North Wales Birding (5 Viewers)

[JWN Andrewes]

Couldn't get out till this afternoon today, went looking for Surfs & Velvets in Colwyn Bay. Found around 6000 of the wrong species (sorry Commons, no offence, you know what I mean), a few Red-throated Divers and a Long-tailed Duck. Got all day tomorrow, barring incident. See how it goes.

 

[jogresh]

I was doing a survey at Beach House Road, Llanddulas all day - huge numbers of Commons. Frustrating that there were 3 Surf and 6 Velvet at Rainbow Bridge, but my scope can't see round corners! 🙄🤦‍♂️
Good luck today.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Well, we stopped by Rainbow Bridge early doors but the Scoter were super distant and there was a sight more chop than yesterday. We didn't linger, instead made straight for the North end of Llyn Maelog, where we scored the three Glossy Ibis there. My first in North Wales since lord knows when, an individual down near Abersoch back when they were still quite rare, fifteen, twenty years ago? Also, Arch has only ever seen very distant silhouetty ones before, so he was a happy bunny too.

Had a really nice walk along the southern edge of the Alaw Estuary next, flocks of Brents & Wigeon, a nice quartet of Goldeneye, a few Greenshank. Med Gull & Grey Plover were year ticks here.

Tried to catch up with a couple of year ticks for Arch next, that I'd already had. Succeeded with Slav Grebe at Beddmanarch, where we also got a couple of Black Guillemots and a year tick Kittiwake, but failed to locate the Valley Cattle Egret at a couple of the sites it had frequented in the past.

Next up was yet another Black Redstart hunt, more in hope than expectation having dipped a succession of the damn things this winter it's become something of a bete noir. We decided to try the one at Octel at Amlwch Port, only to find that the gap in the fence that one could (hypothetically) use to access the site had been fixed, leaving only a much narrower gap to (hypothetically) squeeze through. Nearly did myself a hypothetical mischief doing so, but it was worth it when the smart male Black Red that we'd spent a couple of hours dipping last year gave itself up before we even reached the prime search area. Big relief, temporary hoodoo banished. The one I dipped on Monday at Benllech showed again today too.

A stop at Llanfairfechan sewage works as we passed en route home yielded up Chiffchaff & Coal Tit for the year but no Firecrest in amongst the many Goldcrest. Year list now 127.

 

[jogresh]

Ah yes i remember the Abersoch bird, great find by Marc.
That Black Red is a smart bird.
There's been a Firecrest at RSPB Conwy (u prob already know) in case you're in the area again.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Bramblings on tap at the Brenig feeders this morning, plenty Siskin too, a single Redpoll, a few Crossbills over, all made waiting for Willow Tit a pleasurable if damn cold experience. Legions of Blue Tits in and out, a few Great Tits and false-alarm Coal before the real thing put in a brief appearance just over an hour into the stake-out. My only previous Willow Tit in North Wales was at Wepre back in the early nineties, so a great one to get this year.
Too much other stuff to do today unfortunately, so that'll be it till Monday.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Been meaning to include a comprehensive list, meant to do it sooner and thought I’d better get on with it before the list gets too much bigger (positive thinking there).

