Well yet again an influx of birders produces the goods. A visiting Subalp twitcher discovered a male Woodchat Shrike on roadside wires on the way out of Aberdaron today. Bird was by the main B4413 road at Hendre until mid-evening at SH184277.
I've been busy out of the area and had my phone switched off all day so was pleasantly surprised to hear about it later. Unfortunately, after dealing with my other commitments I didn't manage to arrive at the site until the sun was getting low and presume the bird had gone to roost but hope it will be around tomorrow.
Have to wonder if anyone managed to get any photos of the beast?
Saturday, 20 April 2013
Subalpine Warbler
Well this blog seems to have been deep frozen like some of the awful weather we have had the last few months but after a warm Spring afternoon (and some encouragement from a few readers ) it is slowly defrosting. Friday's good local patch find is more inspiration to get the blog rolling again....
I'd started the morning with a wander around Mynydd Mawr, noting a few good birds - mostly diurnal migrants - passing through A steady passage of hirundines was apparent: 40+ Barn Swallow, 27 House Martin and 8 Sand Martin A constant trickle of Meadow Pipits, the odd alba wagtail, 5 Chaffinch, 25 Goldfinch, 4 Siskin and 11 Linnet all powered north The highest numbers of Northern Wheatear so far this year (36) were scattered around the heath, including several peachy Greenland race birds and there was a handful of Willow Warblers in odd places.
Systematic counting was put on hold around midday when I noticed a small bird that seemed to flash blue drop into a small bramble patch alongside the big square field by the lower car park. Having waited 5 minutes for it to reappear I walked up to the brambles (all of 2m square) and found a Dunnock popping out. Oh well, my mistake? Surely "it" was smaller than the offending accentor, and a spot of pishing was in order. At which point a superb Subalpine Warbler poked it's head out then flew along the fence line. Bingo! After years of records virtually every year from a certain small island only a couple of miles away it was good to connect with this lovely Sylvia on the mainland.
The bird showed extremely well all afternoon, feeding actively, flycatching and dozing off at times, and a small band of admirers turned up. Good to see you guys. The plumage, calls and song seem to point towards it being an adult male of the western race, S.c.cantillans. (Edit - it's a 2nd calendar year male). There's a series of nice images by Phil Bellman over at this website.
I'd started the morning with a wander around Mynydd Mawr, noting a few good birds - mostly diurnal migrants - passing through A steady passage of hirundines was apparent: 40+ Barn Swallow, 27 House Martin and 8 Sand Martin A constant trickle of Meadow Pipits, the odd alba wagtail, 5 Chaffinch, 25 Goldfinch, 4 Siskin and 11 Linnet all powered north The highest numbers of Northern Wheatear so far this year (36) were scattered around the heath, including several peachy Greenland race birds and there was a handful of Willow Warblers in odd places.
Systematic counting was put on hold around midday when I noticed a small bird that seemed to flash blue drop into a small bramble patch alongside the big square field by the lower car park. Having waited 5 minutes for it to reappear I walked up to the brambles (all of 2m square) and found a Dunnock popping out. Oh well, my mistake? Surely "it" was smaller than the offending accentor, and a spot of pishing was in order. At which point a superb Subalpine Warbler poked it's head out then flew along the fence line. Bingo! After years of records virtually every year from a certain small island only a couple of miles away it was good to connect with this lovely Sylvia on the mainland.
The bird showed extremely well all afternoon, feeding actively, flycatching and dozing off at times, and a small band of admirers turned up. Good to see you guys. The plumage, calls and song seem to point towards it being an adult male of the western race, S.c.cantillans. (Edit - it's a 2nd calendar year male). There's a series of nice images by Phil Bellman over at this website.
Wednesday, 27 February 2013
Backyard Birding
More high pressure dominating the weather in Rhiw tody. Cold, grey and strangely calm with a milky sun breaking through at times late afternoon, hinting at some warm spring sunshine sometime soon. Bardsey/Ynys Enlli disappearing in and out of the mist... and a few interesting birds around the house.
