Was going on patch today BUT....... a sunny, windless day seemed too good to miss to go look for seabirds off the North Wales coast, something I love to do. So off I headed the short distance to Old Colwyn, following a report of a Surf Scoter offshore still early this morning.

Initially I was the only birder but eventually 4 of us over the morning had a go at grilling the scoter flocks. I had my Swarovski STX95, so plenty of power, 70x at the top end, and a mate was using a Zeiss Diascope with 75x at the top end, so we were well equipped! Unfortunately, even with that arsenal of firepower we all failed. A total watch of about 2 hours failed to produce a Surf Scoter amongst the thousands of Common Scoters. I was pleased to find a drake and 3 female Scaup out in the flock which were feeding with a Long-tailed Duck, probably harder to pick out than a Surf Scoter! The Scaup were a welcome year tick too and a self-found one at that Over 10 Red-throated Divers were seen, some pretty close in and showing well. Red-breasted Mergansers and Great Crested Grebes were on the sea and Turnstones and Redshanks on the outfall rocks.

Next birding stop was the Little Orme where numerous Fulmars were now claing nesting ledges on the cliffs and showing very well. A pair of Ravens were skydancing in a spectacular display too. At the end I did another lengthy seawatch which paid dividends with two Great Northern Divers, several flypast auks, including both Guillemots and Razorbills. A long way offshore I picked up two, small and very buoyant gulls, almost looking tern-like, zooming up I could see that they were adult Kittiwakes, another yeartick! Lots of Shags and Cormorants were also seen as well as the commoner gull species.

As is usual with me I was on limited time so I headed home mid-afternoon, but it was a great day in the sun and definitely the correct decision with me being back to work tomorrow!!

Good mornings birding at LLanfairfechan. Sadly no Slavonian Grebes but loads of Red-breasted Mergansers, Red-throated Divers, Common Scoters and two Long-tailed Ducks. Quick visit to the salt marsh pools just to the west produced all the expected birds. Nothing unusual but a really nice site and somewhere to revisit.

Long tailed Duck (4) still present - all morning - Trearddur Bay, Anglesey.

Photos attached, birds distant and I've lost a bit of clarity trying to downsize, which I think I have done successfully. Apologies, Ian, if I haven't!

No thrush at St Asaphs for me today, no one had seen it by the time I left at 1300.

Got some good shots of a dipper in the river though.

Went on to Kinmel Bay at high tide. One sanderling was the only bird seen on a walk along the beach, but there were 3 moterised paragliders in the car park waiting for the water to drop.
I can only assume they cleared all the wildlife earlier on the rising tide.

Perhaps things will improve when winter really bites.

st asaph

I arrived at 11.10am & was watching the black-throated thrush within minutes when it was feeding in the field next to the new inn pub, good views, but they got better as the day went on. I also seen it on the opposite side of the river in full view on the pitch but failed to get any photos, but the best views were later in the afternoon when it was located just yards away from us & gave fantastic views as it fed on the path
nice to see many familiar faces & yes stuart it is becoming a bit of a habit of lately
other birds around...

1 dipper
2 nuthatch
1 treecreeper
1 great spotted woodpecker
1 buzzard
plenty of blackbirds, redwings, song thrushes, few mistle thrushes.

Much the same as Mark really re the Black-throated Thrush!! Had a spare day after getting back from S.Wales & wanted to blow the cobwebs away so headed to St Asaph. My wait was a tad shorter than Marks and I was relieved to get those first views, in flight and then perched albeit amongst a tangle of branches. I stayed a while longer after Mark had departed and he will not be surprised that the bird showed much better later. It was on a path in the open on the far side of the river & perched up in a Yew in full view. Later if flew into the chapel garden and showed really well, but to only 6 of us who had gone in that direction after the throng had split up to re-find the bird (small size pic attached). I managed a few record shots and was back home by 3.30pm.

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Friday 30th of December 2016 05:44:43 PM

My best shot of the female Black Throated Thrush in St Asaph this morning. Showed well for 20 minutes just behind the New Inn pub from 11.45-12.05. 

