3 Wood warblers 5 Redstart Multiple m/f Pied flycatchers 2 Red kites 1 Osprey The usual Siskins and finches on the feeders 1 goldcrest 2 treecreeper Bonus bird a very vocal active Tree pipit
High numbers of Curlew on the water. Shelduck. 5 Sandwich terns, Sorry edit, terns Terned out to be Sandwich not common, Pardon the bad pun,
Great time to visit. All target birds present singing and easy to see as the trees are still not full of leaves
-- Edited by Dennis atherton on Monday 29th of April 2013 08:24:36 PM
__________________
Did you see it? It was small and brown and flew that way.........................
bolton rspb group trip today, high lights were.....
single osprey flying over, tree creepers, nuthatch, gs peckers, wheatear, lots of pied flycatchers, redstart, blackcaps, lots of warblers today, chiffchaff, willow warbler, great looking wood warblers, also reed warbler and grasshopper warbler heard but not seen, nice flocks of siskins at visitor center, redshank, common sandpipers and a few little egrets
Dennis, we saw your coach as we were there yesterday too! We kept an eye out for you, but didnt see you!!
bolton rspb group trip today, high lights were.....
single osprey flying over, tree creepers, nuthatch, gs peckers, wheatear, lots of pied flycatchers, redstart, blackcaps, lots of warblers today, chiffchaff, willow warbler, great looking wood warblers, also reed warbler and grasshopper warbler heard but not seen, nice flocks of siskins at visitor center, redshank, common sandpipers and a few little egrets
__________________
Did you see it? It was small and brown and flew that way.........................
We had a whistle-stop tour of mid-Wales yesterday, making the most of the great weather.
Started off at 5.30am around Lake Vrynwy, where a female Hen Harrier and 2 (distant) male Black Grouse made the early start worthwhile. Also present on the hillsides we had a bit of a chat-fest with several Whinchat, Redstarts, Wheatears, and 4 newly fledged Stonechats, plus Tree Pipit, Red Grouse, Kestrel and a family of stoats. There was plenty of birdsong in the woods, including several Wood Warblers, more Redstarts, Siskins and a male Pied Flycatcher just by the car.
Our next stop was the Ynys-hir reserve on theDyfi estuary - I've been coming here every spring for years - really great spot. Red Kites (up to 4 at once) were a fairly constant presence on the hills behind the reserve. Other raptors included Sparrowhawks, Kestrel, plenty of Buzzards (including an occupied nest a few miles from the reserve) and a Peregrine. Pied Flycatchers were in abundance, and we also added Cuckoo, Marsh Tit, Jays, more Redstarts and Wood Warblers, Spotted Flycatcher, and Grasshopper Warbler. A Green Woodpecker was unsually showy and very vocal. Little Egrets, Herons, Shelducks and a male Goosander were on the estaury. The feeders at the car park had Coal Tits, Nuthatch, GS Woodpecker and lots of very tame Siskins. Loads of Painted Ladies everywhere.
A short drive from the reserve took us to the Osprey watchpoint. Nice place- very friendly staff and a fine new tower hide - 2 Ospreys gave excellent views on the nest platform, engaging in courtship behaviour and attempting to mate a few times. Lots of warblers around the reserve included Sedge, Reed, Garden and Whitethroat, plus dozens more Painted Ladies and plenty of dragonflies.
2 Red Kites flew right overhead as we were leaving and on the road home we added a few more, plus loads of Buzzards and Kestrels.
Excellent day - well worth the drive and the sunburn.
-- Edited by declan savage on Sunday 31st of May 2009 12:39:05 PM
Hi Matt - what about Hobby? I've twice seen them there in summer - the first time I assumed it was a wanderer but the second time made me wonder if they are more regular?
Is the pale leucistic Kite still around?
We saw two leucistic Red Kites yesterday!! They are really nice to see and almost look like a new species!!!
I found a Little Egret on the playing fields today. Normally it would be quite a nice find, until i let you know that one was at the same place this time last year for a few weeks and they breed 9 miles up the coast at Ynis - hir RSPB reserve!
Still its a nice bird and i will wander down later to get a closer look!
Most winters there's Purple Sandpipers roosting in Aberystwyth harbour wall - they usually all zoom out at first light. There also used to be a big Starling roost in the pier with a Peregrine patrolling round
The starling roost is still there and is growing all the time. We are getting some large Pied Wag roosts as well!
Re Kites over Nant Yr Arian must have got to well over 100 birds over the cold snap!
Most winters there's Purple Sandpipers roosting in Aberystwyth harbour wall - they usually all zoom out at first light. There also used to be a big Starling roost in the pier with a Peregrine patrolling round
Saw 5 Hawfinch this morning at a usual site of Llanbedr-y-cennin in the Conwy valley. Went looking for GG Shrike in the Cloccaenog Forest but no joy. Made my day to come across a Red Kite cruising along beside the A5 on the way towards Betwys-y-Coed. Happy New Birding Year to all Steve
4 Purple Sandpiper down at the harbour the last few days. Along with a few Rock Pipits. Apparently there is a wintering Black Redstart at the Castle, I will have a mooch later!
