Sunday 18 December 2011

More east of Conwy

Just returned from a cracking afternoon in the east of Conwy. Spent several hours searching through 1000+ large gulls at the 'Thorndike Recycling Centre' between Abergele and Rhuddlan. After several failed visits I've worked out how to watch the gulls here. Park the car in the parking bays just before the enterance and hop over the gate and walk along the dyke (in either direction). The gulls flock in the fields behind the dump and fly onto the roofs and rubbish mound giving reasonable views. No gulls of note today but several big bad 'argenatatus' Herring Gulls of differing ages, 2 Lesser Black backed and 8 Great black backed Gulls among the flock. Looks a site to keep an eye on for white wingers and Yellow leg types.
A Short-eared Owl here was cool as well as a flock of 40+ Fieldfare in the fields.
Earlier the Great Northern Diver showed very well and was gorging itself on crabs. The Snow Bunts were still present and were being captured on film by the increasing number of photographers (six cars were also parked photographing Owls at Kinmel Bay Industrial estate too while the GND was also being paparazzied by several people). It's amazing how times have changed. I must have counted 12+ people watching birds today, and every single one of them had an expensive camera around their necks or on a tripod. I find it amusing that many don't even have binoculars at hand, prefering to watch the birds through the viewing screen of their cameras. 3 Purple Sandpipers and an immature drake Eider were at Rhos Point, while Firecrest called at Conwy RSPB at dusk.

Seems as though there's plenty to eat in the Marine Lake.

What a cracker - there will be miles better pics than this one though as the big lenses were out in force.

This Eider was on the Breakwater at Rhos on Sea before swimming off towards the point.

Well worth keeping an eye out on the recycling centre near Abergele. Loads of gulls there today.

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