Flyovers (a mixture of both residents and presumed migrants) included 6 Redwing and a Grey Wagtail to the east, a single Meadow Pipit, two Red-billed Chough and both Woodcock and Common Snipe at dusk. A Green Woodpecker yaffled from the fields north of me with a calling Yellowhammer in the same area while a Little Owl was vocal from the adjacent cloddiau. Pretty typical peninsula birds but as nice as ever.
Flyovers (a mixture of both residents and presumed migrants) included 6 Redwing and a Grey Wagtail to the east, a single Meadow Pipit, two Red-billed Chough and both Woodcock and Common Snipe at dusk. A Green Woodpecker yaffled from the fields north of me with a calling Yellowhammer in the same area while a Little Owl was vocal from the adjacent cloddiau. Pretty typical peninsula birds but as nice as ever.
Monday, 25 February 2013
I need a Horse
And I'm not talking a Shergar burger. The other day I managed to break even my own enviable record for vehicle breakdowns, hence the consideration of an equine substitute.
Last week I had taken the car to the garage for a new exhaust as there were more temporary welds than pipe left and picked it up on Thursday. Forty minutes later (!), while off on a shopping trip the bloody thing refused to change gear and I was stuck in 4th on the A499. There then followed another garage visit, 24 hours of gearbox behaving, another failure, a lift home form the AA and now major surgery for the beast. Fingers crossed.
So I've been walking and bussing it and seen a few things on the way. Saturday last took me around Aberdaron and Rhoshirwaun then back home. A moulting adult Mediterranean Gull was between the two villages with a vocal Golden Plover and five Common Snipe overhead then a Short-eared Owl again on Mynydd Rhiw during a brief flurry of snow. Today the Pwllheli heronry at Pont Solomon was busy with several birds on nests and some building work occurring. A Lesser Redpoll was over the Cob Pool with a Reed Bunting calling away.
At troubling transport-less times like these I'm glad I'm not a serious UK lister as there are some very nice birds around, from a Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset to a Harlequin Duck in the Outer Hebrides. Although I've tried it, duck twitching is not really my thing. Years ago I met a very keen premiership twitcher who was studying at Bangor University and he mentioned the possibility of sharing a lift (and fuel costs) to a few birds if I required. A breathless phone call from him about a Redhead on a lake in the Midlands followed or was it about a Bufflehead? I forget. Both these web-footed prizes were available over a matter of a few months. Words like 'underwhelmed' came to mind. The general idea was to drop everything and stare at tarmac for hours before hopefully connecting with a couple of dodgy possible escapee wildfowl. Having seen Redhead, Canvasback et al at a private backyard collection in Sheffield years ago I refused the offer of a lift.
Sometime later the next call was regarding a possible car-share to view not one - but two - Harlequins that had turned up somewhere in Scotland. Now he really had my attention and the adrenaline was pumping. I then asked if these real wildfowl were males or females and remember the shock in his voice when I again declined a tick on finding out they were a couple of girls. Give me a stunning drake Harlequin on a winter seawatch past Porth Ysgaden one day! Funnily enough the phone calls ended after this last refusal.
I've kept my listing gearbox in selective mode ever since... essentially it's got to be very special or of great local interest to get me racing around like a headless chicken. The Abersoch Royal Tern from a few years ago springs to mind and ticks both boxes. Roll on the next one...
Last week I had taken the car to the garage for a new exhaust as there were more temporary welds than pipe left and picked it up on Thursday. Forty minutes later (!), while off on a shopping trip the bloody thing refused to change gear and I was stuck in 4th on the A499. There then followed another garage visit, 24 hours of gearbox behaving, another failure, a lift home form the AA and now major surgery for the beast. Fingers crossed.
So I've been walking and bussing it and seen a few things on the way. Saturday last took me around Aberdaron and Rhoshirwaun then back home. A moulting adult Mediterranean Gull was between the two villages with a vocal Golden Plover and five Common Snipe overhead then a Short-eared Owl again on Mynydd Rhiw during a brief flurry of snow. Today the Pwllheli heronry at Pont Solomon was busy with several birds on nests and some building work occurring. A Lesser Redpoll was over the Cob Pool with a Reed Bunting calling away.
