Champion Trees

Owen Johnson, Honorary Registrar for the Tree Register, visited Trebartha 21-22 May 2024.

We were excited to learn that the biggest yew tree on the bank behind the laundry building is at least 500 years old and possibly 600 - 700 years old. This makes it the oldest tree at Trebartha!

Owen thought it might be a champion as well, but a couple of slightly bigger (and perhaps even older) yews have been found in Cornwall, fairly recently.

The Tree Register records county and national champion trees, which are either the tallest or those with the largest trunk circumference (girth) of their type. He found we have two England Champions and 16 Cornwall Champions. HERE is a link to the Trebartha entries on The Tree Register.

Some additional information is given in a spreadsheet Owen provided following his visit. HERE is a link to it..

Owen wrote:

“There are still many of the tallest conifers in Cornwall at Trebartha, while the tallest (and largest) of the Sitka Spruces by the Terrace is pipped as the county's tallest tree (by one foot, according to my measurements which aren't really that reliably precise) by another in deep shelter at Tregrehan in that same week. The Oregon Maple is the tallest and handsomest in England, as is the rare Abies georgii.”

Bird surveys

Bird count on 5 June 2024, with Dave Conway

The most exciting bird this time was a long-eared owl, heard in the American garden, near the two copper beeches.

We heard the owl on a mobile phone using the Merlin Bird ID app.  This identifies birds by sound recording.  It is strongly recommended!

Carrion crow

Chiff chaff

Coal tit

Common buzzard

Common chaffinch

Common redstart

Common swift

Cuckoo

Eurasian blue tit

Eurasian blackbird

Eurasian blackcap

Eurasian wren

Garden warbler

Great tit

Goldcrest

Goldfinch

Jay

Jackdaw

Lesser whitethroat

Little Grebe

Long-eared owl

Mistle thrush

Moorhen

Mallard

Magpie

Nuthatch

Robin

Siskin

Thrush

Wood pigeon

On 15 August 2023 our bird watchers (Dave Conway and Jennie Hale) returned, hoping to find a Hobby (a small falcon). We did not find a Hobby, but they did identity a Goshawk and Spotted Flycatcher.

They will return in early spring 2024.

On 5 June, Sparrow Hawk, Grey Heron and two pairs of Little Grebe (one with well grown young) were added to the list. Dave has previously seen an annual nesting Hobby. In addition, Ian, our Head Gardener, has seen Goshawk and Barn Owl. Taking this into account, Dave estimates a conservative total of 80 species!

We had a list of 42 species from the bird watchers from their survey of the gardens on 2 May 2023:

Buzzard 

Tawny Owl

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Green Woodpecker

Wood Pigeon

Stock Dove

Pheasant

Moorhen

Canada Goose

Mallard

Raven

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

Magpie

Jay

Nuthatch

Swallow

Grey Wagtail

Pied Wagtail 

Blackbird

Song Thrush

Mistle Thrush

Chaffinch

Goldfinch 

Linnet

House Sparrow

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Coal Tit

Marsh Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Willow Warbler

Chiffchaff

Garden Warbler

Blackcap

Robin

Wren

Dunnock

Goldcrest 

On the moor, they also found:

Cuckoo

Red Kite

Wheatear

(They were surprised not to find meadow pipits or song birds.)

The count gave a representative picture of the bird diversity, and they were impressed by the “excellent” range, which they ascribe to the uniqueness of Trebartha.  However there was a distinct lack of migrants.