Western Reef Heron and Long-Tailed Shrike- July 26

What a mad July this turned out to be for birds that hadn't even registered on my radar of even being possibles. A western reef heron was discovered in North Wales, and subsequently was found to have been originally seen first in Pembrokeshire. A little while later, it relocated and went south again to Pembs. I lined up a family camping trip to Dewslake, and tried to twitch it. I missed it at the original area people were seeing it, had a while heron chase down river, and then after a beach visit, saw a birder with bins walking along the road. I swerved in and asked, and turned out my gut instinct that it went up river was correct. Managed to find the lay-by and went up to see it and found a small crowd assembled. Good views! A UK first! What a Mega. 

Then, a long-tailed shrike was found near the Glos Oxford border on some farm land in a place called Eastleech. Only the UK's 3rd record, the 2nd only having been days before briefly in Fife. I set off early doors, hanging around until there was positive news after a refuel and a tyre pressure top up. I arrived, duly payed my fiver donation to the carpark charity bucket, and after views from the road, chanced going into the field where it was showing very well. Had to give it a wide birth initially and got some shots. It then flew off down field a bit and made itself scarce in a low bush. Lovely to catch up with Mat though. A clouded yellow screeches through and there was loads of small heath and common blue. A chap did mention chalkhill, but no sightings. 

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??!?

Baikal Teal - 05/02/2022

 The Baikal teal at RSPB Greylake has been present for a little while, and it was an itch I couldn’t quite scratch at first. I had my first go for it on the 29^th Jan, heading back north from Exeter after dropping in Jess and Shirley, throwing down a quick lunch and getting back on the road. That attempt resulted in a very cold, grey, windy stint in front of the screen, eyes watering in the draft. It was nice to add a host of the usual to the year list though, including a flyover snipe, and a great white egret in the background. 

No dice though.

And so it was that the following weekend I couldn’t resist another go, despite seeing on Twitter how so many had dipped it several times in a row. There were also some ‘crippling’ photos of it too… I had the added pressure of Jess and Oscar in the car, so hoped against hope that I’d rock up and bag it. And.. I did just that. 

Jammy!

There were loads at the screen, and a kindly gent let me have a look down his scope for a sec to get on to it, and then even helped me get my bearings. The latter was difficult to do due to having to point my scope at a certain height through a gap in the screen over people’s shoulders and next to someone’s head.

“See the shoveler? There’s another one behind it, and it’s snoozing to the right of that, a teal in front of it.”

With hundreds of ducks in front of me that mightn’t have sounded like the best guidance, but actually it worked a treat. The first shoveler’s white breast reflected the sunlight, and from there it actually worked out. I could see the head stripe quite easily. I watched it for a good while hoping to see it properly, but it snoozed most of the time. I did get a quick head up moment, and then again when it moved to the left, but all very brief. Still, happy with that given the size of the punt trying a second time!

A flyover marsh harrier failed to disturb the roosting ducks, and along with a great amount of golden plovers in the field to the right of the screen and hide, added to the year list. After hearing some of the older birders joking about divorce, I thought it best not to stretch my luck too far, and headed back to the car, the itch scratched. A Cetti's was calling out in the reedbed for the year list, but one for another time. We headed into Glastonbury after that for a wander around and had a nice family explore amongst the crystal shops, wizards and murals.      

Xmas birding - 17/12/2021

A bit of pre-Xmas birding and a day off that actually coincided with decent enough weather saw James and I head off in the morning towards Whiteford. Along the way, we had to give the Pacific Diver a go.  The diver was really near the side of the reservoir, and I regret not having taking pictures at that point. We were soon distracted by the nearby grey phalarope though so had to get some shots of that, as it fed right alongside the edge. We’ll never be able to one up that one I don’t think!  There was also a Slavonian grebe reported on there, but 2/3 wasn’t bad, and time wasn’t on our side.  

With those in the bag we headed to Whiteford where we lunched on the move, picking up the usual kestrel near the cliff face. Didn’t manage to get snow buntings, though they were then reported a week later over on Cefn Sidan, not far as the crow (snow bunting!) flies. 

There were loads of waders, too many oystercatcher to count, and then other specials like eider duck and brent. It was low tide so didn’t get divers or Slavonian grebes.  We did get a really old crisp packet though! Something like '94??? How is it such good nick still?

After a bit of a mission to get back through the dunes, we got to Llanrhidian for the evening roost and soon picked up a quartering ringtail harrier, two kestrels, loads of egrets and some great white’s, but not the male hen harrier we wanted, or an SEO. Still, great day and a good laugh. Was sad to see The Greyhound closed!

