Chester Birder

Spring Migration

2010-02-12T16:04:00.001Z

Due to an imminent move into North Wales I have decided to discontinue this blog and start blogging on the new site http://theblackgrouse.blogspot.com/ - after all ‘chesterbirder’ would have been of a misnomer!

The site and its content will be very similar to this one, but given that practically all my birding and nature watching will be focused on North East Wales I felt that a change of name was the order of the day.

I wanted to pick a name that was synonymous with the area and after some thought there is no more an iconic bird for Clwyd than the Black Grouse. It also means that if I move in the future it is less likely that I will have to change name again!

I would like to end by thanking all the regular readers of this blog over the last nine months, particularly people like Keith, Ash, Phil, Denzil, Andy, John, 'The Gents' and 007 who have been kind enough to post numerous comments. Thanks guys.

Hare Krishna.

Instruments of Torture

2010-02-10T17:45:00.002Z

The release of the methods of torture Binyam Mohamed was subject to may have made the news headlines today, but my own personal instrument of torment was a set of bathroom scales I had a nasty encounter with a couple of days back.

In fairness the warning signs have been evident for a while, but the reading was still an unwelcome shock – I half expected the scales to quote the line from Get Carter “You’re a big bloke, but you’re out of shape”.

With the Welsh Uplands open for business in a couple of months, I decided some urgent action was required. After all, and to get back on the Mohamed theme again – “If the mountain won’t come to Mohamed…” well you know the rest and I’m not going to get a trip of Dotterel in my back garden am I?

So it was that ‘Operation Fighting Fit’ began in earnest today with a thirteen mile walk around Lake Vyrnwy – somewhere flat to ease me in!

I didn’t anticipate much on the birding front and I didn’t get much. Waterfowl seem to be able to smell a man made reservoir from a mile away and generally avoid them like the plague.

This rule rings true as much in India as it does in Wales – the massive Lake Periyar in Kerala has one species of duck on its list – Garganey – and that’s it.

All that I could muster today from six miles of open water was a Little Grebe, a Cormorant, and rather bizarrely a Shelduck that I kept telling myself must be Goosander, despite it being fairly obvious that it was not.

The woodland was not much better with a few roving tit flocks and a handful of Siskins – giving their distinctive wheezing call – all I could muster.

Walking around the lake at least provided me with the chance to look at the reserve close up and personal as well as affording me the opportunity to feel smug every time somebody passed me in a car.

What struck me about the area is how few stands of ancient woodland there actually are here – well over three quarters of the trees are non native and awful conifers to boot, whilst the invasive Rhododendron is rife.

Still, it’s a very scenic valley regardless, all that is needed is a good dose of spring migrants…

Until later.

Marsh Matters

2010-02-09T14:12:00.002Z

Lots of activity at Burton Marsh this morning, including a large skein of Pinkies and a small RSPB chain-gang engaged in a spot of fence mending – all that was missing was the prison issue boiler suits!

Still hundreds of waterfowl on the numerous flashes, including large numbers of Wigeon and Lapwing – the recent high tides and resultant flooding really has produced a superb spectacle.

Good numbers of birds are not just restricted to the marsh though, with a large flock of finches feeding in the fields behind the Decca Pools. Flying overhead, at least one Brambling was calling (one bird I can pick-up in flight, unlike the characters in the next paragraph!) but the bulk of the numbers seemed to be made up of Chaffinch and Linnets.

Crossing the bridge near Neston Old Quay I had a quick scan for Water Pipits, but before I had a chance to look properly three birds shot up from the stream and flew off towards the sewage works. All giving off single calls, it seems likely that they were either Rock or Water Pipits, but I’m afraid my level of competency does not extend to telling the difference between a ‘pseep’ and a ‘weest’ yet!

Try as I might, I could not find one single Harrier on the outer marsh today, just a couple of blokes with Alsatians - trying their damnedest to disturb every bird within two miles of Denhall Old Quay - and a returning wildfowler.

On a positive note, I heard my first singing Chaffinch of the year – yet another sign that spring is not too far away now. Let’s hope this latest does of cold weather is the last medicine we have to take this winter!

Until later.

Have I Got Smews For You

2010-02-07T10:35:00.003Z

Having waited for the best part of five years for a Red-necked Grebe or drake Smew to turn up somewhere reasonably local, my patience finally evaporated yesterday and 007 and I motored over to east Nottinghamshire to try and net both these elusive species.

First port of call was Hoveringham Gravel Pits where after some searching the resident Red-necked Grebe was located at the far corner of the water. Busily fishing for sticklebacks it all but ignored us as it moved to about forty yards from us - stood on the shore - affording cracking views in the ‘scope.

Not the best name for a bird really ‘Red-necked.’ Hick Grebe, Deliverance Grebe, Dungarees Grebe, or my personal choice ‘Cajun Swamp Grebe’, are all far less sinister.

With the bird drifting away from us as it slept off its fish breakfast, there was just enough time for a quick scan of the lake that netted both Kingfisher and Goldeneye, before setting course for Attenborough NR near Nottingham to try and catch up with the drake Smews.

The most handsome of ducks was an absolute nightmare to find and it took two laps and three hours of the area before we eventually found a pair of drakes skulking in an inaccessible corner. They were fairly distant, but with the scope trained on them, we enjoyed excellent views. A genuinely stunning bird and well worth the wait!

Attenborough unquestionably possesses some excellent habitat, but the massive area of flooded gravel pits serve more as a park for local people, than an actual nature reserve, with no attempt by the wildlife trust to delineate between the two.

Most of the ‘wild’ birds seek refuge in the quieter regions of the site (of which there are few) whilst the ‘domesticated’ birds (including worryingly tame Tufted Ducks, Ruddy Shelduck, Egyptian Goose and Red-crested Pochard) besiege the area near the cafeteria.

The result is an unholy mess if I am honest. Conservation organisations only need to look at the WWT reserve at Martin Mere to recognise that it is fairly straight forward to keep the wild and captive parts separate and cater for birders, casual observers and day-trippers alike.

That aside, there were still many excellent birds to enjoy including well over fifty Goosander, Goldeneye, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, Tree Sparrow and even a handful of Ruddy Duck that have managed to evade the guns of the Environment Agency.

Until later.

It Was Dark, Okay?

2010-02-05T15:53:00.002Z

They say travel broadens the mind, but not everything you experience and learn abroad is necessarily of use – especially when you are standing on a lane north of Garth Wood looking at a silhouette in the top of an oak tree.

My brain was screaming “IT’S A BARBET”, which was a perfectly reasonable conclusion to draw had I been walking around the arboretum in Darjeeling, not a hillside in Flintshire.

Minor geographical anomaly notwithstanding, I had to agree with the old grey matter – it did indeed resemble a Barbet. Mistle Thrush was the next best guess, but the bird looked too chunky for a thrush and the tail was too stubby.

Fortunately the bird soon clocked me and took off flying directly away from me. Within a nanosecond I realised what I had been looking at - the clear yellow rump and dipping flight meant it was obviously a Green Woodpecker – how could I have been so obtuse? Too much knowledge is indeed a dangerous thing.

Other than my Lineated Woodpecker, Garth Wood was well stocked with commoner birds today. No sign of any of the rarer tits today or indeed a Lesser Spot. The habitat looks good for all three, but as of yet Marsh Tit is the only species I have bagged.

On a disturbing note, Flintshire Council had placed a notice about a “POISIONING INSIDENT” (sic) in the woods that had led to a fatality. Reading between the lines I inferred that some poor mutt must have eaten some laced meat. I’m not sure what’s more worriying: learning that this sort of sickening and reprehensible activity still goes on, or that somebody working in a reasonable position of authority has such piss-poor spelling.

Until later.

It's Grim Up North

2010-02-03T16:42:00.001Z

I don’t know about you, but I am seriously considering stuffing my face with McDonalds three times a day (grim, I know, but theses are desperate times) and then finding the nearest cave where I will hunker down and set the alarm clock for April.

Despite the minging weather at Inner Marsh Farm this afternoon, I did at least enjoy an excellent hour and a half at lunchtime over at Connah’s Quay with thousands of waders feeding very close to the west hide on an advancing tide.

The numbers of shorebirds at Connah’s Quay has been fairly modest over recent weeks, so it was a real treat to see big flocks of Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwit probing, prodding and drilling their way through the gloriously gloopy mud.

Interestingly, at least twenty Bar-tailed Godwits were mixed in with their taller and drabber brothers. Given that they favour hanging with Grey Plovers and Sanderling on sandy shores they are fairly unusual on the muddier flats off Oakenholt – I can’t recall seeing more than the odd one or two before.

I just had enough time left to squeeze in a visit to Inner Marsh Farm where again there was plenty of wildfowl on the reserve, but with very few birds on the hide pool. With the sleet driving through the windows I didn’t hang around long, but I was cheered slightly by the appearance of a few snowdrops near the car park – spring can’t to be too far away now…..surely!

It was interesting to note two more Sparrowhawks today; just based on my observations, I wager these efficient little hunting machines have been filling their boots this winter. They seem to be very conspicuous at the moment and I wonder if the weakened state of many songbirds during the freezing temperatures has increased hunting success and reduced the hawk’s attrition rate?

Anyway, I’m off to find a cave. Nothing on the websites of Rightmove or Beresford Adams…..perhaps I should try Cave-ndish Ikin.

Connah’s Quay 03.02.10

2,000 Dunlin
1,000 Black-tailed Godwit
300 Oystercatcher
200 Knot
50 Redshank
20 Bar-tailed Godwit
2 Sparrowhawk

Until later.

Vanishing Point

2010-02-02T15:07:00.002Z

An exceptionally high tide at the Point of Ayr this morning produced an excellent crop of birds, with the pick being an incredible count of ninety five Brent Geese that arrived in two equal sized skeins about twenty minutes apart.

The water practically covered the spit today – the first time I have seen this happen. A tide of 10.1m had been predicted – lower than yesterday – but the combination of falling atmospheric pressure and a strengthening wind conspired to produce a big ‘un.

I had started out the morning with a seawatch - hoping to locate a small flock of Long-tailed Ducks that had been reported over the last couple of days. No joy, but plenty of Red-throated Divers past and a couple of Guillemots too.

I needed little encouragement to pack the seawatching in as he birds were not flying very close to the shore and when I spotted a Short-eared Owl cruising along the beach I sensed things must have started to get interesting on the marsh, so I headed over to near the café.

To my astonishment the water was already up to the embankment with an hour still to go. Pintail, Teal, Shelduck, Redshank and Curlew comprised the lion’s share of the birds, but a few goodies were present too in the form of a Red-breasted Merganser and a Spotted Redshank, whilst the first flock of Brent Geese soon touched down.

Closer scrutiny of the waders revealed a lone Bar-tailed Godwit – a nice addition to my Flintshire list – but the arrival of more Brent Geese had me trying to get an accurate count of their numbers. Ninety five in total – including at least two Dark-bellied Birds - and perhaps a record count for this site?

Point of Ayr 02.02.10

1 Short-eared Owl
95 Brent Goose (inc 2 Dark-bellied)
15+ Red-throated Diver
2 Guillemot
1 Spotted Redshank
3+ Rock Pipit
3 RB Merganser
2 GC Grebe

Until later.

Surf's Up

2010-01-31T18:16:00.003Z

Tantalising reports of a pair of drake Surf Scoters at Pensarn on Friday had 007 and I powering down the A55 yet again, whilst Batman and Robin were in absentia - spending the Sabbath confined to the Batcave.

Upon arrival we received news that at least one birder had found a Surf Scoter, which was remarkable considering the vast majority of the birds were bobbing up and down like a pneumatic prostitute, in poor light and a fair distant offshore.

Needless to say a two hour session failed to turn up any Surfs, but there were at least three Velvet Scoters about, with two picked up in flight - plus a drake on the drink that was just about discernable from the Commons.

Good numbers of divers slaloming around the wind turbines today too, with all but one cast iron Red-throats. The other bird displayed all the telltale signs of a Great Northern, but truth be told it was a good distance from the shore – albeit during a spell of good light.

When shower number three piled in we decided to up sticks and take a punt at Llanddulas. Not many scoters knocking about, but at least four Fulmars arched gracefully into the wind and a showy Red-throated Diver loafed reasonably close in.

With the weather finally beginning to improve and the sea starting to flatten out, we opted to return to Pensarn and this time our luck was in: two drake Surf Scoters had been found amongst a large raft of ducks just to the left of the wind turbines.

After ten frustrating minutes I eventually got on to both birds – so close together they could have been Siamese twins. Once on them it was advisable to stay on them, because they were surprisingly elusive, as they either sunk into the swell, dived down to feed, or swan quickly off with frustrating regularity.

Conversely - and somewhat surprisingly - the few Velvet Scoters in the flotilla were much easier to locate, with their large size and more upright stance(?) making them stand out markedly from the Commons.

After bagging my first Gannet of the year, we headed over to the Afon Clwyd to try and sniff out the Bar-headed Goose that has been hanging around with a small number of Canadas. Sure enough it was not too far from its usual haunt and regardless of being as plastic as they come (no tick 007 – it didn’t take a wrong turn at K2!!) it is hard to deny that it is one handsome looking bird…

Pensarn & Llanddulas 31.10.09

2 Surf Scoter (drake)
5+ Velvet Scoter
2500+ Common Scoter
1 Great Northern Diver
40+ Red-throated Diver
4 Fulmar
1 Gannet
5 GC Grebe

Afon Clwyd

1 Merlin (1st winter male)
4 Goosander

Until later.

Huffing and Puffin'

2010-01-30T15:56:00.003Z

Glorious unblemished sunshine greeted me at the Point of Ayr this morning, where I was joined by John Cureton for a spot of wardening.

I was nearly late starting, courtesy of the surly and curmudgeonly security guard at the BHP station who inexplicably sat on his fat arse and ignored me pressing the buzzer for a good ten minutes before resentfully getting to his feet.

I have been wardening here for a few winters now and I have never enjoyed it more; after all it is really just an excuse to do even more birding whilst providing an important helping hand to the very things that bring us so much pleasure.

The seawatching at the POA can be superb in all seasons - and it didn’t disappoint today: the star bird was unquestionably a Puffin flying out of the estuary mouth about half an hour after high tide.

Two Great Northern Divers were notable too, as were a pair of Common Scoters that were drifting unusually close to the shore.

The spit was quiet, holding far fewer waders and wildfowl than is typical with only Curlew present in decent numbers, although a hunting female Peregrine revealed a few hundred Oystercatchers hiding from view.

Not many people on the beach today despite the barbeque winter, just a couple of families and a pair of fisherman ‘practising their casting’, so John and I were reduced to entertaining ourselves by childishly planting sticks in the sand to measure how fast the tide was receding.

The only fly in the ointment of a cracking day was my little faux pas when returning to the car park. Taking a short cut across the top of the marsh I failed to see some birders scrutinising the vegetation. Unfortunately, I then flushed the very birds they were watching to their obvious displeasure. So, if you are reading this – sorry guys. Four hours trying to prevent disturbance and I commit the very same sin myself!

Point of Ayr 30.01.10

1 Puffin
2 Great Northern Diver
6+ Red-throated Diver
5 Common Scoter
6 Red-breasted Merganser
7 Brent Goose
1 Peregrine (female)

Until later.

Hello, Dave.

2010-01-29T16:57:00.004Z

With a brisk northerly wind blowing in from the Irish Sea, I thought it about time to pay an overdue visit to the north Wirral coast.

Armed with lashings of piping hot Winter Warmer, I set off to Leasowe Gunsite in the hope that some goodies had been blown into the corner of Liverpool Bay.

After no more than twenty minutes and two cups of WW already deployed to stoke the coals, I was ready to pack it in until two very distant Kittiwakes encouraged me to maintain the vigil a little longer.

Sadly things didn’t improve and I was soon scoping some brave soles out on Crosby Beach. I was intrigued as to why they appeared not to be moving and indeed one plucky individual seemed to have ventured out for a paddle.

Sharper tools than me will have already realised what I was looking at, but my own Triggeresque powers of deduction meant it was a good ten minutes before the penny dropped – they were figures from Anthony Gormley’s Another Place!!

With my mental faculties needing to thaw out, I headed over to seek refuge in the hide at Inner Marsh Farm.

A few Spot Reds had been logged in the morning, but were nowhere to be seen when I rolled up early afternoon and with number two pool holding very few birds, I was reduced to watching the increasingly frequent, blustery and bone-chilling snow flurries blasting swiftly through.

Going to be a tad unpleasant wardening at the Point of Ayr tomorrow me thinks – would rather be part of 007’s dawn raid to Gigrin – will need gallons of WW!

So, in the absence of any bird sighting to report and if anybody is venturing out over the weekend who fancies a change from soup, tea, or coffee – try some Winter Warmer!

Winter Warmer

Makes one litre:

Juice of one Lemon
A thumb’s length of ginger – crushed
One tablespoon of honey

Until later.

A Guten Morgen

2010-01-27T12:04:00.002Z

Bags of birds down at Inner Marsh Farm this morning, reflecting the excellent numbers of wildfowl currently present at the base of the estuary.

Wigeon in particular seem to be around in very good numbers, with flocks well into the hundreds at White Sands, Connah’s Quay, Burton Marsh and IMF.

Good news on the Shortie front too – I bumped into ‘a source’ at Denhall Lane this morning and he said that twenty-one were counted on Burton Marsh during Saturday afternoon – makes my maximum of seven this winter look paltry!

Teal and Lapwing are also legion and it was the large flock of circa 750 plovers that provided the most entertainment by seemingly entering a new higher state of neurosis in spending the best part of two hours in alarm and in the air at IMF.

There were a couple of foxes prowling the margins and a Sparrowhawk through, but it wasn’t until a male Peregrine zipped past that there was any hint of an explanation for their continued nervous behaviour.

A Greenshank and a couple of Spotted Redshanks were next on the scene with both species giving me a refresher in wader call identification by announcing their arrival audibly before dropping into number two pool.

The only disappointment this morning was the no-show of Herr Bittern, but superb close views of a ringtail Hen Harrier harrying Woodpigeons as I returned to the car park was a decent second prize…

Inner Marsh Farm 27.01.10

1 Peregrine (male)
1 Hen Harrier (ringtail)
1 Sparrowhawk
6 Ruff
2 Spotted Redshank
1 Greenshank

Until later.

Finch Fiesta

2010-01-25T17:27:00.002Z

Following a long walk this morning it was pleasant to end the day with an amble around Connah’s Quay.

A good skein of restless Pinkies over the White Sands area started the ball rolling and continuing the goose theme, a couple of Brent Geese were busy chewing up Oakenholt Marsh in the company of the feral Canadas.

This species seems to be putting in more and more regular appearances down at CQ – an indeed all along the North Wales coast – fifteen were recorded here last week.

Nine hyperactive Twite kept me company on the way to the bunded pools, where I disturbed the resident Kingfisher fishing in the channel before the first hide.

The bunded pools were buzzing this afternoon with hundreds of grazing Wigeon, whilst the pair of Ruddy Shelduck/Shelduck Hybrids that have been knocking around for ages even managed to put in their first appearance of the year.

Spot Red also present, but it was when I left the middle hide that things took off with a mixed flock of Lesser Redpoll carrying a few Siskin dropping down to feed in the alder trees.

They were extremely confiding as they hurriedly stuffed their faces with seed, hanging around for a good ten minutes until they were off again, giving that distinctive ‘miniature machine gun’ call.

A quick mooch around the nature trail produced a good flock of Brambling and continuing on the finch theme, a superb pair of Bullfinch.

An excellent couple of hours and 100 up for my Flintshire list too – now for the hard part: the next 100!

Connah’s Quay 25.01.10

Brent Goose 2 (hrota 1st winter)
Pink-footed Goose c275
Spotted Redshank 1
Ruddy Shelduck/Shelduck Hybrid 2
Wigeon c600
Little Grebe 3
Kingfisher 1
Lesser Redpoll 10+
Siskin 1
Twite 9
Brambling c30

Until later.

