Autumn Movements

My name is Aaron Claxton and, as I write this, I have just finished my first month working on the Roseland – thank you to all the wonderful people that have made me feel so welcome! I look forward to meeting and working with more of you in the future. The Roseland has lots of different habitat types that make it a fantastic place to work and explore – wooded valleys, farmland, tidal creeks –and coastal grasslands to name a few.

Autumn is a time of change for many animals, and this can make for some fantastic wildlife watching opportunities. The movements of animals around the globe can mean that this time of year we get to see some species we don’t normally see here in Cornwall. There have been some fantastic photos doing the rounds of Ospreys feeding on the Carrick roads, a rare American painted lady butterfly was seen on Nare head and there has been a pair of Choughs spotted regularly on the Roseland.

You don’t have to look far to find some incredible stories of animals migrating. There are the species that are well known for their epic journeys – we at the Roseland National Trust had the privilege of watching some hard-working Swallow parents raise two broods of chicks near our workshop. These have now departed on their journey to Africa only a month after fledging. Our own species of painted lady leaves our shores for the continent this time of year flying at altitudes of 500 meters, with favourable winds they can reach speeds of 30 mph. An incredible feat for an animal that weighs so little and has no parents to learn from.

It would be hard to talk about birds at the moment and not touch on Avian Influenza. As birds move from their breeding grounds, they bring with them this horrible disease which is why we are seeing more cases on the Roseland. This will have a long-lasting impact on our seabirds in particular, and means it is more important than ever to work to help these birds recover. In the coming months we will be making an effort to monitor birds across the Roseland. If you are interested in helping out with any bird monitoring on the Roseland, please get in touch with us at Roseland@nationaltrust.org.uk