Also Little Egret over.

Decided on an afternoon visit to St Asaph as the Black-throated Thrush has been regularly reported later in the day, and I wasn't disappointed. Had really good views of the bird at about 15.30, feeding on the ground in the field behind the New Inn, on the opposite side of the river to the football pitch. I watched the bird for about 15 minutes along with good sized group of birders. Nice to meet Manchester birders Tony Broom and Mike Cooper.

10th December:

Started at South Stack with the intention of picking up a few year ticks.
Choughs were easy at South Stack followed by Black Guillemots at Holyhead Harbour and a Slavonian Grebe at Penrhos, also here were many Pale-bellied Brent Geese feeding on the mud flats.

Interestingly one Brent was wearing a couple of Darvic rings (Yellow D, Red 7). I have just found out that it was ringed as a nestling in Iceland (May 2007), spent the next 7 years mainly commuting between Iceland and Dublin Bay, then went missing for 2 years before now turning up on Anglesey.

The Snow Buntings at Llandudno were reported in the morning but had gone missing in the afternoon, however, I did find a Hooded Crow on the beach dropping mussels onto the rocks to break them open.

Finished the day at Llandulas where the gloomy weather defeated efforts to tease out a Surf Scoter from the 1000s of Commons and ran out of time to try for Water Pipits at Burton.

Cheers John

This is the fifth winter in which I have visited Anglesey on alternate weekends, and this one was the coldest that I have known: even the beach was frozen at Silver Bay this morning. However, the sun shone, the easterly wind didn't trouble the west coast, and the quality and quantity of birds was top class.

The best place to be was the Inland Sea. The freezing of the smaller ponds had driven freshwater ducks onto the estuary to join the usual winter residents. From the roadside between Four Mile Bridge and Trearddur Bay the masses comprised Wigeon, Pintail, Teal, Shoveler, Shelduck, Mallard, Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser. There were many waders too: Dunlin (500+), Curlew, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Grey Plover, Greenshank. A return visit to the A55 side at lunchtime added a Slavonian Grebe, a Blck-necked Grebe (first on the island for me), a Razorbill and a raft of 19 Scaup.

Llyn Llywenan, north of Bodedern, was on form too. I finally managed to connect with two long-staying Greenland White-fronted Geese on Saturday afternoon(2) and also found a Long-tailed Duck. Today there were two Whooper Swans at the southern end. This site is not helped at weekends by its proximity to Anglesey Shooting School.

A Hooded Crow was feeding in front of the chapel at Llanfachraeth on Saturday lunch time.

My own patch, as always, produced a good variety, which included Chough, Knot, Reed Bunting, Fieldfare, Redwing, Lapwing, Stonechat, Snipe etc. The last bird of the weekend was a Woodcock, which jinked past in the dusk, 50 yards from my door.

Final tally for the weekend was 81 species.

An evening, three full days and a morning around Rhosneigr this week, to have a look to see what's about. Explored all along the beach, which runs from rocky headland in the south to tidal mudflats in the north, the extensive dune networks and a couple of visits to Llyn Maelog. Highlights:

Beach, village, and surrounding habitats:

Linnet
Stonechat
Pied wagtail
Meadow pipit
Rock pipit
Skylark
Starling (ubiquitous)
Song thrush
Jackdaw (ubiquitous)
Chough
Raven
Kingfisher
Wigeon
Shelduck
Red-breasted merganser
Brent geese (a first for me)
Little grebe
Ringed plover
Golden plover
Grey plover
Lapwing
Dunlin
Sanderling (just the one)
Turnstone (plenty; I love turnstones)
Redshank (ubiquitous)
Greenshank
Snipe
Oystercatcher (ubiquitous)
Curlew (including one roosting flock of 82)
Little egret
Grey heron
Shag
Cormorant
Black-headed gull
Common gull
Herring gull
Great black-backed gull
Kestrel
Buzzard

Llyn Maelog:

