North Wales Birding (1 Viewer)

[JWN Andrewes]

Apr 24th

A pleasant day today, pottered my way along the Flintshire/Denbighshire coast, and added a few summer visitors to the year list. First of these were a scattering of singing Lesser Whitethroats at Point of Ayr, where I also found the first stinkhorns I've ever encountered, really cool, if pongy! Also singing Reed Warblers and quite a few White Wagtails knocking about. On to Gronant, Sedge Warbler first up, then a walk out to the shore, a single Sandwich Tern on offer here, then on to the river mouth, more White Wagtails, and surprisingly a Ruddy Shelduck on the beach. Nothing of note in the Gull roost, a few Dunlin, Ringed Plover and a couple of Common Sandpiper. Then at least three smart male Whinchats on the way back, making the most of the recently erected rope barrier that protects the Little Tern colony.

139 Lesser Whitethroat
140 Sedge Warbler
141 Sandwich Tern
142 Whinchat

 

[wally170]

Apr 21st

Whenever possible I've been stopping by Shotton Rifle Range on my way home from work. Unfortunately, the day the Gull-billed Tern stopped by I was engaged elsewhere (Dad taxi service, if you must know), but on Friday I did at least manage to finally pick up a pair of Barnacle Geese, expected at some point, although I always find it necessary to hold my nose a bit when ticking Cat C Barnies. My first Whitethroat of the year too. No Spotted Redshank on the grazing marsh still, they're really giving me a tough time this year, but a couple of Little Ringed Plover.

137 Whitethroat
138 Barnacle Goose

I think I might have spoken to you on the cycle track, I was looking over the wet grassland for the Tern and we spoke about the Barnacles.

Re: your post from 11th about Coed Cilgroeslwyd. It's become a kind of "patch" of mine recently, along with Eyarth rocks. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for any Hawfinch!

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Nice to meet you Wally170!

I'll be up Eyarth in the next couple of weeks, weather permitting, looking for Pearl-bordered Frits.

Good luck with Hawfinches, they're clearly in the area, but if course seeing them can be another matter. I still can't quite believe how little time it took me to seal the deal.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Apr 25th

Had to cancel a movie ticket and then wait for Arch to be free of a prior engagement before setting off for Rhyl yesterday evening. Made it with plenty of time to spare on the end, with our quarry showing beautifully across a narrow stretch of the river Clwyd, two fine Black-winged Stilts. A relaxing half hour or so was spent in their company, a couple of Whimbrel and at least three Common Sandpipers the only other birds of note.

143 Black-winged Stilt

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Sounds like the Stilts are MIA this morning. Glad I didn't cool it out till the weekend. Puts my North Wales list on 276 (Wales as a whole is 285).

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Apr 26th

Another evening drop in to CQNR, where I notched up 22 Avocets, most I've ever had here by some margin. Also Greenshank and a couple of Common Sandpiper. Best moment came as I was scanning out over the distant estuary, and as groups of Gulls, Ducks & Waders started to scatter I picked up menacing shape speeding low over the water. A Peregrine, surprisingly my first of the year within my year list area (although seen a few without), that executed just about the neatest kill I've ever seen. As various birds made haste to be elsewhere, a single Black-headed Gull simply didn't budge, and the Falcon didn't so much catch it as just land on it. The sun was too high and the Peregrine too low for it to have come in using it as cover directly, but given the angles it looked like it could have been using the sun's glare on very flat calm water to hide in on approach. Poor Gull never saw it coming, must have been wondering what everyone else was making such a fuss about! To add to the drama, a large flock of Black-headed Gulls, having previously made themselves scarce, now came in to harass the Peregrine as it chowed down on their chum, and contained within its ranks two very smart summer Meds! All in all, an entertaining excursion.

144 Peregrine
145 Mediterranean Gull

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Apr 27th

Another stop off at the cycleway on the way home this evening, the two Barnacle Geese present again, and 56 Pink-footed Geese came in off Burton Marsh, a lovely sight and sound as they whiffled down onto the grazing marsh. A couple of Yellow Wagtails by the border pool and a male Marsh Harrier over the reeds but otherwise nothing remarkable.

Decided to have a check of Shotwick boating lake before heading home, and found a 3cy Yellow-legged Gull in amongst the Herring & Lesser Black-backs on the ploughed field, which then relocated onto the lake itself.

