Morning trip to Newborough Forest: highlights being 12 Sanderling, Gannet, 3 Sandwich Tern, c80 Manx Shearwater and 6 Raven, one of which was eating one of the 7 dead Guillemots washed up on on the beach.

Mon 15th May - Fri 19th May.
Hafan-Y-Mor Holiday Park, Pwllheli, Ceredigion Bay.

Few days family break and we copped for 4 days warm sunshine. Set in a forested area with a few mini lakes on site. Lots of birds around the area so I was constantly on the lookout for stuff and a 4 minute walk to the coast path meant a few sea watches were in order with some good birds seen - and one early morning in particular providing some spectacular Cetaceans sightings (see other wildlife).


- 3 Red-throated Diver (1 in breeding plumage)
- 2 Red-breasted Merganser
- 10 Common Scoter flying round the bay
- c200 Manx Shearwater
- 1 Purple Sandpiper (with 2 Turnstone)
- 2 Whimbrel
- 2 Oystercatcher
- Gannets & Guillemots
- Stonechat family
- 1 Goldcrest
- 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker
- Sand Martin colony nearby
- small trickle of Swallows and Swifts in/off
- Tawny Owls heard most evenings
- Whitethroats on the coast path
- few pairs of Bullfinch
- Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler & Blackcap all over the site
- and a very noisy rookery outside the caravan

Pwllheli Harbour mud flats.
- 1 Rock Pipit
- 1 Little Egret
- 4 Dunlin
- few Shelduck

Bird of the week - a Goshawk flew over the car at Groeslon Moors near Canaerfon.

Great Orme, 7th May:

2 Black Guillemots surprised me with one quite close in.

Plenty of Razorbills, Guillemots, Kittiwakes and Shags on the cliffs and sea. 

Fulmars. Several Chough. Rock pipits all over today. Gannets offshore. 

Several wheatear and stonechats. No luck as usual searching for Dotterel. 

 

19/03/2023

Not quite deju vu for this Sunday's half strength trip out. Mostly the same locations as 19/02/2023 but different partner in crime and results

Started by heading towards World's End again to give Mike A a chance at Black Grouse. Several cars but no birds at the usual roadside lek, so we headed further along to where Andy Platt had spotted a lek of C10 Blackcocks last month. A scan turned up 1 male staying vere loyal to a small area down in the valley, possibly the centre of the 10 strong lek we saw last month. No other Black Grouse in sight, but plenty of Red Grouse, including an amorous pair in the Blackcock's area and a fly past from a party of 20 up by the road. Subsequent converstaions confirmed two leks, each with 4 males at other points along the route, one in the valley bottom, the other on the ridge nearer World's End. Also around were numerous Skylark and Meadow Pipits, 1 red Kite, 1 Kestrel and at least 1 Raven, and a pair of Canada Geeese. Two small birds which briefly flitted in front of the car as we were leaving the site were probably Stonechat but were too  quick for definitive views.

At Llandulas last month's large group of sea watchers had reduced to a single individual, scanning the flock of scoters towards Conwy. Shortly after we joined him a Velvet Scoter flew in, but failed to land next to any Surf Scoter drakes this time. The number of observers rose to 5 but still no sign of anything other than Common Scoter - the Velet having disappeared into the flock. A lucky remembrance of a comment that the two drakes had been vey loyal to location led to us re-scanning the area between us and the wind farm, and even more luckily, as the sun came out a particularly deep swell brought a small group containing the two Surf Scoter into well lit view on the back edge of the trough, before they were lost to view again. There were brief glimpses/half glimpses for a further period before they were relocated slight further east.They they suddenly took ofr and gave great side and head on views as they flew over to join the main flock to the west, disappearing almost immediately on splash down. The initial lone watcher celebrated a 'tick' and we all headed off, in our case to Burton Wetlands

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 20th of March 2023 08:21:05 PM

Hi Steve

I think we met at LLandulas and then at Foryd Bay! Nice to meet you if it was. 

Cheers 

For various reasons at half strength today, but quite a successful trip.

