North Wales Birding (1 Viewer)

[JWN Andrewes]

Notched up Swallow, House Martin & Blackcap at Llay Pool after work yesterday, brings the year list to 160. Green Sandpiper still there too.
Nothing much to report from the Welsh side of BMW after work today, a couple of Ruff and plenty of Pink-feet the pick.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

A visit to Llay Pool a couple of evenings ago, and there were Willow Warblers everywhere, but no Lesser Whitethroats yet.

Then a really nice stop off at Shotton Rifle Range to view Welsh BMW from the cycle way on my way home from work yesterday. Kicked off with a Whitethroat on the way up to the range, then decent views of a Cetti's in bushes the far side of the railway. A pair of Garganey was on the Border Pool, and out on the marsh at least half a dozen Ruff, including a couple of males with summer plumage starting to come through. A pair of, Marsh Harriers was out and about too and as I left an adult Med Gull flew over, heading out over the saltmarsh and then a Grasshopper Warbler started reeling near the Rifle Range HQ, but I couldn't get sight of it, so it's not on the yearlist just yet.

161. Willow Warbler
162. Whitethroat

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Nice potter round between home and Clocaenog yesterday taking in the Osprey pair at Brenig, a drop in to look for Yellowhammer at Cilcain (none singing but a male was calling frequently enough to be easily located), picked up a couple of Redstarts here too, before finishing off at World's End. First stop was the bend where I got Pied Flycatcher last year, and one was singing away there again, very pleasing. Couldn't find any Whinchat or Cuckoo, but a walk up towards Esculsham got me a smashing male Ring Ouzel.
163. Osprey
164. Yellowhammer
165. Redstart
166. Pied Flycatcher

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Not seen Wood Warbler at World's End for years, ever since the spot I knew was extensively felled, but my route on from Cilcain the other day took me down a side round I was unfamiliar with, and I thought at the time it looked promising. I slowed right down and cranked the window open, and although I didn't hear anything I decided to pop back soon when I had more time for a proper go. This afternoon Arch and I headed back (after nailing Pied Fly for Arch) and sure enough, as I pulled into a passing place, we could hear one singing even before killing the engine. We lingered a while to watch it warbling away amongst the blossom, before backtracking to spend some time scanning for raptors at a spot where I'd had Whinchat & Cuckoo in previous years, as well as Goshawk earlier this year. Highlight was a couple of Red Kites and a fly-by from the XL Beluga on its way in to Airbus at Broughton. Other stops on the way back home yielded nothing more exciting than Wheatears, Mipits & Skylarks.
167. Wood Warbler

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Back to Shotton Rifle Range on the evening of the Wood Warbler, where we managed crappy views of a reeling Gropper for the year.
Then on Sunday headed over to start the day in the Gwydir Forest. Cuckoo was calling away, and I eventually managed to see one being chased off by a pair of Meadow Pipits. At least one Tree Pipit present too.
Up to Conwy RSPB next, for a mini avalanche of year ticks, kicking off with a Whimbrel on the estuary. Lots of Warblers in song, including Grasshopper & Cetti's, with Sedge & Lesser Whitethroat additions to the list as would have been Reed, but those I located remained resolutely hidden, kept low in the reeds by a fairly keen breeze. Common Sandpiper were present on the reserve and the estuary, and the biggest surprise was a drake Mandarin on one of the islands, not seen one of those hear before.

168. Grasshopper Warbler
169. Cuckoo
170. Tree Pipit
171. Whimbrel
172. Common Sandpiper
173. Mandarin
174. Sedge Warbler
175. Lesser Whitethroat

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Finally managed to get back to Bettisfield today, and in time honoured fashion I eventually found myself a pair of Corn Buntings in the final couple of hundred yards of a 3 hour walked loop! Along the way heard Cuckoo & Lesser Whitethroat, and got brief flight views of a Yellow Wagtail. Another Yellow Wag was with the Buntings.

176. Yellow Wagtail
177. Corn Bunting

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Last couple of days in April, stopped by Shotton Rifle Range on the way home from work. On Friday there was a Grasshopper Warbler sitting out nicely for distant scope views, into the light of the setting sun. Then a smart male Whinchat by the railway line, Yellow Wagtail and a couple of Little Ringed Plover on the marsh. Whinchat was still there on Saturday, but duller, breezier, slightly drizzly weather put paid to any Gropper sightings. A couple of Egyptian Geese on the BMW marsh were new for the year, also two each of sum plum Ruff & Spotted Redshank. I have now surpassed my total for 2020, wretched year that it was.

