Hurricane MEGAs and local rarities - Sept 2023

And so it was that in September, one of, if not THE biggest birding weeks in British history came to pass. Hurricanes Nigel and Lee blew over several American birds to South West Wales and Bardsey, including two massive gems at St Govans in the form of the first mainland magnolia warbler and then a few days later a Canada warbler (1^st for UK), black and white warbler, alder flycatcher, bay breasted warbler (Ramsey!). Locally a red eyed vireo was discovered at Sker, and then upstaged the very next day by a cliff swallow. Amazing stuff. Early hurricanes displaced lots of migrating birds, and whilst exciting, for myself at least, it was tinged with a sadness because for every bird that made land, surely many more perished, lost at sea. 

After not having gone to Pembrokeshire, by the following weekend I was itching to see something myself, and after a vain Hail Mary and ultimately fruitless look up Caerphilly Mtn, news broke of a potential magnolia warbler in Baglan Energy Park. I hedged my bets after I saw a Lee Evans tweet about it being a blue tit.. but it was then confirmed, so luckily as it was seen the next day I headed down after finishing early from work. 

There was a fair sized group gathered in the evening sun, and a few familiar faces. I was soon on to it, flitting briefly in the edges. I managed a few record shots, more through point and click than anything, and got much better, but always brief views in the bins. Lovely to see, but not a particularly easy bird. 2^nd mainland bird ever found, and only 4^th for Britain though, now on World, '23, Britain, Wales, Glam lists!! Once in a lifetime, or will climate change make this more likely? On one of the occasions it was me that relocated it. I thought I had seen something fly up and back into brambles very briefly, and then there was the occasional tell-tale rustle. Sure enough, it popped back out.

By the end of the week nothing else major had turned up locally, so I went to see the RND and little gull on Lisvane Res. Both had been there a few days. I had Oscar in tow so couldn’t spent too much time, but managed some alright shots. The RND was dozing by the side, and the little gull kept to the middle for the most part.     

 

Alpine Swift! 20/03/23

The start of spring '23 has brought with it a serious alpine swift influx! They’ve been turning up all over the shop, with 7 reported together over in Ireland. One was widely twitched at Oldbury Power Station in Glos, but when one was reported in Porthcawl at Pwll Y Waun pool and I was tempted out the door on a very rainy Monday lunch time. 

After a bit of a mad dash down, I saw it as soon as got out of the car flying around near the medical centre. It was rainy miserably, but I got my camera out for some shots, and realized the hasty battery charge I did before leaving wasn’t enough to even let me fire off a few shots. I had to try and make do with my phone camera, which would have been ridiculous apart from the fact the swift came quite close at times. I spent the rest of the time wiping rain frantically off my bins to try and soak up the views properly. You can just about see the white in this first picture -

It had to be a quick smash and grab style twitch and I bombed off home to get back in acceptable time. My first British lifer of the year, but also a Glam, Wales and ’23 tick too. Result. Great bird! I was surprised how much of a unit it seemed to be. Seemed a large swift. Could a pallid be possible in the autumn for a 3 swift year??!?