and can be seen during the autumn when they try and find warmer spots in gardens.

The survey located new stick insect colonies in Padstow and Shortlanesend but the most exciting find was Mandy Rance-Matthews's discovery of 140 stick insects in the garden of her home in Stenalees, near St Austell.

Buglife's South West conservation officer, Andrew Whitehouse, said: "This is an incredible find.

"For every stick insect spotted there are often many more that are not seen – hidden deeper in a bush or hedge – this colony could support more than 300 stick insects."

Mrs Ranee-Matthews said: "We count them every year and are amazed to find that we have the biggest colony in the country."

Malcolm Lee, a Cornwall-based stick insect expert, said: "Our wild stick insects are originally from New Zealand and are restricted to mild areas of the county as their eggs are unable to survive hard frosts."

He said fears that the population would have been affected by the last two very cold winters had proved to be unfounded.

Biggest stick insect colony in the UK discovered in a garden in Cornwall

The colony came to light after bug-spotters responded to a call for reports of the spindly creatures.


Charity Buglife last month launched a public survey to record Cornwall's stick insect population.

The creatures are not native to these shores, but are known to thrive in the more sheltered parts of Cornwall and can be seen during the autumn when they try and find warmer spots in gardens.

The survey located new stick insect colonies in Padstow and Shortlanesend but the most exciting find was Mandy Rance-Matthews's discovery of 140 stick insects in the garden of her home in Stenalees, near St Austell.

Buglife's South West conservation officer, Andrew Whitehouse, said: "This is an incredible find.

"For every stick insect spotted there are often many more that are not seen – hidden deeper in a bush or hedge – this colony could support more than 300 stick insects."

Mrs Ranee-Matthews said: "We count them every year and are amazed to find that we have the biggest colony in the country."

Malcolm Lee, a Cornwall-based stick insect expert, said: "Our wild stick insects are originally from New Zealand and are restricted to mild areas of the county as their eggs are unable to survive hard frosts."

He said fears that the population would have been affected by the last two very cold winters had proved to be unfounded.

Round egg amazes experienced chef

A chef made a cracking discovery when he saved a perfectly round egg from the frying pan.


Shell-shocked James Church, 27, was cooking the usual morning fry-up when he found the unique ball-shaped egg.

James, who works at Hotel Bristol in Newquay, Cornwall, said: 'I was at work one morning busy cracking eggs and making breakfast as usual.

'Then I pulled out a tray and noticed this spherical egg.

'I stood for a few moments in awe because I had never seen anything like it.

'I called everyone in the kitchen over and they stood around it too. They had never seen anything like it either.'

Having worked in a kitchen for eight years, James reckons he has cracked more than 100,000 eggs, but has never seen anything like this.

He has kept the unusual egg since making the discovery and said: 'I'm definitely never getting rid of it.'

Misshapen eggs are most often produced by pullets coming into lay, or hens late in lay, often as a result of double ovulation. The varying shapes differ with each strain of bird.

Round egg amazes experienced chef

A chef made a cracking discovery when he saved a perfectly round egg from the frying pan.


Shell-shocked James Church, 27, was cooking the usual morning fry-up when he found the unique ball-shaped egg.

James, who works at Hotel Bristol in Newquay, Cornwall, said: 'I was at work one morning busy cracking eggs and making breakfast as usual.

'Then I pulled out a tray and noticed this spherical egg.

'I stood for a few moments in awe because I had never seen anything like it.

'I called everyone in the kitchen over and they stood around it too. They had never seen anything like it either.'

Having worked in a kitchen for eight years, James reckons he has cracked more than 100,000 eggs, but has never seen anything like this.

He has kept the unusual egg since making the discovery and said: 'I'm definitely never getting rid of it.'

Misshapen eggs are most often produced by pullets coming into lay, or hens late in lay, often as a result of double ovulation. The varying shapes differ with each strain of bird.

Falmouth gets Weirder

http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/8286666.Man_in_dress_performed_sex_act_on_dog_at_Pendennis_Castle__Falmouth/
Man in dress performed sex act on dog at Pendennis Castle, Falmouth11:20am Thursday 22nd July 2010
By Emma Goodfellow

A PACKET front page report of a man dressed in women's clothing caught committing "an indecent act" with a dog in broad daylight at Pendennis Castle, Falmouth has attracted worldwide interest on the web.