Where is your lake by the way Matt? What's it called? Thanks. Henry.
Our local Lake is Llyn Yr Oefra, just off the A44 near Nant Yr Arian forest centre and Red Kite Feeding, about 12 miles out of Aberystwyth. Its high up in the start of the Cambrian Mountains and we get some wild weather!
And the Whooper Swan collection has now risen to 9 this morning along with 1 Grey Heron and 1 Cormorant
Breeding Hobbies can be incredibly illusive and I suspect overlooked.
I've had a third in the general area, but that one was probably passing through, and autumn immature bird picked up flying south over the sea at Aberdysyni during a seawatch - nearly put it down as a Skua at first!!
That info came from the RSPB guy who sends out monthly sightings records. You could be right though and sightings have been put down to passing birds.
Breeding Hobbies can be incredibly illusive and I suspect overlooked.
I've had a third in the general area, but that one was probably passing through, and autumn immature bird picked up flying south over the sea at Aberdysyni during a seawatch - nearly put it down as a Skua at first!!
Hi Matt - what about Hobby? I've twice seen them there in summer - the first time I assumed it was a wanderer but the second time made me wonder if they are more regular?
Is the pale leucistic Kite still around?
I have found out that the Hobbys at Nant Yr Arian are only passing through. There are usually 4 knocking about around Cors Carron as well but passing through. Well done on spotting them on two occasions!!
By some bizarre coincedence someone has posted a photo of the leucistic Kite on BirdGuides this week, taken at Nant-y-Arian - so it looks as though it is still around.
ooo excellent, I will defo keep an eye out for it! cheers for that!
By some bizarre coincedence someone has posted a photo of the leucistic Kite on BirdGuides this week, taken at Nant-y-Arian - so it looks as though it is still around.
Our cats have only had one avian casualty though luckily! On the other other hand, the common shrew and field mice populations have taken a hammering!!!
Hi Matt - what about Hobby? I've twice seen them there in summer - the first time I assumed it was a wanderer but the second time made me wonder if they are more regular?
Is the pale leucistic Kite still around?
I have never seen Hobby here, but never looked for them. Again, I havent seen the Kite but havent been looking cos I didnt know about it. I will keep an eye out for them next summer though. I am getting to know on email who is who around here in terms of regional reps etc, so I can ask the question.
Our bird table is getting a hammering! Loads of blue and great tits - 30 to 40 birds, 20+ chaffinches, coal tits, nuthatch, sparrows, gs woodpecker and a single yellowhammer!
Hi Matt - what about Hobby? I've twice seen them there in summer - the first time I assumed it was a wanderer but the second time made me wonder if they are more regular?
Yup, its Nant Y Arian. There are a few wind turbines nearby!
Lots of birds about!
We walk the dogs around the lake there. Its an amazing place. The other night, there must have been 100+ bats out skimming the water and taking insects!
amazingly, I see a Kestrel every so often and Kites every day. I get my Kestrel fix when i visit manchester!
Sounds like Nant-y-Arian to me - love the spot - stumbled across it once on the way back from Tregaron not knowing there was a feeding station there.
Saw a few kites in the air so pulled in to the lay-by - by chance around 3:00 when feeding took place - the sky soon filled with Kites (some dodging the turbines indeed) and have visited many times since.
Not quite Gigrin Farm standards, but a great spot non the less - and a great place to be able to look down on Kites rather than just look up at them.
Is that the place where they have to dodge through all the wind turbines to get to the food?
Forgot to mention Cors Caron (Tregaron Bog) as a place to visit. There weren't many birds there when we visited but it's a wonderfully atmospheric place.
You've certainly found a good place to live, Matt.
Just had a wet week in Wales (though it seems to have been pretty damp here as well).
Highlight was my first Sooty Shearwater from the seawatching shelter on Strumble Head (nr Fishguard). You needed the shelter - without it you couldn't hold bins or scope steady in the gale that was blowing! Choughed (there were quite a few of those around) to find the Sooty myself though I got one of the regulars to confirm the ID.
If you're in the area, other good spots were Parrog (near Newport, Ceredigion) at low tide for waders, and Mwnt (other side of Cardigan) for Choughs and cracking views of Dolphin.
Red Kites almost everywhere - real Welsh ones, not these foreign imports!
Saw a cracking exhibition of wood-engravings (another passion of mine) at Fishguard called "An Avian Alphabet" by Colin See-Paynton. All the pictures are based on collective nouns for birds - Unkindness of Ravens, Hill of Ruff, Deceit of Lapwings, Knob of Pochard, etc. If you get the chance, go and see it - it's touring England and Wales.
(Check your e-mail)