I set out early to get some birding in, and arrived at Goldcliff for the second day in a row (after a brief visit yesterday around work) and headed around to the newest platforms. I could see a single little stint from the first, but headed around to the brand new one.. and there were 4! So that was at least 5. 2 marsh harriers flew over which was cool. The new platform is great, and the waders are much closer. However, news broke that the red necked phalarope was still at WWT Llanelli, so I jumped back in the car and made my way.
The red-necked phalarope was still behind the British Steel hide, and I spent a while watching it feed on the pool. The waders had headed out to the estuary however, so still no knot, but there two sleepy spoonies were roosting at the back.
When I got home, Nick whatsapped us that a wryneck was at Llandegfedd reservoir.. I drove over to Nicks, and Tara met us to go for a drive on the chance that we caught up with it - And we did!
News broke Thurs night of a black tern juv. in Cardiff Bay, but too late for me to have a go for it as it was already dark. However, it was reported again the next day, and a few Whatsapp messages later, Nick picked me up from work and we headed to a rainy and blustery Prospect Place. After a few pans with the binoculars, Nick picked it up with his scope, and we could confirm it by it's typical tern behavior, diving and swooping. We ventured around to the barrage where we picked it up again and I had a go of Nick's HD 8x42's.. We soon realized we were on different birds, and the initial inkling of there being two was confirmed when they went side by side, battling the winds together!
Image credit - Nick! (As he said, with imagination).
I awoke with a start on Saturday morning by loud owl screeches outside. I hastily made my way downstairs, and crept out into the garden. After a while it called again loudly, and I realized it was silhouetted on the chimney of the house opposite! After a short while it flew away, but I was very happy - finally, my first Tawny sighting, and an all-round tick at 2.15 in the morning!
Sunday evening saw a late report of arctic tern juv. and I went down with Jess and Olive in tow. I thought I managed to get it in the scope looking towards the barrage, and after trying to get some footage I lost it and never re-found it.. In doing so I managed to talk myself out it, and so it was that the second dip of the year on Arctic tern came to pass.
A long awaited bank holiday break arrived, and due to the fact that Jess and Olive had gone down to Devon on the train the day before, I had an opportunity to get some numbers for the 200 Challenge.
My first stop was Newport Wetlands for bearded tit. When I arrived at the pontoon bridge I simultaneously accidentally spooked a kingfisher and a grey heron. It was a warm still morning, and as I listened out for the tell tale ping of beardies, several things began to happen at once. One of the little grebes dived and surfaced close to the pontoon, allowing for some snaps. A peregrine flew over head from out over the estuary. A sedge warbler popped up near me, but I daren't move for fear of spooking the little grebe. And then, most surprisingly a water rail appeared in the reed edge near the other end of the bridge - my first of the year and a difficult one for the time of year. This was a weird one, because I had been thinking about water rail on my journey down in the car..
Shortly after I saw a male beardie very briefly after a couple of false starts with reed and sedge warblers. John Lawton arrived behind me and we chatted for a bit while a cetti’s was busy skulking behind us on the bridge. Fromthe pontoon I made the short loop down to the other screen across that channel around just in case there was something like a wryneck around, or the beardies were down that end, but no such luck (though I heard a few 'pings', so with two ticks in the bag I went for an adventure breakfast at Maccy’s.
Whilst shovelling down a Sausage and Egg Mcmuffin I clocked that a juv. black tern was at Durleigh reservoir which could have been an option on the way south. However first stop was Ham Wall where I picked up glossy ibis from the first platform. Traffic was bad on the way down and even though I mistakenly ended up heading to Bridgewater i figured it wasn’t worth the risk to see if the tern was still there. That was also a mistake as it was in fact reported there later that day. Welazed in the garden in the afternoon, and Jess's mum pointed out a butterfly she didn't recognise, and to my surprise, it was a silver-washed fritillary!
Managed to get quite close to this red admiral with my phone cam!
The next day I headed down to Bowling Green Marsh to try for the curlew sandpiper at high tide. Upon arrival the usual local birders spilled out of the hide and duly told us that the curlew sand was in, and also a wood sandpiper (typical after my specific Goldcliff trip!). After some searching through the waders on the point, I could see the curlew sandpiper. A nudge bigger than the surrounding dunlin and given away by the orangey moult on its breast and belly. Also a greyish back with notably different patterning from some angles. There was no sign of the wood sandpiper however.
Shoddy record shot at distance!
After a while the wood sandpiper reappeared and flew across to the left of the hide and allowed for some digiscope shots, not being quite close enough for my 300mm. Then it was off down to Thurlestone beach for some time with the fam. Four ticks over two days was great going, taking me up 194 (193 with the now deemed sketchy night heron at Shrewsbury).
Stonker
Bank Holiday Monday morning saw me agreeing to try a trip to the Gower for the male woodchat shrike. Nick picked me up at 6.20, and we set off. We found the place after a quick wrong turn, and arrived on the common in the morning mist. We could see some guys heading down to the area, quite obviously on something already. Sure enough, it was the woodchat shrike - and only my second, the first having been from the saltmarsh at Kenfig several years ago now! Stunning bird. Nick picked up another tick in the form of a dartford warbler which I spotted near the cars after a heads-up from Andy and the other birders.
A great weekend, and it leaves me within spitting distance of completing the 200 year challenge!
Well.. this was a bit of a head-scratcher. Easy in theory, but not so much in the field. Saw it mentioned on the Glam forum last week, and after a couple of forays, once with the dog, and once in the rain, it was third time lucky in Dafydd Williams Park after some appreciated help on Twitter -