Road from Minera towards World's End. 2 Black Grouse leks; The usual roadside one held 11 birds as we were approaching but 6 flew off before we reached the other two cars at the pull-in. 2 Males spent a lot of time in display, the others seemed not to be bothered. Further along a second lek, visible at the bottom of one of the facing slopes, held at least 6 males, although Andy Platt, who had joined us for part of the morning scoped around 10. A lot of noise from the local Red Grouse as well, with around 6 birds see, but more heard. As we headed back to Minera a 6th male had appeared at the original lek, but none of the birds seemed to have any interest in displaying.

Llandulas. The scoter flock seemed rather dispersed on quite a choppy sea, so even with directions from those already there it was difficult to pick out any Velvet or Surf scoters, until a Velvet drake took off in front of a distant ship and obligingly flew towards us, landing next to 2 drake Surf Scoters which briefly popped their heads up to look at him. Numerous Red-throated Divers, Great Crested Grebes and Cormorants plus the odd Guillemot and Razorbill filled gaps and provided shifting reference points.

The weather was distinctly wintery at Llanrwst when we arrived, to news that a Hawfinch had been seen about an hour earlier "across the river". So we crossed over and followed the river walk to the public car park. Viewing from here J R spotted one "across the river!" flying back the way we had come towards the tea rooms. By the time we got back there, a group were watching up to 4 birds in trees beyond the public footpath west of the river. Not the clearest views but good enough for a positive i.d.

With no news on the Ruddy Shelducks seen yesterday at Rhyl we decided to head home via Burton Wetlands.

Following on from the previous post, the next stop was Llanfairfechan. Birds seen here included Common Scoter, Red-throated Diver, Great Crested Grebe, Razerbill, Kittiwake and Fulmer.

The real highlight was a close in flock of 30+ fly by Bar-tailed Godwits at approximately 200 ME range. They were being attacked by something and I raised my binoculars to see a Peregrine manage to separate one from the main flock, where it dived and attempted to grab the Godwit on three occasions. On each attack the Godwit crashed into the sea before taking off again. A second Peregrine then joined the hunt and again the Godwit crashed into the sea, in a desperate attempt to avoid capture. By now it was getting pushed further out to sea, so I tried to switch over to my scope, but couldn't connect. I wasn't holding out much hope for the Godwit, but a real top birding moment!

 

Great Orme early afternoon eastern side in gale force winds a single Shag diving just off the rocks.

Conway harbour - Great Black Backed Gull, Oystercatcher & good numbers of Jackdaw all around Conway town.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 11th of November 2022 10:51:35 AM

North Wales and Anglesey today

Gronant Dunes:
Still plenty of Little Terns with numerous young flying around
5 Sandwich Tern
8 Ringed Plover
a small flock of Dunlin feeding on the beach
1 Gannet offshore
3 Sedge Warbler heard in the dunes

River Clwyd:
The reported Hooded Crow couldnt be found
10 Little Egret
Numerous Curlew
1 Dunlin
A small flock of 12 Black-tailed Godwit flew in
Flocks of Greylag and Canada Geese and the usual Gulls

Holyhead Harbour:
4 Black Guillemot distantly around the jetty

South Stack RSPB:
Main highlight was the passage 100s of Manx Shearwater offshore plus a few Gannets
Cliffs now deserted of all Auks - just 2 Guillemots and 2 Razorbills on the sea but a few Kittiwakes still
Quite a few Choughs overhead
2 Rock Pipit - adult + youngster
1 Wheatear - female
1 Stonechat - juv
A very obliging Raven that coughed up a couple of pellets right in front of me.

Valley Lakes RSPB:
1 Ring-necked Duck - eclipse drake in a mixed flock of Pochard and Tufted Ducks
1 Peregrine swooped in low over the lake
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Mediterranean Gull
4 Teal
1 Stonechat - juv
2 Great Black-backed Gull - adult and young on the island
A few Sand Martins over the lake

River Alaw estuary:
1 Hooded Crow - distantly feeding on the salt marsh with Carrion Crows. Apparently there are two around here.
3 Little Egret
Plenty of Curlew and Oystercatcher

Esclusham Mountain (Above Minera) Afternoon visit.