All Together Now

2010-01-24T16:49:00.003Z

Yet more evidence of spring at Inner Marsh Farm this morning, with a Lapwing tumbling and spiralling in display flight over the set aside.

You could have forgiven it for just roosting with the other birds at the back of number one pool as the dull, wet and windy conditions that comprise the continuing unacceptable face of January presided over affairs yet again.

Plenty of birds though this morning, with good numbers of Wigeon, Teal and Lapwing on the reserve, although virtually all were only subject to scrutiny by telescope as only a handful of birds were on the hide pool.

Despite the very high water levels there were a few small groups of Dunlin, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank and Ruff on number one pool and it is heartening to think during this bleak month that it won’t be too long before the first Avocets return.

Connah’s Quay almost held a mirror-image of the birds at IMF, with the addition of a few hundred Canada Geese. Two decent flocks of Pinkies way off towards Gayton Sands were a welcome sight, whilst a Peregrine perched on the edge of White Sands – in the face of modest competition – easily claimed its status as bird of the day.

It looks like the ‘wild’ swans have finally made it to the Shotwick Fields this winter as I clocked around forty birds grazing close to the roundabout near the new petrol station.

Last winter, counting them for my WeBS survey was as easy as kicking a blind man’s stick as they generally stuck to one large mixed flock off White Sands, but this time they seemed to have been much more itinerant appearing all over the estuary in varying numbers and species – awkward beggers!

Until later.

From Halkyn to the Heart of Darkness

2010-01-22T15:10:00.002Z

A circular walk starting from Halkyn, taking in coeds Llys, y Cra and Felin, looked a synch when I plotted it out from the OS map, but this five-miler - that’s purpose was to bag both Willow and Marsh Tit for my Flintshire list – rapidly descended into an episode of Bear Grylls.

It all started so well in the serene setting of the old churchyard at Halkyn, where I hoped against expectancy to find Hawfinch. This used to be a traditional site for the big-honkered finch, but they seem to have vanished in recent years.

It’s a mystery really because the habitat looks ideal – lots of tall deciduous trees surrounding a graveyard dotted with glorious old yew trees. I always think it ironic to plant a species that can live for thousands of years in a human cemetery, it just seems to emphasise how brief our lives are…

With not much doing I headed off towards Northop where I planned to meet the Afon Clwyd near the Welsh Agricultural College and follow it upstream back towards Halkyn.

When I picked up the river it was obvious walking was going to be a nightmare as it was absolutely saturated underfoot. It was tricky trying to stay on my feet, let alone keep my eyes and ears open for Marsh & Willow Tits, but when I eventually entered Coed y Cra I finally heard the explosive call of a Marsh Tit.

I found what I thought to be the bird preeening, but it was fairly obscured in a birch tree. With no more calling, it was impossible to rule out the possibility of Willow Tit and after a few seconds it flew off into some ivy leaving its identity unconfirmed – bugger!

It was at this point that things all went a little pear-shaped. With the hope of finding a Dipper I opted to follow the stream rather than take the footpath and despite the little voice telling me this was probably unwise, I was off and merrily hacking my way through the thick vegetation.

It was hard initially but I continued to tell myself things would get a little easier. They didn’t and as the foliage became denser, so did the sides of the small valley become steeper. I wasn’t lost, but I was beginning to realise that it was going to be tricky to get out.

After weighing up my options I decided to scramble up the bank rather than turn back and after to my considerable relief after a good thirty minutes or so of slipping, sliding and heaving up the slope, I rejoined the original track.

Understandably I had had enough now, so I cut short the rest of walk and headed back towards Halkyn and a hot bath. Coed y Cra is definitely worth further exploration though. It’s the best area of wood I have found in Flintshire – almost exclusively native trees and lots of dead and dying branches too making for some superb habitat. So, in the immortal words of Arnie, “I’ll be back.”

Halkyn Circualr Walk 22.01.10

1 Woodcock
3 Great Spotted Woodpecker
75+ Pheasant
3 Nuthatch
2 Treecreeper
1 Marsh/Willow Tit

Until later.

A Pleasant Surprise

2010-01-20T17:48:00.001Z

With the column next to the wader section of my Flintshire 2010 list looking like a pools coupon, I nipped over to Connah’s Quay this lunchtime for the high tide.

I bumped into a few familiar faces today including a couple of veterans from Sunday’s slick and successful ‘Operation Bonaparte’ and a fellow member of the Point of Ayr diaspora.

Feeling energetic I walked down to the reserve again from the gate and was rewarded with a brief view of the now resident Red-legged Partridge scurrying across the marsh about a chain short of the west hide.

A Ruff and a good count of twelve Snipe on the perimeter of the Ash Pool were notable, but the mudflats were only sprinkled with modest numbers of Redshank, Blackwit and Dunlin.

Turning my attention to the small strip of marsh that runs along the road I was surprised to see a ringtail Hen Harrier hunting near the bunded pools – my first ‘pukka’ one for the reserve, as all my previous sightings had been of birds the other side of the river over White Sands.

There was just enough time left before the tide topped-out to pluck out a Ringed Plover from the assorted shorebirds – number 97 for Flintshire – before the rising water level forced the waders over towards Flint to roost - signalling it was time to call it a day.

Connah’s Quay 20.01.10

1 Hen Harrier (ringtail)
1 Red-legged Partridge
1 Ruff
12 Snipe
300+ Black-tailed Godwit
100 Dunlin
250 Redshank

Until later.

Mr 10 Percent

2010-01-19T14:35:00.002Z

After demolishing more spare ribs last night than I thought humanly possible in one sitting, I thought it best to stretch my pegs a little this morning, so I had a walk along the River Dee between the Higher Ferry and Queensferry bridges.

Pancake flat – presumably reclaimed – arable fields flank the east side of the river here, whilst the west side of the channel plays host to several industrial complexes. All this combined with the arrow straight canalised river creates a fairly austere environment that I have to say I will be in no hurry to revisit!

Nevertheless, the farmland in particular at least provided me with the opportunity to bag some birds for my Flintshire list that favour this type of environment – notably species such as Yellowhammer, Tree Sparrow, Grey Partridge and Stock Dove. I had also been given some fairly specific instructions as to the location of Little Owl too.

As it turned out, the agricultural practices of the farms didn’t exactly look like they were sympathetic to wildlife, but aside from the usual corvids there were a few modest flock of Lapwing and eventually a quartet of Stock Doves too.

The Afon Dyfrdwy (well it is technically in Wales here!) however was a little more productive than I had anticipated playing host to Grey Wagtail, Little Grebe, good numbers of Redshank, and last but by no means least – a Kingfisher near the Airbus dock.

After Becks had become a little irritated at having to keep dodging members of a rather sprawling geriatric dominated pelaton we decided to about face and go and search for the Little Owl.

I had been warned he was a little on the shy side and that my chances of seeing him were no more than one in ten. Hardly great odds, but given that I think I may struggle for Little Owl in Flintshire, worth a shot.

The tree that is his regular haunt I found with little difficulty, but all too predictably Mr 10 Percent was nowhere to be seen…

River Dee 19.01.10

Kingfisher 1
Little Grebe 1
Wigeon 3
Redshank 30
Cormorant c15
Grey Heron 2
Buzzard 4
Kestrel 1
Stock Dove 4

Until later.

Signs Of Spring

2010-01-17T14:55:00.005Z

The first hints of spring added some interest to an otherwise fairly quiet WeBS count at White Sands this morning, which also included the added bonus of watching three different foxes out on the prowl.

Indications that the sap is starting to rise included a pair of Ravens busy displaying over the power station, the first singing Skylarks of the year and the tentative appearance of the first flowers on the gorse bushes.

Flintshire seems to be the Brambling capital of the UK at present and there were even more today with around ten in a larger flock of Chaffinch that were busy bouncing around from tree to marsh to tree.

It was noticeable today how the recent cold weather has affected the Little Egret and Grey Heron numbers. Typically I record at least a score of both these species, but today I was restricted to a distant view of one Egret.

I hope that most of the birds have simply moved to more favourable feeding areas, but the freezing temperatures must have claimed a fair few victims too – and talking of victims, the Peregrines have obviously been enjoying some success with the local Woodpigeon population in recent days as the path was littered with their remains.

White Sands WeBS count 17.01.10

Wigeon 119
Teal 61
Shelduck 56
Mallard 5
Greylag Goose 8
Canada Goose 137
Mute Swan 47
Whooper Swan 8 (All adults)
Cormorant 1
Little Egret 1
Redshank 75
Black-tailed Godwit 25
Curlew 15
Lapwing 5

Plus, 10+ Brambling, 2 Raven and 1 adult female Hen Harrier

Shotwick Fields 17.01.10

Bewick’s Swan 5
Whooper Swan 5 (2 adults, 3 juveniles)

Until later.

Creeping Woodlark, Hidden Bonaparte's Gull

2010-01-16T16:06:00.003Z

The Lark hat-trick was duly completed at Glanwyddan on Friday, with very close views of around fourteen Woodlarks creeping their way through a stubble field

Great to see good numbers of these birds - fairly locally too - and if they continue to increase in population and range then winter visits of these subtly attractive birds will hopefully become a more regular occurrence in the future.

The Woodlarks were only part of the story though, as myself, J-Bo and 007 (clearly suffering after a week of swinging the lead on nights at Vauxhall) decided to try for the Bonaparte’s Gull reported from Traeth Lligwy the day previously.

As is often the case, a fairly reasonable day took a turn for the worse once we had crossed the Britannia bridge – nowhere does cold, grey and windswept quite like Anglesey – and following some dodgy navigation from my co-passengers we eventually rocked-up at Traeth Lligwy.

The scene that greeted us was hardly encouraging – the beach was devoid of birds and after a quick scan we moved over to the adjacent Traeth Dulas that disappointingly was similarly very quiet.

With a few hours of light remaining, we decided to head over to Llanbedr to try and connect with the Hawfinches that had been logged in good numbers recently. After passing the Black Bull – that looks to be suffering the economic consequences of J-Bo’s less frequent patronage - we pulled in the village and started to scrutinise the treetops.

There were a few birds about, but they were typically shy and it wasn’t for a good thirty minutes until I got decent views of a female bird perched atop of an oak tree.

With 007 now flagging badly there was just time for a brief visit to Caerhun. No Hawfinches, but with the mountains cloaked in snow, the Conwy valley looked a picture…

Until later.

Crouching Shorelark, Hidden Woodcock

2010-01-14T13:23:00.002Z

An absolutely stonking few hours birding at the Point of Ayr this morning, with a Shorelark feeding along the strandline behind Presthaven Sands the undoubted highlight. (SJ104848)

It had been pretty quiet along the beach, with the only birds of note a handful of barely visible divers flying through the fug way offshore. Then I noticed a small passerine crouched over some washed-up seaweed and as I inched a little closer I realised it was a Shorelark!

I watched the bird for about a minute, until a Redshank clocked me and flew off calling hysterically. This disturbed the Shorelark that took off too, tailing the wader as it flew off into the dunes – I could have happily strangled that Redshank!

Before today, I was probably the only birder to have not seen a Woodcock this year, but as Becks and I walked through the small wood behind the horse paddocks at Warren Farm at least four birds – possibly up to six – were flushed along with a couple of Snipe for good measure.

Some cracking birds on the marsh at high tide too, with a Kingfisher in its usual winter billet – the small pool next to the hide path – and a few Brambling in a flock of around sixty Chaffinch.

Raptors were well represented too with stunning views of a hunting female Merlin; probably the largest one I have seen too, approaching the size a small male Peregrine.

It didn’t have the manor to itself though: an adult female Hen Harrier seemed to appear from nowhere and after a brief scuffle it eerily vanished as quickly as it had arrived.

Quite a morning and some highly prized ticks for my Flintshire quest too!

Point of Ayr 14.01.10

1 Shorelark
4+ Woodcock
1 Kingfisher
1 Hen Harrier
1 Merlin (female)
5+ Rock Pipit
3+ Brambling
90 Sanderling
35 Grey Plover

Until later

P.S - Going for the Woodlarks again tomorrow, so inshallah, it could be a lark hat-trick this week!

Winter Warmer

2010-01-12T11:05:00.003Z

With the wind chill factor set to really feckin’ cold, and visibility as poor as it gets, it was perhaps not the best idea to sit in the ice box that is the west hide at Connah’s Quay this morning.

It was not that I had not been warned; when I was closing the gate, I noticed that my car had decided to inch its way down the road over the frozen surface and I just managed to get back in time in order to avert a slow speed impact with the barrier!

Undeterred, I decided to park-up at the top and walk down and within ten freezing minutes I was safe in the refrigerator.

It was quickly apparent that there were far fewer birds than yesterday with only a smattering of waders feeding along the tide line, plus some modest flocks of Teal and Wigeon on the water.

Nevertheless, I quickly picked up a Ruff and a Spotted Redshank feeding near the end of the stream and then amongst a group of Redshank I noticed the unmistakeable feeding action of a Long-billed Dowitcher!

Probably one of the brace that were hanging around late autumn, it was nonetheless thrilling to relocate one and I watched it feeding slap bang in front of the west hide on the river channel side for well over half and hour before it was flushed by a rather weak looking Kestrel.

All things considered an excellent morning and three new additions to my Flintshire year list!

Note: Due to the hazardous road, the E.ON security-wallah has put an additional lock on the gate until the track clears up. Therefore, if you plan to visit the reserve you will need to park at the top and go on foot.

Connah’s Quay 12.01.10

1 Long-billed Dowitcher
1 Spotted Redshank
1 Ruff

Until later.

Rambling & Brambling

2010-01-11T16:13:00.002Z

With the road down to CQ Reserve more suitable for a toboggan, I decided to leave the car outside the barrier and go ‘en pied’ as our neighbours across the channel say.

Perhaps this was just as well, for today I had opted to leave the scope at home for a change and instead of just flopping down in the west hide, have a good poke around the whole site.

After slipping and skidding my way to edge of the marsh with just a handful of thrushes to show for my efforts, I hit the jackpot with fifteen to twenty Brambling perched in a bush next to the helipad – my first this year and an excellent addition to the Flintshire list that I am compiling this year.

A brief visit to the hide revealed hundreds of the commoner estuarine birds feeding on the mudflats with Shelduck, Teal, Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit all present in excellent numbers.

Oakenholt Marsh also held good numbers of birds with a massive flock of Canada Geese over towards Flint and nearer the hide a female Merlin harried a male Sparrowhawk until it eventually succeeded in chasing it off.

Heading towards the bunded pools it became evident that hundreds more Teal and huge flocks of Wigeon were in the river channel, plus a trio of Bewick’s Swans that dropped in from the White Sands to complete an excellent hour or so - especially given the horrible dreech weather.

Connah’s Quay 11.01.10

15+ Brambling
1 Merlin (Female)
2 Sparrowhawk
3 Bewick’s Swan
Plus shed loads of Wigeon & Teal.

Until later.

Up With The Larks

2010-01-10T16:52:00.000Z

Following a report of five Woodlarks from a stubble field at Glanwyddan in North Wales, 007, SS, Jo-Bo (a male and much, much uglier version of Su-Bo) & I decided to head over the border and take a punt.

It was potentially a landmark bird too; Woodlark is a new bird for 007 & me, but I had the added incentive of it being potentially the 1,000th species for me worldwide.

After receiving the obligatory chiding from the local farmer for daring to pull-up near one of his gates we set off along the footpath and into the stubble field where they had last been observed.

A few birders were already present and we were soon joined by a couple more, in assiduously working our way through an impressive flock of circa four hundred Skylarks.

They were extremely flighty – especially when they were the subject of the attention of a local Sparrowhawk – but also extremely confiding with some birds feeding no more than ten yards away.

A couple of fellow birders were satisfied that they had had fleeting glimpses of Woodlark and headed off, but despite searching through the group again and again none of us were satisfied that we had found one.

Ninety minutes later we opted for a time out and when we returned to the car we bumped into the chap whom had located the birds yesterday. He put us on to a spot in the opposite corner of the field where he had photographed them yesterday – separate from the main flock of larks.

Encouraged we traipsed over for a look, but again no joy. For a last roll of the dice we changed tack completely and ambled over to the opposite side of the road to another area of stubble.

The number of birds present was phenomenal with approximately four hundred Skylarks, about the same number of Linnet and around one hundred Chaffinches – all being closely watched and periodically attacked by yet another Sparrowhawk.

Again, no sign of any Woodlarks but by now we had pretty much given up the ghost…

Glanwyddan 10.01.10

Skylark c800
Linnet c400
Chaffinch c100
Redwing 50+
Sparrowhawk 3+
Curlew c25
Snipe 7

Until later.

Escargot al Fresco

2010-01-08T16:41:00.005Z

It was a little parky, but the Afon Clwyd at Rhyl was a picture this morning, beautifully framed by the Clywdians to the east and the Carnedds to the west.

The river looked as if was on the point of freezing-up with hundreds of small sheets of ice floating down river from further upstream.

Close to the mouth of the Gele, a large flock of four hundred Lapwing cowered in the marsh making any attempt to locate a Golden Plover I could hear calling nye on impossible. A few Little Grebes fished at the mouth of the river, but there was no sign of the Slavonian Grebe reported from this location over the last couple of days.

Skylark, Meadow Pipit and particularly Song Thrush were very evident this morning, with the majority of the thrushes feeding on snails – these birds must be utilising every second of daylight at the moment in the pursuit of life sustaining calories.

After crossing Rhuddlan bridge, I headed back down the east bank on the river passing the now resident Bar-headed Goose munching away with a group of Canadas.

Closer to the railway bridge good numbers of Goldeneye were in the channel along with five RB Mergansers and a few more Dabchicks, but, again, no sign of the Slavonian Grebe – this species in intent on giving me the run-around this year!

Fifty yards short of my car – parked near the building merchants near the road bridge – I thought my birding was over for the day until a Water Rail decided to pop out from a hedge and perform quite a convincing Roadrunner impersonation as it sprinted across the tarmac and into cover on the opposite side of the road!

In completely unrelated news, fact is indeed stranger than fiction. Have you noticed that the wife of the Northern Island First Minister who had an affair with a nineteen-year-old is called Mrs Robinson?

Afon Clwyd 08.01.10

7 Goldeneye
5 Red-breasted Merganser
5 Dabchick
1 Water Rail
1 Bar-headed Goose
75+ Wigeon
1 Raven
1 Little Egret

Until later.

Snow Patrol

2010-01-07T17:33:00.001Z

After an early wrap at Arrowe Park this afternoon, I decided a trip to Parkgate was in order. I thought I had left it a little late, but the clear sky and light reflecting from the snow covered marsh meant visibility was excellent well past sunset.

Short-eared Owls were the first to put in an appearance – up to seven possibly. It looks like the recent cold weather may have prompted a mini influx of Shorties with a whisper of a good count of birds further down the marsh.

A Barn Owl was next to show, possibly revelling in the fact that for once it was perfectly camouflaged during daylight hours as oppose to sticking out like a sore thumb. It didn’t take too long to locate food either – after a mere two minutes it was freighting a vole over the trees and into the paddocks.

On the outer marsh a couple of Ravens feasted on a carcass in front of a backdrop of a large flock of flighty Pinkies, whilst closer in a Merlin whizzed past in pursuit of a small passerine.

As it began to get really dark good numbers of Fieldfare started to fly-in from the marsh and just before the light went completely, a ringtail Hen Harrier slunk into the roost.

As I was about to leave, I overheard a couple of teenagers chatting whilst walking a dog.

“That’s Wales over there, innit?
‘Fink-so.’

Who said standards are declining.