178. Whinchat
179. Egyptian Goose

 

[JWN Andrewes]

A long planned trip to Anglesey this morning kicked off catching Arch up with a few bits I'd already seen starting with four Black Guillemots in a flat calm Holyhead fish quay. South Stack next, Puffin, Chough, Hooded Crow all fell into place perfectly, Arch was filling his boots, while I was still waiting for my first year tick. Fun though.
Cemlyn was where I opened my account with Sandwich, Arctic & Common Terns. We lingered here a while, watching the Terns toing and froing is good for the spirit. I've no doubt we'll be back later in the year.
In our original plan we had been going to hit Cors Ddyga next for a lengthy poke about, still need Reed Warbler after all, before heading home, but the continued presence of Pectoral Sandpiper down at Trawsfynydd persuaded us to change course. Couldn't find the Pec on arrival, just a couple of Little Ringed Plover and a scattering of Common Sands, but we were treated to an Osprey cruising into the bay and then back out over the reservoir. We quickly decided that the best bet was to head over the bridge and try from the footpath on the other side of the bay where we would be much closer to the action. A brisk walk and three Dunlin later and bingo, on a marshy spit just offshore, one Pectoral Sandpiper. When we got back to the car we could hear Cuckoo calling, another one Arch still needed for the year, so we headed off in pursuit, eventually bagging distant views along with singing Redstarts and a coupe of Whimbrel. A most satisfying day out.

180. Sandwich Tern
181. Arctic Tern
182. Common Tern
183. Pectoral Sandpiper

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Another drop in to the cycleway between Shotton Rifle Range & BMW on the way home from work yesterday, much of the usual cast present, with LRP, Yellow Wagtail & Egyptian Goose providing support for a headlining Wood Sandpiper. Popped in to CQNR after that, but not much doing here.

184. Wood Sandpiper.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Should have been my weekend off today but I had to be in for a big recruitment event, so you can imagine my consternation on learning of a female Citrine Wagtail at Cemlyn! It is possible that the haste of my departure just after 5 was unseemly! After swinging by home for Arch we were away and arrived at a quiet Cemlyn, just two birders present and no Citrine on show.... Helped ourselves to the Blue-headed that was present and settled down for that anxious wait that I'm sure we're all familiar with until eventually a guy who had arrived in the car park at the same time as us announced he was on it. Phew! It stayed way over the back of the pools, skulking n the rushes, but lovely evening sunlight made for gorgeous zoomed in scope views, which makes up for the ropey pics. Swift over too.

185. Swift
186. Citrine Wagtail

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Been ridiculously busy at work recently, so haven't bothered much with chasing summer visitors as they come in, would rather pick them up at a more leisurely pace when I'm off a few days at the end of the month. Cheaper too, to get them on a single, well planned day out rather than ad hoc on a number of outings. That said, I fluked a Hobby over the A55 by Broughton on the way home from work today, mere yards inside the border, and thus saving me a trip down to Fenn's Moss at a later date. Not that I have any objection to Fenn's Moss, just anything to reduce fuel cost at the moment.
Then earlier this evening, using the pretext of a necessary trip into Mold, I popped to Loggerheads and managed to locate a hoped for Spotted Flycatcher (a pair, in fact) before the rain arrived.

187. Hobby
188. Spotted Flycatcher

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Continued slow going, mostly dropping in on sites I can do on the way to and from work, seeing plenty of the usual and expected species, so enjoyable enough but no year list fodder. One of the highlights was a big count of 92 Stock Doves in a recently tilled field by Deeside Industrial Park, including a rather bizarre golden looking individual.
My main big recent obsession has been tracking down Garden Warbler with multiple visits since the beginning of May to Waun y Llyn & Rhyddyn Hill, reliable sites in recent years, yielding none at all. Then chatting to a chap at the cricket club who works for Natural Resources Wales, he reckoned he'd had one a few days before at Nant y Ffrith. So off I pottered, and sure enough in some willows in a sheep field on the edge of the woods, one singing Garden Warbler! Finally! I was also treated here to a fly by Hobby, calling Cuckoo and the joyous sound of bubbling Curlews.
And yesterday, while our on unrelated errands, I dropped in to check out a small reedbed adjacent to Shotton Rifle Range, and was rewarded with the year's first views of Reed Warbler, after having just heard them on a couple of previous occasions.

