NE Wales birdingwatching (1 Viewer)

[bartolli]

Nice walk from llandegla upto llyn cywfynwy (prob spelt wrong!) today.
Heard my first cuckoo of the year somewhere up on the moors but couldn't find him!
Plenty of buzzardss, chiffchaffs + willow warblers, coupla kestrels. Up by the lake, plenty of mipets, stonechats and more willow warblers. On the lake just a few bh gulls, 2 gc grebes, 1 cormorant and a solitary common sandpiper on the shoreline.

 

[John Barber]

Red Kite again yesterday at Worlds End. The second time I've seen it in the last couple of weeks.

 

[Peugeot]

A Cuckoo at the Rifle Range Pools today, with 2 Lesser Whitethroat, and numerous Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Skylark, etc.....

 

[Peugeot]

A good day on the Patch today, with 80 species recorded throughout.

80 species recorded

Highlights

Chiffchaff c20
Kestrel 2
Buzzard 3
Swallow c20
Gadwall 8
Yellowhammer 2
Willow Warbler c10
Little Grebe 6
Sand Martin c200
Tufted Duck 38
Garden Warbler 2
Blackcap
Lesser Whitethroat 2
Little Ringed Plover
Oystercatcher c30
Wheatear 2
Greenshank 7
Common Sandpiper
Curlew c10
Shelduck c100
House Martin 5
Linnet C10
Meadow Pipit 4
Reed Warbler 9
Common Tern
Shoveler 2
Sedge Warbler 5
Whimbrel 10
Sparrowhawk
Common Whitethroat 2
Reed Bunting 2
Great Crested Grebe 2
Yellow Wagtail 3
Wigeon 3
Mistle Thrush 2
Treecreeper 2
Bullfinch

 

[Peugeot]

Another day on the Patch, produced my first White Wagtail of the Spring, 4 of, (better late than never), and also my first Swift, so far this year.

Other birds of note,....

Common Whitethroat 5
Lesser Whitethroat 2
Cettis Warbler
Sedge Warbler 6
Reed Warbler 6
Reed Bunting 4
Skylark 18
Wheatear 3

but still no Gropper!........

 

[willowsholme]

Hi Peugeot,
Have read your recent post and am getting jealous of your tally.
Where exactly is Chester Meadows and whats the best parking.
Coming up to Broughton next week so may try your Patch.

Willowsholme

 

[Peugeot]

Hi Peugeot,
Have read your recent post and am getting jealous of your tally.
Where exactly is Chester Meadows and whats the best parking.
Coming up to Broughton next week so may try your Patch.

Willowsholme

First of all, can I apologize, for not stating which Patch I'm talking about in SOME of my Posts, because I cover more than one.

The most recent Post, where for example, I recorded 80 species, is a total of all the birds recorded, from the Rifle Rifle Area on Deeside, Shotwick Boating Lake, and also from Flint and Bagillt Marsh, ....and this was achieved, by covering all 3 of those sites in the one day, from 6.00am - until 4.00pm.......a lot of hours on foot, covering a massive area!

Chester Meadows

Is a superb site, which myself and other's, cover very regularly, and for a real taster of what the site can offer over a typical year, you should visit.......Northwalesbirding Forum, and then the, Your Birding Day/Sightings section, and click on Chester Meadows.

To access the Meadows, you should ideally park in Handbridge, and then from the Dee Bridge, take the footpath onto the Meadows.

 

[willowsholme]

Thanks for the explanation.
Have found the section that you mentioned re Chester Meadows.
Looks good for keeping up to date on what's where.

Have to get the map out now!

Cheers

 

[Peugeot]

No problem Willowsholme.......and I'm delighted that you've highlighted this, and I will endeavour to break down my future Posts more clearly....

For the record......

I spent the first part of the day from 6.00am till 9.00am, at the Rifle Range Area, where the 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Garden Warbler, 7 Greenshank, 35 Tufties, 8 Gadwall, 2 Shoveler, 9 Reed Warbler, 5 Sedge Warbler, and the flyover Little Ringed Plover were the highlights.

I then walked from there, to Shotwick Boating Lake, where the 2 Yellowhammer, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 6 Little Grebe, 2 Kestrel, and 3 Buzzard, were the highlights.

I returned back to the car from the Boating Lake, at around 12.00pm, and then drove to Flint, where I walked from the castle to Bagillt Marsh, and back again, where the c200 Sand Martin, c30 Oystercatcher, c100 Shelduck, 5 House Martin, c20 Swallow, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 10 Whimbrel, Common Tern, and 2 Wheatear were the highlights.

I was back at the car, at around 4.00pm.

 

[Peugeot]

I've covered the Rifle Range Area, for a couple of hours after work, every day this week, where the highlights collectively from the 4 days,.... have been.........

Common Sandpiper (daily)
Greenshank (daily)
Wheatear 6
Lesser Whitethroat 2
Skylark

Good number's, of all the common warbler's, with also a flyover Sandwich Tern, my first of the Spring, and a 'possible' Greenland Wheatear.

