Crikey... how time flies! Since my last post, and despite getting out fairly often between the showers I've been been rather slack at updating this site - hope to remedy that in future, if there are any readers left!?
You'll find a few short missives if you follow my Twitter feed.
Rhiw has been cloaked in thick mist today with some heavy downpours off a strong SSW wind and I've been stuck inside most of the time with a knackered back. Maybe the yoga session the other night in the village hall was a bit extreme. I am trying to get prepared for the autumn migrant hunting extravaganza where crouching under bushes in strange positions, breathing steadily and awaiting the next avian excitement, while maintining concentration and blood pressure levels as the rarities turn up at sites all around my own patch exerts special demands on the birding body.
Already feels autumnal as the nights draw in rapidly and the grasses fade. Bird-wise it's quiet around the village with many passerines presumably moulting after the breeding season. Young Buzzards are constantly begging for food and one of the adults obliged yesterday by flying over the garden dangling a huge Rabbit between it's legs.
I see that the big shearwaters have been and gone past Cornwall and southern Eire recently. Shame we get so few up here - apparently even Pembrokeshire has only managed 15 Great Shearwaters in a day despite years of observations from the shelter at Strumble Head. I intend to reach Porth Ysgaden soon. I've had a couple of Cory's there in the past but something different would be rather nice...
Anyway, until next time - Good Birding!
Friday, 17 August 2012
Sunday, 24 June 2012
Tardy blogger!
First apologies for the delay in updating - I've been busy with a load of different mostly non nature related things and have not been so intense in my birding as usual. Anyway, I have finally got around to typing...
What a beautiful evening we've had tonight. After nearly being sucked into some crap movie (aren't most of them!?) I noticed that the (incessant) wind had dropped to force zero and decided to turn the TV off and have a wander around the fields/garden. The Irish Sea was becalmed and the Wicklow Mountains/Dublin coastline very clear. The red sun slipped away and bounced off the clouds nicely while a crescent moon emerged.
I adore that time between sunset and the dead of night on calm summer evenings. I love to just sit, slow down, absorb the endless natural activities (whether it's a Rabbit speeding along or a Whitethroat going to roost)... and think. Bliss.
There are loads of Red Campion flowering around the cloddiau, which look great in the day when the neighbouring pink Foxgloves are out but they alone remain open and take on the most intense magenta tones when the light fades - marvellous! No photograph will do this justice - you have to experience it with your own eyes as they adjust to the changing light. A host of different moths were swarming around the plants but don't ask me what they are.
Birdsong is still a real feature and a Song Thrush was singing away while a gang of Blackbirds were tacking in unison - presumably they had found a predator to scold, probably one of the Little Owls which I watched this afternoon from my office window. Bizarrely, someone has a posse of Peacocks a few miles towards Rhoshirwaun - what a racket they make! At least the incoming tide rolling against the rocks of Porth Ysgo was drowning them out to some degree.
One of the highlights of the evening - and a new garden tick - was a brief blast of singing Quail, which was calling from the direction of the cereal fields over near Ty Croes Bach around 2230 hrs when it was still light. What a great end to a fabulous evening stroll.
What a beautiful evening we've had tonight. After nearly being sucked into some crap movie (aren't most of them!?) I noticed that the (incessant) wind had dropped to force zero and decided to turn the TV off and have a wander around the fields/garden. The Irish Sea was becalmed and the Wicklow Mountains/Dublin coastline very clear. The red sun slipped away and bounced off the clouds nicely while a crescent moon emerged.
I adore that time between sunset and the dead of night on calm summer evenings. I love to just sit, slow down, absorb the endless natural activities (whether it's a Rabbit speeding along or a Whitethroat going to roost)... and think. Bliss.
There are loads of Red Campion flowering around the cloddiau, which look great in the day when the neighbouring pink Foxgloves are out but they alone remain open and take on the most intense magenta tones when the light fades - marvellous! No photograph will do this justice - you have to experience it with your own eyes as they adjust to the changing light. A host of different moths were swarming around the plants but don't ask me what they are.