16/08/2020 - Goldcliff

 Had an early start and met Nick down at the lagoons in a grey mist. There was plenty around though, with lots of the usual suspects, but also glossy ibis, little stint, and garganey. Amazingly for this time of year this was only my first dunlin, ringed plover and lapwing because of the Covid lockdown! There were also some really nice green woodpeckers showing, and I had a nice close encounter on the way back around to the car. 

 

Blue Winged Teal! - 01/02/2020

It was the day after Jess’s birthday, and whilst Jess was out with her mum, I made the most of the nice weather and spent a day birding. My first stop was Topsham, where I popped by RSPB Goosemoor, and then the hide at Bowling Green Marsh. As I walked up the lane a sparrowhawk came through over the field and startled some of the wildfowl. I managed to pick up the usual suspects for the year list, and a pair of Egyptian geese came in shortly before I was due to leave. It was unusually quiet for waders, and even though it was an hour or so before high tide, I made the decision to leave and chance missing the long-staying LB dowitcher. It later turned out that was the right decision because I don’t think it was seen.

After popping by Clyst End again for a quick pit stop, I headed down to Man Sands to try for the Blue-winged Teal.  It was to be a lifer for me, and one that I didn’t want to pass up considering it’s been there for a few weeks, and from the reports online it was coming into proper plumage. I picked up a buzzard and kestrel on the way down from the car, and that took it up to a three raptor day.  On arrival I realised it was a fair walk down to the pool where the teal has been staying, but I saw my first red admiral of the year.  

On arrival at the far pool I got speaking to a gent who pointed out the area by the reeds where the teal had apparently disappeared into to sleep. I picked up gadwall and tufty as year ticks, and with the teal not on show I went up through the gate along the coastal path to see if I could see the reported female black redstart. I went up and around the white building and saw my first chiffies of the year, and the black redstart bumbled around the rooftop, along with a pied and grey wagtail. Happy with the redstart as a year tick, I moved off to try for the teal, and prepared to dig-in and wait it out. I had my sausage sandwich, which went down nicely, and wrapped up warm. After a time, Lee Evans and a crew of birders turned up. One of them ended up spotting the teal, near the reeds. It was surprisingly difficult to see, and potentially I had failed to spot it, because it was unassumingly grubbing though the vegetation. A great looking bird however! I picked up snipe as another year tick, and with my first lifer of 2020 in the bag I made the walk back up the hill to the carpark.

 

On the way home I picked up Cirl Bunting with my bins from the car at Broadsands, but didn’t hang around as a guy was there with his car right by them, evidently looking to use his car as a hide. Firecrest and Sibe chiffy had been reported in the reedbed area, but with both already on the year list I left for Clyst End, and the remains of a Denley’s curry for lunch.

In terms of other birds so far this year, I went to see the great northern diver at Mwyndy Pool on a  sunny Sunday, and duly peered over the fence to see it. At the time of writing it’s still there, but people are concerned that it doesn’t have enough clearance to take off again. The RSPCA have been called, and hopefully they get out to rescue it.  I also went to pay my annual respects to the hawfinches at Fforest Ganol whilst walking the dog, and two firecrests turned up near the entrance ramp to Bute Park from North Road. They’ve been feeding along the canal feeder stream, and we went over from the office and had great views at times. 

Sept 2019 - Sanderlings

Took some time to photograph a group of sanderlings on my work trip, whilst I stayed alongside Morfa Dyffryn, in an air bnb above the Ty Meirion Gallery.

Gronant - June 2019

Having a couple of days on the road up to North Wales with work left me in a position to finally pay a visit to Gronant to see the little tern colony, and snaffle an all-round lifer. 

On arrival I nearly went wrong, but I’m glad I did because I saw a couple of painted lady butterflies along a path which I shouldn’t have taken, and I think it’s the first time I’ve knowingly seen this species. It was great to see them, and it blows my mind that they migrate to us from North Africa. The site was covered in orchids, and I could have spent a good while having a look around, but time was against me.  I retraced my steps and set off once more for the tern viewing platform.

The site was alive with other birds, like stonechats and their offspring, and a very wary heron that kept taking off as soon as it saw me on my way around to the colony viewpoint. I passed an area that was enclosed for natterjack toads, and if I’d had time I would have liked to see if I could see any.

Just as the tern project’s blog had warned, there was a bit of flooding on site from the recent run of bad weather, but luckily it had subsided somewhat, and I didn’t have to jump far to clear the water besieging the boardwalk. On arrival at the top of the platform I instantly saw the terns flying in from the sea and up the beach carrying food for their chicks. The colony itself is fenced in to protect the terns, and policed by a team of volunteers. I stayed well clear of the colony, but hopped down the dune on to the beach, and took some flight photos of the terns as they flew past. Not an easy one with a dodgy 300mm lens, but managed a few passable shots.