Circular walk across the high moorland (Towards Worlds End).

2 Whinchats seen around the bracken covered area.

On the largely heather covered areas Meadow Pipits galore, lesser numbers of Stonechats (Including a family group),

4 singing Skylarks, 2 Ravens, 4 Buzzards and 1 Kestrel.

Great Orme, Llandudno. A very hot wander around found numerous Stonechat, Meadow Pipit. Linnet, 4 Raven and 12 Chough. 2 Shelduck, 1 Peregrine and 1 Common Scoter seen off St Tudnos.

Highlights of a wander around Newborough Forest and Llanddwyn Island: 4 Eider, 2 Sandwich Terns, 4 Ringed Plover, 40 Oystercatcher, 3 Raven, Stonechat, Wheatear, 3 Linnet. Numerous Rock Pipits & Skylarks.

Thurs.
A visit to Welsh Mountain Zoo so a non-birding trip but a few things seen throughout the day.

Of note
- 1 Red Kite circling near the zoo
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker
- 1 Commic Tern fishing off Llanddulas car park
- another Common Swift over the caravan park

Lots of the usual stuff around that Ive already reported.
Nice to see some Gulls, Herring and Lesser Black-backed in most of the zoo enclosures, taking food from the animals. Then back at the resort, we came out of the arcades and a Herring Gull took us by surprise and swooped down to nick one of Lucas chicken nuggets!

Tuesday.
A cracking hours walk on the dunes behind the caravan early morning, lots of birds about providing a dawn chorus.

Of note
- 1 Blackcap
- 4 Sedge Warbler
- 2 Reed Warbler
- 2 Whitethroat
- 3 Cettis Warbler (minimum)
- 4 Stonechat
- 6 Linnet
- 1 House Martin
- abundant Swallow
- abundant Skylark (close up)
- few Meadow Pipits
- 1 Little Egret over the marsh

But perhaps the 3 star birds were
- 2 Northern Wheatear
- lots of Little Tern (Gronant colony)
- 1 Marsh Harrier just flew up and started hunting the marsh

- another Wheatear at Prestatyn main beach on the steps

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 10th of May 2022 10:23:03 PM

Trip to Anglesey yesterday was successful, in what turned out to be great weather.

Started at South Stack, numbers of Guillemot and Razorbill seemed very good. Maybe that is why Puffins took some finding. Eventually, having found none on the water, I located a pair viewed from the top of the lighthouse steps. All the usuals were seen although it became foggy.

I moved around to the Range and on my walk located two Hooded Crow in a field with sheep and other covids, looking back towards South Stack.

Six Black Guillemot were found at Holyhead Fish Dock.

At Cemlyn the sun had come out and it was a beautiful afternoon. Arctic and Sandwich Terns were very much in the ascendency, with far fewer Common Terns. I found a single adult Mediterranean Gull amongst them. A walk to Hen Borth produced a couple of Whimbrel, as well as a good supporting cast including a few Wheatear and Whitethroat.

Sunday 6th March.
Early morning visit until around 10am. Cold sea breeze making my fingers numb at one point, very choppy conditions.

Old Colwyn (1hr).
- 2 Velvet Scoters
- 1 Great Northern Diver
- 1 Red-breasted Merganser
- 25+ Turnstone round my feet

Llanddulas (30min).
- 1 Velvet Scoter

100s of Common Scoter on the sea so I gave it a serious effort scanning through them but sadly no Surf Scoters for me.
I had plenty of nearly moments where I thought I might have one but as can often be the case, the bright sun was reflecting off the nape of some of the Commons in certain angles so my hats off to you Chris for finding yours.