Birdsong is still a real feature and a Song Thrush was singing away while a gang of Blackbirds were tacking in unison - presumably they had found a predator to scold, probably one of the Little Owls which I watched this afternoon from my office window. Bizarrely, someone has a posse of Peacocks a few miles towards Rhoshirwaun - what a racket they make! At least the incoming tide rolling against the rocks of Porth Ysgo was drowning them out to some degree.
One of the highlights of the evening - and a new garden tick - was a brief blast of singing Quail, which was calling from the direction of the cereal fields over near Ty Croes Bach around 2230 hrs when it was still light. What a great end to a fabulous evening stroll.
Thursday, 3 May 2012
Tardy Fieldfare
What a difference a few days make weather wise. After the weekend's freezing deluge temperatures have risen remarkably and the winds have settled down. After a few showers overnight I arrived at Porth Meudwy on a mild, dry morning, with a slight easterly breeze and some broken strato-cumulus.
Some nice surprises today, nothing rare but as any local patch worker will understand, the arrival of migrants, a greater awareness of resident species and the occasional unusual record is what makes regular visits to any site so rewarding - no matter where you are! I've had the good fortune to work a great number of areas over the years from sub-urban parks, woods and farmland, upland plantations and moors, rugged mountain rivers and lakes and various stretches of coast and I value the understanding that comes from getting to know a site and it's wildlife intimately more than any other aspect of birding.
First off was a large thrush glimpsed as it flew away from me near Cwrt. Fortunately I relocated this (or another) further down the valley later and confirmed it's identity as it began chacking in typical Fieldfare style from the top of an Ash tree. It's been ages since I've recorded any of the winter thrushes down here.
Small parties of Barn Swallow were slowly drifting across, probably 20 birds in total, followed by a Swift then a vocal Tree Pipit. The Blackcap count came to 13 birds while a Garden Warbler was another year-tick and two Grasshopper Warblers reeled away. A singing Lesser Whitethroat was new in (with another in Aberdaron village later) while a couple of Common Whitethroats were on territory. Phylloscopus warblers seemed to be down with only 17 Chiffchaff and 6 Willow Warblers plus a couple of Goldcrest.
Many resident species were busy singing and Goldfinch seemed to be doing this from virtually every part of the valley with several small parties bouncing around hyper-actively. A cool monotone Stock Dove dropped in (possibly my first site record - hazy memory!), but scarce on the peninsula always. Has anyone else had them here?
Finally, two pairs of Bullfinch were seen plus five Siskin and three Lesser Redpoll passed through.
A flying (non-birding) visit to Pwllheli late afternoon found me connecting with my first singing Reed Warbler of the year on the Cob Pool while a Whimbrel was calling high overhead.
Some nice surprises today, nothing rare but as any local patch worker will understand, the arrival of migrants, a greater awareness of resident species and the occasional unusual record is what makes regular visits to any site so rewarding - no matter where you are! I've had the good fortune to work a great number of areas over the years from sub-urban parks, woods and farmland, upland plantations and moors, rugged mountain rivers and lakes and various stretches of coast and I value the understanding that comes from getting to know a site and it's wildlife intimately more than any other aspect of birding.
First off was a large thrush glimpsed as it flew away from me near Cwrt. Fortunately I relocated this (or another) further down the valley later and confirmed it's identity as it began chacking in typical Fieldfare style from the top of an Ash tree. It's been ages since I've recorded any of the winter thrushes down here.
Small parties of Barn Swallow were slowly drifting across, probably 20 birds in total, followed by a Swift then a vocal Tree Pipit. The Blackcap count came to 13 birds while a Garden Warbler was another year-tick and two Grasshopper Warblers reeled away. A singing Lesser Whitethroat was new in (with another in Aberdaron village later) while a couple of Common Whitethroats were on territory. Phylloscopus warblers seemed to be down with only 17 Chiffchaff and 6 Willow Warblers plus a couple of Goldcrest.
Many resident species were busy singing and Goldfinch seemed to be doing this from virtually every part of the valley with several small parties bouncing around hyper-actively. A cool monotone Stock Dove dropped in (possibly my first site record - hazy memory!), but scarce on the peninsula always. Has anyone else had them here?