Goldcrest, house sparrow, goldfinch, stonechat, meadow pipit, skylark, rook and usual passerines (dunnock in good numbers)
Water rail heard
Moorhen
Coot (over 150)
Teal
Shoveler
Gadwall
Mallard
Pintail (just the one; the last species I noted on the holiday)
Goldeneye
Tufted duck
Pochard
Goosander
Great crested grebe
Mute swan
Redshank
Oystercatcher
Grey heron
Cormorant
Black-headed gull
Common gull
Herring gull
Great black-backed gull

2 Common Scoter on Llyn Brenig this pm, at the north end. Lots of Fieldfare & Redwing in the area. A pair of Crossbill gave good roadside views on the B4501just north of the reservoir.

Saturday 8th October
Seawatch at Old Colwyn with Chris Chandler.

Of note...
- Common Scoter literally 100's of them.
(No sign of the Surf Scoter)
- Red-throated Diver 6
- Great Black-backed Gulls 2
- Oystercatcher 2
- Great Crested Grebe 1

See out of county wildlife for our Dolphin sighting.

Booted Warbler still present on Great Orme and showing well @ 9.00am,

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 8th of October 2016 09:35:40 AM

The Booted Warbler showing well at 1330hrs on Great Orme today, in the very spot of Doc's directions, well done Paul.

Glad to be of help Mike, whilst watching it yesterday evening we had two Choughs fly over calling, luck of the draw I suppose!

Great close views of the Great Orme Booted Warbler this morning - never keeping still for long:- fly catching, flitting from gorse to gorse with the occasional wing flick when perched - very entertaining. However it could have been a different story as it had apparently been attacked by a Kestrel minutes before I arrived at 08.00, according to a birder who saw this happen.

Also of interest around the car park area, two Chough and a Blackcap.

Then round to the Great Orme copper mines where, within the boundary fence were three Black Redstarts (all fem/juv) and then looking from the path up to the Rainbow Bridge from the promenade at Colwyn Bay, distant views of a Surf Scoter amongst a small group of common Scoters. 

-- Edited by sid ashton on Wednesday 5th of October 2016 04:37:52 PM

Booted Warbler showing well, on and off this morning,near the top limestone pavement car park, up the Great Orme in sunny Llandudno .Alas no sign of the reported Firecrests or Yellow Browed Warbler, down "millionaire's row" for me. However a nice freshly in Redwing at the "hawthorns".

Cheers Chris

-- Edited by Chris Greene on Tuesday 4th of October 2016 07:14:15 PM

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 4th of October 2016 10:55:57 PM

At least 2 Redwing called over Llandudno last night (2nd Oct).

Sunday 14th, Conwy RSPB Great White Egret showing really well on the shallow lagoon, Lesser Whitethroat showing in bushes at back of reserve. Plenty to see but those were the highlights.

Pensychnant Pass had plenty of Stonechats about with lots of juveniles.

River Clwyd had a good number of Sandwich Terns.

Delivering in North Wales again today so managed a couple of sea-watches in my respective breaks, a little misty in places but not too bad.

Criccieth (near Porthmadog).

- Manx Shearwater ... impossible to put a number on, I stopped counting at 80 as it soon became apparent that there was a constant stream of them heading from the west coast towards Abersoch on the peninsula. Could well be in excess of 150 individuals.
- Gannet ...10 maybe, imm's and few adults

Old Colwyn.

- Sandwich Tern 5 (1 ad, 4 imm)
- Common Scoter maybe 100+ out towards the windmills
- Great Crested Grebe 1
- Cormorant 15+
- Oystercatcher 5 over the sea
- Great Black-backed Gull 3
- 2 of the young Sandwich Terns were being pursued by a large chocolate brown coloured imm Gull of Skua appearance, it was definitely a Gull but I can't determine the species.

Visited South Stack yesterday.... Superb weather. Had two Puffin, 00s of Razorbills and Guillemots, some Choughs, Gannets and Rock PIpits too. BLown away by the experience, done On public transport. Early I visited the LIttle Tern colony at Gronant. All these birds minus the gannet were lifers.