Parkgate 07.01.10

6/7 Short-eared Owls
1 Barn Owl
1 Hen Harrier (ringtail)
1 Merlin
3+ Kestrel
300+ Pink-footed Geese
2 Raven
2 Little Egret

Until later.

Coed y Garth

2010-01-06T16:08:00.003Z

With the aim of kick-starting my assault on Flintshire this year, I headed over to Coed y Garth late this morning to see if I could tickle-out some woodland species.

I am very fond of birding in woods as it requires a little more skill by my reckoning; rather than just relying on sight, aural skills come in to play as do two things I am not over blessed with – patience and a sharp eye (I’m as colour blind as they come!).

The modest snowfall yesterday made the woodland picture perfect inside creating a magical atmosphere. I was not the first to leave tracks in the snow though – a fox had been on the prowl during the night leaving its telltale footprints in the freshly powdered footpath.

Five minutes into my walk I was on to a decent sized mixed flock that despite being dominated by the commoner tit species contained two Treecreepers and a brace of hyperactive Goldcrest.

A little further up the trail I added Nuthatch and another Treecreeper to the list and then encountered a large flock of Long-tailed Tits. This species of passerine seems to be particularly unsociable, appearing to prefer the company of its own and not generally joining mixed flocks.

It was interesting to note today how many birds had little grubs in their bills. I would have thought any tasty morsel excavated from beneath the bark would be eaten instantly, but a Nuthatch, a Goldcrest and two Blue Tits all seemed to be carrying food today?

Just as I was about to leave the wood I picked-up the ‘pitchouing’ call of a Marsh Tit, but despite looking for a good ten minutes – and it not really moving – the pesky little tyke would not show itself…probably my rubbish fieldcraft again…

Until later.

Polling Day

2010-01-05T16:40:00.002Z

After receiving a wire from Duckers News International concerning the reappearance of the Slavonian Grebes at Flint on Sunday evening, I nipped down to the point for a quick look over lunch.

Conditions were a touch on the inclement side to say to least, but the emergence of the Wirral shore through the murk and sleety/snowy/rainy stuff (where’s an Eskimo with one of those twenty words for different types of snow when you need one) provided encouragement of improved conditions to come.

After getting intimate with a silver birch, I began to scan the incoming tide which produced a good count of one hundred and fifty Teal, four Little Grebes, one Great Crested Grebe, a survey vessel, but no Slavs.

Some loud chu-chu-chuing then alerted me to a passing rabble of circa twenty Lesser Redpoll moving through the treetops, tailed loosely by a small number of Chaffinch.

Unfortunately the weather that had earlier promised to perk up suddenly worsened and the previously visible Thurstaston cliffs vanished behind a wall of snowfall powered by a strengthening north-easterly. One final cursory scan across the channel again failed to produce the goods, so I admitted defeat and returned to the motor.

It looks like the ‘widespread frost’ that developed into a ‘cold snap’ before morphing into a ‘big freeze’ is now being referred to as the ‘deep freeze’. I wonder what the next phrase in the cold weather escalation scale is – any ideas? Answers on a postcard…

Until later.

We Are Family

2010-01-04T16:41:00.006Z

There was the potential of a superb high tide watch at Connah’s Quay this morning with thousands of waterfowl – including a family party of Whooper Swans – on the Dee channel, no doubt forced to congregate on water’s edge by the frozen marsh.

Until, that is, two wildfowlers appeared from the White Sands area and proceeded to walk along the tide line and take pot shots at the assembled birds. Given the freezing temperatures, their lack of willingness to take cover and the fact that they had no dogs made the whole episode somewhat crass and distinctly unsporting. It reminded me of the rather deranged Amon Goeth in Schindler’s List, whom delighted in taking random shots at the concentration camp prisoners.

Not wanting to witness anymore of this rather unsavoury spectacle I decided to move to Inner Marsh Farm for the afternoon. The pools were of course completely frozen and for the first thirty minutes I was restricted to watching a couple of hale looking foxes prowling around the margins.

Then, a cracking adult female Hen Harrier cruised over the back of number one pool flushing up a number of Snipe – including one possible Jack Snipe. It remained for ten minutes or so when it was joined by a juvenile Spoonbill that flew in from over the wood and circled over the pools as if looking for a spot of water to land on, before eventually settling for the causeway.

A few other bits and bobs included a Stonechat and a handful of Pinkies with a brace of Whooper Swans behind the border pool. The ‘big freeze’ or ‘winter’ as I seem to remember it being called is certainly engendering big movements of birds currently – surely something really exciting is just around the corner…

Connah’s Quay NR 04.01.10

Whooper Swan 7
Wigeon c3,000
Teal c2,500
Raven 2
Kingfisher 1

Inner Marsh Fram 04.01.10

Spoonbill 1 (Juv)
Pink-footed Goose 7
Whooper Swan 2
Hen Harrier 1 (Adult female)
Stonechat 1
Snipe 15+
Linnet c50
Siskin 1

Until later.

Brunch in Flint

2010-01-03T16:46:00.001Z

No, not my can, I got the picture off the internet – honest. More of a Tennant’s man myself.

Not been out much over the last two days apart from a couple of hours on Saturday looking for the Slavonian Grebes found by Ash Cohen at Flint on Friday that frustratingly refused to show – unlike Ash!

Very little else on the waterfront, although I did stumble across seven or eight Twite feeding on the north flank of the castle a couple of hours before high tide.

It was bloody cold too and a couple of middle-aged locals had decided to fortify themselves on their early morning dog walk with a four-pack of special brew that they swiftly guzzled down before launching the empty cans into the river.

Good numbers of swans on White Sands though; I could see approximately thirty in the distance from the castle and there was another thirty too at the base of the marsh near the bridge viewed from my motor through a heavy shower.

An hour this evening at Caldy Valley Park was also pretty quiet, although the radical conservation work being carried-out continues apace. I hope they know what they are doing as at least an acre of phragmites has been uprooted in the construction of a new scrape – any Reed Warblers returning in May may be in for a shock; fancy flying all the way from sub-Saharan Africa to find that your home in now a climbing frame.

Still, if it remains a little too bare they could always try replanting the score or so of Christmas trees unceremoniously dumped next to the car park.

Until later.

Common Sense

2010-01-01T16:40:00.003Z

After shivering under my duvet for a good half an hour, I finally managed to summon the mental strength to get up, dressed and make it down to Moore NR for nine thirty.

I began my 2010 year list assault at Upper Moss Side and quickly got into my stride bagging Tree Sparrow and surprisingly Willow Tit - alongside some of the commoner species - before setting up camp at Norton Marsh. No sign of any Yellowhammers this morning though – there were fifteen plus over-wintering here last year.

On the Mersey there was very little apart from legions of gulls roosting on the sandbank, but I did manage to add Kestrel, Buzzard, Shelduck, Redshank, and a small herd of flyover Curlew to the list as the tide came up the river.

Apart from a pair of Reed Buntings, there was very little evidence of any passerines feeding on the marsh. No Stonechat, Linnet, Skylark, Meadow Pipit or even any Starling – I assume the hard frost has forced most ground feeders closer to the milder coastal areas.

After thirty bone-chilling minutes I decided to head over to Birchwood Pool cutting through the woods, where I intercepted a small flock of Lesser Redpoll and Siskin on the alders near the feeders.

The Tawny Owl was next on the hit list, but I was left staring at a blank space – I guess since they are meant to be so wise it had decided to mover to warmer climes! Nevertheless, Nuthatch and Coal Tit were ticked as I searched to see if the owl had moved to a nearby tree.

Birchwood Pool was nearly completely frozen over when I arrived – not encouraging news for my list that was already showing some glaring omissions. A female Pochard and a Grey Wagtail was the best I could manage, until one last scan of the water’s edge revealed a Common Sandpiper feeding on the water’s edge?

Surely some mistake I thought – must be a Green, so I cleaned my lens and shouted back a couple of chaps who had just left the hide. After the two blokes and I had fruitlessly trying to relocate it for ten minutes, I eventually found it feeding in a corner and in a few ticks it flew onto the small island giving cracking views.

Quite an odd record for Moore I would have thought – especially at this time of the year when any wintering Common Sandpipers would surely favour unfrozen rivers?

With the sun sinking down there was just time to visit the Bittern Enclosure - a dangerous task it was too with the metalled track resembling the cresta run! It was worth the trip though, with superb views of one of THREE Bitterns seen during the day.

And it didn’t stop there with cracking views of a hunting Barn Owl, plus a flyover Peregrine making it just about worth leaving the warm confines of my comfortable bed this morning!

Moore NR/Upper Moss Side 01.01.10

Bittern 1
Pochard 1
Shoveler 20+
Peregrine 1
Barn Owl 1
Common Sandpiper 1
Grey Wagtail 2
Willow Tit 1
Tree Sparrow 10+
Redwing 40+
Lesser Redpoll/Siskin flock 30+
Bullfinch c10

Total Species: 64

Llyn Ysceifiog

2009-12-31T15:23:00.000Z

A quick trip to Llyn Ysceifiog this afternoon – surely Wales’ top scoring lake in Scrabble – left me rueing my decision to leave my gaiters at home as I traipsed along what must be the muddiest footpath in all of Flintshire - if not Christendom.

It was my first visit to this area having only recently read about its existence in the North East Wales Bird Report. The habitat is quite promising - around the water at least with a good mixture of both deciduous and coniferous trees.

The lake itself, however, is little more than a duck pond and obviously man made resulting in the sort of contrived and manicured appearance that never comes close to replicating natural beauty.

Nevertheless, there was an ample smattering of waterfowl present including a handful each of Teal, Gadwall, Shoveler and Little Grebe, plus a frozen looking Cormorant.

The woodland was extremely quiet and it was not until I reached the north-west section of the lake that things improved – and took a strange turn!

I picked up a very small bird darting through the canopy and initially thought it was a Goldcrest, but when eventually the bird stopped for a second I could see it was a Chiffchaff (I bet you thought Firecrest!).

I have only seen over-wintering Chiffchaff near the coast in this country before – Morfa Madryn, Connah’s Quay and Inner Marsh farm of the top of my head – so I was chuffed to see one inland.

Other interesting passerines included a Goldcrest, three Nuthatch and at least five Bullfinches, whilst two Raven and a Buzzard floated over.

Until next year.

Quay West

2009-12-30T15:41:00.008Z

With the wind blowing from the east and some light rain to boot, the hide at Inner Marsh Farm was out, so Connah’s Quay was the destination for my penultimate birding trip of the year.

Unusually the wet meadow hosted the most birds today, with the number of Lapwing particularly high, reflecting the general consensus – in North Wales at least – that there has been a large influx of these plovers recently.

A sprinkling of Blackwits and Curlew were also probing around the flooded meadow, but the pick of the day was an unusual bird for Connah’s Quay – a Ruff feeding along the margins of one of the pools.

With the tide receded the rather modest number of waders present were spread thinly across the mudflats with another fairly uncommon wader for this part of the estuary – a Grey Plover, the highlight along with yet another sighting of the lone Pale-bellied Brent Goose flying down the River Dee.

In other news, another birder – Mark Murphy – mentioned to me at lunchtime that he had seen around twenty or so Twite a week or so ago - perched in a bush near the helipad amongst a mixed flock of other finches.

I think this may be the first report of a good sized group of the bhuna-bibbed seed-munchers from the Connah’s Quay/Flint area this winter – let’s hope they stick around into the new year…

On another thread, I was on the Hilbre Bird Observatory blog this afternoon and read that not only were passerines currently being trapped, but that one bird - a Robin (resident on the island?) had actually been re-trapped.

I must confess that I am not wholly familiar with the processes and protocols of ringing birds, but surely given the freezing temperatures and short days there should be a moratorium on trapping birds lest it cause them any distress - especially when you risk catching the same bird more than once?

Until later.

Reconnaissance

2009-12-29T19:24:00.003Z

With its range of habitats and relative ease in which tricky birds such as Willow Tit, Kingfisher, Tawny Owl, Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer and Bittern can be found, I reckon Moore Nature Reserve makes for the perfect destination to kick-start my year-list.

Hangover permitting, I reckon a full day could produce around eighty five species, but like a host of recent Australian batsmen the magic 100 looks just out of reach – unlike our boys!

This year looks especially promising as the high tide predicted for late morning should hopefully produce a smattering of commoner coastal waders from the hide overlooking the River Mersey – and with a little luck this may edge me closer to the nervous nineties.

And being ludicrously optimistic, throw in a couple of white-winged gulls, three woodpeckers, some more owls and something from totally leftfield like a Spoonbill, the century could just be attainable.

In the hope of giving myself a sporting chance I had a good walk around the Upper Moss Side and River Mersey section of the site this morning with the hope of locating a few tricky species.

Little Owl must surely inhabit one of the many old brick barns, but the grey and pallid sky before lunch must have discouraged them from peering outside. On an up note, a couple of House Sparrows were near one of the farms – birds that are perhaps more difficult to find than Tree Sparrows here of which there was a healthy flock of 25 or so today.

Walking further on I decided to check-out the River Mersey at low tide with the purpose of sussing the wader situation. Disappointingly, there was no evidence of any Curlew, Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Golden Plover or indeed much else apart from roosting gulls and a handful of Canadas – things are going to have to improve somewhat by Friday!

Upper Moss Side 29.12.09

Tree Sparrow c25
Bullfinch 1
Kestrel 1

Until later.

That Was The Year That Was/2010: a Flintshire Odyssey

2009-12-28T19:10:00.005Z

Not a bad year all-in-all with 205 species recorded in the UK during 2009 – the vast majority of which were found within an hour’s drive of Casa Del Shenton. Just to put things into perspective though, I managed to log slightly more species during a fairly short trip to India – we have to work hard for our birds in Blighty!

Birding highlights include a pair of Common Cranes at Fenn’s Moss; a flock of gorgeous Waxwings at Wepre Park; two showy Shorelarks at Point of Ayr, a juvenile female Goshawk at Pennington Flash; a Dipper on my local River Gowy, and finally, finding a pair of breeding Dunlin at Cadair Berwyn.

India continued to amaze and even taking into consideration a good clutch of new birds during this year’s sojourn, watching my favourite bird - The Black-necked Stork - takes some beating as does its closest rival for the top spot: Pallas’ Fish Eagle.

However, despite 2009 containing many excellent birding moments, the year will always be most notable for the fabulous thirty minutes I spent watching my first Otter fishing in the River Severn at the marvellous Dolydd Hafren reserve in Montgomeryshire.

Plenty of positive news on bird populations too, and although only based on personal observations and hearsay, Hen Harriers, Whinchat, Redstart and oddly Bullfinch seemed to be more numerous on the Welsh Uplands this year, but on the downside Spotted Flycatchers were very difficult to find indeed.

The Cuckoo was the subject of special attention by the British Trust for Ornithology this year as it sadly continues its spectacular decline. I do not have too many previous years of experience to draw upon, but I found them to be relatively abundant in North Wales this spring, although I will concede that I walked through several areas of classic Cuckoo habitat that were unoccupied.

This year has also seen me shift the focus of the vast majority of my birding to Flintshire, so next year I have decided to intensify my watching of this area and see how many species I can find during the calendar year.

Flintshire seems to be a somewhat neglected and under-watched evidenced by the paucity of sightings on various local websites and by the rather sketchy submission of records to the North-East Wales Bird Report for 2008 – I also seldom see many other birders!

Until 2010.

As You Were

2009-12-27T13:45:00.004Z

A quick morning trip down to Inner Marsh Farm turned into more of an enforced vigil as a series of heavy and prolonged showers kept me sheltering in the hide for the majority of the morning.

It didn’t take time for the reserve to reveal its secrets, with a male Peregrine and a Dunlin still largely in breeding plumage being the best of a very modest Christmas assortment.

A good flock of Fieldfare on the top field was notable too – as were thrushes in general with plenty of Song Thrushes and Blackbirds foraging to the left of the hide.

Inner Marsh Farm 27.12.09

Teal c320
Lapwing c220
Black-tailed Godwit 33
Redshank 10
Dunlin 5
Curlew 5
Ruff 1
Peregrine 1 (male)
Raven 1
Fieldfare 20+

Closer to home it has been a stellar week for the garden list with both Pied Wagtail and Chaffinch entering the roles! Hardly earth –shattering, but for some strange reason my back yard is something of a Bermuda Triangle as far as finches are concerned, with a very brief visit by a pair of Goldfinches the only other record passing the scrutiny of the Green Lane Garden Rarities Committee.

Until later.

Bean And Gone

2009-12-23T15:53:00.006Z

With tantalising reports of Taiga Bean Goose eminating from Southport, I decided upon one final birding foray before loosening the old belt and engaging in some good old fashioned festive gluttony and merriment.

Now the sclerotic and traffic light infested roads of Sefton and East Lancs are not my favourite area to drive around – especially when you get stuck behind one of the many goobers driving at 35mph in the national speed limit zones – so an early start was the order of the day.

A couple of birders were on the old sand plant when I arrived, one of whom kindly put me straight on to a White-fronted Goose mingling with the Pinkie flock a good distance out into the marsh – its orangey hooter indicating a bird of the Greenland race.

A further scan through the geese produced another White-front, eight Barnacles and a strange concoction that looked as if it could have been a cross between a Pinkie and a Snow Goose, but sadly no Bean Goose.

Trying to find one in the army of Pink-feet was always going to be a tough task today though, especially as most of the birds were just too far away to scrutinise accurately, so my first Bean Goose will have to wait for another year…

Plenty of raptor activity on the marsh – the highlight being a very belligerent male Hen Harrier who tussled with at least three Short-eared Owls, before dive-bombing a nearby Peregrine.

RSPB Marshside(ish) 23.12.09

2 White-fronted Goose
8 Barnacle Goose
c2,000 Pink-footed Goose
1 Hen Harrier (male)
1 Merlin (male)
1 Peregrine
3+ Short-eared Owl
1 Rock Pipit

Until later & Merry Christmas!!

A Local Dip

2009-12-22T16:10:00.002Z

Just before dusk, I took Becks for her daily constitutional to the Gowy Woodland Park behind the Nags Head at Mickle Trafford. After checking the gull roost behind the landfill site, I was strolling back along the riverbank when I caught a glimpse of a small bird flying away from me just above the water.

It landed thirty yards or so further up the bank on some dead reed stems and when I put my bins on it I could hardly believe what I was looking at – a Dipper! I thought the sight of one casually strolling along the tide line at Abergwyngregyn was weird enough, but this takes the biscuit!

I tried to creep closer to the bird to check that I wasn’t hallucinating, but it soon clocked me and flew further up the river and out of view, so I decided to leave it in peace.

Obviously Dipper are generally restricted to the more typical surroundings of boulder-strewn, upland, wooded streams, but I assume during harsh weather they are inclined to move to lowland areas.

Interested to see if there have been any other records in lowland Cheshire I had a look through the Coward & Oldham’s Birds of Cheshire (1900) for any evidence. Intriguingly, it contained this reference “There is a specimen in the Warrington Museum which was killed at Tarporley in the spring of 1893, and we have seen another which was shot at Romiley in winter”.

Not unheard of then, but still fairly unusual. If anybody out there as anymore information on the occurrence of Dippers in lowland Cheshire, I would be delighted to hear from you!

Until later.

Richards & Bewicks

2009-12-21T11:58:00.002Z

On a cracking crisp winter morning, I decided to defy the 'elf and safety mafia and undertake one of those non-essential journeys the Highways Agency is always banging on about and head down to Denhall Old Quay to check out the Richard’s Pipit.

There was no sign early doors, but the stunning light aided me in picking out a couple of Peregrines, two different ringtail Hen Harriers and a Merlin out on the marsh.

Neston Old Quay was also pipitless – not heard of any sightings of Water Pipit near the stream here for ages, but apparently there is a poorly-marked possible candidate near the Caldy Sailing Club.

Returning to the quay at Denhall an hour later I caught up with John Boswell & another birder who had managed to peg-down (not in a literal sense!) the Richard’s Pipit to an area at the end of the sandstone wall.

