Ceredigion Birding (2 Viewers)

[mcmerlin]

nice one, il have a look there, and off south beach then. never seen one, and although my year list has already got off to an amazing start (includes dartford warbler, hawfinch, water rail, bittern, and hen harrier- yes, honestly), i reckon it would make a great addition. that is unless it tips it down with rain tomorrow, to spoil my day lol
by the way, are the phalaropes just adult birds in normal grey winter plumage, not juvs or anything?
and i agree it would be great to get this thread going again, lets all put down here what we see in aber and anywhere else in ceredigion
(by the way the hen harrier i saw at ynys hir on the 10th.my other rarities for this year were all back home in the west midlands)

 

[aberbirder]

I think they all look pretty much grey and white at the moment. Well from the views we would get of them! You will know as soon as you see them anyway. Sure you will get one. I kept loosing sight of them behind waves, but if u stare long enough they appear to jump into focus again!

Think i'll be out and about tomorrow too, better than sitting about indoors and i'm lucky enough not to have any studies to be doing! Plus i need to find this Little gull. Seen them before but not for a few years, just hope I pick up on it! Think the Ring-necked Duck at the Rhiedol was a first for me. But I did get the Alder Flycatcher in Cornwall in October! || I'm no twitcher or anything, I was already down there on holiday luckally enough!

I remember ringing juvenille Hen Harriers at the nest the other year (not round here!) and having the adult female swooping down at me, with her big yellow eyes - it was quite unnerving! but amazing!!!

Sarah.

 

[mcmerlin]

well, managed to get out for an hour or do around lunchtime, and got good views of at least two Grey phalaropes in the sea amongst a group of black-headed gulls, in the sea off south beach, pretty much directly opposite the ice cream hut. noticed there were a couple of birders watching them aswell. me an my mate were trying to get pics, but ws hard with our cameras. i got a very distant one, will have to load it up soon.
also, imbetween south beach and the pier, some oystercatchers and turnstones were about.

 

[aberbirder]

They seem to be attracting quite a crowd now they have been a few days. I got those two as well. couldnt find the one outside alexander halls i had the other day. walked round to tanybwlch beach as well, not much about!! 18 Curlews, about 15 oystercatchers. so not overly exciting. the cold and wind being the only thing pushing me away from watching the grey phalarope all day!!! oh and a goosander flew over me whilst i was by pier. that was.....random!! Purple sand by the corner from sound beach opposite the castle as well.

Would be good to see the pics.

Sarah.

 

[MattJP]

Well there seems to be more action on this thread now at last.

Ceredigion bird bloggers is certainly a worthwhile site and much needed!

Keep the info flowing!

We had a couple of Rock Pipits by the old college. I thought they were the Black Redstarts at first!! :0)

do any of you know any reliable spots for scarcer species etc?

Cheers

Matt

 

[aberbirder]

haha i did exactly the same thing last week Matt! And i still havent found the real Black Redstarts there!!

What species are you after in Ceredigion (or want mentioned on the thread)? and i'll get my thinking cap on!

Sarah.

 

[mcmerlin]

Grey Phalaropes were in exactly the same place today as they were yesterday. a lot less gulls with them though.

 

[mcmerlin]

matt,
yeah you get plenty of rock pipits round the old college and the castle. cant say ive ever mistaken them for black redstarts.............but did once mistake a pied wagtail for one!!! possibly even worse!!! 99.9% sure i have seen black redstarts there a couple of times in flight though, but only got the very merest of glimpses, so havent ticked it even though im positive i clocked orange on the tail.

 

[MattJP]

matt,
yeah you get plenty of rock pipits round the old college and the castle. cant say ive ever mistaken them for black redstarts.............but did once mistake a pied wagtail for one!!! possibly even worse!!! 99.9% sure i have seen black redstarts there a couple of times in flight though, but only got the very merest of glimpses, so havent ticked it even though im positive i clocked orange on the tail.

My excuse, and a good one at that, was that is was pretty dark, around 4.30pm!! :0)

 

[MattJP]

haha i did exactly the same thing last week Matt! And i still havent found the real Black Redstarts there!!

What species are you after in Ceredigion (or want mentioned on the thread)? and i'll get my thinking cap on!

Sarah.

Gives you a rush of blood doesnt it when you think you have a Black Redstart!! haha!

Am not sure really, just local specialities I suppose. I wouldnt mind picking up any/all of the owls. I saw Barn very briefly on the A44 2 miles from town. Heared but havent seen Tawny.
I will be going looking for Choughs soon on Consti and obviously the Black Redstart!
I will be seeing if any Black Grouse still remain in the county when lekking begins, but its a slim hope!

