Following my brief introduction to the Helford River and the
Voluntary Conservation Area I would like to expand with some
additional notes based on those produced by the HVMCA (Helford
Voluntary Marine Conservation Area)
The seemingly lifeless mud and silts of the River are home for a vast
number of worms, molluscs and crustaceans. For many birds, this is an
opportuinty not to be missed: an enormous supermarket filled with
goodies to eat!
Like most estuaries, on the Helford River there are two great rhythms
of change that dominate the bird life: the annual movement of the
seasons and the daily ebb and flow of the tide. Over the winter the
river is visted by waders who have left their breeding grounds on the
Artic tundra and upland moors. Some settle for the winter, others use
the estuary as a re-fuelling station for their long journies. Common
visitors are Curlew, Redshank, Dunlin, Turnstone and Oystercatcher.
The latter have tough stabbing beaks that can break open cockle and
mussel shells. The Curlews with their long probing beaks feed on worms
from the mud and silt, whilst the Turnstones as their name implies
feed on creatures found under stones and seaweed.
Probably the most evocative bird of the tideline is the Grey Heron,
 there is never a day on the river when I don't see one standing
statue-like on the water's edge waiting for fish to pass under its
bill. There are several Heronries around the river, numbers fluctuate
from year to year and in recent years the Grey herons have been joined
on the water's edge by Little Egrets which ahve colonised the south
coast of England from France. These birds now overwinter on the
estuary and I also have evidence of them moving inland to feed on the
edge of a freshwater lake.
The deeper waters of the estuary provide food for other species such
as Great Northern and Black Throated Divers, Slavonian and Red Necked
Grebes, Eider and Common Scoters. These birds, use the shelter of the
Helford to escape the rigours of winter and share the fish with the
local sea birds such as Cormorant, Shag and Herring Gull which
colonise the steep inaccessible cliffs near the mouth of the River.
I hope to be able to provide futher word pictures of one of my
favourite areas in future postings.
Nigel Knight
--- SAM'ed 0.10b & TERMINATOR 2
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