Llyen Peninsula (1 Viewer)

[Ste-gull]

I'm heading over to the Llen/Llyn Peninsula this April and planning to do a little birding. I'm hoping to see Manx Shearwaters and Choughs on a boat trip to Bardsey but other than that I'm drawing a blank on what else I should really be aiming for.

I fancied my chances at Black Guillemot but bar heading up to Fedw Fawr is there any chance these will be around the peninsula?

Any info and tips will be massively appreciated - cheers!

 

[JustinG]

For Manx Shearwaters, staying on Bardsey Island is highly recommended as you witness the birds coming in to the nesting sites as darkness falls. The Welsh Coast Path allows you to walk all the way around the peninsula, so Choughs could be seen anywhere!

It's not quite the Llyn Peninsula, but there are a pair of Ospreys that nest near Porthmadog, and if you are visiting during April, then there should be a lot of activity with other birds passing through and possibly hanging around the Glaslyn Marshes in Porthmadog.

Of course April is a good time for migration, so it's worth keeping an eye and an ear out for potential migrants/rarities. There will also be the other birds you expect around the coast, with gulls, auks, and birds of prey, with the Peregrine Falcon being the most evident around the cliffs.

Sorry, I'm unsure on specific sites, but I hope you enjoy your visit and I'm sure you'll see plenty!

 

[Ste-gull]

Thank you so much for the tips. I won't be staying on Bardsey but I pressume the Shearwaters will be visible from the island and around it during the day time too?

If anyone else has more info, the more the better really!

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

Andrew Clarke's blog should be helpful:-

http://lleyn-birding.blogspot.co.uk/

 

[JustinG]

You're welcome. Yes, the shearwaters are out on the open seas during the sea, and you should be able to see some from the boat, however in small numbers compared to how many there are on the island! All the best anyway

 

[Ste-gull]

Cheers for the help so far chaps.

I'll be staying around Criccieth - any tips on the coastal birds around here or any other good areas for species like hen harrier or black grouse perhaps a bit more away from the coast?

 

[JustinG]

Not a problem.

Well Criccieth is not far from Porthmadog, so it's well worth going to see the Ospreys! There is a place in Porthmadog to see the Osprey fish, although activity may be quiet during your visit so you'll need luck on your side! Travel on the A4971 through Porthmadog town centre heading SE and you travel alongside the estuary and a big wall where the railway runs along the top. Park at the end of the long straight heading out of Porthmadog and walk back along the wall alongside the railway. Early morning is the best time to look for the bird(s) fishing.

Black Grouse is an extremely difficult bird to see - your only guarantee is on Ruabon Mountain, near Llangollen. RSPB Lake Vyrnwy is just over an hour away - head towards Bala, where there are small numbers of both species. The Berwyn mountains, between Bala and Welshpool also has small numbers of both species.

Hope this helps.

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

I recently bought DVD Guide to Birdwatching in Wales. Might be worth a look to get some pointers.

Rich

 

[Ste-gull]

Cheers

Cheers again for all the help.
For anyone else who wants to keep an eye on things I've found this site to definately be the most informative and interesting:

http://bbfo.blogspot.co.uk/

Looking forward to my trip over in April!

Ta folks!