Can’t See The Wood For The Teas

Perhaps mid July is the time for rare sandpipers at Conwy – almost three years ago to the day I was standing in exactly the same spot looking at a Stilt Sandpiper. Today’s Wood Sandpiper would probably fall into the uncommon category rather than mega, but what it lacks in scarcity it more than makes up for in its subtly attractive plumage.

Conwy is not my favourite reserve by a long stretch – a reserve where the RSPB has almost provocatively set out to alienate ‘serious’ birders in its quest to gain a broader appeal. Why else would you build a coffee shop on a prime hide location?

But I am not a churlish man – most of the time anyway – so as I was en route from Anglesey I decided to pay a visit.

The bird was a little difficult to locate at first, but finally revealed itself feeding with Redshanks in front of Starbucks.

Plenty of other waders too: a handful of Dunlin, Common Sandpiper and Blackwit, plus large flocks of Oystercatcher, Redshank and a roost of Curlew containing a couple of Whimbrel.

I also had time to nip into Morfa Madyrn over a fairly low high tide. The hides here seem to be suffering from a rather chronic form of vandalism that will probably render them unusable in about 2043.

A few hundred Sandwich Terns were the highlight – with good numbers of juveniles too. Out on the water, twenty or so Red-breasted Merganser were taking it easy and a few Great Crested Grebes provided some company.

Now for the Terek's Sandpiper!

Until later.