James, it's common for Herrings to show a pale tip to the bill. I'm assuming your bird had dark primaries and if so I'd take another look at Iceland and Glaucous in your field guide

Quick drive round Holyhead this morning. Thought I'd try my hand at a bit of sea watching, and given the westerley wind, the base of Ellin's Tower at South Stack seemed like a good place. Unfortunately the force 6-7 wind and huge waves meant that the birds kept disappearing into the troughs and the telescope vibration rendered everything pretty blurry. Possibly not ideal conditions for a first go at seawatching. The sum total of sightings was:

Lots of Gannets
2 Fulmars
Several unidentified Shearwaters (presumably Manx)

From there I went on to the fish quay in Holyhead, and this time got lucky with a Black Guillemot, having not found any a couple of days ago. It was on the water in the bay, about 50m out from the outer wall.

Finally, I stopped off on the way back at Penrhos Country Park, where there was a very smart adult Med Gull sitting in the water just off the carpark. Also a slightly odd looking probable 2nd winter Herring Gull, with a pale tip to the bill, which made me wonder about Iceland or Glaucous. Took some photos, so if anyone would be able to share their ID expertise then let me know.

Late report from yesterday.

A quick hour with the family down at Cemlyn produced: -

Dunlin
Little Ringed Plover
Turnstone
Oystercatcher
Linnet
Meadow Pipit
GBBG
1 Juvenile Yellow Wagtail
1 Wheatear
Also, a large shoal of mullet in the corner of the lagoon where you turn up the lane. They were feeding off the surface and the water kept erupting every time they got spooked. A great sight!!

Also Traeth Dulas 7.30pm - 8.30pm produced: -

3 RB Merganser
2 Dunlin
2 Oystercatcher
1 Greenshank (on the adjacent pool)
2 Little Egret
4 Juvenile Shelduck
1 Black Tail Godwit
200+ Curlew and Whimbrel
30 Pheasant
4 GBBG
50+ Black headed gull
30+ Juvenile Pied Wagtail

Just had a week in North Wales, and had more tournaments points the I could wish for in GM.

Greenshanks, Egrets, Spotted Redshanks, Shearwaters etc and Bearded Tits at Conway.

However as my 8 year old daughter has been showing an interest, showing her a brood of Goosanders on the river Conway, the Dippers bobbing on rocks, Buzzard mewing and Raven cronking made it a better trip and brought back the joys of what birding should be.

On another interesting point, the site where I stayed had a regular queue outside the public phone box, as smart phone did not have any reception on site, oh the pager was naff as well, so right back to basics, that was good as well.

Back in GM now till the Scilly season.


Keep Birding

Spent the weekend on Anglesey visiting friends but we managed to do a fair bit of birding too. I spent Saturday morning alone at The Range near South Stack. Best bird was a Balearic shearwater around 7.00am, several hundred manxies flew by between 5.30am and when I left at 8.30am, along with usual kittiwakes, gannets, etc. but nothing else unusual. Met up with friends on the headland at Porthyrychen (half a mile west of Point Lynas) at 4.00pm. They'd also had a Balearic plus an Arctic skua. Watched for another hour but nothing unusual bar a drake scaup flying with a dozen common scoter, and a peregrine. In the evening we went to Traeth Dulas for an hour - my first returning wheatear of the autumn, a whimbrel with a couple of hundred curlew, 15 little egrets, ravens, two common sands and an unseen calling green sand. Next morning we tried Point Lynas. I think we spent more time chatting than actually birding but managed another Balearic amongst the many hundreds of manxies. Other birds of note were three choughs, a couple of wheatear and black guillemots.

Just a reminder...

Wednesday 11th August, 9.30am (HT 12.30, 9.7m), Terns and Waders at Point of Ayr.

Join the RSPB at POA as many species of bird gather in the area to build up their energy reserves before making their long flights to far off wintering grounds. There is no need to book just bring your binoculars and dress for the weather.

Further details phone 0151 336 7681. Meet at the Smuggler's Inn Car Park.

Given the mess that has been made of the Inner Marsh Farm thread following a debate on ticking ethics, I'm not going to reply in detail here. Perhaps it would make a good topic for the general discussion forum?

I'm happy with the sighting for my list though. Just don't tell the people I'm having a sightings competition with!