At troubling transport-less times like these I'm glad I'm not a serious UK lister as there are some very nice birds around, from a Pied-billed Grebe in Somerset to a Harlequin Duck in the Outer Hebrides. Although I've tried it, duck twitching is not really my thing. Years ago I met a very keen premiership twitcher who was studying at Bangor University and he mentioned the possibility of sharing a lift (and fuel costs) to a few birds if I required. A breathless phone call from him about a Redhead on a lake in the Midlands followed or was it about a Bufflehead? I forget. Both these web-footed prizes were available over a matter of a few months. Words like 'underwhelmed' came to mind. The general idea was to drop everything and stare at tarmac for hours before hopefully connecting with a couple of dodgy possible escapee wildfowl. Having seen Redhead, Canvasback et al at a private backyard collection in Sheffield years ago I refused the offer of a lift.
Sometime later the next call was regarding a possible car-share to view not one - but two - Harlequins that had turned up somewhere in Scotland. Now he really had my attention and the adrenaline was pumping. I then asked if these real wildfowl were males or females and remember the shock in his voice when I again declined a tick on finding out they were a couple of girls. Give me a stunning drake Harlequin on a winter seawatch past Porth Ysgaden one day! Funnily enough the phone calls ended after this last refusal.
I've kept my listing gearbox in selective mode ever since... essentially it's got to be very special or of great local interest to get me racing around like a headless chicken. The Abersoch Royal Tern from a few years ago springs to mind and ticks both boxes. Roll on the next one...
Monday, 18 February 2013
Short-eared Owls
I was working outside this afternoon, contemplating piles of timber and tools, when out of the corner of my eye I noticed something breaking the horizon by the Wireless Station up on Clip y Gylfinhir, Mynydd Rhiw. It simply 'did not look right', triggering a race across the yard for my binoculars - a sprint known to all ornithologists!
A first glimpse as the bird rounded the hill then my suspicions were confirmed as the Short-eared Owl reappeared, quartering over the young gorse and heather in it's search for food.. A little while later a party of walkers flushed a second bird in the same area. It's always a delight to see these fine birds, which I've encountered regularly on the heathland around the village during the winter months.
A first glimpse as the bird rounded the hill then my suspicions were confirmed as the Short-eared Owl reappeared, quartering over the young gorse and heather in it's search for food.. A little while later a party of walkers flushed a second bird in the same area. It's always a delight to see these fine birds, which I've encountered regularly on the heathland around the village during the winter months.
Wednesday, 13 February 2013
Belated Bittern
I've just heard a very convincing report of a Bittern at Cors Geirch last week courtesy of Eddie. His mate was working a JCB on the edge of the marsh and described seeing a "heron sized bird, many shades of brown with a yellowish bill that was standing in a ditch before walking into the reeds". About as convincing a description as it gets!
Cors Geirch is a great site but access is extremely difficult with just the odd track and footpath crossing it. Even the old bird hide there is completely overgrown. It would be great if CCW improved access - who knows what passes through unnoticed.
Cors Geirch is a great site but access is extremely difficult with just the odd track and footpath crossing it. Even the old bird hide there is completely overgrown. It would be great if CCW improved access - who knows what passes through unnoticed.
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Porth Dinllaen Diver
Firstly, apologies for the long delayed blog update. I may as well have hibernated during December and January which seems to be memorable for horrible wet weather, a nasty cold virus and a lack of serious birding apart from lots of garden observations and the odd trip here and there. Check my twitter account for more regular missives from the field.
Anyway, less excuses. Today started well with a fine Brambling at the garden feeding station plus 30+ Chaffinch.
This afternoon I met up with Eddie and had a walk out to Porth Dinllaen in what I can only describe as a WNW gale. Expressions like "sandblasted" came to mind although there's always some protection by one of the holiday cottages to scope the bay. The objective was to check for any storm-driven seabirds sheltering in the amazing natural harbour and we had some success. The highlight was a fine Great Northern Diver which was busy munching crabs in the style of last winter's Surf Scoter. A couple of Red-throated Divers were in the area plus a party of seven Great Crested Grebes which were roosting in a tight group. Many of these birds were moulting into breeding plumage.
Small parties of Guillemots were passing offshore (although no Little Auks were picked out) while two Ravens flew past the headland with one carrying what appeared to be a golf ball!