After playing hide and seek for ten minutes near the sewage outfall, it eventually popped out for fifteen minutes to share the stage with a couple of Starlings, before disappearing again.

The bird could have obviously been here for a little while, but yesterday at White Sands when doing my WeBS count it was noticeable how many small passerines were feeding on the marsh – Skylarks in particular, perhaps birds forced from frozen fields further away to warmer coastal climes?

Other interesting birds on White Sands included a decent count of nineteen Bewick’s Swans, a now resident Black Swan and conspicuous by their absence – no Whooper Swans.

Until later.

Shotwick Refugee Camp

2009-12-19T16:58:00.004Z

With nothing much doing at Connah’s Quay – apart from an ingenious Song Thrush rooting out snails from down a rabbit hole – and the onset of hyperthermia a distinct possibility, Stan Skelton and I decided to call it a day and use the last half an hour of good light to run the rule over Shotwick Boating Lake.

Just before leaving a quick scan across White Sands revealed good numbers of Whooper Swans and a family of six Bewick’s Swans being shunted around the marsh by the wildfowlers, plus a ringtail Hen Harrier and a pair of tussling Short-eared Owls.

No sign of any significant numbers of Twite this winter and Stan suggested that it may be a good idea to seed an area near the West Hide – especially given the success of a similar project in North Wales. Perhaps this could coax the Twite out of exile and even tempt a Black Redstart or Snow Bunting…

When we arrived at the Boating Lake it seemed to be playing host to the Inner Marsh Farm crowd with good numbers of Wigeon, Shoveler and Mallard on the water -presumably forced over here by the frozen pools at the adjacent RSPB reserve.

A pair of Scaup was a good find and other interesting wildfowl included a female Goldeneye and most surprising of all a drake Common Scoter. As with most areas on the Welsh side of the estuary, the lake is probably under-watched – especially on calm winter’s days when the lack of wind and plummeting temperatures deter disturbance by the sailing club members.

There was also plenty of activity in the surrounding stubble fields with good numbers of Pied Wagtails, Skylarks, various Thrushes and a flock of circa 100 Linnet.

Until later.

Fur Scarf Anybody?

2009-12-18T17:10:00.004Z

With England batting like lemons I decided to head to Moore NR for a poke around Birchwood Pool and the eastern reedbed.

The Glaucous Gull was playing easy to get, prancing around the small island in front of the main hide. Looks like a first winter bird to me, although not being well-versed in the scary and cultish activity of gull watching, my knowledge is somewhat rudimentary.

Within a couple of minutes a mangy Fox rocked-up and virtually cleared the pool save a handful of Little Grebes and a few wildfowl, so I decided to walk over to the Bittern enclosure that is the eastern reedbed.

Normally a home banker, there have been scant – if any – good sightings of this elusive little critter so far this winter and this seems indicative of a wider funk the North West seems to be going through on the birding front currently – let’s hope this cold-snap shakes things up a little!

Predictably there was no sign of any Bitterns today, so I had to entertain myself by watching a male Sparrowhawk trying to cunningly inch itself along a branch in order to get within striking distance of a Jay – unsuccessfully.

Before leaving I had a final scan of the reed stems only to reveal the rather unwelcome sight of a mink strolling across the ice. In the increasing cold, I could not help thinking the best solution all round would be for it to be hanging round my neck…

Until later.

The Dark Side Of The Estuary?

2009-12-17T08:35:00.003Z

I have been birding the Dee for a number of years now and being based at Chester I find myself equidistant from both the Flintshire and Wirral sides of the estuary.

Initially, I favoured sites such as Hoylake, Red Rocks and the shore at Heswall, but I found the more I explored the Welsh side, the more my affections turned to this side of the river.

What struck me early on is how under-watched and neglected the entire area is considering the relative abundance of good birdwatching sites.

Arguably the Wirral side is the more attractive having not suffered from the same level of industrialisation as its opposing bank, but as far as I am concerned the crown jewels of the Dee Estuary lie firmly in Wales’s hands.

The Point of Ayr probably offers the birdwatcher the greatest variety of birds on the estuary with the possible exception of Hilbre Island. A broad range of waders and wildfowl can be seen at this location with the added appeal of good seawatching, plus the chance of the unexpected – I once witnessed an aerial tussle between a Pomarine Skua and a Marsh Harrier! The nearby wild and desolate Gronant beech with its breeding Little Terns is also a cracking destination.

A much underrated spot is the scruffy Garth Wood, tucked unassumingly behind the village at Ffynnongroywy. A wonderful signposted trail leads one around a three mile circuit of the wood and surrounding farmland where last spring I found Dipper, Marsh Tit, Wood Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Garden Warbler and Redstart in just two visits.

White Sands is an area of the marsh unfamiliar to many, but the section that lies directly behind the rivetment running out from Corus Steel Works holds some fascinating birds - particularly over-wintering families of Whooper and Bewick’s Swans. Sadly, access is restricted, but in winter there is a no better spot to scan for Short-eared Owls or find flocks of over-wintering Twite.

Also close-by and difficult to gain entry to is the colony of Common Terns that breed on the pools lying directly under the shadow of the steelwork’s buildings; the boating lake at Shotwick that can hold interesting birds from time-to-time and then, of course, there is the rifle-range area…!

Finally there is Connah’s Quay NR. I have been a member for two years now and find myself coming with increased frequency. I think the best time to visit is over a high tide, when I can watch the waders being pushed on to Oakenholt Marsh to roost. The autumn of 2009 was particularly memorable with a massive flock of up to 6,000 Black-tailed Godwits present and the only thing more astonishing is that I very rarely had any company in the West Hide! Where are the birders?

Infact, from my experience there seem to be very few birders along this entire stretch of coast, evidenced by the fact that there are relatively few sighting submitted to the various local websites vis-à-vis other areas. This is probably down to nothing more than a comparatively small local population.

It’s not all rosy as there are drawbacks, notably the lack of freshwater or brackish pools and – Connah’s Quay nothwithstanding – very few formal viewing facilities. However, all things considered – it’s Wales for me!

Until later.

Shotwick Rifle Range

2009-12-15T16:02:00.007Z

With the skies clearing, I decided to head over to the embankment behind the Shotwick Rifle Range this evening and scan the marsh for Shorties.

It’s a bit of a grey area here in more ways than one. Firstly, this part of the marsh is actually in Wales – even though the Flint Bridge is the de facto border – with the boundary passing just south of Burton Point.

Secondly, being M.O.D land I am not strictly sure if I should actually walk along here - although many do – as you risk incurring the wrath of the local farmer with whom I had contretemps number two with this evening!

Not that I am unsympathetic to his argument – even though he could do with a little smoothing-out on the diplomacy front – as he must have to contend with all types of scallywags with dubious intentions.

In truth, I probably wouldn’t go here if it weren’t for the fact that it is so good for watching raptors, especially at dusk as the sun is directly behind you - unlike on the Wirral side of the estuary.

This evening was no exception – an adult female Hen Harrier completely ignored me as it scoured a ditch no more than twenty yards away, but the highlight was unusually close views of a pair of adult Peregrines.

The way they perched spoke volumes about the relationship between the birds with the female clearly wearing the trousers – she was sat on top of a large log whereas the male was on the ground a deferential twenty yards to her left.

I must confess that I suspect I was looking at the same birds I had seen hunting so expertly in unison at Connah’s Quay NR a couple of weeks back - they obviously have a close bond.

With no sign of any SE Owls, I wandered a little further down the track to look at the rifle range. The shooting area looked more like a falconer’s back garden with a female Merlin, two Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk and a ringtail Hen Harrier all sitting on various fence posts bathing in the soft evening light– incredible.

Before the sun dropped behind the Clwydians I had a final look for some SE Owls, but I could only find a couple, with one bird miles towards Neston. To be honest, I think they knew -tonight at least - that they had been horribly upstaged!

Shotwick Rifle Range 15.12.09

Hen Harrier 1 (Adult female)
Peregrine 2 (Pair)
Merlin 1 (Adult female)
Sparrowhawk 1 (Adult Female)
Short-eared Owl 2
Buzzard 4
Little Grebe 1
Shoveler 6
Curlew 20+

Until later

Duck And Cover

2009-12-14T19:13:00.006Z

An air of quiet contentment hung over Llanddulas at lunchtime. Huge rafts of scoters bobbed and dozed on the still water whilst the majority of Conwy County Council’s refuse collection department looked like kings as they sat feet on dashboard - well sated after an excellent pie and chips - inspecting the scantily-clad blurt in the Daily Star.

I had nipped over to try and winkle-out a Velvet Scoter from the rank and file Commons. Unfortunately the majority of the birds were too far from shore on an ebbing tide for me to accurately nail down a Velvet, so I was reliant upon picking one up in flight from the telltale white secondaries.

This was problematic because most birds were quite happy to loaf on the surface and it was not until something spooked them that they all took to the air and despite having a good look at the majority of the four thousand or so birds, I couldn’t flipping find one!

In addition to the masses of scoters, there was an assortment of the usual inshore bric-a-bric including good numbers of Great Cresties and Red-breasted Mergansers, plus singles of Red-throated Diver and a close-in flying drake Goldeneye.

After the rain began to pour and the dustcart boys had finished their final Lambert and Butler I decided to call it a day and head back to Chester.

Listening to the radio on the A55 I heard that the BA cabin crew had made the suicidal decision to go on strike. One industry expert said that BA is currently known by the acronym ABBA – Anybody But British Airways, following on a long tradition of cruel airline nicknames such as:

TWA – Try Walking Across
BOAC – Better Off on A Camel
CAAC – Crashes Anywhere Across China

Still, if the trolley-dollys are reluctant to work for less than thirty large ones, there will always be the bins.

Until later.

Nothing About, Much Ado

2009-12-13T13:15:00.005Z

A quick ghost around my usual haunts this morning produced slim pickings if I am honest, with a toss-up between three Spotted Redshanks at Connah’s Quay and a flock of around three hundred Linnets at Inner Marsh Farm for birds of the weekend.

American baseball commentators have a wonderful term they use when a batter is struggling for hits. It’s called ‘being in a funk’, and that pretty much sums up the Dee Estuary at the moment – perhaps it has a drake Smew waiting for us in its Christmas Stocking!

Frodsham Marsh was a hive of activity yesterday, although it was more the masses of humanity than the birdlife that was providing the interest. I don’t know if the recent proposal to build a huge inland wind farm on the marsh has awoken the locals to its existence, but the model aircraft enthusiasts, horse riders, dog walkers, joggers, falconers and birders were out in force.

Most irritating was a pair of plebs charging around number six tank on quad bikes. Dangerous dog ownership excepted, is there anything else that says more clearly ‘I have no GCSEs?’

On a positive note, they provided me with an excuse for not being able to find a Water Pipit reported earlier in the day from a flooded area on the south-eastern section of number four tank. The noise must have flushed it by my reckoning – that’s why I couldn’t find it, nothing to do with a lack of patience and poor field craft!

On the track at the north end of number six I bumped into one of the falconers. A youngish chap, he was struggling to carry around half a dozen rabbits and a pheasant.

‘Quite a profitable day’, I said to him

‘Okay, yes’, he replied.

‘This is the first time I have hunted with Harris Hawks – I used to have a Saker/Gyr Falcon cross, but it was crap - it was knackered after five minutes and turned like an oil tanker.’

Touche.

Frodsham Marsh 12.12.09

Lapwing 2,000+
Golden Plover c75
Sparrowhawk 1
Kestrel 1
Buzzard 1

Inner Marsh Farm 13.12.09

Linnet c300
Siskin 2
Pink-footed Goose 1
Wigeon 75+
Ruff 1

Connah’s Quay 13.12.09

Spotted Redshank 3
Black-tailed Godwit 60
GC Grebe 2

Until later.

My Two Cents Worth

2009-12-11T17:18:00.002Z

I have just watched the news and discovered that 7bn euros of our hard earned folding has been pledged to ‘developing’ nations to help them tackle climate change.

Whilst I do not deny that mans’ activities has contributed to the acceleration in the heating of the earth’s atmosphere, I am sceptical as to its status as the number one environmental issue.

It is also ironic that had human beings been as technically advanced as we are now a mere 14,000 years earlier at the ending of the last ice age, then the symposium at Copenhagen may have been over how to proliferate the production of carbon rather than reduce it.

Without exception, climate change is universally considered to be a negative phenomenon as far as wildlife and birds are concerned. In the United Kingdom, failing seabird colonies are cited as evidence that warming sea temperatures are to blame for forcing the main prey of sand eels further north into cooler waters resulting in reduced breeding success.

This may very well be the case, but surely the ocean temperatures have been in a constant state of flux for millions of years and in times past the very same species of seabird we have today must have faced similar challenges and survived.

If this is true then surely the birds will just eventually move to a more productive area? It is always worth remembering too in these hysterical times that one bird needs only to reproduce once on average during its life cycle to retain the same level in population – breeding is a capricious occupation.

My feeling is that the real threat to the natural world is man in general. Any one – let alone two or more - from habitat destruction, rampant over-population, the pillaging of the sea and the ecological holocaust that is modern agriculture are far more dangerous to biodiversity than the warming of the earth’s atmosphere will ever be.

Until later.

Elmley Marshes

2009-12-10T20:40:00.004Z

"Rough Justice" was to have been the perfect headline for this post. The three gargantuan prisons on the Isle of Sheppey were clearly visible from Elmley Marshes, but sadly there was no evidence of any over-wintering Rough-legged Buzzards.

No matter. If there is the perfect estuarine and marshland nature reserve, then Elmley Marshes is probably it. Following my disappointing visit to the much vaunted, enclosed-viewing-facility-challenged Rainham Marshes, Elmley was refreshingly old-skool with no visitor centre razzamatazz and five good quality hides - all well located. So, credit where credit is due the RSPB, this sanctuary is a belter.

I suppose it does help when the area is drowning in sunshine and teeming with Marsh Harriers to boot. According to one Kentish old hand, up to one hundred pairs are now breeding on the Isle of Sheppey – astounding. From today’s evidence, the residual over-wintering population is around ten birds and when one takes into account the Peregrines, Merlins and Hen Harriers you have some serious Lapwing mithering going on!

The Swale Estuary is no slouch either. I cannot remember seeing so many waders and wildfowl crammed into such a small area. Wigeon were the most numerous duck and Dunlin the commonest wader, but it was hard to take your eyes of the flock of circa two hundred Avocet – the largest I have ever seen.

Reflecting on such a wonderful day, I pondered whether or not being imprisoned so close to a nature reserve would be heaven or hell for a birder. Whilst it would be comforting to hear the rich and mournful trill of the Curlew on a still winter’s morning, would it not be torture having the knowledge that they were within touching distance yet out of reach?

Elmley Marshes 10.12.09

Marsh Harrier c9
Peregrine 3
Kestrel 1
Avocet c200
Grey Plover 50+
Black-tailed Godwit 100+
Dunlin 2,000+
Wigeon 4,000+
Teal c750

Until later.

Bickerton Hill

2009-12-08T12:55:00.005Z

Bickerton Hill is an area of heath and ancient deciduous woodland near Beeston Castle. It is ‘managed’ by the Natural Trust who deserve a doffing of the hat for all the hard yakka they have put in over recent years - notably to restore the original segments of heathland.

The result is that the open and sandy soil areas of the hill look absolutely plum for Nightjars and come next summer I shall be up there looking for them – especially as they appear to be all but extinct as a Cheshire breeder? (I would be quite happy to be corrected!).

I find birding woods in the winter similar to my old career as a goalkeeper – large periods of inactivity interspersed with brief periods of frenetic action!

With most woodland passerines choosing to join mixed feeding flocks in winter there are often long periods of nothing, but within seconds you can find yourself having to work quickly in order to identify many birds – often at distance and in poor light – before they move on.

It was not too long before I found the first group this morning, no more then fifty yards from the car park. Incredibly the second bird I looked at was a Marsh Tit – only the fourth time I have found one and my first in Cheshire!

The flock was actually remarkably diverse: in addition to the usual suspects it held a couple of Treecreepers, a Nuthatch, a few Goldcrest and a small group of Siskin and Lesser Redpoll.

I always enjoy hearing the call of the Lesser Redpoll as it sounds to me like they are constantly firing a miniature machine gun!

Also worth mentioning was the large numbers of Redwing I saw today – the first time this winter I have seen good numbers. A Green Woodpecker was a welcome sighting too, yaffling its heart out in the middle of a pasture.

Until later.

Freak Tidings

2009-12-06T16:08:00.001Z

Today was good evidence of why tide forecasts are only rough estimates. A relatively modest high water of 9.35 metres was predicted for Liverpool this afternoon, but exceptional random factors pushed it considerably higher after lunch with the whole of Oakenholt Marsh under water before it started to ebb – something that normally only happens when the tide is around 10 metres and over!

(I remember reading that air pressure has a much higher influence on the height of a tide than one would expect. The sea level rises or sinks by one centimetre per decrease or increase in atmospheric pressure of one millibar).

There were very impressive numbers of wading birds at Connah’s Quay again this afternoon with the rising water ensuring that the big flocks of shorebirds assembling from all over the bottom reaches of the estuary were in a constant state of flux looking for the ever-decreasing areas of exposed marsh.

A lone light-bellied Brent Goose was probably the bird of the day, found feeding in the channel over towards White Sands, although it was in good company sharing the area with two Bewicks and at least thirty Whoopers.

Connah’s Quay NR 6.12.09

Oystercatcher 4,000+
Lapwing c2,500
Knot 400
Dunlin 300
Blackwit 200
Spotted Redshank 2
Brent Goose (hrota) 1
Bewick’s Swan 2
Whooper Swan 30+
Keith Duckers 1
David Jennings 1 (thanks for the sweet!)
Mute Birder 1

Inner Marsh Farm was relatively quiet this morning, with the best bird found at the back of the car park – a cracking Green Woodpecker. Five Siskins too, feeding on the alders near the boardwalk and a flock of sixty Linnet near the railway bridge.

Until later.

Slow Food

2009-12-04T16:24:00.005Z

Winter can give many birders the heebie-jeebies; the low-slung sun, hours of darkness and long spells of foul weather can drive us to fervently pray for the advent of spring.

Thankfully, excellent nature documentaries such as last night’s Natural World on BBC2 and clear and calm days like today – when the marsh seems to sink down into the earth and let the tide flow over it - just about provide us with enough bird methadone to last until the arrival of the first Wheatear.

The highlight at Connah’s Quay this morning was watching a pair of Peregrines chasing down a Redshank. I have seen these falcons hunt in tandem before, but never so closely and so systematically. The raptors were taking it in turn to chase the wader, each pursuing it for around thirty seconds before letting the other bird take over. After about nine or ten shifts, the male eventually caught the Redshank and interestingly gave the quarry straight to the female!?

This method of hunting must surely make good sense. Although the reward is halved, the chances of a successful kill must improve by more than double, making it a much more efficacious tactic than hunting alone.

Other birds of note included at least five Spotted Redshank roosting in the creek over towards Flint, and also the same number of Greenshank doing exactly the same over on the bunded pools.

A female Goosander also fished briefly in front of the west hide at high tide. Like an emerging submarine the duck seemed to materialise from nowhere and it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, taking flight and heading south down the River Dee.

Connah’s Quay 4.12.09

Spotted Redshank 5
Greenshank 5
Oystercatcher 1,750
Redshank 300
Black-tailed Godwit 150
Dunlin 150
Curlew 50
Goosander 1 (female)
Wigeon 620
Teal 350
Shelduck 100
Peregrine 2
GC Grebe 5
Bullfinch 1

Until later.

Fast Food

2009-12-02T15:51:00.004Z

Another cold but clear morning enticed me down to the west hide at Connah’s Quay NR early doors for the high tide.