-- Edited by James Hutchison on Monday 2nd of August 2010 12:22:08 AM

Traeth Dulas tonight from 8.00pm to 9.00pm. Mixed flock of 200+ Curlew and Whimbrel. 3 Wood Sandpiper, 2 Bar tailed Godwit, 4 Redshank, 5 Shelduck, 8 Greylag, 3 Little Egret. Also watched a Peregrine soar down the estuary before perching up in trees on the far side.

Sorry James, this is just my own personal opinion but should your really count a species (let lone a lifer) on probability alone?

90% sure it was a skua and 75% sure it was an Arctic? Read Henry's post again and his comment 'could well have been one' sums it up really. It could well have been but do you have enough to be sure about it?

The seperation of skuas can often probmatical even for experienced observers and I've seen even Pomerine Skuas which could easily pass for an Arctic! Probability might say your sighting would most likely have been an Arctic due to date and location but surely that's no guarantee? To be fair, by your own initial admission (which is usually always the correct one) you can't be 100% sure it was actually a skua.

Were it a skua then your description for me could perhaps apply to either small skuas but a sighting without optical equipment, plus a desciption of a 'one-year old' bird which doesn't include any plumage features (so wasn't seen that well which is entirely understandable in the circumstances) combined with no previous field experience of the species wouldn't normally instill me with enough confidence to add it to my list from such views alone.

Of course that my list and the criteria for yours may well be very different and why not indeed! My point is only this, that sometimes we are all too quick to put a name to birds for which we really shouldn't due to poor and inconclusive views. It happens a lot to us all and no matter how good we are, sometimes it makes no difference, we just can't pin a name on them (wait until you get round the the 'large white-headed gull' complex!). It's either gotta be a possible/probable but wait until next time a really decent one comes along or an ignore it and walk on by, as frustrating as that often is.

Like I say though, just my opinion

Thanks Henry, increasingly confident that that was what it was having watched some videos. Suspect it was probably a one-year-old bird as the tail streamers were only visible as a short protrusion from the rest of the tail, but the flight was very falcon like and without bins I could make out a pale patch behind the head.

Bit of a bonus for my year list (and life list, for that matter)!

Skuas occasionally cut-over the land near the coast to take a shorter route on their migration, makes for a strange sight! There have been a few Arctics knocking about N.Wales the last few days so it could well have been an Arctic, James.

Just got back from a few days on Anglesey, staying in Rhosneigr. The highlight was what I'm about 90% certain was a skua, 75% certain Arctic, which briefly flew over the beach at Rhosneigr before heading out to sea. I was sat in a kayak at the time so didn't have my bins on me. Anyone know high likely (or otherwise) this is?

Also saw a Peregrine which flew across the bay and settled on the rocks, putting up the flock of ~100 Curlew that roost there. Also lots of Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher and Redshank, and a few Turnstone on the rocks.

South Stack on Tuesday was pretty quiet, all the auks having departed out to sea, although I did catch one in the scope at long range, flying over the school of harbour porpoises I was watching. There was one Kittiwake still on the cliffs with a large chick, plus lots of Choughs, a Rock Pipit and a couple of Ravens and Gannets and Manx Shearwaters offshore.

Had a trip to North Wales on Friday. It was a sunny day with fresh winds after an overnight gale. We started off at South Stacks with Guillemots, Razorbills, Choughs, Ravens and a single Puffin. Manxies and Gannets were feeding out to sea and the RSPB Warden told us that a couple of Balearics and a single Storm petrel had been sighted the previous day. Worryingly, he also told us that the overnight storm had sent waves crashing over the low buttress where the previous day, 20 pairs of Puffins and their well-grown chicks had been present. He was hoping that the parents had taken them out to sea during the night.

We were advised to cross the new footbridge which leads to the old Holyhead harbour to see Black guillemots. However we missed the car park and ended up in a dead end which overlooks the main harbour, alongside the ferry approach road. This turned out to be a good move as we found up to 5 Black guillemots, several Shags and a Common sandpiper.

Moving on to Cemlyn Bay, we found ourselves nearly cut off by the high tide. But we enjoyed seeing over 1000 pairs of Sandwich terns, many with fledged young and much smaller numbers of Common and Arctic terns. A Little egret and a Little grebe were on the pool together with several creches of Red-breasted merganser chicks and female adults. Dunlin, Ringed plovers and a single Turnstone were on the shingle.