A Devon and Cornwall police spokesman said that the man was spotted by a member of the public at 11.45am on Saturday, July 10 committing an "indecent act" with a dog in the grounds of Penndennis Castle in Falmouth.Two women walking their dogs through the castle grounds when they saw a man dressed in women's clothes.The man ran away, but was seen again soon afterwards.He ran off once more and one of the dogs chased after him, disappearing from view.Searching for the dog the women reached the castle moat, where they saw the man committing the "act".English Heritage staff kept hold of the man until officers arrived.They removed him from the castle grounds and took him home.It is not known what breed of dog was involved.The man "fully admitted his actions," to police and was cautioned for the offence of "committing an act of outraging public decency."A spokesperson for English Heritage, which owns and runs the castle, said: "It is a very rare incident."

Wallabies set up home in Cornwall

14 June 2010

A family of wallabies has successfully made a home in the wild in Cornwall where they survived the British winter.

There have been several recent sightings of a male, a female and a baby in the St Breward area, reports the Daily Telegraph.

And a motorist recent saw, and photographed, one wallaby near a lane in St Breward.

The animal seen by the driver is thought to be a male which escaped from a farm three years ago. He appears to have found another escaped female, who was later pictured with a joey in her pouch.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said the animal charity is often called to capture escaped wallabies, but it is rarer to find examples of them living in the wild in Britain.

She said: "Wallabies are quite hardy so they do survive quite well. They are breeding as well so they have been doing fine. It has been going on for several years and they have survived some pretty cold winters.

"There are definitely colonies across the country so people should not be surprised if they have seen them."

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Wallabies_set_up_home_in_Cornwall

See also: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/7825467/Wallaby-colony-living-in-Cornwall.html
And: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1286256/Wild-wallaby-shocks-residents-hopping-Cornwall.html (with photos)

New mums ‘basking’ in glory of world exclusive pup births

26th June, 2009

Snorkellers have today witnessed basking shark behaviour never before seen anywhere in the world. Up to five basking shark pups have been born to two females during a mass gathering of the world’s second largest fish, off the coast of Cornwall.

Since Monday 1 June Cornwall Wildlife Trust, along with Seaquest, has run a surveying project funded by British International Helicopters. To date, the 40 trained volunteers have sighted a basking shark every day, with an estimated 900 sightings in total.

Tom Hardy, marine conservation officer for Cornwall Wildlife Trust, has also reported six basking shark breaches during this period. Breaching is incredibly rare behaviour and was photographed in the UK for the first time in 2006.

According to Joan Edwards, head of marine policy for The Wildlife Trusts, this behaviour is usually only seen in large groups. She said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for science and to advance our understanding of this spectacular species. This just goes to show, what an important marine habitat the UK provides and enhances the importance of protecting such hotspots for this species.

“We just don’t know enough about their behaviour. There are theories about breaching being a form of communication linked to mating rituals or behaviour. It may be to do with males herding females. So we would issue a word of caution to people not to get too close to this supergroup. There is a risk of breach. And human contact may also have effects on the young or potentially the entire group.

“This is fantastic timing. The Wildlife Trusts believe some areas of the South West coast and west of Scotland are seasonally very important areas for the mating and reproduction of basking sharks. The Marine and Coastal Access Bill, which will be discussed by MPs in Parliament next week, will hopefully provide us with the legislation that will allow us to establish Marine Conservation Zones for our marine wildlife, including basking sharks.”

http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/index.php?section=news&id=2970

Prairie dog of Bodmin

It looks like an overgrown guinea pig. But the really odd thing about this creature is that it seems to be about 4,000 miles from home.

The North American prairie dog was photographed in Cornwall by Godfrey Stevens, 58, and his wife Linda, 48, as they walked the isolated Goss Moor nature trail, 13 miles from Bodmin Moor - home to the fabled Beast of Bodmin. Newquay Zoo identified it as a female, black-tailed prairie dog which probably escaped from a private collection.

‘We had decided to take a walk along the nature trail when we noticed this strange animal lurking near a drain,' said Mr Stevens, an electrical wholesaler from Penzance. ‘I love wildlife, that's why we were there in the first place, but neither of us had ever seen anything like it.

‘We expected we might see some nice wild flowers, but this was a real surprise for us. We just couldn't believe our eyes.

‘It was sniffing around the entrance to a drain and would occasionally stand up on its hind legs.

‘I was very confused because I knew it was not a weasel or a stoat but for the life of me I couldn't work out what it was.

'We weren't sure what it was - it reminded me of a marmot (a large ground squirrel). It was up on its hind legs with its nose in the air.'

'If I went within about eight feet of it, it would run up one of the drainage pipes. But if I waited for about five minutes it would come out again,' he added.