With its gleaming white belly a Spotted Redshank stood out like a sore thumb in a flock of Commons and they were soon joined by larger flock of Dunlin eyeing nervously a circling male Peregrine.

The flock of six thousand Blackwits present in October looks like it has dispersed now – one solitary bird was in the channel this morning with no sign of any other birds near Flint.

The Ash Pool was relatively quiet; a Jack Snipe was reported from the reserve on Monday and given this is the most likely spot I had a search through the vegetation. No joy, but there was a rather dapper drake Pochard.

Driving to the field studies centre I nearly had the opportunity to dine Hugh Fearnley-Whittinghall style on fresh roadkill, as I narrowly avoided running over a speedy Red-legged Partridge that has been knocking around for a few weeks at least now.

A walk through the nature trail was quite productive with a large number of Chaffinch feeding on the perimeter of the marsh – no Brambling with them sadly…

Bird of the day was saved until last – a Common Sandpiper feeding along the riverbank underneath the bridge that sits at the very top of this website. How apt!

Connah’s Quay NR 02.12.09

GC Grebe 3
Little Egret 4
Pochard 1 (drake)
Peregrine 1 (male)
RL Partridge 1
Oystercatcher 700
Dunlin 930
Lapwing 650
Common Sandpiper 1
Spotted Redshank 1
GS Woodpecker 1
Chaffinch c450

A whistle stop tour of Shotwick boating lake revealed a few Goldeneye, but otherwise it was quiet. I had to dodge workmen laying speed bumps on the way. It’s only a small thing, but making roads harder to drive on seems to best symbolise how profligate developed nations have become. If you told a local person struggling to drive on potholed roads in a remote part of India that we spend money making roads less flat they would look at you as if you were insane – and they would be right!

Until later.

Foryd Perfect

2009-12-01T15:09:00.005Z

It was one of those chilling winter mornings that would have had soft southerners reaching for the Berghaus catalogue, whilst we tough northerners ponder whether or not to get the long trousers out as we defrost the beef dripping.

Foryd Bay was bitterly cold when I arrived at the hide just after dawn – fortunately the structure had its back to the cutting south-easterly wind and I was sheltered from the worst.

It was my debut visit to this area and my initial impressions were very positive. The bay held good numbers of birds – wildfowl in particular – and seems to have been spared high levels of inappropriate development save a handful of noddy homes to my left.

Aside from the more common ducks and waders, highlights from an hour’s vigil included a dozen or so Goldeneye, a handful of Red-breasted Mergansers, a Peregrine and an unusually mute Greenshank.

The bird I had hoped to see though was absent: the Great Northern Diver. Now to paraphrase a well known song, I don’t like divers, I love them!

I relocated to the picnic site directly opposite Abermenai Point and started to scan the strait. The water in this part of the channel appears terrifying and looks like it has a stronger current flowing through it than a Dixieland electric chair. After a couple of Cormorant false alarms I managed to pick my loon up near the sailing club – excellent! It had plenty of other birds for company too including a Shag and innumerable Great Cresties.

Foryd Bay 1.12.09

Great Northern Diver 1
GC Grebe 20+
Little Grebe
Little Egret 3
Wigeon 400+
Pintail 50+
Goldeneye c10
RB Merganser 6
Greenshank 1
Turnstone 1
Bar-tailed Godwit 1
Peregrine 1

Later in the morning I dropped into Abergwyngregyn and Morfa Madyrn at Lavan Sands. The former was busy with a huge herd of Curlew roosting on the fringes of the marsh, but the most interesting bird was a Dipper casually strolling along the tide line?!

Morfa Madryn was doing good business, with a massive flock of Oysties roosting on the spit and plenty on the sea too including a trio of Slavonian Grebes and a small skein of twenty or so Brent Geese flying past Beaumaris.

Lavan Sands 1.12.09

Slavonian Grebe 3
GC Grebe 6
Brent Goose c20
Red-breasted Merganser 7
Curlew c1,500
Oystercatcher c4,000
Dipper 1

And if you are wondering why I have posted a picture of Alan Shearer, well it was the best picture I could find of a Great Northern Diver!

Until later.

Carbunkle

2009-11-30T16:24:00.005Z

Not much to report on the birding front today despite a decent day of good weather. I had a fruitless search around Neston Old Quay for Water Pipits and spent two quiet hours at Inner Marsh Farm attempting to develop frostbite in my toes.

Despite the pipit no-show there was plenty of other activity on the marsh with decent sized flocks of Woodpigeons, Starlings, Lapwing and Wigeon too, who were busy whistling like a group of deranged P.E teachers.

Inner Marsh Farm held good numbers of birds too with a couple of Ruff and a male Peregrine bombing through late on the highlights of what was otherwise standard fare.

More notable news in the recent proposal by Peel Holdings to build twenty one, one hundred and twenty five metre high wind turbines at Frodsham Marsh. Link: http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/chester-news/local-chester-news/2009/10/22/peel-energy-unveil-image-of-what-frodsham-marshes-wind-farm-could-look-like-59067-24989446/

What a truly dreadful prospect that such an eyesore could be built on what is potentially a beautiful, austere and wild area. Incredulously, a spokesman from Friends of the Earth has claimed that given the site is of no significant scientific importance for wildlife then this is an ideal site for such a development. This is probably true, but the marshes have been trashed by industry – can he not see the potential?

Wind Farms are grossly ineffcient to boot as they require massive subsidies and don't work during periods of weak or very strong wind.

In short, to use a quote I heard this afternoon: would you buy a fridge from Comet that worked for only three days a week and you didn't even know which three days that would be?

Until later.

Here Come The Girls!

2009-11-28T19:04:00.002Z

Having watched the Dee Estuary for a number of years now, it has started to become apparent that there appears to be an imbalance between the numbers of female and male raptors, with the fairer sex apparently in the ascendancy.

This is most marked with the populations of over-wintering Hen Harriers that, in general, tend to be adult females. This seems odd when I consider that all the birds I found on the Welsh Uplands in the spring (8/8) were male and even if you take into account that the females will generally be guarding the nest and the males are more visible, it seems strange that ‘grey’ birds are uncommon on the Dee. This is further supported Hen Harrier sightings from Ynys-Hir, that tend to be almost exclusively adult male birds.

Similarly, in the case of another wintering visitor, the Merlin, it is very seldom that I see an adult male bird; again, the Marsh Harriers that pass through and occasionally winter on the marshes are mostly adult females or immature birds.

The situation with Peregrines is less clear. I would speculate that female birds do outnumber male birds, but the ratio is less acute than is the case with the Harriers and the Merlin.

For obvious reasons, Buzzard, Osprey, Hobby, Red Kite are difficult to sex, with the added difficulty that all but the former are rare or uncommon. Kestrels and Sparrowhawks may demonstrate a bias one way or another but I am guilty of not paying the falcon or the hawk enough attention, so I cannot comment!

Obviously it is hard – but possible - to determine the gender of young raptors such as Harriers and Merlin, but even taking into account a certain degree of error I believe that for some reason the Dee Estuary holds an unusually high number of female birds

It would be interesting to know if anybody else has had similar observations, or perhaps this is a ‘natural’ imbalance – this would be understandable in the case of Marsh Harriers where I believe males often service more than one nest.

Any Comments?

Until later.

'Pipers At The Gates Of Denbigh

2009-11-27T15:25:00.004Z

We’ve seen all the flooding in Cumbria, but has anybody taken a look around the Afon Clwyd east of Denbigh? I could have kayaked along the Clwydian Way this morning - without having to use any section of the river!

I have had my eye on this section of the River Clwyd for a while, so now that the monsoon seems to have finally lifted I decided to investigate.

The meadows were absolutely saturated when I arrived and after wading through the first field I was on the point of turning back, but I could just see an area of exposed bank that I thought may hold a Grey Wagtail or perhaps even a Dipper, so I persevered.

Scanning the bank I immediately found a Grey Wagtail, but standing just to the right was two Green Sandpipers! Despite using an alder for cover, they clocked me almost immediately and flew off high and far back towards the road.

There was more to come in the next pasture: eight Goosander fishing on the river and also on the edge of a large area of flood water another three Green Sandpipers! These birds were less flighty than the previous pair and despite remaining wary I watched them feeding along the edge of the water.

Then, after finding yet another Green Sandpiper on the opposite side of the river, things started to get a little complicated. The next area of farmland I crossed I found another two Green Sands in the middle of a large flock of loafing gulls I was working through.

A loud gunshot disturbed the birds and they all took the air with the waders soon following. After a few minutes the gulls began to settle again followed a couple of minutes later by SIX Green Sandpipers!!!

I could barely believe my eyes; had I missed four birds before all the gulls were spooked, or more likely had the four birds I had seen in the previous field joined the two I had seen? It seems the most plausible explanation, but I guess I will never know – still eight is pretty good!

If anybody wants to have a look for the birds, they were all in or around the squares SJ0966/67.

Until later.

Inner Marsh Farm: Reserve 51

2009-11-26T17:09:00.005Z

I received the latest letter from the RPSB this morning and reading through one of the leaflets I noticed an interesting omission in the list of northern reserves: Inner Marsh Farm.

Inner Marsh farm used to be absent from all RSPB literature as when the reserve was originally granted planning permission, the nimbys added the proviso that it essentially remained secret in order to prevent too many visitors - and therefore traffic – from ruining their Daily Mailesque rural idyll.

It therefore had a similar status to the US Government’s infamous secret military airbase – the so-called ‘Area 51’- in the Nevada desert. I even remember my first ever visit before the recent period of glasnost: after receiving instruction from Richard Smith, I was blindfolded and then bundled in a windowless van before being driven to the location by some blokes in black suits.

Thankfully times have now changed and despite the runways on the above map of Area 51 looking worryingly similar to the plans for the expanded reserve, I fully expected to be granted access this afternoon.

In the period before evening, on a clear and still day, when the sun sits just above the Clwydian Range escarpment the light at IMF can be perfect giving you wonderful views of the assorted wetland birds.

Tonight was one such night, and one that was very much welcome after the recent spate of rain and gales. After two weeks of shivering behind the causeway, the wildfowl and waders were back on number two pool.

The highlight was cracking views of Spotted Redshank feeding slap bang in front of the hide with a Reeve and a Ruff for company and also, momentarily, a Water Rail.

Sadly the light soon faded, but not before I watched a couple of Kestrels having a minor territorial dispute and a Buzzard lumbering into its roost at the top of a tree.

Until later.

Gowy Meadows

2009-11-25T17:39:00.004Z

With the rain clearing up and the wind easing I nipped down to Gowy Meadows CWT at dusk today. It is a reserve – like Nikolai Valuev - that consistently punches below its weight.

It looks absolutely perfect for owls; lots of lovely rough grassland, voles galore and even lots of pukka posts to perch on. If you are a Short-eared Owl then surely this is the over-wintering des res.

There is one tiny problem though in that the owls seem to disagree. Numerous evening visits over the past few winters have produced nada – not even a Barn Owl that I know for certain breed at the nearby village of Stoak.

This evening was no different – the Kestrels having the run of the place yet again – although there was a surprise in the form of a Kingfisher perched at the foot of the Shell Road bridge.

Hopefully the bird will stay in area, although it is more than likely just taking advantage of a temporarily swollen section of the River Gowy.

In other news it was good to hear that the government is planning to plant an extra 4% of woodland – native deciduous too, not dreadful conifer plantations. Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8377827.stm

Henry David Throreau would have approved I think.

Until later.

Designer Stubble

2009-11-24T16:13:00.002Z

I had a walk around Greenfield today, starting from the quaint little harbour and then up to the abandoned rust bucket, before doubling back.

With it being at the weak point of the tidal cycle, the water was up against the sea wall despite it being low tide. The usual crowd were roosting on the rocks: Redshank, Curlew, Turnstone and a few Oystercatchers whose discarded mussel and cockle shells crunched under my feet.

The flooded pastures had attracted a good herd of local curlew with around ninety birds feeding in the field next to the rather pungent sewage works. A flock of around five hundred Starlings busied around their feet, whilst a pair of aerodynamically savvy Grey Herons sat squat in the corner of the field monitoring the proceedings.

Just before I made a run for the car to avoid the rain, I had a quick scan of a small stubble field adjacent to the sewage treatment plant. Two Pied Wags were all I could see initially, but they were soon joined by four small passerines – Twite! Great to see an actual flock – albeit modest - rather than the singles I have been fed so far this autumn.

There was just time to nip over the fence at the rifle range embankment on my way back to Chester, but the weather was getting quite grim really and a female Peregrine going hell for leather in pursuit of a Woodpigeon was the best I could manage, plus three Goldeneye and a Pochard on the pool.

Until later.

Les Miserables

2009-11-23T12:30:00.006Z

I must confess that John Ruskin is testing my patience a little now! He’s right though, there is really no such thing as bad weather, it’s the same weather day after day that is the real problem – it becomes tedious, rain or shine.

The scene on Burton marsh this morning was rather sodden with the resident Kestrels looking like gloom personified - praying I’m sure for some better hunting conditions. The owls must be enduring tough times too - it can be no fun having saturated feathers.

On the other hand, some of the wading birds – Curlew and Snipe for example – must be thriving in the damp conditions; the muddy earth being perfect for their long and probing bills.

The rainfall has also topped up all the flashes on the marsh which looks like being a boon for the over-wintering wildfowl – at the end of September most were bone dry. Egrets too must be relishing the prospect of investigating all the new pools.

With Becks and I drenched to the skin and feeling rather fed-up it was difficult to focus on the birds today, both in terms of concentration and in a littoral sense too – I could not keep my lens’ clear for more than twenty seconds.

Nevertheless, I did manage to find what I am fairly certain was a female Merlin, but given the condition of my optical equipment it could have equally been part of a fence post or a speck of dirt!

Maybe this is just as well, as I can refocus my attention on reading the new North-East Wales Bird Report for 2008. It has a picture of a GS Woodpecker on the front and you can pick-up a copy at Inner Marsh Farm for the modest sum of a fiver.

The publication is the work of the hitherto unknown to me Clwyd Bird Recording Group and covers the counties of Flintshire and Denbighshire. No fewer than four hundred people have submitted sightings to the report, with some chap called Anon Birdguides the most prolific contributor of all – he must get out more than me!

Seriously though, it must have taken a Herculean effort to collect and collate all the available data. Bird recording seems to be an extremely disparate activity nowadays with some sightings made available electronically in a matter of seconds whilst others are received some time later via more traditional methods such as paper submissions.

Many must go unrecorded too; for example, surely more than four Cuckoo’s must have been heard or sighted in Flintshire during 2008? I personally have heard two this year at Cilcain and Coed Talon – both of which were submitted to the BTO. I guess that the ideal situation would be for everybody to send their records to one central resource that all interested parties could access, but we are a long way from that!

Until later.

Out For The Count

2009-11-22T15:15:00.005Z

It was out to White Sands this afternoon for the WeBS count. Heeding the warnings of the BBC weather forecast (whose presenters must be the shortest workforce in the world), I kitted myself up like Ray Mears in the arctic and prepared for a battering.

I had hoped for three species of swan today, but I was not expecting four – the first group of Mute Swans held a surprise in the form of a Black Swan. I hear a whisper that this introduced species from Australia may be added to the BOURC list given that it appears to have established a feral population.

Let’s hope not; if anything the Black Swan seems even more aloof and ill-tempered than the Mute Swan and if it shares any characteristics of its fellow countrymen then you can add loud, uncouth and mildly racist too!

Swans generally give me a bit of a problem when it comes to counting them. Last year their collective tactic was to feed in one large multi-species group and to keep their best identifying feature – their bills – hidden by constantly grazing.

This year the plan seems to be to gather in small groups scattered all over the marsh and to also move about as much as possible, making an accurate estimation of numbers and species a tad tricky - but I think I got there in the end!

Duck numbers continue to be low this winter with only very small numbers of Shelduck, Wigeon, Teal and Mallard recorded today – Wigeon in particular appear to be well down on last year.

White Sands WeBS Count 22.11.09

Great Crested Grebe 1
Black Swan 1
Mute Swan 42
Whooper Swan 5
Bewick’s Swan 5
Little Egret 8
Grey Heron 1
Cormorant 5
Canada Goose 11
Shelduck 71
Wigeon 37
Mallard 14
Teal 15
Lapwing 370
Curlew 12
Oystercatcher 3
Black-tailed Godwit 7
Redshank 142

Also, an adult female Hen Harrier, plus a wonderful flock of c4,000 Starlings.

Until later.

Turdus van Merula?

2009-11-20T17:38:00.005Z

Keith Duckers e-mailed last week with an interesting theory relating to British common bird migration theory, and here in his own words it is (with some very minor adjustments! - Ed). Thanks, Keith.

I believe 75% + of our common garden birds go south for the winter and are replaced by their continental cousins. I know we have migrants coming from mainland Europe in winter, but I think there are a lot more than first realised.

In October it is quite difficult to see blackbirds, finches and robins as most have departed south, whilst in November these common species seem to re-emerge. Some items to consider regarding my theory:

A female blackbird found in the Newton catching box on Hilbre Island by Colin Jones had a Dutch ring with the words ARNHEM HOLLAND on it. (Truly fitting that it was found on Armistice day!!) http://hilbrebirdobs.blogspot.com/2009/11/11th-november-2009.html

Have you ever noticed that many robins seen in the garden in winter have an extra blue fringe around their red breasts? I noticed that there seemed to be about six of these particular birds at the Inner Marsh Farm hide, Burton, last winter, whereas in the Spring/Summer the red breasted variety exists.

I am pretty sure these are of the Scandinavian/Germanic species. - I have read this somewhere and I would appreciate any readers comments

A lot of work is done for uncommon birds regarding ringing, but I feel somebody needs to do some research with the common birds too (if they are not already). I feel sure that results from this research would reveal some surprising statistics.

Some questions for us all:

1 Where do our common garden birds go for the winter?
2 Are our Dutch friends already doing this type of research?
3 Do the 1st year young common birds follow their parents south?
4 Why did the Dutch blackbird make an epic trip to Hilbre Island?
5 Was it 'lost'?
6 Was it a young bird?

Food for thought?

I hope this has inspired readers to start inquiring about the current birding rhetoric (thinking outside the box!!!) rather than accepting the usual birding doctrine that has been passed down over the years - after all we all need something to think about during these dark and inclement winter months.

I would appreciate any comments...

Keith Duckers.

P.S - If anyone else wishes to contribute any articles (250-500 words) on anything interesting relating to birds or birding then I will consider them for publication. You can email me at pdshenton@yahoo.co.uk

Practically Perfect In Every Way

2009-11-19T16:19:00.004Z

With the prospect of some decent flooding, I headed down to Dolydd Hafren in Powys this morning. By a nose, it just beats the RSPB’s Ynys-Hir as my favourite birding destination.

Whilst you are not going to get rarities galore – although it does produce good birds on a regular basis – its magnificent location overlooking an ancient flood meadow of the river Severn and its superb pair of tower hides make for an excellent site. Link: http://www.montwt.co.uk/hafren.html

It is also an absolute bugger to find as there is no signpost from the lane and despite having visited the reserve on a number of occasions I still struggle to locate the entrance. Perhaps this is a good thing, as you are very unlikely to meet another soul, leaving one to enjoy the peace and tranquillity.

Despite relatively few visits, Dolydd Hafren has produced a number of firsts for me: Goosander, Green Sandpiper, Tree Sparrow and Great White Egret. However, none of these birds will top a certain mammal I watched fishing here in May – my first and only Otter.

Today it was a bit of a struggle to be honest; the flooding had spilled over most of the path and splashing through the wet fields I felt I was getting a unique insight into the everyday life of a wading bird! Having said that, there is probably an iphone ‘app’ for that already – I wonder if there is an ‘app’ for making those bloody irritating adverts vanish too?

