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To Anglesey & back via North Wales (1 Viewer)

andyotter

Well-known member
We're off to Anglesey this weekend with the main aim of terns at Cemlyn, auks at South Stack plus Black Guillis at Holyhead Harbour.
We're aiming to cross into Wales at around Friday 6am so as to make the most of the journey over.
I've trawled around forums here and North Wales Birding to come up with a list of possible stop-offs en-route. I greatly appreciate any recommendations/extra info to maximise our chances of meeting up with species mentioned.

Journey out:
Moor road to World's End x Offa's Dyke Path for Black Grouse
Park where Offa's Dyke crosses the road and scan west. Often very distant and buggered up by heat haze, but worth a look anyway.
I'm guessing we might be a touch late for lekking, but are our chances still good for seeing the odd one earlyish in the morning?
A post several years ago mentioned Crossbills around the World's End car park. Are these a permananent population?

Next, I thought we'd try for Hawfinches:
The churchyard at Caerhun and Llanbedr-y-cenin are the two well known Hawfinch spots in the Conway Valley, but I've never succeeded at Caerhun, and only once at Llanbedr,...I found them just by pottering round the village checking tree tops.
Having never any luck with this bird, any further tips gratefully received!
Between the two regions I'm hoping to get lucky with a Dipper or a Goshawk. I know specific locations for the latter are sensitive, but any tips on the sort of environments that should alert us would be very useful.

Lastly, I was wondering whether it's worth trying for the Eagle Owl at Nant-Y-Gamar. If so, what time of day might be best, and where on the hill to look ?(PM me if this is sensitive)



On Anglesey itself:
I've not been to south stack or cemlynn yet this year. You prob know this already but the best place to spot the puffins is from the path down to the lighthouse from the top car park. You only have to go down 50 yds or so, until you can see the grassy bank opposite below the sheer rocks to the left. Scan this bank and you should pick them up. Tricky setting up a scope here so decent bins are better. Even better views from about halfway down, where you are roughly level with the bank opposite instead of looking down.
Is South Stack also the best bet for seeing choughs? Hooded Crows?
And with the recent westerlies are the conditions more favourable to get lucky with a shearwater or some other pelagic species? (all new to me so I'd need to bone up!)
Aside from the terns, is it best to see Cemlyn best near high tide?
Newborough Forest looks fascinating, but is it best for a birding trip some other time in the year?
Are there other sites on Anglesey worth a visit at this time of year? (I've ordered Alan Davies' "Best Birdwatching Sites: North Wales" but it has yet to arrive so any other tips would be useful)

Journey back:
A rather longer circuit taking in
Ospreys at Glaslyn;
Little Terns at Gronant;
Any other recommendations? (e.g. I read mention of Pensarn re Scoters but not sure when or exactly where this was)


Many thanks in anticipation.
PS. Off birding advice like eating and watering holes also grateful received - I'm really looking forward to Pete's Burger bar, though she's rather more enamoured by The LobsterPot!
 
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Haven't been looking for Black Grouse in the morning recently, but a couple of early evening passes over the moors last month have produced excellent views of large numbers right by the road ( pics on here http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=206469&page=9 ). If you follow the road south (downhill) from here there are Dippers on the river and Pied Flycatchers right by the road. There are Crossbills around all year I think, but in my experience sightings are rather hit and miss, although I confess I've never really targeted them here.

Never looked for Hawfinches this late in the year, suspect chances are low, but if you're determined I'd make this your early doors hit and add World's End to your return loop (maybe ditching Gronanat, see below).

Can't help with the placcy Owl I'm afraid.

I'm not sure Hoodies are regular at South Stack. I know there was one kicked about the place a few years back, and I saw a hybrid presumed descendant of this bird a few weeks back but nothing looking remotely pure. Flight views of Chough and occasionally feeding birds are easy from Ellin's Tower at South Stack, and sometimes the fields around the reserve cafe. Shortly after leaving the last houses of Holyhead town there is a marshy patch at the back of a field on the left which can be worth a look, I had Chough there recently, as well as that hybrid Crow.