We finished off at Gronant where this year 116 pairs of Little terns have nested and over 140 chicks have hatched. Some birds were still on eggs and the Wardens had successfully moved the remaining nests further up the beach overnight to avoid the high tides. There were several groups of waders on the beach, including Sanderlings which were still in summer plumage.

-- Edited by Anne Wilkinson on Sunday 18th of July 2010 01:11:43 PM

re



yeah we decided to go as a final twitch stop on the way home, it was probably somewhere around sixish, we had a small number that came out and were visible, 4-5 hawfinch, there could easier of been more, as you walk down to lane and the church is on your right they were in the tree at the bottom right hand corner of the church yard

Mark Rigby wrote:

---

We had at least 13 Hawfinch at Caer Hun on the 11th at about 1pm. First time I have connected with them here in several attempts.

If you go on a Sunday, make sure you avoid 1230pm unless you are good at reversing.

---

The last time I went I got half way down and met a car coming the other way. It was 2 yards past the gatewhere cars can pass but refused to back up. I backed up the 250m or so to the entrance to the next passing place.

I was pretty peeved, and just about to let my feelings be known through my open window when I realised it was (I assume) the local vicar and his wife, so I decided to bite my tongue. Those of you who have read David Niven's "The Moons a Balloon" will know what I was thinking......

We had at least 13 Hawfinch at Caer Hun on the 11th at about 1pm. First time I have connected with them here in several attempts.

If you go on a Sunday, make sure you avoid 1230pm unless you are good at reversing.

Interesting that you saw the Hawfinches at Caer Hun late on, most reports seem to be early, presumably before disturbance, and i for one rarely call in unless its early doors - so I'll need to change my tactics!

Thanks Holly,

Now i know where we went, it was like a magical mystery tour, i had no idea where i was or where we were going or where we had been,

A good day

Bolton RSPB trip on Saturday.

First stop was Llanfairfechan for a quick look, nothing of note.

Second stop was Valley Wetlands, the coots seem to be doing incredibly well - there were hundreds!! Plenty of wigeon, tufties & pochard, a few GC grebes. Sparrowhawk flew over as we headed back to the car park. Also stopped at Four Mile Bridge but nothing to see there.

Third stop was South Stack - very foggy!!. Could barely see the first part of the cliffs from Ellin's Tower. The lighthouse (not that we could see it) had the foghorn going. Just about managed to see the guillemots and razorbills with a couple of puffins on the water. Plenty of herring, LBB & GBB gulls Walked back along the cliff tops to the car park as the fog was starting to lift. 3 choughs & 2 ravens seen and a gannet flying past. Also linnets and stonechat amongst the heather.

Stopped off at Holyhead harbour looking for black guillemots but no luck.

Fourth stop was Cemlyn where we found 4 black guillemots out in the bay. Plenty of sandwich, common & arctic terns, loads of juveniles too so looks like they have all had a very good year. Ringed plovers, dunlin, oystercather, redshank & mergansers also seen.

Fifth stop was The Spinnies NR near Penrhyn Castle. Egrets, 4 common sandpipers and a female goosander on the estuary.

Final stop was Caer Rhun churchyard in the hope of Hawfinches and they didn't disappoint - not sure how many there were but must have been at least 4 feeding in the Yew trees. A cracking first for me!

Very good day all in all, despite the fog early on.

Med gull still present today at Penrhos country park and happily taking bread from the kids and pensioners. Its good to see one so close without the need for bins or a scope.

Mel, I refer you to my comments re: Riggers on the General Discussion forum. (pub quiz thread)

Spent a few days in Angelsey with Simon late last week ,and a great time was had

Up by South Stack,we had wonderful, very close views of a Chough family, at one stage on the side of the cliff. Then absolutely loving the very breezy conditions, these birds flew effortlessly and let the wind carry them, their behaviour showed us how they simply enjoy being alive.
We also had a very vocal Raven, and clinging to the walls and bobbing about on the sea, plenty of the usual sea birds.

This was my first visit to Cemlyn Bay, again fabulously windy and sunny but that hampered our views of the nesting area. So instead we concentrated on watching the Artic and Sandwich Terns constantly bringing in a single fish to their young. They were relentless in their hunting and screaming there and back. We saw only a handful of people up and down the beach.