From the far hide, I could see the full extent of the flooding – biblical would be my best description as I was greeted with scenes more reminiscent of the Ganges basin than Montgomeryshire!

This had certainly had an affect on bird numbers: there were none, apart from small numbers of Teal and Mallard, plus a score of Curlew cowering on one of the few remaining exposed sections of riverbank.

An hour’s vigil produced very little else apart from a couple of Grey Herons and a Cormorant, so with rising water levels, I decided to call it a day and head for Coed-y-Dinas.

Safe in the hide at this little bijou wildlife sanctuary next to the A483 at Welshpool, I watched the rickety old oaks reluctantly bending in the gale and half expected to see Mary Poppins herself fly past on the high winds. Not many birds today, but for me anyway, Dolydd Hafren is still practically perfect in every way…

Until later.

Caught-a-flounder with Ease

2009-11-18T15:51:00.005Z

The Dee at Connah's Quay was the scene of some serious fishing this morning with the local fisherman and the resident Cormorants competing to hoover-up the flatfish. Judging by the number of bulging throats, the Cormorants were winning hands-down. Have the fishermen not seen the HSBC advert – work together guys!

Cormorants have always interested me. How it is a bird so tied to the water has feathers that are so prone to getting wet is beyond me. This in addition to its rather prehistoric appearance leads me to think it must have just given up evolving…

They are certainly an optimistic species too; some of the twenty or so birds assembled on the edge of Oakenholt Marsh were attempting to dry their wings in the middle of a deluge, although according to somebody who shall remain nameless (!) the classic wings-out pose may also facilitate digestion.

Plenty of other activity too, with thousands of waders jostling for position as the tide quickly enveloped the marsh – its predicted height of nine point two metres seemingly increased by a combination of the low pressure, high wind and swollen river.

Oystercatcher, Dunlin and Knot completed the lion’s share of the roost. The Black-tailed Godwit numbers seem to have dropped-off markedly in the last couple of weeks. From a peak of around six thousand birds in October, the vast majority of them have seemingly moved on to either other areas of the estuary or to wintering grounds further south. Sounds like a plan to me!

Connah’s Quay 18.11.09

2,500 Oystercatcher
2,000 Knot
1,200 Dunlin
1,000 Black-tailed Godwit
300 Lapwing
100 Redshank
60 Curlew
3 Greenshank
70 Cormorant
90 Great Black-backed Gull
8 Great Crested Grebe
800 Teal
1 Kingfisher

Until later.

Blakemere Moss

2009-11-17T14:23:00.003Z

“Britain braces itself for bout of mild weather” was the rather oxymoronic headline when I logged on to yahoo mail this morning - I do wonder sometimes.

Despite being in the middle of one the most well trodden sections of Delamere Forest, Blakemere Moss can provide a home for some interesting birds. Its thick, ebony, acidic and peaty water is not the first choice for a lot of wildlife, but in winter particularly it may hold things of interest – last year I found a Whooper Swan, a Woodcock and two Jack Snipe and a friend recently had great views of Firecrest.

A lap around the lake takes approximately an hour and there are plenty of access points leading to the water’s edge where you can scan round and take a break from dodging the mountain bikes.

There wasn’t much on the mere today; it was a little disappointing, although there were plenty of interesting passerines in the surrounding woodland.

Highlights included a lovely flock of circa twenty Siskin, a pair of Bullfinches (that I could hear but remained well hidden), and best of all four Crossbill flying over the ‘Go Ape’ adventure section.

I must confess that I do struggle to retain many bird calls – passerines specifically – but the ‘jip-jipping’ of Crossbills seems to be one of minority that has fortunately lodged in my brain – Bullfinch too, it’s just so feeble!

Until later.

Beachcombing

2009-11-16T17:27:00.004Z

What is Etemophila alpestris’ common name? Is it Shorelark, Shore Lark or even Horned Lark – somebody make a decision!

No matter, it was great to see two of them at the Point of Ayr this afternoon -accompanied too by a handful of lovely Snow Bunting. For a family of birds not exactly renowned for producing the most dazzling of species, the Shore Lark is the exception that proves the rule.

It has been a few years I believe since they last graced the Dee Estuary and being a new bird for me, I think it was well worth the wait – the colouration around the head is exquisite making for a very handsome little passerine.

Finally getting to see the birds feeding on the spit was a quite a relief as I had already spent two frustratingly wet hours trying to locate them. I had initially searched the section of beech west of the red flag towards and including Gronant and seen absolutely bugger all.

When I had practically given up the ghost, I noticed a few birders assembled on the spit just east of the car park – an area I had avoided when I arrived as birds were roosting – and headed over to explore.

Both the Snow Buntings and the Shore Larks were extremely confiding, although predictably not confiding enough for one photographer (minus binoculars) who decided to indulge in a game of ‘grandma’s footsteps’ with the birds. Fortunately they didn’t seem to mind too much and I watched them fastidiously probing around the strand line for around an hour.

The Snow Buntings probably appreciated their presence even more. Usually very much the focus of attention, I imagine they would probably be enjoying their time out of the spotlight for a change…

Until later.

P.S - I have just received an e-mail from Keith Duckers detailing a day's birding around the Wirral side of the Dee Estuary on Sunday, including the Parkgate Raptor Watch. I have added it into the comments section below - apparently there were 200 people at Parkgate in the evening! Thanks Keith.

Lavan Sands

2009-11-15T17:34:00.006Z

A window of decent weather in the middle of the current monsoon season had John Boswell, 007 and I motoring down to the Llanfairfechan to try and connect with at least one of the clutch of Slavonian Grebes reported from the Lavan Sands area over the last week or so.

The omens were not good when we searched the sea from the hide at Morfa Madryn – it was a struggle to find anything at all on the water except from a sprinkling of Wigeon, Red-breasted Merganser and Great Crested Grebe. We did however turn up a light-bellied Brent Goose - perhaps on a day excursion from Anglesey!

Noticing a few dots on the drink further west along the shoreline towards Abergwyngregyn we opted to chance our arm from the hide at Morfa Aber. When we arrived the heavens opened, the light worsened and the surface of the water became distinctly choppier – hardly ideal conditions and as before we could find the odd GC Grebe and Merganser but nothing else.

The appearance of a couple of rainbows then signalled a change of fortune – of sorts – and we located a small grebe, albeit at quite a distance. Frustratingly, it seldom spent more than a couple of seconds on the surface and teasingly drifted right with tide taking it gradually further away. I was fairly confident it was a Slavonian Grebe, but with the scope on x60 there is always that element of doubt…

Another pair of teases was two small passerines feeding around a roosting female Goosander on a grassy spit to the right of the hide. Again, they flatly refused to move close enough to confirm their identities and upgrade themselves from suspected Twite to confirmed Twite – not playing ball today these birds!

With the tide now creeping out we re-located to the promenade at Llanfairfechan via a quick excursion back to Morfa Madyrn to scour the sewage work environs for Firecrest. With the gates firmly looked, some low level trespassing was the order of the day but despite finding plenty of passerines in the surrounding wood, a Goldcrest was the best we managed, plus a couple of Treecreepers.

It was more productive at Llanfairfechan, although again the birds were fairly far out. The best two birds were picked up in flight: a Great Northern Diver and a drake Eider, but the Slavonain Grebes were playing it coy again and refused to show.

Lavan Sands 14.11.09

6+ Red-throated Diver
1 Great Northern Diver
1 Slavonian Grebe (Almost Certainly)!
30+ Great Crested Grebe
1 Gannet
1 Brent Goose (hrota)
1 Eider
2 Goldeneye
1 Goosander
15+ Red-breasted Merganser
2 Greenshank
2 Turnstone
1 Guillemot
1 Goldcrest
2 Treecreeper

With a couple of hours light remaining we rounded of the day by calling in at RSPB Conwy. Very quiet really, although JB did record the reserve’s first Perambulator Pipit – for those of you unfamiliar with the call, it is exactly the same as the noise a squeaky buggy wheel makes!!

Until later.

Gold Is The New Grey

2009-11-13T14:58:00.007Z

I don't know what it is about Frodsham No.6 tank, but the plovers clearly love it. There must have been over three thousand Lapwings and around fifteen hundred Golden Plover roosting on the drier sections early this morning.

Golden Plovers are one of my favourite birds; unlike many waders they refuse to turn a dour grey colour in the winter and look magnificent on a crisp, sunny morning.

They also have a lovely, distinctive call, that is best heard at sunrise on the welsh uplands in spring – should you be lucky enough to find one!

I was down here ostensibly to find the Water Pipit that had been reported a few days ago, but Frodsham Marshes is a big area and as there were no details in the logbook - I was more likely to have bumped into Lord Lucan and Osama bin Laden pitching a tent.

There seems to have been a mini-invasion of these elusive critters over the last few days, let’s hope one sets up camp locally so I get an opportunity to remember what they look like!

Plenty of other birds around, including large numbers of Linnets, Goldfinches, Pied Wagtails and about twenty drake Pochards on the flooded section of the tank.

Not much else to report except that there appears to have been a plague of fly-tipping – is this one of those pathway activities that leads to harder pastimes like cow-tipping?

Until later.

Excellent...

2009-11-12T16:51:00.002Z

It was news that would have delighted all the C. Montgomery Burns’ across the United Kingdom. The government recently proposed to build ten new nuclear facilities across the country - all on or near existing sites.

As somebody who is passionate about wildlife, I must confess that I could not be happier, especially if this controversial form of energy reduces the need for not only carbon releasing oil and gas power stations, but the necessity for wind, tidal and wave power too – the so-called ‘renewables.’

These supposed ‘green’ sources of energy are anything but. Climate change is a hot topic, but unfortunately it is drowning-out other equally critical issues, particularly habitat destruction and over population.

To the general public, building a tidal barrage across the Severn estuary would appear to be an excellent clean solution to our energy needs. However, those of us who strive to take a deeper interest in such matters know the trade-off of such a project in relation to wildlife would be calamitous – our estuaries are amongst some of the most important natural habitats in Europe.

One particular government-wallah, the permanently tanned Peter Hain once defended this proposal claiming that bio-diversity would increase. He is actually correct, the number of species would increase, but any intelligent person recognises this argument is specious.

For example, this argument holds true if one critically endangered species was lost, but three others that are very common elsewhere are gained. Biodiversity has indeed increased, but the cost is to lose an extremely important species of flora or fauna.

Wind and wave power seem less inimical to the interests of wildlife, but as with tidal energy I would be quite glad to see the back of both of them. My objections to wind power are largely aesthetic; wind turbines are as ugly as sin and very cost ineffective. Additionally – as is the case with wave power – many installations are close to coastal areas, where the affects on sea-dwelling and pelagic birds have not been fully researched.

Nuclear Power is expensive and produces dangerous by products that are difficult – if not impossible – to dispose of safely. However, they are largely passive, take up little space and produce carbon-dioxide free energy. Hooray for Nuclear.

Well that what a little heavy wasn’t it. No worries, back to the birds, bad puns and light-hearted quips tomorrow - I promise!

Until later.

(Major Parus) Hilton

2009-11-11T14:41:00.005Z

Great Tits - real ones at that and probably in possession of a greater vocabulary too! They were everywhere this afternoon and I wasn’t even reading Nuts magazine or scanning one of those dodgy websites I’ve heard so much about.

It all started when I bumped into a large winter flock of passerines when out walking my dog at the Gowy Meadows CWT reserve this afternoon. I decided to search through the group to see if it contained anything interesting, but I soon discovered bar the odd Blue Tit or Goldfinch it was Great Tits all the way – about fifty in total.

Quite interesting as Stephen Fry might say, but hardly earth-shattering. I continued my walk towards the river Gowy, but I had to turn back when I noticed the cows had been moved to graze the pasture I needed to cross. I decided to drive to the woodland park at Mickle Trafford instead.

When I entered the park I encountered another large winter flock in the birch and willow scrub, and after scanning this gathering I found that it too was dominated by Great Tits – probably seventy of a flock of eighty or so.

It was then that I remembered that the level in my peanut feeder had been dropping quicker than the pants of a certain vacuous hotel heiress recently – a food source favoured by Great Tits.

I wonder if there has been a large influx of Great Tits this autumn. I have had a look on the interweb and cannot find much on the irruptions of this species, just one article alluding to increased breeding success following a good crop of beech nuts.

Has anybody else noticed similar numbers of Great Tits? Drop a comment if you have.

Until later.

Red Letter Day

2009-11-10T18:07:00.009Z

Pennington Flash was deserted this morning save a few hardy souls solemnly escorting their dogs around the park. Not surprising really, the weather was grim.

I had hoped to catch of glimpse of the Slavonian Grebe that had been hanging around recently, but after a good search across the water nothing was doing – it must have slunk off to Ljubljana.

A flock of lapwing then suddenly took to the air – scared of their own reflection these birds – but just as I thought it had been yet another false alarm, I caught a glimpse of a large brown raptor disappearing into the trees to the right of Horrocks hide.

Initially, I assumed it must have been a young Sparrowhawk, and I thought nothing of it. Ten minutes later, the Peewits panicked again and I this time I could see why – a large bird of prey was flying towards me head-on. The first thing that struck me about the bird was how muscular it looked around the chest area.

Luckily it landed on the spit about twenty yards from the hide. Focusing on the bird, my jaw almost hit the floor – it was a Goshawk! Its large size, brown plumage and powerful build suggested a young female.

Regaining my composure, I began telling myself that it must be a young female Sparrowhawk, but the massive size and piercing orange eye meant that it must have been a Goshawk.

Having only seen these impressive hawks displaying at distance over Cloclaenog forest it was a real privilege to see one so close – especially in such an unlikely location. Unfortunately, after about half a minute the bird took to flight and headed west across the flash.

It was at this point that doubts began to creep in as I remember having read somewhere that when gliding Goshawks don’t lose altitude like Sparrowhawks, and this bird appeared to drop slightly when coasting. Then again, thinking about it now, this appears to be contrary to the laws of Physics!! – and having seen the bird up close I have very few doubts.

The raptor action didn’t stop there either. I popped down to Parkgate on the way home and bagged my first ‘grey’ male Hen Harrier this autumn. Plenty of other action too:

Parkgate 10.11.09

3 Hen Harrier (1 sub-adult ‘grey’ male, plus 2 adult females)
3 Short-eared Owl
2 Barn Owl

Until later.

Billy No Mates

2009-11-09T16:39:00.003Z

The fog seemed to follow the tide in at Connah’s Quay this afternoon. Thick it was too – the sort that would have a salty old sea-dog of a captain quivering in his timbers at the prospect of his vessel being dashed on the rocks.

Not much goings-on from the west hide as a fairly low high tide meant that the majority of the waders and wildfowl were spread far and wide across the sand and mud flats.

The bunded pool viewed from the middle hide was better – two Spotted Redshanks flew in, a ringtail Hen Harrier quartered over the Dee embankment and a Kingfisher delighted in dive-bombing three Little Grebes. This behaviour seemed a little odd at first, but I suppose they are rivals for the same food source.

I must say that the repairs made to the sluice this year have definitely assisted in the retention of much more water on the bunded pools, with the consequent benefits for the birds.

Just as I was about to leave a small finch dropped onto the grass next to a handful of Starlings. A yellow bill and darkly streaked back revealed it to be a Twite. It also had that classic colouring on the face and underside that bird books describe as ‘mustard-yellow’ or ‘buff’.

For my penny’s worth they are wrong. Twite look like they have just had their beaks buried in a chicken tikka masala or a lamb bhuna. Curry-coloured it should say, but then again this description may go over the heads of our Collins reading vindaloo-dodging continental neighbours!

It's also strange to see a single Twite - like teenagers, these small finches tend to bounce around in large groups making lots of noise and generally not able to keep still for longer than three seconds.

Until later.

Shotwick Rifle Range Area

2009-11-08T16:54:00.011Z

Just look what happens when you type Goldeneye into Google images - bloody Pierce Brosnon everywhere. I wonder if Google would produce an entire gallery of ducks if you typed Goldeneye when searching for the film?

Anyway, enough of derivative talkies produced by creativity-challenged Hollywood players, what about the birds?

I took a trip to Shotwick rifle range pools this evening - a pair of female Goldeneye, a brace of female Pochard, a Dabchick and a Grey Wagtail were on the pool, but my main aim was to head to the embankment and scan the marsh for Short-eared Owls.

No owls at first, but I was entertained for a while watching a female Merlin tracking a ringtail Hen Harrier, presumably hoping to pick-off any small passerines the larger raptor may flush out.

I eventually found the first owl way out towards Neston and this was soon joined by another two having a scrap. Very belligerent these birds - they don't seem to be able to pass each other without having a little contretemps!

Moving right I located a further one near Neston reedbed – this individual trying to shake of the attentions of a corvid – and then another possible close to Denhall old quay.

Just when I thought I would be restricted to long-range views, two wildfowlers flushed two birds from the grass a few hundred yards away. Then, one of the spaniels managed to unearth a third bird close by. Definitely seven, probably eight, either way my highest total this autumn!

Shotwick Rifle Range Pools 08.11.09

7/8 Short-eared Owl
1 Hen Harrier (ringtail)
1 Merlin (female)
2 Buzzard
16 Golden Plover
2 Goldeneye (female)
2 Pochard (female)
1 Grey Wagtail

Hopefully the Short-eared Owls will build up this month; I think it was November last year when the numbers began to rocket. Here's hoping, after all: Tomorrow Never Dies!

Until later.

The true Maharajas of Snowdonia

2009-11-07T11:04:00.007Z

Walking in the welsh uplands is one of my favourite pastimes. The remoteness, abundant wildlife and sheer beauty of the many ranges are a constant draw.

There is however a missing element: the absence of Golden Eagles. The mountains of North Wales must surely be one of the wildest places in Europe without a population of these majestic raptors.

The indigenous population has of course long-gone - presumably shot and poisoned in less enlightened times – but there seems to be a compelling case for their re-introduction.

With numbers in Scotland being pretty stable, surely there is scope for utilising the four hundred or so breeding pairs to produce chicks for release in the Snowdonia area. There is also the experience gained from the White-tailed Eagle release programme to draw upon.

Authorities such as the RSPB and the Countryside Council for Wales should also be encouraged by the success story of the Red Kite, now returned to many of its previous haunts. Similarly, Goshawk, Peregrine and Hen Harriers also seem to be more abundant than for along time, so what about the final piece of the jigsaw?

The only possible objection would predictably come from the farming fraternity. Sheep would be lost – there is no point in denying this fact – and many farmers would need to be compensated for the financial loss. This would be small beer though in comparison to the huge amount of money additional eco-tourism (I hate that term!) would generate.

In truth, I am also tired of listening to moaning farmers given the damage that most have done to the land they supposedly protect. Given that many see themselves as custodians of the countryside, it is surprising how many see nature and wildlife as something to fight against rather than work with.

The case for bringing the Golden Eagle back seems extremely strong and I am a little surprised no conservation body has mooted or proposed this policy. And why stop with Golden Eagles – the coast of Gwynedd, Anglesey and the Lleyn Peninsula is surely perfect for its larger cousin the White-tailed Eagle too!

Until later.

P.S - Inner Marsh Farm quiet this afternoon; two Kingfisher, two Ruff and a Water Rail the only birds of note.

A Hint of Cinnamon

2009-11-06T17:12:00.006Z

The rains continued today, but I was hardly going to stay in and watch Loose Women or Antiques Under The Hammer was I?

Connah’s Quay was my port of call – thousands of the commoner waders were roosting on Oakenholt Marsh, including 29 Golden Plover and a single male Ruff – uncommon over here.

Interestingly, a very rufous female Teal that I clocked a few weeks ago was present again on the channel in front of the west hide. I had a closer look today at the bird that is certainly a curiosity. It is a little larger than the other females and aside from the reddish colouration the bird also has a heavier bill than a Common Teal.