Finally, two pairs of Bullfinch were seen plus five Siskin and three Lesser Redpoll passed through.
A flying (non-birding) visit to Pwllheli late afternoon found me connecting with my first singing Reed Warbler of the year on the Cob Pool while a Whimbrel was calling high overhead.
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
A Little Tern Action
Great to hear a Common Whitethroat rattling away in the garden this morning plus a trickle of Barn Swallows throughout the area. Car was fixed this afternoon - at last, so sped off towards Porthmadog for provisions and a wild Sterna hunt. Weather was absolutely lovely for a change with warm broken sunshine, cool breeze and a few showers later.
Walking along the Cob, I noticed a half-dozen Northern Wheatears and a few Rock Pipits. A female Merlin whizzed over spooking the waders and gulls. I met another serious local patch obsessive - Elfyn Lewis - and got stuck into some distant tern action. Flocks of Arctic Terns were heading in off the sea to the confluence of the rivers Glaslyn and Dwyryd and dropping down to bathe and roost on the sandbanks. Occasionally groups would fly high up, head inland a bit, then circle back, 'chickening out' of going inland (or sussing out routes for later?). At one point I counted 123 individuals but with distant views and much activity there could have been many more.
I always find it completely mind-blowing to consider the migratory feats of these birds!
To quote Pat Monaghan, writing in the monumental B.T.O. Migration Atlas
"The Arctic Tern moves on a global scale, performing the most remarkable and extensive migratory journeys undertaken by any bird... It breeds north to higher latitudes than any other tern.... In the non-breeding season it heads south to the Antarctic seas.... involving a return, straight-line journey of 20,000 km"
What a traveller! I also saw a single Little Tern with one flock and Elfyn had another earlier although there was no sign of any of the previous evening's Black Terns.
A flock of 35 Eiders were a surprise in flight way out towards Morfa Harlech (with another group of 21 that might possibly have been different birds?). More regular these days was the spectacle of a male Osprey hunting over the marshes - and our heads - for at least 30 minutes - what great views of a brilliant bird!
At least nine Bar-tailed Godwit included four absolutely stunning brick red summer plumage males while other waders included a few Dunlin and 34 Whimbrel, with several small parties heading inland. Finally, my first Swift of the year headed over - a nice end to a great couple of hours of avian action.
Walking along the Cob, I noticed a half-dozen Northern Wheatears and a few Rock Pipits. A female Merlin whizzed over spooking the waders and gulls. I met another serious local patch obsessive - Elfyn Lewis - and got stuck into some distant tern action. Flocks of Arctic Terns were heading in off the sea to the confluence of the rivers Glaslyn and Dwyryd and dropping down to bathe and roost on the sandbanks. Occasionally groups would fly high up, head inland a bit, then circle back, 'chickening out' of going inland (or sussing out routes for later?). At one point I counted 123 individuals but with distant views and much activity there could have been many more.
I always find it completely mind-blowing to consider the migratory feats of these birds!
To quote Pat Monaghan, writing in the monumental B.T.O. Migration Atlas
"The Arctic Tern moves on a global scale, performing the most remarkable and extensive migratory journeys undertaken by any bird... It breeds north to higher latitudes than any other tern.... In the non-breeding season it heads south to the Antarctic seas.... involving a return, straight-line journey of 20,000 km"
What a traveller! I also saw a single Little Tern with one flock and Elfyn had another earlier although there was no sign of any of the previous evening's Black Terns.
A flock of 35 Eiders were a surprise in flight way out towards Morfa Harlech (with another group of 21 that might possibly have been different birds?). More regular these days was the spectacle of a male Osprey hunting over the marshes - and our heads - for at least 30 minutes - what great views of a brilliant bird!
At least nine Bar-tailed Godwit included four absolutely stunning brick red summer plumage males while other waders included a few Dunlin and 34 Whimbrel, with several small parties heading inland. Finally, my first Swift of the year headed over - a nice end to a great couple of hours of avian action.
