Billy and Squacco - 30/05/2016

Last weekends Sun holiday trip took us up the Llyn Peninsular for a few days. On the way up we went to Carngaffallt which was bumping with summer migrants, and saw the female osprey on eggs at Llyn Clywedog. From the Hafan Y Mor where we were staying, we shared the beach with sanderling and ringed plover, and also some common seals.

At Aberdaron, we found Billy the resident heron who lives on the Spa (kept tame by steady provisions), and he posed well for photos. Over fish and chips at the cafe on the bridge, I also took photos of the resident pied wags, robins and sparrows.

Bank holiday weekend saw a Squacco Heron turn up at Ogmore, only the 3rd in Glamorgan since 1953 apparently. After a bump en route, we were soon pulling up on the road near the Watermill pub to scan the waterlogged field. He was almost immediately obvious, and I raced to pull out my scope for better views. However, I'd been daft enough not to pack the eye piece. Luckily another birder let us take a quick squiz and I took a quick snap with my phone down the lens, which served as a record shot.