Having done some research on the internet, the colouration of the plumage, the head pattern and the shape of the bill would suggest elements of a Cinnamon Teal, but this individual resembled a Common Teal in every other aspect of its appearance down to the pale patch near the tail.

Perhaps this bird is a hybrid, or more likely just an aberrant Common Teal, but intriguing nonetheless.

Connah's Quay 06.11.09

Lapwing 2,500
Oystercatcher 2,000
Black-tailed Godwit 1,500+
Redshank 1,000
Knot 600
Dunlin 500
Golden Plover 29
Greenshank 4
Spotted Redshank 1
Ruff 1
Kingfisher 1
GC Grebe 2
Little Grebe 3
Teal 800

Until later.

Swansong

2009-11-05T19:30:00.002Z

A large dose of what makes our land so green at Inner Marsh Farm this evening had the majority of the wildfowl milling around despondently on number one pool.

The notable exception was two Whooper Swans – probably newly arrived – looking absolutely cream-crackered on the hide pool.

They looked about as likely to move as an Israeli settler on the West Bank, but after a few verses of tuneless trumpeting they were off and over the marsh using what was probably their last drop of fuel.

Having stayed under the flight path to Heathrow over the last few days, I am always incredulous to think that less than twelve hours ago, some of these giant aluminium behemoths were flying over exotic far flung lands.

But to me, some of the incredible journeys migrating birds make under their own steam is in many cases and to use the most overused superlative: unbelievable.

I have heard a few whispers and seen a couple of reports of both Bewick’s and Whooper Swans from all over the estuary during the last couple of days – winter is truly just around the corner.

Until later.

Rainham Marshes

2009-11-04T17:33:00.005Z

Today I have seen the future of birding - and I'm not sure I like it. I took a trip to the RSPB's Rainham Marshes and I'm not impressed.

The habitat is magnificent - a huge ancient grazing area adjacent to the River Thames that manages to seem extremely wild, despite its close proximity to the city of London.

The problem is that there is only one hide and that overlooks a scrape - one that is still being constructed. Considering the vast sums of money that have been spent on the visitor centre (that looks like a lego spaceship on stilts) and the hundreds of metres of boardwalks, there are very few facilities for the the birdwatcher whom looks to have been sidelined yet again in favour of the tea and sandwich brigade.

For example, it was a complete waste of time taking my telescope and hide clamp as I had to lump it 2 1/4 miles around the trail without being able to deploy it. There are numerous viewing points, but they are open air platforms with no areas to attach clamps and moreover, I would not wish to stand on them in bad weather. Crucially, this arrangement is also extremely inconsiderate to the birds as they can clearly see you looking at them and understandably stay at a distance. No good if you only have binoculars!!

There is also a huge tract of rough grassland you cannot see because of a lack of elevation. A tower hide overlooking this western section of the reserve would be incredible and provide cracking views of hunting raptors.

I can understand the RSPB wants to be as inclusive as possible, but it should remember that its core ethos should be to not only safeguard the future of wildlife, but also allow those of us who are serious nature watchers to actually see it.

With the towers of canary wharf clearly visible in the distance, it was difficult not to remember what happened to certain institutions when they grew so large that they become arrogant and forgot the original reason why they were set up in the first place. And we all know what happened to them.

Until later.

Loonacy

2009-11-02T16:48:00.003Z

No white whales today or indeed any sign of the Pequod, but enough action for a decent seawatch from the dunes at the Point of Ayr.

A steady stream of auks allowed me to get my eye in and before too long I was treated to spanking views of a winter-plumaged Great Northern Diver flying along the shoreline. A probable second followed a few minutes later, although it was miles out to sea and kept low in the troughs.

Duck was next on the menu; six Red-breasted Mergansers flew powerfully out of the estuary tailed a couple of minutes later by a drake Eider – uncommon birds in Liverpool bay.

As expected there was a good count of Common Scoter. Well over a hundred birds in total and as per usual they were flying in all directions of the compass.

Next it was the turn of Great Crested Grebes with three birds moving west along the coast accompanied by another distant loon that looked like a Red-throated.

Point of Ayr Seawatch: 02.11.09, 08:30 to 10:30.

1+ Great Northern Diver
1 Red-throated Diver
3 Great Crested Grebe
6 Red-breasted Merganser
1 Eider (drake)
100+ Common Scoter
10+ Razorbill
2 Guillemot
1 Gannet
1 Kittiwake

Today I received an unconfirmed report that a Catbird has been present near the small pool next to the path that leads to the razed hide at the Point of Ayr. For those familiar with the area it is where a Kingfisher normally resides in the winter.

The gentleman I spoke to claimed the bird has been present for two weeks; he says that he has heard it calling and seen the bird on one occasion during a total of 30 hours looking for the bird.

The chap in question is a well-known local birder, but after recent conversations with him concerning other birds he claims to have seen this autumn, caution is advised. Pass the salt.

Until later.

Cold Comfort Farm

2009-11-01T15:53:00.002Z

With it raining cats and dogs and the wind howling, there was only one sensible option today: stay indoors. Inner Marsh Farm it is then.

The east facing hide, sheltered behind by a railway embankment can be quite cosy in bad weather, especially when you are sporting more layers than a geology exam paper.

The birds seemed similarly unimpressed by the cold, with the majority of the wildfowl hunkered down behind the causeway between the two pools.

Then things began to pick-up considerably. A male Peregrine circled the back scrape eyeing-up the Teal, but soon disappeared over Puddington.

A few minutes later an adult female Marsh Harrier appeared and this was quickly followed by a juvenile male Hen Harrier in quartering the wet meadow. Eventually the Marsh Harrier drifted over towards the hide giving absolutely cracking views, whilst the Hen Harrier largely stayed afar trying to shake off the attention of a mobbing corvid.

Quite an interesting bird the female Marsh Harrier – there is a fairly extensive amount of white on the leading edges and it actually looks very small for an adult female. Probably goes to show just how variable raptors can be.

There was just enough time for another Peregrine visitation – this time a whacking great female. After carefully approaching the roosting ducks in a low and purposeful flight I was anticipating a successful hunt, but when the wildfowl – mostly Pintail – clocked the falcon they barely moved. This seemed to confuse the raptor and it failed to make an attempt at a kill and flew off over the marsh. Cool customers these Pintail.

A very loud chap from Wales then announced confidently that he had found two Long-billed Dowitchers on the border pool. They very quickly turned into Greenshank, but the observer was extremely reluctant to accept this fact as there was “No Greenshank in the log”. No argument there then.

Not that you can really decipher the contents of the log - someone clearly left the hide shutters open yesterday as the hide log book is saturated. I wonder if this makes it waterlogged. Sorry.

Until later.

Back In Black

2009-10-31T18:54:00.002Z

A gorgeous morning on Fenn’s and Whixall Mosses failed to produce either the Great Grey Shrike of Hen Harrier reported yesterday, but the Halloween sunshine did bring out a few dragonflies including a spooky Black Darter.

Birding can be hard going here and today was no exception - the best I had turned up after the first hour was a Green Woodpecker flying at a fair distance and a handful of Stonechats.

Infact, there were probably more birders than birds today, including one lucky punter who said he had seen the butcher bird perched on the weather station a little earlier. Perhaps this species has a curious fetish for wind meters and rain gauges as the birds that over winter at Cloclaenog similarly haunt the weather station atop of Bron Banog.

The Phylloscopus warbler identification challenge has entered a new stage with the discovery of a Green/Greenish Warbler at Cornwall today, following on from the Eastern Crowned Warbler in South Shields.

I must confess that during my many hours birding in India, I have tended not to concentrate too hard on phylloscopus warblers due to the huge problems in identifying these birds given that there are so many similar species. Credit to the birders then, who not only managed to find theses birds but correctly identified them too.

Still, I am yet to be convinced on the wisdom of diving hundreds if miles just to catch a glimpse of what in the general scheme of things are, let’s face it, fairly bland and unremarkable birds: life is just too short Mr Tickell, Mr Brooks and Mr Tytler.

Until later.

Decca Records

2009-10-28T17:33:00.004Z

Three Green Sandpipers on Decca Pools this evening; I would probably have missed them had they not been calling – but when do they never call?!

I also had distant views of a ringtail Hen Harrier, plus one, possibly two Short-eared Owls getting grief off some corvids. The shorties have yet to appear in any great numbers this year down towards the Burton end of the marsh, although I have had up to five at Parkgate.

Talking of Parkgate, the Hen Harrier roost seems to be up to three birds now: two adult females and what looks like a juvenile male - an adult Marsh Harrier also seems to be hanging around too. In short, get your backsides down there!

Three wildfowlers were on the marsh late in the afternoon too. Nothing unusual in that really, except that they were walking across RSPB owned land with their springer spaniel tearing around the sheep.

Now, as I understand there is a RSPB sign explicitly saying that people are meant to keep dogs on a lead around farm animals; indeed some have had a rollicking from the farmer for failing to control their hounds.

The sharp among you will have noticed a little hypocrisy in this (don’t worry if you didn’t, I’m not that sharp and would not have noticed it too) as I have never seen either of the farmers challenge people who shoot, just members of the public. They wouldn’t be picking on easy targets would they?

Anyway, enough editorialising I thought I may have seen a distant Black Kite from Connah’s Quay on Sunday morning and apparently Bardsey observatory bagged one on the following day. Probably nothing in it, but I will never know…

Until later.

Indian Summer

2009-10-26T19:30:00.003Z

A great walk around Newborough today with a whole host of wildlife enjoying a lovely warm October’s day.

A prowling fox was my first encounter, although on seeing me it soon fled to the sanctuary of the dunes. A cracking pair of Chough greeted my arrival at Abermenai and on the strait a couple of Red-breasted Mergansers showed very well preening close in to the shore.

The shingle bank encircling the point looked prime habitat for an over-wintering Snow Bunting, but an extensive search of the area only revealed an astonishing amount of litter including a huge pile of bin bags. Given that the nearest road is about three miles away this garbage must have been dumped from a boat.

The long walk to the promontory of Ynys Llandywn produced plenty of Oystercatchers and Cormorants roosting along the tide line and several of Ravens were patrolling the skies.

When I reached the island, the sea had calmed revealing large numbers of Great Crested Grebes, Shags and smaller numbers of Guillemots and Red-breasted Mergansers prospecting in the bay.

On the rocks, a small flock of Turnstones fed actively around a trio of Grey Seals enjoying a lunchtime siesta. Above them, a line of Cormorants were drying their wings in the breeze readying themselves for another fishing expedition.

The final part of my walk took me through the soon to be felled section of the forest. It was superb for insects: I counted eleven Red Admirals and five Common Darters, but the star of the day was a cracking Small Copper – only the second one I have seen – bathing in the sunshine.

A host of notices seem have to been put up since my last visit detailing local resistance to the proposed felling of forty percent of the forest. The natives seem a little restless at the prospect of the Countryside Council for Wales’ plan to return the wood to its original dune habitat.

In broad conservation terms the decision seems eminently sensible given that dune systems are more threatened and therefore more important than a plantation of non-native conifers. However, about three Red Squirrels and the fact that Demi Moore once filmed here seems to have blinded the locals to this somewhat.

Until later.

Octoberfest

2009-10-25T19:12:00.001Z

Another day, another first at Connah’s Quay: an adult female Marsh Harrier picked-up hunting behind the Dee embankment. It took a few minutes to nail the identity of the bird as it appeared to be using the riverbank as a buffer against the strong south-westerly wind and seldom showed.

Not stupid then these birds; I distinctly remember enjoying a very close encounter with a Hen Harrier at this area of the marsh during similarly high winds.

Eventually the raptor let the wind lift it upwards taking it into the realm of a handful of large gulls that largely ignored their stately intruder. The harrier then decided it was time to disturb a flock of roosting Black-tailed Godwits on the opposite side of the river channel, but before it reached the waders it stooped down to the water’s edge and plucked a dead fish from the side of the river.

Before you could say Circus Aeruginosous, the lady had taken its meal back to the marsh on the opposite side of the bank and out of view.

Hoping to get a closer look, I moved down to the hide near the field centre. No harrier alas, but more close views of a Long-billed Dowitcher drilling in the mud for food whilst a couple of hundred Redshank dozed contentedly in the unnervingly warm autumnal sunshine.

Until later.

Geese. Thousands of them.

2009-10-25T08:06:00.002Z

With the twitching high priesthood descending for a conclave around a bush at South Shields, I decided to mooch over to Martin Mere for a gander at the geese.

Probably our greatest wildlife spectacle, the sight of thousands of geese descending from a crisp autumnal sky is enough to rouse even the most jaded wildlife watcher.

With relatively small numbers of wildfowl present and only a modest number of Whooper Swans back, the Pinks are bossing the mosses at the moment with numerous yapping skeins commuting to and fro across East Lancs.

Apparently a pair of Tundra Bean Goose has been accompanying the Pinks this year, but you would need the zen like concentration of a gull-watcher to pick ‘em out.

After dragging myself away, the day was finished off at Marshside. The field in front of Nel’s hide is still yet to flood properly, but it still managed to hold the largest numbers of Wigeon I have seen this autumn. This duck seems to have not arrived in any significant numbers yet, especially in comparison to Teal and the masses of Pintail that are building up on the Dee.

A stroll up the road to view the marsh near the Sandgrounder’s Hide produced cracking views of a female Merlin using its tightrope walker-like powers to perch precariously on an electric fence wire.

Also seven – possibly wild – Barnacle Geese were spotted tagging on to a flock of Pinkies flying out into the Ribble in search of some tasty grazing.

Until later.

Splitters

2009-10-24T08:42:00.003+01:00

Katona’s Gull (Larus Atomicus Kittenoides)

Previously a race of Iceland Gull, Katona’s Gull is best identified by its slightly larger size and prodigious breeding rate. It is also in possession of a much darker mantle than Iceland Gull having been continually exposed to regular sun showers that are common to its locality. The bill is also heavier than the Iceland Gull allowing the bird to tackle the remains of large discarded cheap supermarket food items that are its staple diet (unlike Caspain Gull that feeds exclusively on the remains of Donar Kebabs). There is one record annually, usually around the Merseyside area.

The paragraph above is clearly drivel, yet having read news of the Azorean Yellow-Legged Gull at Didcot, the boundaries between science and parody are becoming increasingly blurred. Forgive my ignorance, but this hitherto unknown species/race of Gull has failed to register on my radar. Now, I like a Glacous Gull or an Iceland Gull as much as the next person, but is it just me or is this relentless and obsessive categorisation of Laridae going too far?

Then there is also the predilection some birders have for the mind-numbing activity of spending hours searching through thousands of gulls – often near rubbish dumps - for that something a little different. No little skill is involved in this, but with the rich variety of bird life available I simply cannot be bothered – especially when it involves a long drive with no guarantee that the bird will be present. Surely it would be easier going to the Azores?

Until later.

Bonanza

2009-10-19T18:16:00.005+01:00

Another stunning day at Connah’s Quay, with approximately 10,000 waders roosting on Oakenholt Marsh plus a pair of touring North American waders thrown in for good measure.

The omens were good on arrival as a huge flock of Black-tailed Godwits could be seen milling in front of Flint castle soon to be joined by hundreds of Oystercatchers, Knot, Dunlin and Redshank piling in from various points of the estuary.

The gathering was at its most spectacular when a scouting male Peregrine flushed the birds into the air causing them to twist and pulsate in a manner more resembling a school of panicked sardines than a flock of waders.

A pair of sharp eyes in the form of Geoff Robinson then picked-out the bright white breasts of eleven Spotted Redshanks gleaming in the morning sunshine in a channel towards Flint. Largely absent from in front of the West Hide this autumn it was good to see that the Spot Reds are have returned again this winter albeit to another area of the marsh.

Plenty of wildfowl around too, with a flotilla of circa eight hundred Pintails on the edge of Gayton Sands and closer to home a respectable group of six hundred Teal were dabbling at the end of the stream outflow including one extremely rusty-coloured female.

When the tide finally consumed the lion’s share of the marsh I upped sticks and headed to Inner Marsh only to receive a text from Stan Skelton informing me that two Long-billed Dowitchers were on the bunded pools back at Connah’s Quay.

Cursing my laziness for not checking the pools in the first place I headed back to Flintshire to find them feeding away contentedly in the company of some Redshank, four dozing Greenshank and yet two more Spot Reds taking the tally to an ‘unlucky’ thirteen.

I am always curious – as I’m sure many of my fellow birders are – as to whether I would find these birds if I had had no prior knowledge of their presence. I’d like to think so in my more vain moments, but given the rarest bird I have ever found in a Spoonbill (hardly inconspicuous), I’m not so sure!

Adios y buenes noches.

Oui, J'taime

2009-10-16T18:28:00.003+01:00

Good visible migration ‘early doors’ at Point of Ayr today with well over 500 finches flying over. They were mostly Chaffinches with the rest of the movers made up from Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Greenfinch and Bullfinch. I swore I heard a Crossbill too, but to use another Ron Atkinsonism, you’d need to be a member of the ‘wide awake club’ to be sure.

Other migrants included a handful of Stock Doves, a Sparrowhawk and heading up the rear around fifty Skylarks. The bushes were also full of Blackbirds, Robins and unusually high numbers of Dunnock – probably all coming to a garden near you!

Despite a good thorough search I could not find anything out of the ordinary. It has been a good few years since my last decent rarity here – a Golden Oriole near the old hide. Never mind, the search will continue.

On the way home I popped into Inner Marsh Farm. Due to the returning Dowitchers the hide was again full of dow-twitchers making for a rather unpleasant squeeze.

But, despite a Curlew Sandpiper and a lovely flock of Golden Plover, it was hard not to notice a young couple who had walked on to the edge of the reserve from Puddington and flushed all the birds from number one pool. Rather embarrassingly telescopes had to be averted when they started to smooch, blissfully unaware of the fact that twenty people with high powered optical equipment were sat no more than two hundred yards away!

Until later.

Under Siege

2009-10-15T19:41:00.001+01:00

Having neglected Parkgate for long enough this autumn, it was time to head down for an evening watching the vole patrol.

You have got to feel sorry for the little super furry animals. If they are not being raided above from the legions of Kestrels, they are being pounced on by owls and harriers. Still, given the large number of raptors eeking out an existence on the marsh, they must be breeding like Catholics.

Short-eared Owls were the stars of the show with three hunting a stones throw from the old baths car park, soon joined by an insouciant Barn Owl flying so close I could have reached out and nearly touched it.

A scan across the farther reaches of the marsh revealed a perched Peregrine and a Merlin dashing after a small passerine. Out towards Neston two more SE Owls quartered near the reed bed taking the total up to five; it will be interesting to see how many are present this winter after last year’s insanely high numbers.

As the light began to fail the first Hen Harrier of the night put in an appearance, although like a naughty child sent straight to bed it sped into the roost and quickly dropped from view – apt behaviour considering it looked like a juvenile male!

Two hysterical Greenshanks completed the nights viewing, although they were no more than silhouettes in the encroaching darkness.

Until later.

What did the Gujaratis ever do for us?

2009-10-01T15:16:00.005+01:00

I'm taking a break at the moment, so I shall not be posting for another couple of weeks.

I am also in the process of writing a guide to birding in Chester and the surrounding area. I am familiar with a few sites, but I would appreciate any information on hidden gems that I may have overlooked – you cannot get everywhere!

It would be particularly useful to garner some hints and tips as to reliable sites for less common birds such as Green Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Marsh Tit, Willow Tit, any of the commoner Owl species, or perhaps something a little more unusual.

Comments on the content of the blog would also be gratefully received: don’t be shy! For instance, did you, Keith Duchess finally manage to find the blog?! Somebody out there is reading it, as I managed 1,000 hits last month - a number that almost makes it worthwhile!

In the meantime, I shall leave you with a quote from the half-naked fakir himself: “Nature can satisfy all of our needs but none of our greeds”.

Until later, well two weeks anyway.