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Whinchat
Been stressing with car problems for the last few days with unhealthy noises from the engine. Shame as it seems like Bardsey has been enjoying some decent birds (as usual!)... wonder what I've been missing in the valley? Got my mechanic to finally have a look at it today and the diagnosis is not as bad as I thought and was given the all clear to do some limited motoring while I wait for the part to arrive.
Headed to town afternoon and enjoyed a few waders (see my Twitter feed). Whimbrels are cool birds - love the sound they make!
With the weather still feeling ripe for a good grounding of migrants, and the heavy showers easing up, I drove 'down the end' for a couple of hours. Phylloscs were popping out of the hedges all the way to Mynydd Mawr while a party of Northern Wheatears exploded out of the car park on arrival.
The next thing I saw was a soggy female Whinchat. Despite various attempts to digiscope this, the Wheatears and one of the three singing Yellowhammers in the area I eventually gave up as the little blighters would not stay still and the battery died on the camera. Grrrr - what did I say - I hate digiscoping!
An obvious arrival of 28 Wheatears were noted in the small area around the lower car park and heath above St Marys Well, 12 White Wagtails flew east, a Brown Hare bounded along and three House Martin and four Swallow passed over. A Blackcap in the gorse looked out of place while a couple more were in the hedge near Safn Pant with a party of 15 Goldfinch and a few Willow Warblers and Chiffchaff.
Headed to town afternoon and enjoyed a few waders (see my Twitter feed). Whimbrels are cool birds - love the sound they make!
With the weather still feeling ripe for a good grounding of migrants, and the heavy showers easing up, I drove 'down the end' for a couple of hours. Phylloscs were popping out of the hedges all the way to Mynydd Mawr while a party of Northern Wheatears exploded out of the car park on arrival.
The next thing I saw was a soggy female Whinchat. Despite various attempts to digiscope this, the Wheatears and one of the three singing Yellowhammers in the area I eventually gave up as the little blighters would not stay still and the battery died on the camera. Grrrr - what did I say - I hate digiscoping!
An obvious arrival of 28 Wheatears were noted in the small area around the lower car park and heath above St Marys Well, 12 White Wagtails flew east, a Brown Hare bounded along and three House Martin and four Swallow passed over. A Blackcap in the gorse looked out of place while a couple more were in the hedge near Safn Pant with a party of 15 Goldfinch and a few Willow Warblers and Chiffchaff.
Sunday, 29 April 2012
Wheatear Magic
Freezing NE gales and continuous heavy rain battered the region all day - a moist, cool end to an April dominated by such weather.
I decided to stretch my legs as the rain eased up early evening. Flash floods covered large patches of some of the fields out towards Aberdaron and several parties of gulls and drake Mallards (females presumably incubating) were using them. It's great to see how the water temporarily brought life back to some of the old watercourses around the village. Ghosts of streams and ponds that some of the idiot farmers drained and destroyed to claw back a few more square metres of grazing sprang up in a matter of hours... it's a shame that the dragonflies, bog plants and wetland birds are long gone.
I walked down towards Porth Ysgo (where I took the photo on my Twitter profile page) just as the sky was slowly darkening and the flowers closing for the night. A pair of Stonechats scolded me at the top of the steps - the male had a beak full of caterpillars destined for the nestlings nearby. The waterfall was in full flow but somehow never looks photogenic! A party of three noisy Sandwich Terns fished close inshore and a couple of Northern Gannets were scything over the sea out towards Ynysoedd Gwylan.
On the tideline six Oystercatchers, a smart Whimbrel and a party of five White Wagtails scuttled along the sand. Closer, a movement caught my eye on the seaweed coated pebbles - a very damp Wheatear. Slowly as I refocused I noticed several more, camouflaged, silent and still, in a tight group. Scanning along revealed more and more... they seemed to be everywhere... on the beach, perched on the rocks, tucked into crevices under the boulder scree and feeding around the rotting seaweed by the high water mark. Eventually, I logged a minimum of 33 (many were big orange Greenland race birds) - with several literally falling out of the sky as dusk fell on the beach - an absolutely magical mini-fall! As anyone who knows the site will remember Ysgo is only a small cove and these were encountered in an area of only c200 metres length - I can only imagine how many more might have made landfall and found shelter on the beaches of the peninsula tonight?