The area where they spotted the animal lies just 13 miles from Bodmin Moor - the scene of many sightings of strange creatures over the years including the wildcat Beast of Bodmin.

But at just a few inches high, this latest Cornish mystery can not exactly be described as a beastly. Yet it certainly is unusual.

Prairie dogs are normally found more than 4,000 miles away in grassland areas of America and Canada where they live in packs. For one to be discovered in the UK is rare and the only explanation can be is that it has escaped from captivity.

Experts at Newquay Zoo, where the photographs were identified, said there was no doubt they showed a female, black-tailed prairie dog. Stewart Muir, managing director, said: ‘It is unusual but it is not as uncommon as people think.

‘Prairie dogs have been kept in captivity for here for a very long time, since the 1800s.
‘They usually live in big colonies and they dig a lot so it is easy for them to escape and live in areas in the wild.

‘The reason they do so well in our country is that they are native to North America, which is temperate climate.

‘They are not dangerous animals and they are strictly vegetarian.

He said that although he has never heard of one in Cornwall they do sometimes escape and colonise areas of the UK. ‘It is most likely that this one has escaped from a private collector.
They would not make very good house pets but they would be easy enough to keep in the garden. But then they do dig, and escape.

‘There are no plans to capture the creature - he seems to be living there quite comfortably.

‘One of two are not likely to have much of an impact.’

Earlier this year one was discovered underweight in a field in Lincolnshire where it was found nibbling on sugar beet.

It was taken in by animal lover Julie Stoodley after the RSPCA caught it. She said: ‘They need warmth, lots of attention and a specific diet of grasses, hay and root vegetables.’

www.dailymail.co.uk

Conservationists are 'choughed' as Cornish birds raise eight youngsters

CONSERVATIONISTS in Cornwall are delighted that two pairs of choughs have successfully raised eight youngsters this year.
The chough, a Cornish emblem, returned to the county in 2001 after a long absence and there are now over 30 here.

The birds, part of a natural re-colonisation, first nested at Southerly Point, on the Lizard Peninsula in 2002, where the first chough chicks in more than 50 years made Cornish history.

Successful
A second pair raised young in 2006 and 2007, then last year another pair were successful on the West Penwith coast, testament to the pioneering pair and their healthy offspring going on to repopulate some of the choughs' former range that would have been all along the coast in the 1800s.

Two pairs this year raised five male and three female young between them, further adding to the local population and giving conservationists confidence as further pairs are already colonising other stretches of Cornwall's coast. Indeed, a third pair tried this year but failed, possibly as a natural consequence of an immature female.

The RSPB's Claire Mucklow said: "Having eight youngsters fledge from the two nest sites is excellent news and hopefully we'll see even more next year."

The success of choughs following re-colonisation is based on good habitat management around the Cornish coast where the reintroduction of grazing to the cliffs and slopes keeps the areas in tip-top condition for choughs foraging for food.

This has been achieved by conservation organisations including RSPB, Natural England and the National Trust working closely with farmers.

Rachel Holder, from the National Trust on the Lizard, said: "It's been great to see the number of choughs building year on year, so that they are now a common sight, not just around Lizard Point itself, but along both the East and West coasts of the Lizard and in Penwith.

She said there was plenty of good habitat to support this expanding population. "Choughs are very dependent on animals grazing the coastal cliffs and slopes, as this helps to create the open and short grassland in which the birds forage for insects."

Territory
Peter Bowden, from Natural England, said they are now looking to extend the chough's territory range further along the North Cornwall coast to the former cliff-top strongholds they flew over so majestically more than 100 years ago.

The RSPB would be interested in hearing from people who spot the choughs on cornishchoughs@rspb.org.uk.

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/news/Conservationists-choughed-Cornish-birds-raise-youngsters/article-1103749-detail/article.html

Spaniel adopts owl

An orphaned baby eagle owl has been adopted by a springer spaniel.

Bramble found a new mum in Sophie the spaniel when she went to live at a bird of prey rescue centre, reports The Sun.

The unlikely pair have become inseparable and Sophie even gives Bramble a daily wash by licking her.

Bramble likes the attention so much she now insists on flying to Sophie to be spruced up.
Sharon Bindon, 43, who runs the centre at Liskeard, Cornwall, said: "When Bramble arrived she had no feathers and had to be kept in the house. On her first day Sophie cleaned her as they sat on the settee.

"Every day since Bramble has had to be let out of her cage to be washed. She has the cleanest beak and feathers in the country."

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_3362540.html?menu=news.quirkies.animaltales