A small gull roost comprised a couple of hundred each of Common' & Black-headed' with the odd Herring Gull. A handful of Lesser Black-backed Gulls have been passing through Pwllheli in the last few weeks although the harbour has been relatively quiet otherwise. Roll on spring!
Anyway, less excuses. Today started well with a fine Brambling at the garden feeding station plus 30+ Chaffinch.
This afternoon I met up with Eddie and had a walk out to Porth Dinllaen in what I can only describe as a WNW gale. Expressions like "sandblasted" came to mind although there's always some protection by one of the holiday cottages to scope the bay. The objective was to check for any storm-driven seabirds sheltering in the amazing natural harbour and we had some success. The highlight was a fine Great Northern Diver which was busy munching crabs in the style of last winter's Surf Scoter. A couple of Red-throated Divers were in the area plus a party of seven Great Crested Grebes which were roosting in a tight group. Many of these birds were moulting into breeding plumage.
Small parties of Guillemots were passing offshore (although no Little Auks were picked out) while two Ravens flew past the headland with one carrying what appeared to be a golf ball!
A small gull roost comprised a couple of hundred each of Common' & Black-headed' with the odd Herring Gull. A handful of Lesser Black-backed Gulls have been passing through Pwllheli in the last few weeks although the harbour has been relatively quiet otherwise. Roll on spring!
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
Porth Ysgaden Pipit
I had a call from Dei Rhys Jones this afternoon who had the good fortune to come across a probable Richard's Pipit at Porth Ysgaden around lunchtime today. Although Dei is not the most experienced birder his description sounds spot on. He had prolonged telescope views of the bird on the pasture - describing it as a large pale upright pipit - alongside the resident Rock Pipits, and also heard it's characteristic sparrow-like calls in flight. It also hovered before landing as it flew around the area before heading north-east.
I decided to meet up with Eddie late afternoon in the hope of relocating it. Sadly there was no sign of the target but a nice flock of 56 Golden Plovers were overhead, 16 Turnstone fed on the beach and 16 Wigeon were roosting offshore. Two vocal Red-billed Chough were busy demolishing the clawdd in the search for food.
Before long the sun was setting and it was time to head home - grumble, grumble... November days are too short but only a month to go before the shortest day and the promise of all that verdant green lamb frolicking bird singing daffodilly springness!
I decided to meet up with Eddie late afternoon in the hope of relocating it. Sadly there was no sign of the target but a nice flock of 56 Golden Plovers were overhead, 16 Turnstone fed on the beach and 16 Wigeon were roosting offshore. Two vocal Red-billed Chough were busy demolishing the clawdd in the search for food.
Before long the sun was setting and it was time to head home - grumble, grumble... November days are too short but only a month to go before the shortest day and the promise of all that verdant green lamb frolicking bird singing daffodilly springness!
Thursday, 8 November 2012
November Birding
Oh well that's another autumn over - or is it? Just heard we've had one of the coldest October's on record and it really feels like it with some low temperatures and that horrible greyness I associate with this month. I've done a little birding since the last update but not seen too much of interest apart from a decent flock of Wigeon and a party of Pintail on the Llanengan floods a few days ago.
So the year turns and with it the annual rituals. The Sibley Guide to North American Birds has been removed from the car boot and is firmly back on the bookshelf as the forlorn hope of finding a Yankee passerine in Porth Meudwy is swept away for another year.
Porridge every morning.
The sunrise and sunset has become more rapid unlike the long drawn out dusks of summer (well at least the odd night when it was possible to sit outside).
The medium sized blackish birds zooming across the sky are Starlings now, rather than Barn Swallows.
Eternal dampness outside... but the wood burner is lovely of an evening.
I had a wander around the fields by the house tonight at dusk and glimpsed a Barn Owl in the twilight over the rough grassland. A posse of Redwings called overhead. Song Thrushes and Robins were disturbed from the gorse topped cloddiau as I passed while a distant bonfire glowed on the road to Pen-y-caerau.
Hoping for a local Waxwing soon...
So the year turns and with it the annual rituals. The Sibley Guide to North American Birds has been removed from the car boot and is firmly back on the bookshelf as the forlorn hope of finding a Yankee passerine in Porth Meudwy is swept away for another year.
Porridge every morning.