We popped into Penrhos Country Park and there sitting a fence, was a very handsome Adult Med' Gull and in a flash we had a Hobby over

Off to Snowdonia, we found a wonderful oak woodland and l hadn't even stopped the car when we could see a Great Spotted Woodie on the ground. We crept into the wood and immediately a Pied Flycatcher flew into the tree above us, followed by two Spotted Flycatchers. This little haven was inhabited by Nuthatch, Treecreepers and a Woodwarbler family, we'd only walked in a couple of metres!!!

Simon then took me to a location on the mountain, we could hear a Peregrine but before we saw it, we were treated to a pair of Hen Harriers mobbing a Buzzard. Simon also had a brief view of a Merlin.
Several Whinchat and Stonechats put in an appearance, and when we sat 'for a minute' out came the Peregrine, great timing

Wood Sandpiper present at 7.30pm at Traeth Dulas on Anglesey yesterday. Also present were 30+ curlew and 2 common sandpiper.

A great days birding with the Stockport group to Cemlyn, South Stack and Holyhead.

Cemlyn

Lots of Sandwich Terns and Arctic Terns together with several Common Terns in the main colony.
Gannet
Whitethroat
Black-Tailed Godwit
Ringed Plover
Red-Breasted Merganser
amongst others

Also Wall Brown, Large Skipper and Small Heath Butterflies seen

South Stack

8 Gannets close in
Lots of Kittiwakes, Razorbills, Guillemots and Fulmars
8 Puffins
2 Rock Pipits
2 Stonechats
4 Choughs
amongst others

Also a Common Lizard, Harbour Porpoise and 3 Silver-Studded Blue Butterflies seen.

On the way home we stopped off at the Millenium Bridge at Holyhead where a Black Guillemot gave good views on the water and in flight.

A great day out!!!








-- Edited by Phil Owen on Saturday 19th of June 2010 09:07:37 PM

Visited South Stack on Thursday, 10th, last week after meetings in Penhesgyn, Gwalchmai and Llangefni. Lovely to see the 1000s of Guillemots and Razorbills, with the odd Puiffin still hanging in there. Gannets were drifting by offshore, but too hazy to see far out and so no sign of any manxies!

Apparently a Bee-eater was there sitting on a telegraph wire the day before , nevermind heh?? I did see a couple of Choughs though, which I've not caught up with for a couple of years, cracking birds .

Also stopped off at Glaslyn near Portmadog, on way back to Welshpool to see the Ospreys, nobody about, but easy enough to see from the viewing platform that is set up and open all hours. Again cracking birds, but a scope is needed for good views, as they are quite far away. Luckily I always have mine with me!?!

Trip to Cemlyn Bay today proved very worthwhile with cracking views of pair of Roseate Terns, as well as usual Common, Arctic and Sandwich Terns in abundance.

Visited Gwaith Powdwr nature reserve near Porthmadog on Sun 30th May, 21:30 - 22:30, looking for nightjars. At least two were churring quite a way away, across the valley to the East, but no sightings.

It's a great place - I'll definitely be back before the summer is out, watch this space!

Paul

Henry Cook wrote:

---

...... we were frustrated that the industrial strength insect repellant wasn't working but at least 2 Nightjars churred away.....

---

Henry that brings back memories of my one and only attempt at Nightjars in Clocaenog Forest it was- bitten to death we were - but at least we did see the Nightjars

31/05/2010 - Gwydyr Forest near Betws-y-coed:

Rolled up with my dad at 9.30pm and we weren't the only ones on the search for Nightjar. By 10pm we were frustrated that the industrial strength insect repellant wasn't working but at least 2 Nightjars churred away at Cors Bodgynydd. No sightings before it was too dark but a Woodcock roded, Snipe sung as well as they can do and Cuckoos echoed their melancholic minor third strongly across the moor. A wonderfully atmospheric scene!
To cap it all off a Tawny Owl flew across the road on the road back to Betws, briefly illuminated by the raised beam as it swept away into the forest.

Thanks to Jonathan for his posting yesterday as I was inspired to visit Clocaenog this morning and had a brilliant few hours with Wood Warblers [lifer], Redstarts, Crossbills, GSW, Grey Wag and a good woodland ensemble at Bod Petrual followed by Red Grouse, more Redstarts, Sparrowhawk and Tree Pipits as I had an explore round the wider area.

