Ruth Daniel
Well-known member
Hello everyone,
Well after all the emotions and stress of last weekend (depositing my youngest son at University) we decided that this weekend would be a birding one,so early yesterday we set off for N.Wales.
Our first stop was Llandudno and in particular the Great Orme.....a huge headland jutting out into the Irish Sea and a great spot for "lost migrants"......not to mention the superb views over to the Isle of Anglesey.
As we pulled into the little car park half way up near an ancient church we saw the welcome sign of a line of spotting scopes and knew we were in for a good day!! Hurrying out of the car with scope and bins and that feeling of excitement we soon spotted our main target......a beautiful female juvenile Woodchat Shrike was being very obliging and perching herself on top of fence posts for all to get a good view!! (It was at this point that I remembered we'd forgotten the camera :eek!: but she was a lifer for both of us and I desperately wanted to record the sighting so I quickly held my mobile phone to the scope and just before she flitted onto the ground managed to get a picture......not good by all means but you can clearly make out that it is indeed a Shrike) We watched her as she fed on insects by dropping down onto the ground and then re-perching on the numerous fence posts....her streaked cream plumage and brown uppers with curved bill were all clearly visible....she was a real beauty!!!! :t:
Next stop was Conwy RSPB where we were lucky enough to pick out a lone Little Stint amongst a flock of Dunlin....some still hanging on to their dark plumage making it easier to spot the lighter and slightly smaller Little Stint as it busily scurried about in the mud for food.We also saw here Red Breasted Mergansers,Little Egrets,Redshank and scores of wonderful Widgeon whistling loudly on the estuary!
As the tide was now incoming next stop was Llanfairfechan another great birding spot this time for sea viewing as with the incoming tide come the divers etc as the fish/food are channelled into a small area between the mainland and Anglesey. We immediately saw 12+ Great Crested Grebes (always seem out of place in the sea somehow to me?),more Red Breasted Mergansers and 2 Red Throated divers with their familiar up-turned bills were also easliy spotted....then a line of Common Scoters further out and amongst them an American visitor that has been here for a long time now a Black Scoter.....not easy to see but every now and then as he turned and the sun caught him the large yellow bill became dignostic.
So all in all a smashing birding day with another lifer for us to add to our list,(13 so far for the year) and maybe next time we WILL remember the camera!!!! |:$|
Best wishes to all,
Well after all the emotions and stress of last weekend (depositing my youngest son at University) we decided that this weekend would be a birding one,so early yesterday we set off for N.Wales.
Our first stop was Llandudno and in particular the Great Orme.....a huge headland jutting out into the Irish Sea and a great spot for "lost migrants"......not to mention the superb views over to the Isle of Anglesey.
As we pulled into the little car park half way up near an ancient church we saw the welcome sign of a line of spotting scopes and knew we were in for a good day!! Hurrying out of the car with scope and bins and that feeling of excitement we soon spotted our main target......a beautiful female juvenile Woodchat Shrike was being very obliging and perching herself on top of fence posts for all to get a good view!! (It was at this point that I remembered we'd forgotten the camera :eek!: but she was a lifer for both of us and I desperately wanted to record the sighting so I quickly held my mobile phone to the scope and just before she flitted onto the ground managed to get a picture......not good by all means but you can clearly make out that it is indeed a Shrike) We watched her as she fed on insects by dropping down onto the ground and then re-perching on the numerous fence posts....her streaked cream plumage and brown uppers with curved bill were all clearly visible....she was a real beauty!!!! :t:
Next stop was Conwy RSPB where we were lucky enough to pick out a lone Little Stint amongst a flock of Dunlin....some still hanging on to their dark plumage making it easier to spot the lighter and slightly smaller Little Stint as it busily scurried about in the mud for food.We also saw here Red Breasted Mergansers,Little Egrets,Redshank and scores of wonderful Widgeon whistling loudly on the estuary!
As the tide was now incoming next stop was Llanfairfechan another great birding spot this time for sea viewing as with the incoming tide come the divers etc as the fish/food are channelled into a small area between the mainland and Anglesey. We immediately saw 12+ Great Crested Grebes (always seem out of place in the sea somehow to me?),more Red Breasted Mergansers and 2 Red Throated divers with their familiar up-turned bills were also easliy spotted....then a line of Common Scoters further out and amongst them an American visitor that has been here for a long time now a Black Scoter.....not easy to see but every now and then as he turned and the sun caught him the large yellow bill became dignostic.
So all in all a smashing birding day with another lifer for us to add to our list,(13 so far for the year) and maybe next time we WILL remember the camera!!!! |:$|
Best wishes to all,