1​	01-Jan​	Fenn's Moss	Pheasant
2​	​		Blackbird
3​	​		Woodpigeon
4​	​		Carrion Crow
5​	​		Fieldfare
6​	​		Blue Tit
7​	​		Great Tit
8​	​		Long-tailed Tit
9​	​		Jay
10​	​		Robin
11​	​		Chaffinch
12​	​		Canada Goose
13​	​		Raven
14​	​		Great Spotted Woodpecker
15​	​		Wren
16​	​		Magpie
17​	​		Goldcrest
18​	​		Marsh Tit
19​	​		Meadow Pipit
20​	​		Jackdaw
21​	​		Siskin
22​	​	Bettisfield	Mallard
23​	​		Lapwing
24​	​		Common Gull
25​	​		Grey Wagtail
26​	​		Starling
27​	​		Cormorant
28​	​		Sparrowhawk
29​	​		House Sparrow
30​	​		Dunnock
31​	​		Red-legged Partridge
32​	​		Collared Dove
33​	​		Linnet
34​	​		Brambling
35​	​		Redwing
36​	​		Goldfinch
37​	​		Stock Dove
38​	​		Buzzard
39​	​		Greenfinch
40​	​		Herring Gull
41​	​	Hanmer Mere	Mute Swan
42​	​		Coot
43​	​		Tufted Duck
44​	​		Goldeneye
45​	​		Black-headed Gull
46​	​		Shelduck
47​	​		Wigeon
48​	​		Little Grebe
49​	​		Teal
50​	​		Moorhen
51​	​	Overton	Kestrel
52​	​	Gresford Flash	Goosander
53​	02-Jan​	Rhuddlan	Rook
54​	​		Curlew
55​	​		Greylag Goose
56​	​		Little Egret
57​	​		Great Black-backed Gull
58​	​		Oystercatcher
59​	​		Dunlin
60​	​		Redshank
61​	​		Black-tailed Godwit
62​	​		Grey Heron
63​	​	Colwyn Bay	Fulmar
64​	​		Feral Pigeon
65​	​	Little Orme	Shag
66​	​		Iceland Gull
67​	​		Lesser Black-backed Gull
68​	​	Penrhyn Bay	Eider
69​	​		Red-breasted Merganser
70​	​		Red-throated Diver
71​	​		Guillemot
72​	​		Great Crested Grebe
73​	​		Purple Sandpiper
74​	​		Turnstone
75​	​		Ringed Plover
76​	​		Gannet
77​	​		Great Northern Diver
78​	​	Pensarn	Common Scoter
79​	​	Rhuddlan	White-fronted Goose
80​	​	Rhyl Brickfields	Greater Scaup
81​	03-Jan​	Benllech	Long-tailed Duck
82​	​	Penrhos	Black Guillemot
83​	​		Greenshank
84​	​		Rock Pipit
85​	​	Inland Sea	Bar-tailed Godwit
86​	​		Slavonian Grebe
87​	​		Stonechat
88​	​		Peregrine
89​	​		Bullfinch
90​	​	Four Mile Bridge	Brent Goose
91​	​	Cors Ddyga	Shoveler
92​	​		Pintail
93​	​		Ruff
94​	​		Gadwall
95​	​		Marsh Harrier
96​	​		Song Thrush
97​	​		Snipe
98​	​		Hen Harrier
99​	​		Reed Bunting
100​	​		Short-eared Owl
101​	04-Jan​	Shotwick Lake	Green Sandpiper
102​	​	Shotton Rifle Range	Pink-footed Goose
103​	​		Great White Egret
104​	​		Mistle Thrush
105​	​		Pied Wagtail
106​	​	CQNR	Whooper Swan
107​	​		Spotted Redshank
108​	05-Jan​	Llanrwst	Hawfinch
109​	​		Dipper
110​	​	Llyn Brenig	Merlin
111​	​		Crossbill
112​	​		Great Grey Shrike
113​	​	Rhyl	Golden Plover
114​	​	Horton's Nose	Skylark
115​	​	Rhuddlan	Barnacle Goose
116​	09-Jan​	Rough Piece Wood	Tawny Owl
117​	10-Jan​	Valley	Cattle Egret
118​	​	Conwy RSPB	Pochard
119​	​		Lesser Redpoll
120​	​	Shotwick Fields	Bewick's Swan
121​	16-Jan​	Llyn Maelog	Glossy Ibis
122​	​	Alaw Estuary	Mediterranean Gull
123​	​		Grey Plover
124​	​	Beddmanach Bay	Kittiwake
125​	​	Octel	Black Redstart
126​	​	Llanfairfechan	Chiffchaff
127​	​		Coal Tit
128​	20-Jan​	Llyn Brenig	Willow Tit

Off tomorrow, hope to add a few more....