I decided to stretch my legs as the rain eased up early evening. Flash floods covered large patches of some of the fields out towards Aberdaron and several parties of gulls and drake Mallards (females presumably incubating) were using them. It's great to see how the water temporarily brought life back to some of the old watercourses around the village. Ghosts of streams and ponds that some of the idiot farmers drained and destroyed to claw back a few more square metres of grazing sprang up in a matter of hours... it's a shame that the dragonflies, bog plants and wetland birds are long gone.
I walked down towards Porth Ysgo (where I took the photo on my Twitter profile page) just as the sky was slowly darkening and the flowers closing for the night. A pair of Stonechats scolded me at the top of the steps - the male had a beak full of caterpillars destined for the nestlings nearby. The waterfall was in full flow but somehow never looks photogenic! A party of three noisy Sandwich Terns fished close inshore and a couple of Northern Gannets were scything over the sea out towards Ynysoedd Gwylan.
On the tideline six Oystercatchers, a smart Whimbrel and a party of five White Wagtails scuttled along the sand. Closer, a movement caught my eye on the seaweed coated pebbles - a very damp Wheatear. Slowly as I refocused I noticed several more, camouflaged, silent and still, in a tight group. Scanning along revealed more and more... they seemed to be everywhere... on the beach, perched on the rocks, tucked into crevices under the boulder scree and feeding around the rotting seaweed by the high water mark. Eventually, I logged a minimum of 33 (many were big orange Greenland race birds) - with several literally falling out of the sky as dusk fell on the beach - an absolutely magical mini-fall! As anyone who knows the site will remember Ysgo is only a small cove and these were encountered in an area of only c200 metres length - I can only imagine how many more might have made landfall and found shelter on the beaches of the peninsula tonight?
Monday, 23 April 2012
Year ticks
Typical April showers today - lots of sunshine and broken cloud and a fresh easterly breeze. A couple of hours in Porth Meudwy this morning resulted in three year ticks: a Common Whitethroat, two Grasshopper Warblers and a couple of House Martins.
Blackcaps seemed to be singing everywhere - I counted 12 singing males and a single female but I've no doubt that I missed many more. The Blackthorn is becoming very dense and widespread throughout the upper valley which means that large sections are invisible. Some sensitive habitat management would be sensible to enhance the site for biodiversity and improve access for birders.
Willow Warblers (8) and Chiffchaff (15) numbers were down while I only saw a couple of Swallows. Where are all the hirundines and Sedge Warblers and why only a single Whitethroat? The male Sparrowhawk was again causing terror amongst the passerines near the nest site while two Siskins overhead were signs that a little visible finch migration was underway.
Blackcaps seemed to be singing everywhere - I counted 12 singing males and a single female but I've no doubt that I missed many more. The Blackthorn is becoming very dense and widespread throughout the upper valley which means that large sections are invisible. Some sensitive habitat management would be sensible to enhance the site for biodiversity and improve access for birders.
Willow Warblers (8) and Chiffchaff (15) numbers were down while I only saw a couple of Swallows. Where are all the hirundines and Sedge Warblers and why only a single Whitethroat? The male Sparrowhawk was again causing terror amongst the passerines near the nest site while two Siskins overhead were signs that a little visible finch migration was underway.
Thursday, 19 April 2012
Porpoise
Some heavy rain showers and the ongoing strong, cold northerly wind kept me inside until mid-morning. I decided to concentrate on the lower slopes of Mynydd Mawr then walked back towards Uwchmynydd village.
After wrapping up in a variety of thermal layers, scarf, gloves and hat I discovered the weather to be quite tolerable. I am a bit of a wuss when it comes to the cold - I find it hard to concentrate on my nature watching if I can't feel my fingers or have a drafty midriff - never mind if I'm out on an empty belly! So having sorted the day's wardrobe out (today I was mostly modelling Ventile - which is "in" this season and most seasons around here) I was ready for a veritable avian smorgasbord.