 

 

 

A great 3 day trip to Rhoscolyn on holyhead.
Friday 17th
-2 sedge warblers at borthwen
-2 stonechat, 1 male and 1 young
-7 oystercatchers and 1 young being very well protected by parents
-2 whiethroats
-linnets
-1 peregrine over
Saturday 18th
-2 chough, 1 pair
-1 sedge warbler
-4 stonechat, 1 pair, a lone male and 1 male with food heading into a gorse bush
-9 sandwich tern
-1 rock pipit
-3 skylark
-7 oystercatcher
-1 summer plumage golden plover, which is unusual anglesey in the summer.
Sunday 19th
-5 chough, 1 pair and a group of 3
-1 stonechat
-1 skylark
-7 oystercatcher

A few days in Rhosneigr the week just gone, Monday late afternoon to Friday early afternoon. A great birding spot; nice beach with extensive dunes, rocky coast, coastal scrub and a large shallow lake (Llyn Maelog, which is given its own list). Species seen here, including sea watches, included:

Chiffchaff
Willow warbler
House sparrow
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Linnet (two seen mating)
Reed bunting
Sand martin (a couple of active colonies)
House martin (several nesting in the village)
Swallow
Stonechat
Meadow pipit
Rock pipit
Pied wagtail
Skylark
Starling
Jackdaw
Rook
Raven
Swift
Collared dove
Red-breasted merganser
Great crested grebe (a couple bobbing about offshore)
Ringed plover (peak count 11)
Dunlin (peak count 17)
Sanderling (2)
Turnstone (4; these four wader species in mixed flock on the Tuesday)
Oystercatcher (everywhere)
Whimbrel (one or possibly two)
Little egret
Grey heron
Arctic tern (our most beautiful bird?)
Common tern
Sandwich tern
Black-headed gull
Lesser black-backed gull
Herring gull
Great black-backed gull
Shag
Cormorant
Gannet
Buzzard

Llyn Maelog:

Goldcrest
Chiffchaff
Willow warbler (two seen mating)
Blackcap
Whitethroat
Sedge warbler
Reed warbler
Cetti's warbler
Linnet
Reed bunting
House martin
Swallow
Swift
Moorhen
Coot (a couple of young)
Gadwall
Tufted duck
Greylag geese
Mute swan (one)
Great crested grebe
Grey heron
Lesser black-backed gull
Herring gull
Great black-backed gull
Cormorant
Sparrowhawk

As well as a good variety of species, some amazing views (especially of species such as skylark and Cetti's warbler), and plenty of breeding evidence; fledgling blue tit, great tit, dunnock, linnet, robin and carrion crow all seen, juvenile stonechat, pied wagtail and starling, and willow warbler, whitethroat, rock pipit and reed bunting all seen carrying food. There's also an active tern colony off the beach; for obvious reasons, you can't approach too close, but when the birds were put up on occasion, it looked approximately 300 strong. Impossible to estimate the species ratio, or if all three species were breeding there, but of the terns ID'd closer in (hunting or flying over), the sandwich was the most frequently noted.

Also a day spent at South Stack; just as the taxi brought me to the car park, a thick sea mist rolled in, making even the cliff faces unobservable. It cleared a bit in te late morning, but never enough to makle a sea watch possible. Still a great day; the foggy periods were spent looking for other species, and there was enough time to enjoy watching the auks do their thing. Sightings:

3 whitethroat
10+ linnet
4 swallow
9 stonechat (including two fledglings)
1 wheatear
6+ meadow pipit
6+ rock pipit
6+ chough
3 raven (one taking a guillemot egg)
5+ puffin
Guillemot
Razorbill (I don't know the numbers of these two species, but the ratio seemed roughly 4:1 in favour of guillemot)
2 kittiwake
20+ lesser black-backed gull
200+ herring gull (including chicks)
c10 great black-backed gull
1 (or 2) fulmar

Peregrine seen on the coastal path on the walk back to Holyhead.

Another fantastic wildlife rich few days here, hopefully will be back soon.


-- Edited by Shannon Llewellyn on Sunday 12th of June 2016 02:58:26 PM