Worth doing a bit of reading up on Skuas, as both Long-tailed and Pomarine have been known to pass by South Stack in spring but it may be a bit late by now. Sea-watching isn't really my thing, so I can't really help with best spots/techniques that may be most productive here.

Make sure you stop and have a scan around the east end of Holyhead Harbour for Black Guillemots. Puffins can be tricky at South Stack, I usually have my best luck scanning the water below rather than the cliffs, but they'll give you better up to date info at Ellin's Tower.

I never pay any attention to tide times at Cemlyn, I just rock up, the colony's there the whole time. Head to the car park at the west end of the bay.

Never been to Glaslyn.

Not sure what's going on with the Gronant Little Terns, scroll to the last few posts on the thread linked above for the latest.

Good luck, any more questions just ask, and be sure to let us know how you get on.

Cheers

James
 
Haven't been looking for Black Grouse in the morning recently, but a couple of early evening passes over the moors last month have produced excellent views of large numbers right by the road ..... There are Crossbills around all year I think, but in my experience sightings are rather hit and miss, ....
Never looked for Hawfinches this late in the year, suspect chances are low,..... Flight views of Chough and occasionally feeding birds are easy from Ellin's Tower at South Stack, and sometimes the fields around the reserve cafe. Shortly after leaving the last houses of Holyhead town there is a marshy patch at the back of a field on the left which can be worth a look, I had Chough there recently, as well as that hybrid Crow.

Worth doing a bit of reading up on Skuas, as both Long-tailed and Pomarine have been known to pass by South Stack in spring .....
Make sure you stop and have a scan around the east end of Holyhead Harbour for Black Guillemots. Puffins can be tricky at South Stack, I usually have my best luck scanning the water below rather than the cliffs, but they'll give you better up to date info at Ellin's Tower.

Not sure what's going on with the Gronant Little Terns
Thanks, James, for lots of helpful advice.
Yes, probably best to try again for hawfinches after the trees have lost their leaves...
So this marshy patch; this is on S.Stack Road?
Thx for mention of Black Guillemots; I was planning on the end of Turkey Shore Rd.
On Gronant, I read those entries earlier and it seemed that one party had found them in what read like the place I recall from a couple of years back. I'll ask a warden at Cemlyn to see what they know about status of the Gronant colony.

Anywhere else on the island worth a birding visit, in your opinion?
 
Thanks, James, for lots of helpful advice.
Yes, probably best to try again for hawfinches after the trees have lost their leaves...
So this marshy patch; this is on S.Stack Road?
Thx for mention of Black Guillemots; I was planning on the end of Turkey Shore Rd.
On Gronant, I read those entries earlier and it seemed that one party had found them in what read like the place I recall from a couple of years back. I'll ask a warden at Cemlyn to see what they know about status of the Gronant colony.

Anywhere else on the island worth a birding visit, in your opinion?

Yes, the marshy patch is on the South Stack road, just after Holyhead town itself ends (where the Killdeer was if you go back that far ;) ). All sorts of places on Anglesey are worth a look, The Range for passage migrants (and butterflies), Malltraeth & Cob Pool for waders & wildfowl (and dragonflies), Carmel Head up by Cemlyn has a good track record for rare & scarce passerines, but a lot of these places can require a lot of time in for the off chance of getting lucky. I'm only really an occasional visitor, so can't really give you in depth info. Other options could be a drive through Llanberis Pass stopping to check for Ring Ouzel, or a drop in at Conway RSPB (had Whimbrel there the other day), and if I'm passing along the road between Conway and Caerhun I usually have a quick scan of the river at Tal-y-cafn on the B5279 for Common Sandpiper and Goosander.

James
 
Just seen this report on the Gronant Little Tern colony.On there Facebook site.

A peak count of 147 Little Terns were counted yesterday morning at high tide!
 
Yes, the marshy patch is on the South Stack road, just after Holyhead town itself ends... if I'm passing along the road between Conway and Caerhun I usually have a quick scan of the river at Tal-y-cafn on the B5279 for Common Sandpiper and Goosander.