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Started the day down at the south end of Llyn Tegid / Lake Bala (take your pick) where the Ring-necked Duck was showing extremely distantly with half a dozen Tufties, all diving frequently.

After that I had a choice - Conwy RSPB to look for Firecrest (not seen over the weekend) or Colwyn Bay to scan for scarcer Scoters (in suboptimal conditions). Opted for the latter, and ended up with nothing really to show for my efforts. Sea was beautifully flat, but the Scoter were miles out, which with a bit of sunshine to light up the white bits doesn't always matter too much, but of the sun this morning there was no sign.

OK then, next up was Talacre for Snow Bunting. Checked by the lighthouse first, where it had last been reported, but came up blank. So I headed east to where it seemed to most frequently have been seen, all the way over to the fence put up by the RSPB to try and deter people from disturbing feeding and roosting waders on the Point of Ayr reserve. Not there either. So I headed back west again past the lighthouse this time, and well beyond it I spotted a movement up ahead and off to the right, bins up, and Snow Bunt in the bag! Hopping down out of the dunes towards the shingle. Sweet! Popped the scope down so I could give it a good grilling, and it upped and away, flying far off along the beach until it was lost to sight, flightiest damn Snow Bunting I ever met!

A few logistical challenges lie between me and getting out in the field on my next few days off, worse luck, so might not be much to report for a couple of weeks but in the meantime...

129 Ring-necked Duck
130 Snow Bunting

 

[JWN Andrewes]

So, lamb shanks in the slow cooker, relatives coming round for Sunday dinner, house to tidy, and what happens? Snow Goose at Burton Mere Wetlands is what, a tick for Arch and on the Welsh part of the reserve at that.
Zero hesitation, we're off. Twenty minute drive, five minute brisk walk, and it's in the bag, fantastic! My first North Wales tick of the year, and would have been very easy to miss.
We reported it still present at 15:12, and the timings of my subsequent photos show it took off with the Pink-foot flock at 15:15, and was lost to view way in the distance shortly after my last photo at 15:17. Quick reaction saved the day!
131 for the year, 268 for North Wales, back in plenty of time for Sunday dinner!

 

[JWN Andrewes]

A day out birding for the sake of birding on Monday, although there were a handful of year ticks on offer. Parked up at Morfa Madryn and walked over to Spinnies and back, a round trip of about 8 miles.
Very pleasant, nice selection of waders & wildfowl on a rising tide, lots of Wigeon & Teal, a few Pintail, with Goldeneye, Merganser & Eider further out.
Stopped by the patch of woodland by the Afon Aber mouth to check Crests, Finches and whatnot and heard a Water Rail squealing from a bramble patch. A bit of patience and it soon stalked out, strange to see it feeding like a Blackbird, moving leaves aside to see what lay beneath - year tick number 1.
Year tick 2 was Knot, a few if which were in with the waders feeding along the waterline as the tide pushed them in. Loads of Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Curlew a few Bar-tailed Godwits, Redshank also gathering on the marshy pools in the fields along the shore, along with a dozen or so Greenshank and a couple of Black-tailed Godwits, and along the pebbly foreshore Ringed Plovers gathered.
Buzzard Marsh Harrier & Peregrine represented the raptor tribe, and omong the songbirds the occasional Bullfinch and Stonechat worth stopping for. Somewhat surprisingly, not a single Pipit seen or heard.

 

[AFeather]

There's a couple of colour rings on the plovers...

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Work, weather & a family trip to Cardiff have gotten in the way of North Wales birding of late, but this morning I had the chance to take advantage of the sunshine and head up to Llanddulas to look for Scoters. Surf was, as usual, the easier of the two, head glowing like a beacon in the direct sunlight. Velvet took a lot longer, one eventually had a scratch and a shake in scope, year list moves to 135. One Long-tailed Duck too.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Stopped by Shotton Rifle Range a couple of days ago on my way home from work. Two Barn Owls (136) were out quartering the marshes, as well as a Short-eared. A third Barn was hunting over a rough field by the road on the way back to the car.