146 Yellow-legged Gull

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Apr 29th

Decided to have a go at the Bettisfield Corn Buntings today. Stopped off at Hamner Mere on the way down, surprising number of Shelduck for an inland site, a single drake Wigeon the only other noteworthy Duck. Nice views of Reed Warbler and my first Redstart of the year too.

No luck with the Buntings this time (I seldom seem to get them on first attempt), so I headed round to Fenn's Moss, loads of Mipits, Stonechats, Reed Buntings, a few Whitethroat and best of all; Hobbies. At least three, felt like more, half a dozen or so. Also a couple of Marsh Harriers.

147 Redstart
148 Hobby

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Apr 30th

An afternoon up at Cilcain bagged me my two regular targets from up that way, Yellowhammer & Cuckoo. Both species were seen first briefly on flight, but a with a little patience I gained pretty decent views of both. In particular the Yellowhammers here always seem to be particularly approachable. Plenty of Redstarts too.

World's End next, going in via Eglwyseg where at least three Wood Warblers were singing away, but no luck with Pied Flycatchers in a brief search. Plenty of Wheatear up top, and a few Curlew.

149 Yellowhammer
150 Cuckoo
151 Wood Warbler

 

[JWN Andrewes]

May 4th

With the Clwyd estuary Hooded Crow reported back for it's third summer, that became my chosen location to start the day. It was one of those occasions when failing to find the target bird quickly was something of a blessing. I enjoyed excellent views of a Whinchat, picked up a Yellow Wagtail as it flew over calling and dropped down onto the saltmarsh, a Ruddy Shelduck was snoozing by the river. Finally picked up the Hoodie on the mud across the river, along with a couple of Avocets (unusual for this site) and a Swift over.

Then on to Gronant, plenty of Gannets feeding off shore, but I managed to fail to locate any Little Terns. While scanning through the Sandwiches that were passing by I picked up something a whole lot more unexpected, a sum plum Black-throated Diver, heading east, flying pretty high. Not seen one in Wales for yonks, really splendid bird. A walk up to the overflow was busy with Wheatears & Linnets, and a second surprise in the shape of Short-eared Owl lifting up out of the dunes and settling on the saltmarsh behind the Tern wardens' huts. A couple more Swifts here too.

Final stop was Greenfield, where there was a challengingly distant feeding flock of Terns, most seemed to be Common, but at least a few Arctic too. Fifth year tick if a really nice day out.

152 Hooded Crow
153 Swift
154 Gannet
155 Black-throated Diver
156 Arctic Tern

 

[Original PaulE]

Apr 15th

A morning at a loose end in Ruabon, so I nipped a short way up the road to Llangollen, managed to nab a free parking space (far from guaranteed), and executed an efficient year-ticking raid on the Mandarins on the Dee. I know they're plastic, but they're also rather lovely, and although I occasionally bump into one while out and about much closer to home (twice from the garden), a visit to Llangollen is the closest thing to a shoo in for this species round here.

132 Mandarin

I'm up in Wales atm and I saw a Mandarin on the river along the Mawdach Estuary path, was quite surprised but I see from your pictures they do occur in Wales!!!

 

[JWN Andrewes]

A very long and satisfying day, Grey-headed Lapwing & Hooded Merganser in the bag, I'm leaning up against the back door frame, enjoying a gulp of cheap merlot, and that's a funny looking big Gull heading my way....

Neither a year nor garden tick, but oh boy!!

 

[JWN Andrewes]

I'm up in Wales atm and I saw a Mandarin on the river along the Mawdach Estuary path, was quite surprised but I see from your pictures they do occur in Wales!!!

The Llangollen birds are an expansion along the Dee of the original Eccleston population that originated from Duke of Westminster's estate way back when. I've had one at Conwy RSPB, and a couple over the garden, but away from the River Dee I suspect they're still scarce, particularly that far west. Good record.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

A bit of very local pottering the past few days got me awful views of Grasshopper Warbler at Shotton Rifle Range on Tuesday, my third Short-eared Owl of the spring at Cop Hole on Wednesday, and slightly better views of another Gropper at Waun y Llyn yesterday while looking (in vain) for Garden Warbler. Cuckoo calling there too.