Four wood warblers singing around the car park and pool at Bod Petrual in Clocaenog Forest this morning. Also 10-20 crossbills feeding in the pines and two male redstarts singing. Elsewhere, plenty of redstarts, siskins and redpolls around; tree pipits on many clearfell areas, especially around the Denbigh crossroads area; a pair of spotted flycatchers near the village of Clocaenog and a single bird in a garden at Isgaer-wen; more crossbills at Pincyn Llys.

29/05/2010 - 2 Bearded Tits showed well from the coffee shop at Conwy RSPB today. Also about were Shoveler, Gadwall, House Martin, Sand Martin, Little Egret, c300 Oystercatchers, Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers and lots of youngsters popping up all over the place.

Holyhead Harbour and South Stack, 06.45 - 10.30, temperature 16 deg rising to 23 deg and sunny

To start I couldn't find the Black Guillemot from the Millenium Bridge so went round to the fish dock to find three of them just outside the harbour on a flat calm sea.

At South Stack all of the usual for this time of year - Puffins (10 ) on the grassy areas near the steps down to the lighthouse plus others on the water, plenty of Razorbill and Guillemot, several Gannet going past. Also present of interest Linnet, Rock Pipit (plenty), Whitethroat, Fulmar and Chough.

Cemlyn Bay 11.00 - 12.45, by now the conditions had become hazy, 24 deg

All three expected species of Tern present Sandwich (100's), Common (10's) and Arctic (5 for sure but the haze made scoping tricky). Also present adult Med Gull in full summer colours.

PS Of interest the Spatulate Fleawort is coming into flower at South Stack.







-- Edited by sid ashton on Sunday 23rd of May 2010 09:00:04 AM

Great Orme, 14.00 - 17.00, Sunny but cool breeze

A non-birding stroll around the Orme this afternoon with Mrs A - fortunately had my bins and scope with me and was able to find the following of interest:-

Big numbers of Guillemot and Shag on the sea, Linnets, Mipits and Wheatear on the tops with Fulmar on the cliffs and at least 3 Chough plus 2 Raven over.

Oldham Birders Trip.

Holyhead Harbour

Black Guillemot 3

South Stack

Rock Pipit 1
Black Redstart 1F
Ring Ousel 1M
Stone Chat 2M 1F
Northern Wheatear 7+ (in 1 field, inc at least 2 M)

Good passage of Swallows & Sand Martins + 1 House Martin

Chough, Raven, usual seabirds etc

Had a walk round the Gt Orme yesterday. A beautiful sunny day.

Usual gulls
Fulmar
Shelduck
Meadow Pipit
Shag
Cormorant
Wheatear
Magpie
Goldfinch
Jacdaw (by the bucketful!!)
Gannet ( we sat for 5 mins at one point and counted 40+)
Robin
Skylark
Oystercatcher
Raven
Gt and Blue Tits
Chough
Razorbill
Wood Pigeon
Chaffinch.

Had a trip to Worlds End today though we did not get there till about 10am rather late to see any Lecks but we did manage to watch 4 Black Grouse feeding in a clearing on the top of hill behind the car park. We even managed to pick them up later on at about 11.30 from another view point.

The larches around the car park were alive with small birds and I was able to get really good views of 6 Crossbills, 6+ Brambling and a few Redpoll. However the most numerous bird was the Siskin with one flock of 100+ calling out all the time. We also saw a couple of Willow Warblers and heard a couple of ChiffChaff.

We crossed the road and walked over the moors to the cliffs where the path drops down and crosses over the scree and leads back to the ford at the at the bottom of the road. However this walk only added 3 Wheatear, 4 Coal Tits and 2 Ravens.

On Anglesey today opening up the caravan. Managed to snatch a couple of hours over at Cemlyn Bay. Usual stuff over there but on the way out I dropped onto a real good twitch.

Just as I was approaching the main road junction from Cemlyn at about 4.00pm I just caught a glimpse of two large white birds out of the corner of my eye in the field to the left. I quickly pulled the car over in the lay by opposite and got the bins out onto two White Storks. What a find!! There was only one other guy there with a scope and he was just reporting them in as I pulled up.

Watched them for a while before the missus started giving me ear ache. Really made up over the storks as its a new one for me.