Bird-wise the stars of the day were the Wheatears with a bit of a fall of 15 individuals - including several big orange Greenland race birds - between the car park and St Mary's Well. Overhead, a bit of migration was evident with a single Sand Martin, three gloriously blue Barn Swallows, 12 Goldfinch, a Lesser Redpoll and a Mistle Thrush (or was it a displaced local bird?).
A nice sit down, tucked out of the wind, gave me the opportunity to try a half-hearted bit of seawatching. What I mean is that I can never get properly into this strange but addictive aspect of birding unless I drag myself to some windswept headland at dawn when the waves are pummelling the shore and the salt spray covering your lenses and filling your nostrils. Starting any later tends to produce far less birds but can still be worthwhile.
Scanning the Swnt or Bardsey Sound immediately produced several sightings of Harbour Porpoise powering through the turbulent waters. I conservatively counted between 5-7 individuals but there could easily have been many more as they were popping up over a big area. Several seabirds were attracted by the cetaceans (which act as markers for prey) - several Northern Gannets, Manx Shearwaters, Razorbills, Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Kittiwakes. A classic MSFA or 'Multi Species Feeding Association' as it's known in marine ornithology circles.
Having only given it about 30 minutes ("slacker!" I hear you say) I walked back inland. Three Willow Warblers along the lane appeared to be 'fresh in' as they were voraciously consuming insects while the resident species (eg Blackbirds, Chaffinch and Greenfinch) were busy with their breeding season activities. Later, six Sandwich Terns fed in Aberdaron Bay on the way home as the weather began to brighten up.
After wrapping up in a variety of thermal layers, scarf, gloves and hat I discovered the weather to be quite tolerable. I am a bit of a wuss when it comes to the cold - I find it hard to concentrate on my nature watching if I can't feel my fingers or have a drafty midriff - never mind if I'm out on an empty belly! So having sorted the day's wardrobe out (today I was mostly modelling Ventile - which is "in" this season and most seasons around here) I was ready for a veritable avian smorgasbord.
Bird-wise the stars of the day were the Wheatears with a bit of a fall of 15 individuals - including several big orange Greenland race birds - between the car park and St Mary's Well. Overhead, a bit of migration was evident with a single Sand Martin, three gloriously blue Barn Swallows, 12 Goldfinch, a Lesser Redpoll and a Mistle Thrush (or was it a displaced local bird?).
A nice sit down, tucked out of the wind, gave me the opportunity to try a half-hearted bit of seawatching. What I mean is that I can never get properly into this strange but addictive aspect of birding unless I drag myself to some windswept headland at dawn when the waves are pummelling the shore and the salt spray covering your lenses and filling your nostrils. Starting any later tends to produce far less birds but can still be worthwhile.
Scanning the Swnt or Bardsey Sound immediately produced several sightings of Harbour Porpoise powering through the turbulent waters. I conservatively counted between 5-7 individuals but there could easily have been many more as they were popping up over a big area. Several seabirds were attracted by the cetaceans (which act as markers for prey) - several Northern Gannets, Manx Shearwaters, Razorbills, Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Kittiwakes. A classic MSFA or 'Multi Species Feeding Association' as it's known in marine ornithology circles.
Having only given it about 30 minutes ("slacker!" I hear you say) I walked back inland. Three Willow Warblers along the lane appeared to be 'fresh in' as they were voraciously consuming insects while the resident species (eg Blackbirds, Chaffinch and Greenfinch) were busy with their breeding season activities. Later, six Sandwich Terns fed in Aberdaron Bay on the way home as the weather began to brighten up.
Thursday, 12 April 2012
Phylloscs and Sylvia
Headed down the patch this morning - managing to forget my new camera and phone on the way!
Weather was typical April. Cool, dry, looming cumulus clouds scudding across the blue sky and warm sunshine when you could get out of the cold northerly wind.
Very few migrants were around Mynydd Mawr - two Northern Wheatears were knocking about, two Barn Swallows, a Sand Martin, a couple of Goldfinch and four Siskin headed over. One of the resident male Stonechats was carrying food to the nest and two male Yellowhammers continue to delight with their song and good looks.
