Foryd Perfect

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.