Rudry pics - 25/05/2019

I've been walking Olive up Rudry Common recently, making the most of the light evenings. I found a garden warbler singing near the car park, and then I also found a singing wood warbler in the mixed woodland to the west of the top of the common, a very good record for the site. 

 

South West Takedown - 22/03/2019

The myth and legend falls!

Amazing views though very difficult to photograph, and a much desired lifer in the bag. Bonus marsh tit was also very nice, as was a mandarin duck.

Green sandpiper, garganey (didn't expect that !), and marsh harrier at Bowling Green Marsh on the way home. Great day out, and we were home by 1.30pm!

Spring catch-up : Feb and March 2019

The last week or so of Feb saw some crazy high temperatures for the time of year. Whilst it lifted our moods and made us look forward to the coming summer, it was also a cause for concern. With new high temperatures smashed for the UK winter, you had to wonder if this was the kind of extreme weather event the climatologists warn about.

Some very early swallows were found by Gower Ornithological Society, and one of which turned out to be red-rumped! Amazing find. Nick and I duly paid a visit on a Sunday morning, and enjoyed some good views before it temporarily moved out. The bird went on to spend a week or so in the vicinity, but that was a great lifer to start 2019 on. During the course of the week, another swallow turned up, and even a sand martin. Mad scenes. Some terrible light meant poor photo's.

Sunday 24th Feb I took myself off to Van Rd to practice with depth of field against busy backdrops.

 
I fancied clearing my head Saturday 2nd March, so I tried my luck on abother grey day at Forest Ganol. I got 6 birds at one point.

Sibe Chiffy - Parc Slip 12/01/2019

After a long week at work I decided that a morning out birding would be a good way to recharge. After mopping up a few year-list species at Ogmore I headed to Parc Slip to pay homage to the wintering Siberian Chiffchaff which had been found over Christmas.  

I nipped down the side of the centre to get a good view of the reedbed and feeders, and within a couple of minutes the little fella flitted into view from the reeds, and twice came out foraging on the mud. It was a typically dingy January day and my ISO was cranked high, so I managed nothing more satisfactory than the two below.

An article on Bird Guides describes identification of tristis on the following criteria:

•            Absence of olive in the crown and mantle

•            Absence of yellow away from the underwing

•            Presence of a grey-brown or pale brown hue in the upperparts

•            Presence of warm buff in the supercilium and ear-coverts

•            Presence of buff at the breast-sides/flanks

•            Very black-looking bill and legs

•            A thin, piping near-monosyllabic Bullfinch-like or Dunnock-like call

•            A song markedly different from western Chiffchaff's.

Siberian chiffchaff breeds in Siberia, east of the Pechora River and winters in the lower Himalayas. For now at least, tristis is maintained in P. collybita by most checklists, but at some point this may become an ‘armchair’ tick if it separated out as a different species. 

After admiring the bullfinches on the feeders, I headed to the first hide and bumped into Nick. We caught up, and I hoovered up a few more for the old year list, including only my first coot and grey heron of the year, and a few others like teal, wigeon, and little grebe.

Steart Xmas madness - 22/12/2018

Catching up on 2018 - Various

2018 Catch-up

2018 has absolutely flown, and I can’t believe it’s been well over a year already since I’d completed the 200 Challenge. I haven’t managed to get a load of birding in this year in comparison, but what’s been there has been more quality than quantity.

After our first foray into a seawatch at Strumble last year, I was determined to have another go. I duly watched the wind forecasts on Magic Seaweed, and so it was that Tara and I took a trip over, and Heather joined us a bit later. Upon arrival it was obvious we had our calculations right because the hide was full, and sightings were being reported thick and fast. “Sooty Shearwater!” “Grey phalarope!” Panic began to set in as things came and went before we had got on them. The sea rolled wildly, and huge troughs hid birds as they were going through. The one I regretted missing the most was a storm petrol, but we clinched some beauties by the time the birds went through, including long-tailed Skua, Arctic skua, (these two came through side by side and in quite close) bonxie, Leach’s Petrol, RTD, and lots of dolphins. So that was several lifers snagged for our trouble! We stopped by at Fishguard harbour to try for the black guillemot, but once again they were elusive, though we had a very distant view of a likely candidate.  

On Sabbatical at Blacktoft I got a taste of being a warden, and of course took the opportunity to see some good wildlife. On the evening of the day of arrival, there was a guided walk and we had some good views of a barn owl, and pink footed geese going over in large skeins. I also spotted a watervole on the bank outside the reception hide. Later in the week, an interesting siting came in the form of a raven, which turned out to be something of a mega on the reserve. I’d thought nothing of the cronking whilst it went over, but evidently a rare bird for the area, as an enthusiastic member of the public came cheerfully to report the sighting. It was amazing to see so many bearded tit, erupting from the reed beds, and several times during the course of the week I had some really great views, hampered by having been entirely sans camera with having been out doing practical work, like clearing the reens, adding chicken wire to a small bridge, clearing out the bittern pool, and general work like cleaning out the hides

Another good sighting was a juvenile gannet which flew over the reserve whilst we were out doing a water vole survey. I did a complete double take at first, but considering I’d been watching so many at Strumble on a few days before my brain soon clicked into action. Unfortunately, it was only really me who saw it properly and it went over swiftly in a south-easterly direction, cutting the corner of the reserve. It was harassed by two corvids which is dwarfed, before going out of sight.  The next week I noticed that 2 had been seen again and they were posted on the wildlife blog, so I felt vindicated in the sighting. 