Cheers
Matt

 

[mcmerlin]

i hear tawny owl calling from the penglais woods area often.
best bet for choughs at this time of year is to walk along the clifftop path on consti, or the other path, scanning the fields to see if there are any feeding. but this species is much, much easier to see in the breeding season. around may and june, you can go up consti, and get great views of a pair cirling their territory.
I am pretty sure there are no black grouse left in the county, certainly not in this region anyway. there used to be a population in the moorlands near devils bridge, but thats gone now.

 

[MattJP]

i hear tawny owl calling from the penglais woods area often.
best bet for choughs at this time of year is to walk along the clifftop path on consti, or the other path, scanning the fields to see if there are any feeding. but this species is much, much easier to see in the breeding season. around may and june, you can go up consti, and get great views of a pair cirling their territory.
I am pretty sure there are no black grouse left in the county, certainly not in this region anyway. there used to be a population in the moorlands near devils bridge, but thats gone now.

Thats where we will be heading. We will walk to Borth and back and see what else we can see. Defo be up there in May June as well!

A little wander through those woods looks good then!!

That population of Black Grouse isnt too far from where we live. They were supposed to be at the Arches (according to the Forrestry Commission Website) But i have been told they have gone, shame really!

 

[aberbirder]

Matt,
I've seen Barn Owl flying about by the cliff railway before, but not recently!! (so thats not helpfull) and i have had tawny owl in my garden sleeping all day, but not recently!! (so thats not too useful either!) but they are around my street (cliff terrace), the road up from the cliff railway building at the bottom of the hill.

I had a friend last week who saw a black grouse when she was on the train. It was somewhere between the stop at Machyllneth and the next stop after that, travelling towards caersws. I understand that is a big area, but the only one i know of that has been seen recently.

I havent seen chough recently up on consti, though that probably is still the best bet, the last i saw where on the cliffs at the southern end of Tanybwlch beach.

Sorry thats not much help! I think i heard a short eared owl last night up on consti hill, i was out trying to catch Woodcock. Saw some, caught none! also flushed a common snipe.

Sarah.

 

[mcmerlin]

the grey phals are still in the same place today, but really really close in to the shore! its amazing they dont seem to mind humans being near them, unlike most rare birds. had a look round castle and old college but no sign of black redstart. a suprise was a kingfisher on the rock pools opposite the old college, flying from pool to pool, obviously looking for lil fish.

yeah, mates of mine live on a farm near devils bridge and they say that in days past there were black grouse on their peninsula of heather moorland, but they havent seen any for years.

 

[mcmerlin]

woodcock up on consti? ridiculously, ive never seen a woodcock, its a definite bogey bird for me- any ideas on how to see one around here?

 

[aberbirder]

woodcock up on consti? ridiculously, ive never seen a woodcock, its a definite bogey bird for me- any ideas on how to see one around here?

Definately saw at least 4 Woodcock, they were in Penglais university farm fields behind the golf course. I only really see them when i am trying to catch them at night. I sometimes see them at dusk flying from woods to field to feed near Cwmbrwyno and I flushed one in the small woods on Llanbadarn campus, u might be famililar with the woods im on about; amoungst the horse fields as you walk in the direction of the industrial estate from the stables. Get where i mean? but that was first thing in the morning and i flushed it from the ground by where i put the a mist net - shame it flew in the wrong direction!!

Basically keep you eyes pealed at dusk around farm fields near woods! oh, and i flushed one at Ynys-hir the other week i was walking to the hide which is the most north-east hide on the reserve if you know the one i mean. looking over a bend in the river.

Sarah.

 

[mcmerlin]

yeah, i know where you mean. cheers, il have to have a look if i get time.

 

[MattJP]

woodcock up on consti? ridiculously, ive never seen a woodcock, its a definite bogey bird for me- any ideas on how to see one around here?

I found a dead one near Morrisons!

 

[MattJP]

Definately saw at least 4 Woodcock, they were in Penglais university farm fields behind the golf course. I only really see them when i am trying to catch them at night. I sometimes see them at dusk flying from woods to field to feed near Cwmbrwyno and I flushed one in the small woods on Llanbadarn campus, u might be famililar with the woods im on about; amoungst the horse fields as you walk in the direction of the industrial estate from the stables. Get where i mean? but that was first thing in the morning and i flushed it from the ground by where i put the a mist net - shame it flew in the wrong direction!!

Basically keep you eyes pealed at dusk around farm fields near woods! oh, and i flushed one at Ynys-hir the other week i was walking to the hide which is the most north-east hide on the reserve if you know the one i mean. looking over a bend in the river.

Sarah.

Do you mean Cwmbrwyno up the A44? I will keep an eye out up there then on my way home!!

 

[aberbirder]

Matt,

Yep, by Nant yr arian I've seen two. And I hope you checked the dead one for rings! hehe. There is like alot of Woodcock ringing occuring around here now as part of a project for the Game and Wildlife Conservancy Trust to find out more about these secretive birds!

Sarah