 

[Peugeot]

My second Cuckoo of the year, passed through the Rifle Range Area this morning, but unlike the first, it didn't 'stick around' this time.

Also, 3 Whinchat , occupied the grassy areas, whilst the ever present Common Sandpiper, was feeding on the muddy edges of the pool.

But best of all, was the sight of c100 Common Tern, appearing out of nowhere, ( possibly, having travelled overnight ), and then descending onto the steelworks pools, at around 6am........a spectacular sight, and sound.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Pair of Pied Flycatcher at World's End on Saturday morning, right by (and indeed on) the road about half a k downstream of the ford. Couple of Whinchat and a few Wheatear up top, but not much else to be had in pretty crappy weather.

James

 

[Peugeot]

A bit of a change today,......

I took a walk along the cycle path, which runs from the Boating Lake to Burton Point.

60 species recorded

Highlights

Cettis Warbler 2 (along railway embankment)
Cuckoo (flyover)
Lesser Whitethroat 2
Reed Warbler c10
Sedge Warbler c10
Swift c50
Bullfinch 2
Reed Bunting 4
Common Whitethroat 5
Yellow Wagtail
Avocet 2 (on pool, at Burton Mere Wetlands)
Wheatear 16 (along railway embankment)
Great Spotted Woodpecker

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Nice stroll up at World's End on Sunday, giving a new camera a run out. Plenty of Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Whinchats etc, distant Cuckoo was heard only, and as we headed home we encountered a platoon of Black Grouse right by the road, all strutting about in parade order, quite spectacular!

Also just had a pair of Dipper where Sarn Lane in Hope crosses the Alyn. Photos to follow when I've sorted through them.

Cheers

James

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Also just had a pair of Dipper where Sarn Lane in Hope crosses the Alyn. Photos to follow when I've sorted through them.

And here they are. Not bad for the school run (morning & afternoon)!

Cheers

James

 

[Peugeot]

Some nice photos James, I particularly like the Whinchat.

 

[Peugeot]

Back to 'Patch Working',

....... and a morning spent covering the Shotwick Boating Lake area, which also included, a walk to Burton Point, via the new cycle path.

The outstanding highlight, was a pair of newly arrived Spotted Flycatcher, which were showing very well along the path.

Spotted Flycatcher 2
Common Whitethroat 7
Blackcap 7
Sedge Warbler 9
Reed Warbler 5
Wheatear 7 (No Greenlands)
Gadwall 8
Garden Warbler 2
Lesser Whitethroat
Reed Bunting 6
Whinchat
Black Tailed Godwit c70 (Burton Mere Wetlands)
Avocet 2 (Burton Mere Wetlands)

 

[Peugeot]

A walk along the North Wales Coastal Path today........from Flint Castle, and then onwards, towards Mostyn.

.......was 'lit up', by the presence of 2 Cuckoo's, (1 male, and 1 female), with the female, being of the 'brown morph' variety.

I'm embarrassed to admit, that I've never previously seen a 'brown morph' female Cuckoo before, but believe me, this was well worth the wait.............a truly gorgeous bird.

58 species recorded

Highlights

Cuckoo 2 (including, 1 'Brown Morph' female)
Lesser Whitethroat 2
Common Tern c200
Whinchat
Wheatear 13 (including, 2 'probable' Greenlands)
Whimbrel 4
Sand Martin c50

 

[Peugeot]

A 6am start, in fine weather at Flint today,

Flint Point,.... held 12 Great Crested Grebe, and c30 Oystercatcher, whilst the surrounding woodlands, typically held, Treecreeper, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, as well as the majority of other common species.

The walk to Bagillt Marsh,.... produced, Curlew, Whimbrel, a few Common Tern, Cuckoo, (female), 4 Mistle Thrush, Wheatear, plenty of Greenfinch, and c50 Sand Martin, at the cliff top colony.

For after's,.... I spent a couple of hours around Shotton Marsh, where a superb female Marsh Harrier, and a pair of Whinchat, were the outstanding birds.

68 species recorded

Highlights

Cuckoo (hepatic brown morph female).... 'Lifer'
Marsh Harrier
Whinchat 2

 

[Peugeot]

Another, 6am start at Flint today....

Flint Point,......
held the same 12 Great Crested Grebe as yesterday, plus c100 Oystercatcher, and also, Lesser Black Back, Black Headed, Common, Great Black Back, and Herring Gull, with a few Cormorant resting on the opposite shoreline.

Flint Woods.....
held Song Thrush, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Blackbird, Robin, Greenfinch, Woodpigeon, Willow Warbler, Treecreeper, Wren, Blackcap, Magpie, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Chiffchaff, Mistle Thrush, Long Tailed Tit, Dunnock, Sparrowhawk, Common Whitethroat, a flyover Peregrine, and also, a Nuthatch, which surprisingly, is the first one that I've seen here.

The Sand Martin colony, remains at a stable 50 birds or so, whilst other birds seen today along the walk to Bagillt Marsh,.....
included, Little Egret, Linnet, House Martin, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Shelduck, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, and good number's of Common Tern, that were fishing out on the waves.