Dowitchers & Howitzers

2009-09-25T18:30:00.004+01:00

Being what you might call a ‘wader-man’, I took a diversion to Marshside this morning to grab a look at the latest vagrant shorebird from stateside. Nel’s hide was rammed when I arrived, so I had to settle for a back seat until one of the front benches was vacated.

When I finally sat down, the Long-billed Dowitcher could be seen dozing in the middle of a flock of Godwits and Redshank that it had chummed-up with. No more then twenty yards away and affording superb views through the scope, it revealed its wonderful chequered plumage. It reminded me of a Snipe, although considerably more stately – a lovely bird.

Predictably the paparazzi were present and whenever the bird initiated any sort of movement it was blasted with a torrent of semi-automatic shutter; the snipers bring aroused into action by the emergence of its bill and practically orgasmic at the flap of a wing.

A few Pink-footed Geese, a sprinkling of Wigeon and my chilling hands were a few timely reminders of autumn. No doubt the Pinks will be arriving in greater numbers throughout this month and October – let’s hope us denizens of the Dee Estuary are treated to another over-wintering flock this year.

Swans, ducks and waders are all indictors of the onset of winter, but to me it is the large skeins of Geese commuting volubly across the darkening skies that are the true sign that: times, they are a changin’.

Apparently up to ¼ of a million Pink-footed Geese were counted in Iceland a couple of weeks ago, the majority of the world population. It is heartening that in todays over populated earth such magnificent spectacles of nature can still be witnessed. The venal bankers and slippery politicians may play havoc with our material welfare, but providing the birds are back for winter, then everything is okay with me. Amen.

Until later.

Ynys-Hir/Chat Masala

2009-09-22T18:30:00.004+01:00

On Monday morning I decided to tootle down to the gorgeous RSPB reserve at Ynys-Hir on the Dyfi estuary. Roads as clear as a oil of ulay model’s skin meant the journey from Chester took around 90 minutes and I arrived about an hour before high tide.

I darted down to the Saltings hide and started to scan through the modest numbers waders being forced up the saltmarsh. Both Godwits were present as were a handful of Dunlin, Oysties, Redshank and Curlew. The river was a little more interesting with seven loafing Goosander and a manic Kingfisher that kept zipping around like a mini-torpedo with no sense of direction.

When the tide had peaked I moved to the Marian Mawr hide. The hide is beautifully positioned; the whole of the estuary and two ranges of mountains are visible. In front of the hide are a few pools and it was in here that I located the surprise bird of the day – a juvenile Scaup. For a notoriously dozey bird, the duck was actually fairly active and fed for the two hours I was there.

Highlights from the pleasant vigil included a pair of Peregrines, and a wonderfully close view of a Red Kite being bombed by a Raven.

In order to work of my lunch I headed to the Breakwater hide – a longish walk that takes in the lion’s share of the reserve. The sun had brought out tons of dragonflies and tens of Speckled Woods. The woodland itself was fairly quiet with all of the spring migrants having packed up their bags and headed back to Africa. On the flooded meadows a vanguard of Wigeon had arrived, but I could not locate the trio of Barnacle Geese that had been logged the day previous.

A cracking day and not even being stuck behind a caravan for 60 minutes on the way home could ruin it!

Until later.

P.S – If anybody local is actually reading this blog (well there could be), four Whinchat were on the Gowy Meadows CWT this evening with even more Stonechat. I have also noticed that somebody has bagged a Merlin down here recently according to Birdguides.

Second Toughest In the Infants

2009-09-20T20:30:00.003+01:00

It was one of those days today when it paid to be layered-up. Sun out equalled summer, yet when it dipped behind the clouds, the cold claw of autumn was firming tapping you on the shoulder.

Today being WeBS day, I was back out on the White Sands area of the Dee Estuary on my first anniversary of taking up this area. I’ve had some great birds over the last twelve months, my personal highlight being a count of twenty seven Short-eared Owls last winter.

The tide was very high this afternoon, although not as high as during the night when the only 10 plus metre tide of the autumn was scheduled. Evidence of this was present in the form of numerous small pools that has formed at the base of the marsh, many of which played host to hundreds of Redshanks.

It was when counting the birds in one of the flashes that I caught sight of a hunting juvenile female Peregrine trying to nail a Teal. Although not managing to grab the hapless duck in its talons, it had succeeded in striking the bird several times rendering it severely injured. When it finally issued the coup de grace and had returned to enjoy its quarry, an opportunistic Great-black Backed Gull swiftly moved in and claimed the meal for itself. The law of the jungle, I guess.

I doubt the falcon had been going without though. Whilst I was walking along the breakwater I happened across remains of two Woodpigeons and one Feral Pigeon. Each had had the head torn off and the torso completely had been completely consumed. The female of the species is indeed more deadly than the male.

I suspect that the falcon was one of the two juvenile Peregrines I had seen during my last visit. The birds were hunting then, albeit more clumsily. Clearly over the last month at least one of them had made significant progress in the journey from apprentice to master. Soon it may well be ready to take up its position as matriarch of the estuary – ruler of all it surveys.

Quite simply, a misty winter’s morning on the Dee Estuary would not be complete without the sight of a Peregrine perched on a lookout post. Ever alert, tense, twitchy, these falcons are always poised, ready to dispense death on the wing that is both thrilling and essential. And don’t we just love it.

Until later.

The Redshank Redemption

2009-09-18T16:17:00.004+01:00

I am always surprised how few people can be found at Connah’s Quay west hide during a decent high tide. A fiesta of waders is pretty much guaranteed – the huge, colourful flock of Black-tailed Godwits alone are worth the trip.

This morning, as per usual, I got my timing slightly wrong and arrived at the point when most of the waders had been pushed towards Flint. Depending on the level of the tide, there is a normally a window of about 15-20 minutes when most of the waders are clustered onto an ever shrinking area of mud in front of the double-decker hide before they are eventually forced on to the saltmarsh to roost.

Nevertheless, hundreds of Blackwits, Redshank, Knot and Dunlin were still trying to ignore the advancing tide and grab a last tasty morsel before the flats become submerged. The numbers of Redshank in particular are pretty impressive this year – possibly up to 2,500; traditionally the highest concentrations are at Heswall, but Oakenholt seems to be an increasingly popular choice.

Eventually, the remaining birds joined the mass ranks of Oystercatcher further up the shore and I headed over to the bunded pools, but not before I had cracking views of a Kingfisher perched next to the stream.

The Kingfisher may have followed me, as when I opened the hide shutter one was busy demolishing a small fish from a cunningly placed perch. The pools were teeming with more Redshank, and after a painstaking search with the ‘scope I managed to winkle-out 10 Greenshank and 8 Spotted Redshank. There may well have been more ‘shanks but the vegetation was fairly high and a Grey Heron and a Buzzard took turns in spooking the birds.

Until later.

The Joy Of Pecs

2009-09-17T17:05:00.005+01:00

Today fell into two neat chapters: a jaunt around Inner Marsh Farm and environs and an unexpected trip to Saughall on the outskirts of Chester.

A dreech morning down at the ‘farm was brightened up this morning by the return of Sunday’s brace of Pectoral Sandpipers. They shared the stage – a mud island, anyway – with a cracking juvenile Curlew Sandpiper; a trio of real beauties! Also on number two pool were a handful of Ruff and a Greenshank.

In truth, the diminutive waders had stolen a little of my thunder. I had found a plush juvenile Spotted Flycatcher on the way down to the hide and when I announced the news to the assembled birding brethren it barely registered a jot of interest. All eyes were on Uncle Sam’s (or Comrade Boris’) shorebirds.

Sadly, the birds didn’t hang around and flew out towards the marsh – much in the same vain as Sunday. Like the mega Puffin in Kent, these birds seem intent on playing it coy (Is it just me, or do other people hope that this bird is never re-found – can you imagine the hell it will endure).

After IMF, I and another birder, Ray, went for a quick walk to Burton Point. Two ringtail Hen Harriers having a little scuffle confirmed that there at least a pair on the estuary this autumn, but the most eventful encounter was the dressing-down we received from a irascible farmer for walking a massive hundred yards past the guard post. Why are farmers so chuffing miserable?

On the way back to Chester and under the directions of Ray, I managed to bag my first Buzzard/Red-tailed Hawk. This hybrid falconer’s bird has apparently been in residence in a field adjacent to the cycle path that runs through Saughall for three years. We located it on its favourite perch – a huge electricity pylon. A mean looking bird it is too!

Until later.

Pointless

2009-09-15T14:51:00.003+01:00

My search for migrants at the Point of Ayr and Talacre this morning certainly came up trumps, although I did not expect them to be seven eastern European workers playing football on the beach!

Truth be told, it was hardly classic conditions for a fall, but considering the recent spell of light north-easterlies I had hoped for at least something. The best I could muster was two Snipe, a Bullfinch, a Kestrel and six Stonechats – hardly the stuff of legend.

I could have started a little earlier too. Quarter-past nine in the morning could hardly be called ‘getting up with the larks’ and it does pay in this game to be out and at ‘em at first light. This tactic also means that one tends to step on virgin territory and affords you the chance of covering the ground before Fido goes out on his morning constitutional.

I am going to persist at this location of the autumn though. The warren is full of bushes bursting with fuel-laden berries – a veritable service station for passerines on the move. It was like walking through a banqueting hall with all the tables brimming with food just before the guests are due to arrive.

With the high tides coming up over the weekend, I will probably have another crack of the whip on Friday morning - a little stroll across the dunes searching for migrants, followed by a few hours in the chair seawatching. Sounds just the ticket.

Until later.

Show Us Your Pecs

2009-09-14T10:40:00.003+01:00

One for the ladies today....unless you are Katie Price.

As I settled down on Sunday evening for some serious post-walk rest and recuperation the phone rang – it was Geoff Robinson with news that two Pectoral Sandpipers were at Inner Marsh Farm.

These American waders have eluded me so far – the last one being a Knot at Leighton Moss – so it was straight to the bat mobile. Although a relatively uncommon bird, it is no surprise that a decent wader has rocked-up at IMF – the water levels are really low at the moment leaving plenty of exposed mud. Prime shorebird real estate.

The news must have spread quickly as the car park was rammed. Fortunately many people were leaving when I arrived, so there was a little bit of space in the hide when I eventually got there.

The birds were feeding on the largest islet of mud and despite having only seen them on paper they are really very distinctive – particularly the long primary projection. Unfortunately, after no more than fifteen minutes the waders tagged-on to a flock of Lapwing heading out on to the marsh. Gone.

Other birds on the manor included circa half a dozen Ruff and a Greenshank. Snoozing on the back of number one pool was a drake Pochard – a rare bird here and possibly another reserve first!

If the water levels stay at this level then I would bet against something really good turning up this month. Little Stint must surely be next on the roster, what chance of a Temmincks?

Until later.

Walkabout/Naturism In The Raw

2009-09-13T12:10:00.003+01:00

The recent spell of clement weather has lured me back over Offa’s Dyke and in to enemy territory over the last few days.

On Friday I undertook a near marathon length walk around Llyn Brenig and Alwen Reservoir that was surprisingly quiet on the birding front. A couple of Red Grouse in the reserve area to the north of Brenig was nice to see – both birds made me jump out of my skin, flying up and calling loudly after I had practically trod on them.

The water level of both lakes in fairly low at the moment, and the exposed shoreline was brimming with a swarm of pipits and wagtails feeding on insects. The lake itself was largely devoid of action save a few Cormorants. Great Crested Grebes seem to have disappeared from this site entirely, although they do occupy adjacent smaller water bodies.

Saturday was spent ambling around Newborough Warren on Anglesey, and this location was slow for birds too. Ynys Llandwyn was the most productive area hosting small flocks of Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Turnstone and some gloriously plumaged Sanderlings. The rocks around the promontory were busy too with plenty of Cormorants, Shags and Herring Gulls – the snooty Cormorants occupying a single outcrop to themselves.

Out on the glass like sea there was no evidence that any of the winter visitors had taken up residence. I find this area can be excellent for grebes and divers come late autumn, but until the temperature dips, the bays are a playground for boats rather than birds.

The only other sighting was a rather unwelcome one: a pair of least-clothed nudists (starkus bareallicus) lounging on the beach.

Until later.

They Seek Him Here, They Seek Him There

2009-09-09T19:27:00.003+01:00

I’m back from a failed mission this evening. The Baird’s Sandpiper at Traeth Dulas failed to put in an appearance today, although there were a couple of sketchy reports from early this morning and a later one of a reported sighting in flight after noon.

There was compensation though in the form of up to seven juvenile Curlew Sandpipers and a winter-plumaged Med Gull. The bijou estuary also held good numbers of commoner waders such as Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Curlew and other birds of note included a handful of Little Egret and a few flyover Ravens.

It’s a cracking, picturesque little bay really, and I confess that had this wader not been found then I would never have given the place a second glance on the map. There seem to be so many excellent birding areas in Anglesey – one can only imagine the number of rarities that pass through undetected at this chronically under-watched island.

One bird that didn’t go unnoticed was a cracking Bonxie I watched lumbering past Point Lynas this afternoon after I had given up on the elusive yankee shorebird and gone seawatching. To be truthful, passage was very light, but a spectacular feeding frenzy just off shore included hundreds of Auks, Gannets, Terns and Manxies.

It was a little surprising that no more Skuas were attracted to the melee, or indeed Porpoise. Just as I was about to pack up, I caught a gull flying in front of a massive oil tanker anchored offshore. It looked distinctly like a Sabine’s gull, but irritatingly the bird flew away from me at an angle that meant I could not get a good look at the wings. It will just have to go down in that increasingly long list of probables…

Until later.

Purple Haze

2009-09-08T18:54:00.002+01:00

I popped over to Rednal today to try and winkle-out the Purple Heron that has been seen on and off over the last few days. I was parched when I arrived as none of the roadside cafes on the A483 and A5 had come up with a good enough pun to lure me in. Where is ‘Everything under the Bun’ when you need it?

The bird had been observed feeding along the fringes of the canal, but despite a couple of hours of searching I could not locate it. Perhaps the heron has now moved on, or more likely the bird was skulking in a marshy area on the opposite side of the waterway; certainly the birds I have seen in India tend to stick to cover more then other herons.

If the locals are to believe, the area is a hotspot for large water birds. One chap claimed that in the last two years he had seen a White Stork and a pair of Common Cranes in local fields. Certainly, given the numerous sightings of cranes in the Shropshire area over the last two summers the latter report must be reasonably credible. Rednal: wetland par excellence.

Despite the no show the morning was by no means a disappointment. There were tons of butterflies and dragonflies along the toe path including numerous Migrant Hawkers and Speckled Woods.

Off to Anglesey tomorrow to belatedly try and connect with the Baird’s Sandpiper at Traeth Dulas. Then I’ll probably hit the north coast for a spot of sea watching now that my sight has recovered its acuity following last week’s mammoth sessions!

Until later.

All in the best possible taste

2009-09-07T19:15:00.002+01:00

I’ve not been out birding but something has got my back up, so time to editorialise. I have been reading an excellent blog for some time by a chap called John Dempsey whom seems to be based somewhere around the coffin-dodging area of Southport.

A few days ago he wrote a post accompanied by a picture that rather took me aback: it was an image of several dead seabirds under the caption “Everybody say Cheese.”

Following the gales last week, it is not unexpected to see casualties washed-up on the beach; indeed one could argue that such extreme weather is nature’s way of culling the sick and weak. Far larger wrecks of seabirds are regrettably a regular occurrence as too are oil spills, so the relatively modest losses last week are mere bagatelle.

What surprised me was the lack of respect shown to the dead birds. After all, you would hardly take a picture of a drown person on a beach and write a similar caption underneath (an extreme example, I know, but I’m just trying to get a point across).

A few obtuse individuals who read my post rather misunderstood what I was trying to say (my fault quite probably) and inferred that I was of a rather sensitive disposition and could not take nature complete in tooth and claw – they could not be more wrong.

Anyway, enough whinging. Time to go and maintain my sixteen-hour vigil in the back garden to ensure no Sparrowhawks eat any birds from my back garden. There will be no death on this planet.

Until later.

A Taste of the Mediterranean

2009-09-05T18:20:00.003+01:00

Another day, another seawatch. I was back on the dunes again this morning for another session in the saddle (well, fold-away seat). The wind had dropped today and switched a little to the south-west. Hardly ideal conditions, but it certainly brought home the bacon!

After a classic case of ‘you should have been here ten minutes ago, there was a Pomarine Skua past’ my spirits soon lifted after I latched onto a Leach’s Petrel – my first of the year. Despite the relatively calm conditions, the bird was hard to follow as it frequently dipped down into the shallow troughs.

There were plenty of terns around again today, making life relatively easy for the dozen or so Arctic Skuas present offshore. I watched numerous spectacular chases; these pirates of the oceans are truly the Peregrine Falcons of the sea – a perfect balance of size, strength and manoeuvrability.

A more cumbersome Bonxie was the next bird past, although it was at considerable distance. Much closer in, I picked up a shearwater flying like the clappers. When the bird finally flipped over it revealed the classic dark underside of a Balearic Shearwater! This was a first for me and confirmed by a fellow more experienced observer.

And then the birds completely dried-up: nothing. The wind was now more of a breeze and the sky was coloured every shade of grey imaginable from a deep charcoal to an off-white. Out on the water, the waves had flattened and an air of calm hung over the leaden water. It was time to pack-up the gear and await the next storm.

Until later.

Right People, Right Time, Just The Wrong Location

2009-09-04T14:08:00.004+01:00

With the continuing strong winds I was back over to the Point Of Ayr this morning for the next course of seawatching. Today I decided to join a couple of chaps on top of the dunes – one of whom was in possession of the type of thick, long, white beard you only see on busts of greek philosophers. Superb.

If anything, the wind had abated a little today and shifted more to the north-west. Despite the favourable conditions, the fare was rather poor with only a brace of distant dark-phase Arctic Skuas keeping up the interest over the first ninety minutes.

After a couple of hours there was the first hint of excitement when a possible petrel was picked up on the horizon. I did not get a decent view of the bird as it was distant and keeping well down in the troughs – a little too far to claim a Leach’s I reckon!

Then, just as the morning was about to fall flat on its face, an unexpected bird turned up in the shape of a Black Guillemot – my first on the Dee Estuary. Like its auk cousins it was flying low and close to the shore, revealing itself to be an adult moulting into winter plumage.

After three hours of sustained protest from my numbed backside I decided to call it day and head back to the hutch. A day that had promised much had been a bit of an anti-climax really, especially when I logged on the internet and saw that New Brighton had recorded a Sabine’s Gull, Balearic Shearwater and Long-tailed Skua.

But, hey, that’s just the way it roles sometimes.

Until later.

Antipasto

2009-09-03T16:53:00.003+01:00

A four hour session at the Point of Ayr offered a hint of hopefully what is to come tomorrow should the wind maintain its strength and veer more to the north-west: a main course of skua in a shearwater jus, with a side serving of petrels.

The hors d’oeuvre was not without merit though. The highlight was a cracking Bonxie mixing it with the Gannets – its distinctive white wing flash and bulk making it identifiable from a good distance.

Much closer in a steady stream of Sandwich Terns attracted the interest of numerous Arctic Skuas - two of which double-teamed a hapless tern into disgorging its meal.
One bird, a juvenile was blown onto the beach itself, flying practically over my head!

A continued passage of birds included a few Arctic and Little Terns and as high tide approached, a handful of Fulmar, Manx Shearwaters and Guillemots battled with the headwind.

Conspicuous by their absence were Kittiwakes and it was not until the heavens opened that I just managed to locate a juvenile that had seemingly given up fighting the wind and decided it wished to be blown back into the estuary instead.

When the heavens opened for the umpteenth time I decided to call it day. After all, it is going to take all evening to clean all the sand from my scope and bins in readiness for another battering by the elements tomorrow!

Until later.