Porth Meudwy was full of birds, mostly singing residents. Highlights were at least six Blackcaps, 19 Chiffchaff and 7 Willow Warblers. A Greenfinch was busy with it's wonderful bat like display flight and a Lesser Redpoll dropped in briefly to the Blackthorn. Can't be long before we get a spot of rain and a decent fall of migrants!
Weather was typical April. Cool, dry, looming cumulus clouds scudding across the blue sky and warm sunshine when you could get out of the cold northerly wind.
Very few migrants were around Mynydd Mawr - two Northern Wheatears were knocking about, two Barn Swallows, a Sand Martin, a couple of Goldfinch and four Siskin headed over. One of the resident male Stonechats was carrying food to the nest and two male Yellowhammers continue to delight with their song and good looks.
Porth Meudwy was full of birds, mostly singing residents. Highlights were at least six Blackcaps, 19 Chiffchaff and 7 Willow Warblers. A Greenfinch was busy with it's wonderful bat like display flight and a Lesser Redpoll dropped in briefly to the Blackthorn. Can't be long before we get a spot of rain and a decent fall of migrants!
The Egret has Landed
Done little real birding lately, real as in seeing much of any interest! One of the most exciting moments this week was watching a weird raptor over the house. I was busy swearing at the laptop (bloody Windows!) when this thing got closer, flying parallel to the window, and my super sixth-sense kicked in. To put it bluntly I thought "What the **** is that!?!". Osprey? Kite? Rough-legged Buzzard?
I did some Olympic-grade parkour to get downstairs and rushed out the back door, grabbing the bins on the way. Fortunately there were no children or old people en route or they would be flat. On relocating this avian mystery I was a tad disappointed to find it was a very pale Common Buzzard with 90% of it's tail feathers missing - hence the v weird flight. It powered on north in shame to go and re-grow it's end bits before suffering any mews of derision from the local birds.
Pwllheli harbour has been virtually dead - really dead, apart from a few Redshank... while down here the local Red-legged Chough, Ravens, Yellowhammers are all present and correct and there have been no huge falls of migrants.
Anyway, I've been receiving a lot of flak recently from various people about the lack of images on this blog - notably Mr Stringer... as if my well-crafted words are not enough... so have decided to do something about it! I have a little experience of digiscoping, mostly traumatic. I got caught up in the hype during the first flush of digiscoping in 2003 (the digital equivalent to the Mesolithic) and bought a second-hand Nikon Coolpix 990 3.34 megapixel from the lovely folk at Cambrian Photography for £300 (yes really) which I considered an absolute bargain!! Years of half decent images of people and places were the result plus loads of terrible birds. The probable Blyth's Reed Warbler in Porth Meudwy a few years ago is a case in point. Point, click, fail to photograph it!!! I kept losing adaptors, batteries got flat and the lens got greasy. Arrgh! Fortunately it expired a while ago to my immense relief.
The cunning long-term Plan A is to purchase a nice DSLR with huge lens as the images are the very best and at least I'll be able to answer Joe Public with a yes if they ask me if I take photographs when out birdspotting and mistake my scope for a camera. Problem is they're rather expensive - as in new family car prices! I've contemplated selling body parts (my own I must state!) - but doubt I'd get much for anything I put in the medical bargain basement of eBay, am still hoping and waiting to meet a (very hot young) wealthy birder woman to subsidise my photographic fantasies...and for some reason Canon and Nikon still refuse to long-term loan me one of their bazooka lenses.
So time for Plan B and yesterday I popped into Curry's Bangor and bought a new Panasonic Lumix camera. My God it felt so wrong, knowing it would be out of date before leaving the shop and I would still miss loads of birds and take hundreds of shaky blurred images!
Having tucked the shiny gadget in my pocket I headed east towards Llanfairfechan and the great little reserve at Morfa Madryn Local Nature Reserve. On parking up a Wood Nuthatch was calling by the sewage works and my first Willow Warbler of the year was singing away.