Highlights of the High Peak RSPB group trip to North Wales this weekend:

Llanrwst: at least 1 Hawfinch at St Grysts church

Llyn Brenin VC: 5 Brambling and many Siskin, 3 Red Kites from here to Abergele

Rhos on Sea: 10+ Purple Sandpiper, 4 Red Throated Diver 

Little Orme: Iceland Gull, 5 Chough 

Conwy RSPB: Greater Scaup, Spotted Redshank, Jack Snipe, 4 Red Breasted Merganser 

Point of Ayr RSPB: 12 Brent Geese, possible Twite flock 20

Some images from group members attached. Couldn't locate the Great Grey Shrike near Llyn Brenin in the horizontal hail despite trying. A cracking weekend nevertheless. 

Had another day in North Wales in the sunshine but this time the main targets eluded me and also eluded a few mates that I met out whilst birding too!

Started at the clearfell near Llyn Brenig but again no Great Grey Shrike, the Crossbills did show very well though with a male even courtship feeding a female at the top of a pine tree. Again a couple of Ravens knocking around too.

Next I headed up to Llanddulas/Old Colwyn but despite reports from the bay around the time that we were there there was no sign of any Surf Scoters, and that's with 4 birders searching thoroughly! I did pick up a drake Velvet Scoter in flight amongst the thousands of Common Scoters. Also out there were at least 10 Red-throated Divers, a few Red-breasted Mergansers and a Guillemot. Behind on the cliffs  a couple of pairs of Fulmars were already settling on nesting ledges. On the rocks near Rainbow Bridge a Rock Pipit showed well.

My final destination was the River Clwyd between Rhuddlan and Rhyl. I parked at Rhuddlan and walked up the river on the cycle path on the advice of a Welsh birding pal, as this gave views of both sides of the river whereas other routes from Rhyl did not. A long way along the path I finally found large flocks of geese in the sheep fields on the east side of the river. Scanning through these I picked up mostly Greylag Geese, a few Canada Geese, a few Pink-footed Geese and finally 1+Russian White-fronted Geese, the species I had come to look for (picture attached).

A good trip nonetheless and 4 birds added to my yearlist, so definitely can't complain!

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Wednesday 19th of January 2022 08:45:45 AM

Did a North wales run today as I am at a funeral tomorrow and then back at work after, so my last chance to yearlist build in early 2022.

I started off pre-dawn at World's End in Denbighshire. I arrived at 7.45am and it was still dark, the advantage of an early January trip. Another advantage was that I was on my own, no scrum of cars at the lek site. Birds were already there and more arrived as I watched. A total of 11(10m) Black Grouse were seen, some actively lekking, strutting their stuff and vocalising. The biggest surprise was a female which flew in, my first here for at least 5 years. This is a very well known site, viewed easily from the car and well used taking the pressure of all the other leks in N.Wales. Also on the moors here were at least 10 Red Grouse and a pair of Ravens. So 3 bird species under my belt so far!

Next I headed to Llyn Brenig to look for the Great Grey Shrike but that eluded me this time. It was cold and windy with squally rain so I'm not surprised. I did pick up a party of 6 Crossbills and a Meadow Pipit for my list!

Next to Llanrwst in the Conwy Valley where a long wait was rewarded with a single short view of a Hawfinch in the yews in the churchyard, viewed from across the river.

The Little Orme was next which always allows my a seawatch as well as other bits and bobs. Out at sea were a few pretty close Red-throated Divers and a Guillemot. Also seen were several Shags and a distant Kittiwake. Flocks of Red-breasted Mergansers showed well close to shore in the bay. On the land a calling Chough was located and proved to be one of the colour-ringed birds that are here. After a couple of tries the juvenile Iceland Gull eventually flew in to land amongst the seal colony where it has taken up 'residence'! The Iceland Gull was my 100th species for 2022, a nice bird to bring up that number!

I then headed back east and dropped into Abergele to pick up Common Scoter for my list. Then last call in Wales was Rhyl Brickfields Pond where the returning female Scaup was elusive but eventually found by walking round the pool.

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Monday 3rd of January 2022 10:54:30 PM

28/11/21

A good day in North Wales yesterday, started at Llyn Brenig where the Great Grey Shrike showed well on the clearfell along the B4501. Several Crossbills and 2 Ravens went over while we were there. Chatting to some other birders we got a tip to try the feeders at the Visitor Centre for a single Brambling, which was a late yeartick for me. Also there a single Crossbill dropped in and perched nicely for us.

