October is a fantastic month to see wildlife on the Helford River and it’s creeks. With sunny days and deep blue skies the leaves are starting to turn and fall.
Kingfishers
It is a great time to spot kingfishers who seem to be prolific this month with most sightings on Frenchman’s Creek and Polwheveral Creek. The kingfishers fly along the river banks under the ancient oak tree branches and along the creeks.
Egrets
The Little Egret is a common sighting on the Helford River and creeks. However, this month they are more spread out, rather than all huddling up on Polwheveral Creek or Frenchman’s Creek individuals and couples are being sighted on all the creeks including Port Navas Creek.
The Little Egret is not a native bird, but they have a big colony on the Helford. Almost made extinct in the 1800s by the Victorians and their like of their feathers for their hats, they are now plentiful. Their bright white wings make them look like lanterns in the ancient oak tree branches.
Buzzards
Buzzards a commonly sighted soaring about the Helford River and it’s creeks. It is an amazing sight seeing them soar with their wings spread out in a V shape, with dark brown feathers. They live off small mammals, birds and carrion. And we often see them squarking with crows – a real David Attenborough moment!
The grey heron is a resident on the Helford River and creeks. With it’s bulky wide wings it looks like a dinosaur when it flies and wise vulture when perched up in the ancient oak tree branches on Frenchman’s and Polwheveral Creek.
Swans
The mute swan, which is the white swan most commonly seen in the British Isles, and the species we see on the Helford River and creeks, will normally mate at anytime from spring through to summer, with the cygnets being born anytime from May through to July. So it was a surprise to see two cygnets recently on Polwheveral Creek!