I do like Madryn. Comfy oak and pine hides have been well placed and designed for people with scopes and long legs. Point-blank views of calling, gallivanting, floppy-winged Lapwings are guaranteed in the Spring, lots of waders roost at each high tide and wildfowl, grebes and divers all winter offshore. The Cornchiwglen were "pee-witting" away, doing a spot of foot-pattering to bring the worms to the surface in the wet grassland and Skylarks were singing overhead.
The spit where the waders roost held 250 Curlew (quite a lot for such a late date in the Spring) while 59 Redshank were on the lower pool plus a couple of Ringed Plover. I met a lovely woman and her daughter on their first visit to the reserve who were also charmed by the birds and were blown away with scope views of their first couple of very plumey Little Egrets.Great birds, albeit common as muck these days.
So here's one of them, and If I've ever gently taken the Mickey out of any of your photos dear fellow bloggers/readers you're very welcome to do the same!
I did some Olympic-grade parkour to get downstairs and rushed out the back door, grabbing the bins on the way. Fortunately there were no children or old people en route or they would be flat. On relocating this avian mystery I was a tad disappointed to find it was a very pale Common Buzzard with 90% of it's tail feathers missing - hence the v weird flight. It powered on north in shame to go and re-grow it's end bits before suffering any mews of derision from the local birds.
Pwllheli harbour has been virtually dead - really dead, apart from a few Redshank... while down here the local Red-legged Chough, Ravens, Yellowhammers are all present and correct and there have been no huge falls of migrants.
Anyway, I've been receiving a lot of flak recently from various people about the lack of images on this blog - notably Mr Stringer... as if my well-crafted words are not enough... so have decided to do something about it! I have a little experience of digiscoping, mostly traumatic. I got caught up in the hype during the first flush of digiscoping in 2003 (the digital equivalent to the Mesolithic) and bought a second-hand Nikon Coolpix 990 3.34 megapixel from the lovely folk at Cambrian Photography for £300 (yes really) which I considered an absolute bargain!! Years of half decent images of people and places were the result plus loads of terrible birds. The probable Blyth's Reed Warbler in Porth Meudwy a few years ago is a case in point. Point, click, fail to photograph it!!! I kept losing adaptors, batteries got flat and the lens got greasy. Arrgh! Fortunately it expired a while ago to my immense relief.
The cunning long-term Plan A is to purchase a nice DSLR with huge lens as the images are the very best and at least I'll be able to answer Joe Public with a yes if they ask me if I take photographs when out birdspotting and mistake my scope for a camera. Problem is they're rather expensive - as in new family car prices! I've contemplated selling body parts (my own I must state!) - but doubt I'd get much for anything I put in the medical bargain basement of eBay, am still hoping and waiting to meet a (very hot young) wealthy birder woman to subsidise my photographic fantasies...and for some reason Canon and Nikon still refuse to long-term loan me one of their bazooka lenses.
So time for Plan B and yesterday I popped into Curry's Bangor and bought a new Panasonic Lumix camera. My God it felt so wrong, knowing it would be out of date before leaving the shop and I would still miss loads of birds and take hundreds of shaky blurred images!
Having tucked the shiny gadget in my pocket I headed east towards Llanfairfechan and the great little reserve at Morfa Madryn Local Nature Reserve. On parking up a Wood Nuthatch was calling by the sewage works and my first Willow Warbler of the year was singing away.
I do like Madryn. Comfy oak and pine hides have been well placed and designed for people with scopes and long legs. Point-blank views of calling, gallivanting, floppy-winged Lapwings are guaranteed in the Spring, lots of waders roost at each high tide and wildfowl, grebes and divers all winter offshore. The Cornchiwglen were "pee-witting" away, doing a spot of foot-pattering to bring the worms to the surface in the wet grassland and Skylarks were singing overhead.
The spit where the waders roost held 250 Curlew (quite a lot for such a late date in the Spring) while 59 Redshank were on the lower pool plus a couple of Ringed Plover. I met a lovely woman and her daughter on their first visit to the reserve who were also charmed by the birds and were blown away with scope views of their first couple of very plumey Little Egrets.Great birds, albeit common as muck these days.
So here's one of them, and If I've ever gently taken the Mickey out of any of your photos dear fellow bloggers/readers you're very welcome to do the same!
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