Sniper in the grass - Forest Farm, 28/09/2013

It was fairly quiet on this afternoon's walk with Jess, although we did see our first jay of the autumn foraging in the meadow and some long tailed tits in amongst the usuals. There was a cracking little snipe in front of the Llyn-y-Gamlas hide, bobbing almost  jack-like while going about it's feeding. I spent some time shooting in manual and managed to get this image, although it was difficult with it being quite an overcast day to get the lighting right.

 

Jynxed - 01/09/2013

Reports of a wryneck at Newport Wetlands near Saltmarsh Lane when we returned from Ramsey yesterday were too tempting to pass up so I took a quick trip down with James this morning. We weren't there long but we had some decent views of it looking for insects but it wasn't quite close enough for a decent shot. Very happy to have seen it.

Ramnesia - 30th and 31st of August 2013

We had weekend trip to The Welsh Wildlife centre in Cilgerran and Ramsey Island, and had a great couple of days. A trip to the kingfisher hide on Friday brought me down to earth with a hard bump. What I had thought was a kingfisher's alarm call turned out to be a stupidly similar sounding squeaky wheel from a bike or pushchair going behind the hide. Budding naturalist? Back to the drawing board.

Jess was very keen eyed, and saw this weird Ichneumon wasp, and also a Magpie moth!

This giant badger (as well as allegedly spreading TB) was also photobombing our shots -

After a stunning meal in the Bishops (a pint or two, including one called Ramnesia which knocked my head off) and a sunset visit to the Cathedral in St Davids, we woke up nice and early in the B+B and made our way to St Justinians to the boat station. While waiting for the boat I saw a peregrine fly by just beyond the shore. 

Landing we saw a grey seal mother and pup in the small bay by the landing, and met Greg and Lisa on the way up onto the Island.

 We were soon off exploring and we saw plenty of chough, probably the most I've ever seen in one go, lots more seals, mippits and rippits, wheatear, warbler, 'sprawk, buzzard, fulmar, stone chats. We left feeling slightly sun burnt, tired, but very happy.