189. Garden Warbler
190. Reed Warbler

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Been chipping away over the past few days, helped by having a few days off over the half term. On Tuesday evening Arch & I spent dusk at Nercwys, where one of at least two calling Nightjars treated us to a fly-by, before we stole through the night down to Kent for the Eleonora's.
By Thursday afternoon I'd slept off the twitch, so I headed up to Talacre where there was a Little Gull on the beach way off west of the lighthouse, and a few Little Terns fished just offshore. On the way back I stopped to check out a new site for me, a stretch of Dee mudflats at Ffynnongroyw (not a typo). Decent flocks of Black-tailed Godwits & Knot, given the time of year, very distant, but could be worth a high tide visit at some point. A scan of the mudflats also gave me a count of 189 Carrion Crows!
Friday, and time to catch up with a couple of common species that had thus far eluded me. Ten minute walk from home, another ten minutes quietly leaning on a tree by the Alyn, and I'm visited by a foraging Treecreeper, collecting bugs for its family. Then a short run up the road to the Llay part of Alyn Waters Country Park, snuck in down the quiet, southern corner, and spent an hour and a half increasing my year's tally of heard-but-not-seen Green Woodpeckers by at least six before finally one burst out of a nearby hawthorn yelling its head off as it headed off, followed by a second. I've heard so many Green Woodpeckers this year, on stake outs & searches all around my usual spots, Gwastad Farm, Llay Pool Alyn Waters CP, one even from the garden, and in a North Wales context I live in quite a good area for them, and even though they're still pretty low density it's ridiculous that it's taken me so long to score.
Yesterday we spent much of the afternoon at Cemlyn hoping for Roseate Tern, but no luck. Distant Manx Shearwater was the only year tick, but the other Tern species provided plenty of action to keep us absorbed, full plumage
Med Gull will improve any day, and an unseasonal and very approachable (adult female?) Bar-tailed Godwit gave Arch his best views to date of this species.

191. Nightjar
192. Little Tern
193. Treecreeper
194. Green Woodpecker
195. Manx Shearwater

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Really enjoying this thread James. Some great birds you have there.

Rich

 

[Andy Lakin]

That Stock Doves is a seriously weird looking beast. I wonder what condition caused it. It doesn't seem 5o fit anything obvious.

 

[Farnboro John]

On the way back I stopped to check out a new site for me, a stretch of Dee mudflats at Ffynnongroyw (not a typo). Decent flocks of Black-tailed Godwits & Knot, given the time of year, very distant, but could be worth a high tide visit at some point. A scan of the mudflats also gave me a count of 189 Carrion Crows!


191. Nightjar
192. Little Tern
193. Treecreeper
194. Green Woodpecker
195. Manx Shearwater

You are going to find a goat's head with a mouth full of mistletoe on your doorstep! Plus a white-robed man saying "I need your clothes, your boots and your motorsickle.*"

John

* Druidic for chainsaw.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Two months is quite a hiatus in a year list, but as autumn looms it's time to get back in the game. Back in July the annual uptick in extracurricular lessons, training, matches & shows sent birding very much into the background, concurrent with the also annual slowing down of the birding scene, and the inexorable rise on fuel prices. I've been wary of going too far for speculative trips or elusive individuals eg Purple Heron on Anglesey, preferring instead to cover sites closer to home and save money to enable twitches for stuff Arch needs. These are choices I've not had to consciously make in the past, and have resulted in birding trips not really yielding up anything noteworthy, which is not to say they haven't been enjoyable. The only addition to the year list has been Spoonbill, with 4 birds showing very distantly from Connah's Quay Nature Reserve, one of which decided to fly in and feed close to.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Another visit to CQNR yesterday for the high tide, most of the small waders were way too distant for scrutiny, but all looked consistent with Dunlin. The exception was three rather neat Curlew Sandpiper. A distant Gull could have been a Yellow-legged, but views weren't good enough to rule out hybrid Herring x Lesser Black-backed, a possible individual of which was here a month or so ago.
Then this morning the American Golden Plover at Cemlyn showed well, first on the shoreline rocks, then in a nearby cattle field. As a bonus I also picked up a long overdue mammal tick, Risso's Dolphin out in the bay. Saw it breach a couple of times, but the only pics I got were if its dorsal fin.

197 Curlew Sandpiper
198 American Golden Plover

 

[jogresh]

Nice one, that AGPs a cracker. Another great find for Alan.
Your pic of the CQNR gull on WhatsApp is interesting; agree it's not YLG, but I'm struggling to make it HG x LBBG too. First impression was omissus - ie a yellowish legged argentatus, however statistically that would be incredibly rare in N Wales! Be great if someone can read the ring. Until then - Gull sp! 👍 🤔🤷‍♂️

 

[JWN Andrewes]

My search for a more definite Yellow-legged Gull at CQNR has continued without any success on that front, nor even any year ticks, but there has been a noticeable lean into winter that past couple of visits, with Merlin & Barn Owl putting in appearances as well as wildfowl beginning to arrive. My first Pintail of the autumn was a group of eight that circled the Ash Pool several times, dropping down and then pulling up again until they were sure it was safe, and then on alighting they proceeded to drink and drink and drink, I'm sure they must have started the day up on breeding grounds in northern Europe. Wigeon and Shoveler too have turned up, after an extended absence.