Tripits, Mipits & Mud

With a definite drawing in of the evenings and a few hirundines on the move it was time for a proper session of visible migration counting over at Mynydd Mawr this morning.

Weather conditions were great - dead calm, some high cloud and a great sunrise. I counted between 0637-0837 hrs and logged a nice selection including a flava wagtail, 8 Tee Pipits, 4 Grey Wagtail, 28 alba wagtails and a good count of 38 Red-billed Chough.

Full details are over at the amazing Trektellen migration website (I'm unable to copy the table but here is the link).:

http://trektellen.org/trektelling.asp?telpost=812

Having completed the count I wandered uphill to have a go at reading some of the Chough colour-rings but found the birds very skittish, the closer ones seemed to be unringed although I did manage to get a couple. I then headed for Porth Meudwy, when on arrival, I realised that I'd managed to leave my notebook on Mynydd Mawr. Fortunately I found it (never lost a notebook before fortunately) after an hour but decided to postpone a visit to the valley and enter some records instead!

After lunch I had to visit town so naturally checked the harbour. With the tide well out I wandered around and grilled the waders. The highlight was a single juvenile Little Stint - the first time I've connected with this species here - and although no great rarity they're a fairly scarce migrant in the area.

Also noted were: 9 Teal, 8 Oystercatcher, 131 Great Ringed Plover, 11 Red Knot, 5 Turnstone, 5 Dunlin, 50 Redshank, a single Bar-tailed Godwit, 12 Curlew with both Northern Wheatear and Common Whitethroat on the passerine migrant front.