A trip to Worlds End this morning

Black Grouse at two different lekking areas included 5 just up from the car park another 4 had been seen before we arrived, and 7+ birds lekking in an area of long grass, also a female bird in the area.
Buzzard
Wheatear 1 singing bird unable to locate
Raven
Peregrine
30+ Crossbill in trees by the car park, including a stunning male at the top of a tree which let us scope him
Chiffchaff

Bitterly cold up there today

A few days out and about in North Wales, exciting to see migration picking up now.

1st April - 2 Willow Warblers back at Conwy RSPB with 12 Black-tailed Godwits also present and one bird in full summer plumage. Plenty of Chiffchaffs back now and strong Mipit migration going on.

2nd April - 2 Hawfinches showing well at Cearhun down the Conwy Valley (been a great winter for the species, helped by seed being put down) and down at Conwy RSPB 10 Little Egrets. Good to see the egrets are still present in numbers on the estuary as there were fears the cold winter had knocked this recent colony back.

3rd April - 2 Ospreys back at the Glaslyn site near Porthmadog. Male showed well and female briefly flew in after eating a fish. Nearby at Borth-Y-Gest were my first Sandwich Tern of the year and a Swallow flying rapidly north over the estuary and onwards. 32 Red-breasted Mergansers were also loafing in the waters at low tide with 10 Wigeon.

Just a few weeks until Pied Fly's and the other migrant species return for the summer!

Found 10 male Black Grouse as soon as I stopped on the moors above Worlds End near to the RSPB Llandegla Forest hide this morning just after 6 o'clock - heard their really loud "bubbling" in the quite of the early day. Then found another 6 closer to the bottom of the road, watched both groups leking for some time. Also my first Wheatear on the moors and approximately 20 Crossbills as well as Siskin and Lesser Repoll in the Larches on the car park at Worlds End. Amazing morning.

No luck however with the Great Grey Shrike at Clocaenog but three Ravens over.


-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 23rd of March 2010 08:19:43 PM

Henry Cook wrote:

---

22 Buzzards counted on a journey along the M56+A55 over to Colwyn Bay from Manchester. In comparison just 2 Kestrels.

---

Interesting how bird popns change. I always used to count the Kessies on the same route as you, btwn Alty and my grandparents in Rhos in the late '70's/early'80's. Technically it was slightly different coz you had to go past Stanlow but anyway i'd get c. 7-9 each time. Used to dream about seeing Buzzards in Cheshire. Great to see them now, and Ravens, where they belong.

This a.m. with Messrs Rigby & Rayner.

15 Blackcock at 2 adjacent leks at World's End.

also 5 Crossbill, 3+ Siskin, Redpoll & Sparrowhawk

Other highlights Oldham Birders trip

Peregrine (Llanbedr-y- cennin) but no Hawfinches

Rock Pipit (LLandudno)

Swallow (Rhos-on-Sea)

Wheatear (Kinmill Bay) but no Black Redstart

also 70 + Buzzards including 12 together just north of (Llanbedr)

-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Sunday 21st of March 2010 11:37:54 PM

22 Buzzards counted on a journey along the M56+A55 over to Colwyn Bay from Manchester. In comparison just 2 Kestrels.

Went to Worlds end yesterday no sign of any black grouse. Had a walk up the hill from the car park round the back of the plantation, in a single pine tree was 25 crossbill.

Made a third attempt for the Surf Scoters yesterday - was at the Rainbow Bridge, Old Colwyn from 0700 to 0915 - plenty of Common Scoter and several Velvets but the sea was far too bumpy for me to pick out the elusive Surfies. Watched Fulmar on the cliffs behind the bridge and called in at Kimnel where only three Snow buntings remain and they were very flighty - may not stay round much longer.

PS the Swan flock at Shotwick appeared to consist only of Whoopers now - approximately 50 birds - couldn't pick out any Bewick's.

-- Edited by sid ashton on Saturday 13th of March 2010 11:21:21 AM

Had a superb day out in North Wales today, highlights included Hawfinch, Red Kite, Snow Bunting, Twite, Surf Scoter and Black Redstart, cloudless blue skies and snow topped mountains added to the spectacle.

It's not called "World's End" for nothing ! I try to get up there at least once a year and I usually get a bit lost on the back roads. Basically, head for Minerva from Llangollen. (or , better, head out of Llangollen towards Horseshoe Pass, then turn right sometime before reaching Vale Cruis Abbey and head up for Minerva)

"World's End" is at the small car park after you've crossed over the top of a little waterfall (really)

Might seem like a bit of a trek, but well worth it. Top spot.