Wednesday 15 May 2013

Anglesey Day Trip 14th May 2013

Sometimes things just fall into place, usually not but just sometimes............ Yesterday was one of those days smile

Looking at the weather & having a day off I decided to head over to Anglesey for a day out & to meet up again with ex-Manchester birder Norman Rowbotham again, now a core member of the Anglesey Birding fraternity. Arriving pretty early I met up with Norman at Penrhos CP and soon we were scanning Beddmanarch Bay. Late Bar-tailed Godwits, a Grey Plover, several Dunlin & Ringed Plovers and two Arctic Terns with the Sandwich Terns were all picked out as well as a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers.

We then headed down to a woodland where I was told Red Squirrels still thrive. No luck with them but soon we had up to 8 Crossbills and I picked out a first for the year for Norman in the shape of a Spotted Flycatcher, soon seeing a second bird nearby. Red Admirals were everywhere and we also had Green-veined, Small & Large Whites on the wing.

Next stop was a pop into the harbour to see the 4 new nextboxes that have been put up for Black Guillemots and 2 of the aforementioned auks loafing about nearby. Then we visited South Stack RSPB where at least 5 Puffins were seen - 2 in & out of seperate nest burrows & 3 on the sea. Chough were overhead, A Raven was close in the roadside fields and a pair of Stonechats showed well too. At sea a couple of Gannets glided past joining the Kittiwakes, Fulmars, Razorbills & Guillemots just offshore.

Back to Penrhos CP for lunch but that was brought to an end by a text about a Cattle Egret nearby biggrin

Back in the car, on my own now, I headed up the A5025 to Llanfachraeth and parked but no birders were about - strange! Walking the paths I bumped into rarity-finder extraordinair Ken Croft & later local birder Grahame Morgan. As there was no sign of the egret in the field in which it had been seen we went for a wander. After tring every farm field to the west and about 1.5hrs later we glanced down into fields to the east & there it was, a superb Cattle Egret, we had relocated it wink We then watched it for the next half hour, I put the news out on RBA pagers too with the new location and folk started to arrive. I luckily got a few decent piccies and then said my farewells. The bird is still preesent today at an approx grid ref of SH316832 where we left it!!

To be 10mins away when a rarity breaks is fantastic, always read about it happening to others but never me - well now it has & it was great smile 



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