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.
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