James

Thanks for extra info, James, and useful to be reassured on the Gronant terns, John. My copy of Davies' "where to watch" book has just arrived (thanks to excellent service from BirdersStore in Worcs) so I'm busy making lists! Looks like I need to plan a winter visit too....
 
thanks for starting this thread - we've got a four day trip to Anglesey, Conwy Valley and popping in back home close to Gronant in a couple of weeks time so will be interested to hear how you get on
 
thanks for starting this thread - we've got a four day trip to Anglesey, Conwy Valley and popping in back home close to Gronant in a couple of weeks time so will be interested to hear how you get on

Thanks should go to James, John et al, for the generous field info.

If you don't already have it, I'd also recommend Alan Davies book.
I have the Solway book from the same series; this has same format but Davies writing is better - full of useful fieldcraft.
(PS. Link is cheaper than online giant which employs industrial tax avoidance - it's great what you can find when refuse to use them! )
 
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A quick report

Got back late last night exhilarated but knacked from 3days of trying to squeeze too much birding in the day!

We caught up with Guillemots, some Razorbills and just the one Puffin at South Stack, thanks to advice given here and a RSPB volunteer.

The high winds on Fri & Sat made watching terns very tricky even at the close distances that Cemlyn affords; I felt for the group of septuagenarian birders who were finding it difficult to stay on their feet! We eventually gave up and enjoyed an hour or two sheltering in the sea-watching alcove at SH 3294 9379 (see map). It no longer has the bench shown on geograph.org but, with a foam mat to sit on, we were even more sheltered watching hundreds of Manxies skimming within the buoy line, along with gannets, plus guillis or razorbills flying low upwind or high downwind. I may yet get hooked on seawatching! In addition to the offshore activity there was plenty to enjoy closer to, with terns going and froing overhead and the falling tide bringing in Ringed Plovers, Dunlin & Oycs plus 5 seals squabbling by the rocky island and a Merganser pair fly-by.

Having failed with Black Guillemots at Holyhead (where is that footbridge?) and Point Lynas (though we were treated to harbour porpoise and our first Chough), we finally met up with them at Fedr Fawr along with a couple of fabulous Fulmars. Getting to Fedr Fawr wasn't as tricky as I've read, but finding the best places to look down isn't as obvious (don't take the path that leads down to the beach!).

Whilst Anglesey was everything we'd hoped for (and will draw us back for over-wintering birds) the wow! prizes must go to Snowdonia with a male Hen Harrier and a Nightjar. The former passed 10m in front of the car on Cefn Cyfarwydd and gave us brilliant views as he cruised on down to Llyn Grafnant - we'd have missed him if we hadn't stopped to watch a dozen Ravens socialising on wall tops. The latter was very eery; churring eerily in the distance, then closer, then closer still until we saw him silhouetted on a fence post just above us. Both of these fabulous finds were at sites detailed in the afore-mentioned book.

With so much in such a busy weekend, I almost forgot to mention the lekking Black Grouse above Worlds End - stunning birds, brilliant sound! Oh, and 5 species of Tern....
 

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thanks to all who have posted in this thread - looking forward to our four or five days up there starting on Saturday - and thanks for the tip about the book - well thumbed already
 
thanks to all who have posted in this thread - looking forward to our four or five days up there starting on Saturday - and thanks for the tip about the book - well thumbed already
Hope, unlike me, you read about Penmon Point before you get back; I'd have liked to have added Eiders to my list of fab birds for the trip!
If you do take yourself up the Llyn Cowlyd (#36) road, the end of the track where the stream is is a delight in good weather, a very fine Redstart parades the little clumps of trees along there with Blackcaps and the like. Good spot for a picnic.
 
Hope, unlike me, you read about Penmon Point before you get back; I'd have liked to have added Eiders to my list of fab birds for the trip!
If you do take yourself up the Llyn Cowlyd (#36) road, the end of the track where the stream is is a delight in good weather, a very fine Redstart parades the little clumps of trees along there with Blackcaps and the like. Good spot for a picnic.

we are staying in Beaumaris for a couple of nights so Penmon should get a visit - thanks again for the tips!
 
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