157 Grasshopper Warbler

 

[JWN Andrewes]

May 13th

A lovely evening up at Panorama Walk looking for Tree Pipit. No Pipits, but plenty to occupy us. Redstarts, Yellowhammers and a Garden Warbler, plus a Cuckoo backing track, glorious scenery, a few Black Grouse mooching on the lek site as we passed, we then headed up Waun y Llyn where the Grasshopper Warbler was singing away in a small hawthorn practically in the car park. Views were "dark shape in bush", but the sound of the point blank vocals was amazing!

May 17th

Back up to Panorama Walk this morning, this time successful with Tree Pipits, although views were distant. Garden Warbler showed a lot better, and further down in the valley below World's End Wood Warblers, Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers were singing. Getting views of the Flycatcher took some time, and were ultimately distant and brief. At least three Brown Hares were sitting out in a steep field, restoring themselves in the sun.

159 Tree Pipit
160 Pied Flycatcher

 

[JWN Andrewes]

A Panorama Walk scenery shot, and Arch indulging in some early evening Black Grouse filming. I didn't bother trying for photos, I have so many now that unless conditions are spot on I seldom bother!

 

[JWN Andrewes]

A rare impromptu work detail took me to Holyhead this afternoon. In a quick break between concluding business and heading back I visited the fish quay and was rewarded with lengthy views of a Black Guillemot stuffing it's face.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Jun 10th

My focus over recent weeks had been more on butterflies than birds, with none of the rarities turning up at times I was able to cash in on them.

While this has given me a few decent birds (the best being very much upgraded views of Pied Flycatcher at Loggerheads and some nice Redstarts at Minera Quarry) there's been nothing new for the year list.

Yesterday, however, saw me up at Graig Fawr near Prestatyn, when it would have been daft not to follow up with an easy win with the Little Terns nearby at Gronant. (In fact I'd not been bothering to try for the Terns until I could tie it in with looking for Silver-studded Blues).

The Terns were easy enough, in decent numbers, if rather distant, ad I opted to check out the saltmarsh & dunes rather than head onto the beach, so I mainly saw them in flight and gathering at the fresh water outflow. My alternative approach did get me a nice Grasshopper Warbler, uncharacteristically sitting up for long periods in the midday sun.

161 Little Tern

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Had a fun day out on Wednesday, with a pre planned trip over to Anglesey, as a nice breather for Arch post exams. We were joined by Richard, a friend from Leeds, who asked if I had any good Wood Warbler sites, so we started the day going over Esculsham (Red Grouse, Whinchat and a surprise Hobby, not had one of those there before) and down past World's End to a spot I'd had Wood Warbler singing a few weeks before. Sure enough, one was singing, but proved otherwise elusive, so we moved on to another territory, where we had decent views of one rippling away.

A breezy uneventful run up to Holyhead followed, where we had adequate distant views of just the one Black Guillemot. Usually do better here than that.

Instead of heading straight to South Stack itself, we stopped off at the fields between there and The Range where Hooded Crow can often be found, and were quickly rewarded.

South Stack proper next, where it was heaving. Learned later that Springwatch was in town that day, which might account for it being so rammed mid week. We pretty easily hoovered up out targets here, Puffin, Razorbill, Chough etc before decamping to Cemlyn, which was the part of the day I was most looking forward to.

And I was not disappointed. I just love plonking myself down on the shingle and watching the Terns going about their business, with the added bonus that a couple of Roseates had joined the throng of Sandwich, Common & Arctic.

We spent quite a while enjoying the spectacle, and then just as we were debating what to do next we got news of a Woodchat Shrike photographed that morning near Abergele, practically on the way home. An hour's stop was fruitless but painless, and didn't really detract from a great fun day out, with some nice easy birding, mostly cooperative targets, and a great catch up with an old friend. Marvellous.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

June 19th

Slow at the moment, partly the season, but also so busy with other stuff at the moment. Still, Rossett's only ten minutes away, and there's been a couple of Spotted Flycatchers in the churchyard recently, so I found time to nip across after work. Such a shame this species is so uncommon nowadays. Once I'd taken a few pics I spent a while just sitting, listening to the occasional bill snap, very peaceful.

162 Spotted Flycatcher