Been out round Clocaenog/Brenig looking for Goshawk today, but conditions weren't great so no joy on that front, but Red Kite for the year in North Wales (137), despite having seen scores on the journey to and from Cardiff over half term. Also stopped by the visitor centre at Llyn Brenig where the Bramblings are colouring up very nicely ready for spring.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

An early morning pop in to World's End pre work a couple of days ago got me the expected Black & Red Grouse, 11 of the former just the 1 of the latter - 139.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Day off today, helping parents clear out their garage, popped in to Connah's Quay Nature Reserve on the way for Twite, with several hanging around the trapping area. Far more noteworthy though, a North Wales tick! Probably the most embarrassing gap that I had, Little Gull, bobbing about at the back of the Ash Pool. I'd seen it reported a few days ago and gone looking but failed to find it and had thought it gone, so absolutely delighted to clock it today. I've seen so many just the wrong side of the border over the years (by mere yards on occasion) so you can imagine how good it felt to finally lay it to rest. I'll probably see loads now!
Nice and birdy round the corner on the Welsh section of Burton Mere Wetlands, highlights being a quartet of Barnacle Geese and a small clump of year tick Avocets - 142.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

A bit more local birding on Thursday, first off to a nearby Goshawk site which gave up the goods after an embarrassingly short wait, followed by a drop in on a nearby site that has had at least possible Little Ringed Plover breeding attempts the last couple of years, on the off chance of an early returner, and was delighted to be rewarded with that very thing!

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Decided to go up Penycloddiau this morning, a regular high hilltop stop-off site for Ring Ouzel in spring, but although I couldn't rustle up any this time (not too worried, plenty of other places to bag one later in the season), I did very unexpectedly come across a couple of Jack Snipe (145) in a boggy hollow near the hill fort. Had all but given up on these till autumn, having several times scoured a piece of waterlogged waste ground by Airbus that had had one recently.
Then on to Hope's Nose arriving just before the incoming tide covered the very last strip of sand, pushing off the single Sanderling (146) & Ringed Plover.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

A couple of unsuccessful post work attempts for Garganey on the Border Pool last week did yield up a couple of Sand Martins (147) on Thursday.
Then yesterday was a four Auk morning, with Razorbill & Puffin new for the year at South Stack, with Chough & Hooded Crow sandwiched between them, and Black Guillemots showing nicely in Holyhead fish quay.
A very long walk round Cors Ddyga followed, where brief flight views of a Cetti's Warbler & a drake Garganey took the list up to 153. Cors Ddyga continues to impress as a great addition to an Anglesey day out, with at least 4 Marsh Harriers, plentiful wildfowl, waders including a couple of Ruff and several hundred Golden Plover, Egrets and a booming Bittern. That last sits very firmly in unfinished business, never seen one in North Wales, so expect a stake-out at some point this year.
A pair of Long-tailed Ducks and some summery looking Red-throated Divers off Old Colwyn on the way home, but nothing new for the year.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

We're down to just the one car today (the wife's has thrown a shoe or something) so after a Mothers' Day breakfast I've been restricted to Shanks' pony, so headed off to see what Common stuff I could find to plug a few holes in the list. Started well with a Kingfisher (154) on the Alyn, and a Nuthatch (155) yelling its head off by the Sarn Lane bridge. No luck with Treecreeper. It'll keep. Also, I'd hoped to have picked up a singing Blackcap round here by now, but it's not happened.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Plenty of sunshine about after work today, so I took myself off to World's End on the off chance of Ring Ouzel, which proved a good decision with decent flight views of a male just before I threw in the towel after a longish walk that featured a couple of flocks of Fieldfare over and two pairs of Kestrels engaged in a very vocal border dispute.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Back for seconds of Ring Ouzel tonight, with Arch this time, and managed to pin down both male and female out feeding in the evening sun, and a Short-eared Owl hunting the other side of the road. Wheatear was a year tick here (157), and a short drive over the top gave Arch both Red and Black Grouse for the year.