The weather was actually pretty good despite the stuff going on nearer home, so we decided to head for a village called Llanelltyd having seen some recent reports of Hawfinch there. It is just next to Dolgellau on the Mawddach river. When we arrived the setting was great, one of those ancient Welsh churches with lots of Yews around it, nestling at the bottom of a wooded hillside. We saw a Hawfinch within 2 minutes and spent an enjoyable hour or so watching them perching up and then shuttling in and out of the churchyard trees. When someone walked into the church grounds and everything flushed, there were clearly over 20 Hawfinches in there, amongst Redwings, Mistle Thrushes, Nuthatch, Chaffinch and Blackbirds. Fantastic!

Looking at the area on Google, there are huge tracts of woodland surrounding the village so no surprise that they're there but the site doesn't seem to have the profile of others?

A cracking pair of species for a winter's day.

Went down to Llyn Brenig today, following a few positive sightings of a must see winter visitor.

On arrival a few birders were present but news was negative. A short 10min wait was enough when the Great Grey Shrike reappeared up high on a lone dead tree. It then showed really well until a Raven flushed it off and it then went missing for nearly 45mins. It was refound a long way off so I headed off up to the north coast. Whilst watching the Great Grey Shrike lots of Crossbills were flying about and calling on the opposite side of the road.

I next headed to Pensarn to check out the scoters offshore. Amongst the huge numbers of Common Scoters, some pretty close, I picked out a single Velvet Scoter in flight after only 2mins. But thereafter nothing but Commons in the Scoter line! Also out on the sea were over 15 Red-throated Divers, a single Great Northern Diver, a couple of Red-breasted Mergansers, a couple of Guillemots, several Gannets and Shag & Cormorant. The swell and a receding tide made it hard and despite several of us searching really hard we never found the hoped for Surf Scoter!

Finally I called it a day, but another good one in North Wales, always a great place for birding

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Saturday 20th of November 2021 10:50:57 PM

Adult drake Surf Scoter this afternoon off Pensarn, keeping very close to an adult drake Velvet Scoter, even following it in flight. About 60 ish Red Throated Diver,  inc some still with a reasonable amount of summer plumage remaining.

Little Orme/Angel Bay Penrhyn 12.00-15.00

2nd choice venue for a sea watch as the Great Orme was being used for cycle racing.

2 Choughs, 1 Kestrel, 5 Stonechats and 9 Ravens. Some Ravens were highly vocal and doing spectacular display flights.

Large gathering of mixed Cormorants and Shags on the lower cliffs, the former appear to form at least 80% of the roost.

With a SE breeze blowing the sea watch proved a little disappointing with just 2 Gannets and 6 Kittiwakes apart the usual gulls.

A flock of around 30 Jackdaws flew above the headland and were frequently harassed by a pair of Magpies, who appeared to be

doing it purely for fun, the occasional Raven also joined in too.

Forgot to say I saw a couple of ringed Sandwich Terns, one with a red ring which could possibly be Dutch but I didnt get the code, and the other had a white ring KZJ which is Irish.

Ive had a reply from Tony Murray who asked me for the time seen, as the same bird was also seen later on at Rhos Point.
Info below.

17/06/2016 Inish, Lady's Island Lake, Wexford

29/07/2016 Ballinclamper Strand, Clonea, Dungarvan, Co.Waterford

08/08/2016 Dunkettle, Cork Harbour, Co. Cork

02/12/2019 at sea, Atlantic Ocean, The Gambia

15/12/2019 at sea, Atlantic Ocean, The Gambia

11/05/2020 Hodbarrow, Cumbria, England

12/05/2020 Hodbarrow, Cumbria, England

18/05/2020 Hodbarrow, Cumbria, England

24/07/2021 Cemlyn, Anglesey, Wales

25/07/2021 Cemlyn, Anglesey, Wales

25/07/2021 Rhos Point, Rhos on Sea, Colwyn Bay,