I visited RSPB South Stack yesterday (26th May 2014) for my first time. It took roughly 2 hours to get there and on the way I spotted: kestrel, buzzard, mistle thrush, lapwing and a small distant wader on some mud, which looked like either a ringed or a little ringed plover.
By the time I'd arrived it was 11:00am. Straight away I picked up stonechat, meadow pipit, jackdaw and magpie. We then walked up to the visitor centre and sat down for a cup of tea. This is where I spotted chough, wren, linnet, swallow, herring gull, lesser black-backed gull and distant auks. When we finished our tea we walked down to a patch just in front of Ellins Tower. Here I could see guillemot, razorbill, kittiwake, gannet, fulmar, herring gull, lesser black-backed gull, chough, rock pipit and a peregrine on its nest. Also, some shag and cormorant flew past. Feral Pigeon sat on the cliff tops, which I almost misidentified for rock dove! A white wagtail passed through and plenty of swallows and house martins circled overhead. Then I walked along the path and reached the steps for the Lighthouse, but a distinctive call stopped me, wheatear. A pair were sat on the rocks in the heathland and were calling and flitting around. The male caught caterpillars whilst the female collected grass and popped down into a little hole. Little did we know that we'd actually discovered South Stacks very first wheatear nest!
We watched some more puffins from the steps and decided we'd try Holyhead Harbour for black guillemot. This didn't go to plan as we failed to find any but we were treated to brilliant views of a pair of red-breasted merganser.
On the way home we picked up buzzard, grey heron, swift, house sparrow, lapwing, blackbird, starling, mistle thrush and pheasant. All-in-all it was a great day and I can't wait to visit again.:t:
I would also like to thank the very kind wardens who helped me get the most out of the day and my family for taking me!
Stonechat by the car park
Distant chough, see if you can spot the very blurry rock pipit
Female wheatear
Red-breasted Merganser
By the time I'd arrived it was 11:00am. Straight away I picked up stonechat, meadow pipit, jackdaw and magpie. We then walked up to the visitor centre and sat down for a cup of tea. This is where I spotted chough, wren, linnet, swallow, herring gull, lesser black-backed gull and distant auks. When we finished our tea we walked down to a patch just in front of Ellins Tower. Here I could see guillemot, razorbill, kittiwake, gannet, fulmar, herring gull, lesser black-backed gull, chough, rock pipit and a peregrine on its nest. Also, some shag and cormorant flew past. Feral Pigeon sat on the cliff tops, which I almost misidentified for rock dove! A white wagtail passed through and plenty of swallows and house martins circled overhead. Then I walked along the path and reached the steps for the Lighthouse, but a distinctive call stopped me, wheatear. A pair were sat on the rocks in the heathland and were calling and flitting around. The male caught caterpillars whilst the female collected grass and popped down into a little hole. Little did we know that we'd actually discovered South Stacks very first wheatear nest!
We watched some more puffins from the steps and decided we'd try Holyhead Harbour for black guillemot. This didn't go to plan as we failed to find any but we were treated to brilliant views of a pair of red-breasted merganser.
On the way home we picked up buzzard, grey heron, swift, house sparrow, lapwing, blackbird, starling, mistle thrush and pheasant. All-in-all it was a great day and I can't wait to visit again.:t:
I would also like to thank the very kind wardens who helped me get the most out of the day and my family for taking me!
Stonechat by the car park
Distant chough, see if you can spot the very blurry rock pipit
Female wheatear
Red-breasted Merganser
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