Another good local sighting came in the form of a Baird’s Sandpiper, which was a nice lifer for me. I hadn’t immediately rushed for it, instead having opted to go with Nick to Mewslade and the Gower to find our own rarities. We came up with squat, but did see my first redwings of the winter and we also swung by to see the goosander on the Ogmore which was a nice local Glam tick. The following Friday, the Bairds was still there so Nick and I went, and met Tara and the family in the process. The Baird’s was close on the mud from the corner the screen near to where the Temmincks had been last year.

Forest Farm Yellow Browed - 10/11/2018

Tate Lloyd found a YBW at Forest Farm this morning, and I couldn't resist a go despite the 'orrible weather. Conditions made it very difficult, but managed some reasonable record shots.

Kent - July 2018

Scotland Sabbatical - June 2018

After braving the 10-hour marathon drive up to Loch Garten, I arrived in time for an induction at the centre and saw EJ for the first time, perched up next to the nest. I’d already seen an osprey en route but it was nice to see her through the scopes, and I managed a decent Digi scope shot.  Unfortunately, the eggs have failed this year. Useless George, the young inexperienced male hadn’t fed her whilst she was on the nest and after a week of not eating she had to come off to fend for herself.  

After fish and chips in the Happy Haggis in Aviemore I settled into the no. 2 Chalet with Pete and Vic. In the morning, I headed out to Lochindorb, and stopped nearby to look at the common gulls on the moor with their chicks. 

It was nice to see the common gull living up to its name in Scotland. A couple of weasels were also lurking in the area and I took some snaps of them as they ran up and down the road.  No doubt they were taking advantage of the young chicks in the area, both grouse and perhaps gull. 

As I crested the hill I could see Lochindorb and the castle in the middle of the loch. I pulled over to get some pics and immediately saw a common sandpiper on the shoreline, followed by a red legged partridge which I wasn’t expecting. I couldn’t see any divers so I headed along the loch in the car and used the car as a hide several times, taking pictures of grouse and lapwing chicks. 

Near the Lodge, I pulled up and there were some other birders already on the black-throated divers. I quickly got my scope out and got some long-ranged views of them across the loch, with two young. It was great to see my first summer plumaged divers, albeit it at a distance with a surprising amount of heat haze for how much the temperature had come down on the day before.  

I continued along the fencing of the Lodge and took a photo of a red squirrel through a chain link fence which came out quite nicely. On my return, I got a good few pictures of a sandpiper which I took from the car with the window wound down.  

Before work I headed down and did the Two Loch Cicular walk at Loch Garten on the lookout for the crested tit. I saw goldeneye, tree pipit, spotted flycatcher, loads of chaffinch and siskin, and crossbill, but no cresties.  

After work, I headed to a known location for Slavonian grebe, and was rewarded with some great pictures.

I headed back up to Lochindorb, but the divers weren’t in sight and there was no sign of the nearby Red throats which I’d been tipped off about. I did however see a peregrine en route.

  

On the third day, I got lucky on the way into work as I pulled into a layby near the centre and after initially hearing and seeing goldcrest and a coal pipit, I clocked two crested tits, though I wasn’t able to get a good picture.  

 I headed off to Findhorn valley after work on the lookout for golden eagles. I had a couple of false starts, but didn’t get lucky, though more buzzards, a peregrine and a kestrel were present, along with the constant companions in the form of lapwings, oystercatcher and curlew.  

The next day was my day off, and I headed up Cairngorm after a quick stop at Loch Morlich for red throated diver, though still none to be seen. On the way up I had amazing views of ring ouzel and even found a nest. They seemed very tame in comparison to the ones I’ve seen in Wales, and the male was even confiding enough to enter its nest with me present. 

At the top the wind was blowing and I got lucky with a male and female snow bunting, though at separate times and they didn’t appear to be closely associating, though they were in roughly the same area.  

I headed off to look for dotterel, but didn’t get any luck, though I then came across a female ptarmigan with chicks, and later a male ptarmigan from a distance. I came down sharpish as the weather started turning for the worse.  

Storm Hector put a dampener on birding on the Thursday, but on the Friday evening I went to see some badgers in a local hide.