The sunrise and sunset has become more rapid unlike the long drawn out dusks of summer (well at least the odd night when it was possible to sit outside).
The medium sized blackish birds zooming across the sky are Starlings now, rather than Barn Swallows.
Eternal dampness outside... but the wood burner is lovely of an evening.
I had a wander around the fields by the house tonight at dusk and glimpsed a Barn Owl in the twilight over the rough grassland. A posse of Redwings called overhead. Song Thrushes and Robins were disturbed from the gorse topped cloddiau as I passed while a distant bonfire glowed on the road to Pen-y-caerau.
Hoping for a local Waxwing soon...
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
Wood Lark Dip
There was a young man called Marc
Who went out and found a Wood Lark
(on my patch!)
He told me, I twitched it, then sadly I dipped it
So now I'm gonna punch his face off....
ONLY JOKING!
But (gggggggrrrrrrrr), it is a teeny weeny bit gripping when a One Man Bird Observatory turns up and finds stuff that I should have!
The fact that Mr Hughes was actually out looking (rather than limping around in recovery mode after a particularly spine-bending yoga class the night before while contemplating a day of meaningless toil) probably helps to explain his good fortune. Plus the fact that he's a bloody good birder. Nice find - they're a scarce Welsh migrant - and it could have been a lot worse (think Calandra worse).
The bird was seen in flight between the Ty Newydd Campsite and the end cattle grid onto Mynydd Mawr then landed in the weedy field adjacent to the lower car park but was not relocated. Having dashed along (all of 17 minutes on the road) I discovered that there were loads of birds on the move - Starlings, Jackdaws, hundreds of Chaffinches, Reed Buntings, Siskins and a few Brambling and began kicking myself for not getting out earlier.
So never mind, lesson learned and to be honest I don't really need Wood Lark on the patch - having heard one over Mynydd Mawr a few years ago that pitched down on Bardsey 20 minutes later. I was still stuck in the wires from my Sennheiser when I received the news from the island, having managed to pull the microphone lead out from my MiniDisc while simultaneously attempting to hit the record button and fit my headphones - becoming hopelessly entangled while trying to reconnect. Fortunately my Anglo-Saxon expletives were not recorded at the time. I tend to keep the record button on these days...
Fortunately, the interloper will be heading off back to the Great Orme soon - leaving the hardcore Lleyn Birder(s) to soldier on, probably counting Jackdaws... PS he also had at least two Firecrests in Porth Meudwy.
Good for him...;-)
Who went out and found a Wood Lark
(on my patch!)
He told me, I twitched it, then sadly I dipped it
So now I'm gonna punch his face off....
ONLY JOKING!
But (gggggggrrrrrrrr), it is a teeny weeny bit gripping when a One Man Bird Observatory turns up and finds stuff that I should have!
The fact that Mr Hughes was actually out looking (rather than limping around in recovery mode after a particularly spine-bending yoga class the night before while contemplating a day of meaningless toil) probably helps to explain his good fortune. Plus the fact that he's a bloody good birder. Nice find - they're a scarce Welsh migrant - and it could have been a lot worse (think Calandra worse).
The bird was seen in flight between the Ty Newydd Campsite and the end cattle grid onto Mynydd Mawr then landed in the weedy field adjacent to the lower car park but was not relocated. Having dashed along (all of 17 minutes on the road) I discovered that there were loads of birds on the move - Starlings, Jackdaws, hundreds of Chaffinches, Reed Buntings, Siskins and a few Brambling and began kicking myself for not getting out earlier.
So never mind, lesson learned and to be honest I don't really need Wood Lark on the patch - having heard one over Mynydd Mawr a few years ago that pitched down on Bardsey 20 minutes later. I was still stuck in the wires from my Sennheiser when I received the news from the island, having managed to pull the microphone lead out from my MiniDisc while simultaneously attempting to hit the record button and fit my headphones - becoming hopelessly entangled while trying to reconnect. Fortunately my Anglo-Saxon expletives were not recorded at the time. I tend to keep the record button on these days...
Fortunately, the interloper will be heading off back to the Great Orme soon - leaving the hardcore Lleyn Birder(s) to soldier on, probably counting Jackdaws... PS he also had at least two Firecrests in Porth Meudwy.
Good for him...;-)
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