Corncrake and Hobby

Whilst sadly the Anglesey Corncrake was not accessible to birders thankfully the one just over the border in Hale was. I stopped on my way back from Suffolk yesterday around 4-6pm. It was calling occasionally and just as I was getting in the car getting ready to leave, it started to show. Thanks to John Gilbody for letting me look through his scope. Cheers John! It was great to actually see that grating noise coming out of a Corncrakes mouth instead of just a cereal crop. I had hoped to go to Mull and Iona this week but it turned out we went to Harry Potter Land and Suffolk on our family holiday  instead. But I still got my Corncrake! Also, just after crossing the border back into Wales a Hobby flew across the road near Queensferry where you cross the river by the sewage farm, half a km on the England side of the river but still in Wales.

Belated news of Corncrake on Anglesey

Martin Jones just tweeted a cracking photo of a Corncrake that was on Anglesey at an undisclosed site for two weeks! However it was only last seen/ heard on Monday last so is presumed to have gone ( maybe to Hale :-)

Golden Oriole near Amlwch

This morning John Dyda found a singing Golen Oriole. It was in Bryn y Mor Woods near the nursing home at Nebo, near Eilian mountain/ Llaneilian not far from Amlwch. It was singing this morning till 8.50 at least. The woods aren't massive so if its still there and singing you should be able to hear it at least from the public road that cuts through the wood.

Crane at South Stack

1 was seen flying north over South Stack by John Ward at 5.30 ish.  

Nightjars in - just.

Last night I went into Snowdonia to do some late evening birding with Tony. We started off with three cuckoos at the top end of the Nant Francon Valley. Then we headed off to one of the more traditional sites for Nightjar in Snowdonia. As we arrived we has a Tawny owl sat in a roadside tree and then we parked up nearby. Cuckoos were still calling and I thought I saw one flying over nearby, but as I put my bins up I realised it was a male Nightjar and as it was 9.40 I could still see the white patches in its wing, great! However we hung around till 10.30 and never heard any churring but we did hear a bit of wing clapping.

Can we predict population changes in the Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus?

BRUNO J. ENS of the Sovon Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology, The Netherlands will be giving a free seminar Friday 5th June at 12 noon.

 

Ground floor seminar room, Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor.

 

Directions to Environment Centre Wales can be found here: http://www.ceh.ac.uk/sites/bangor.html

Bits n bobs

Chris Lane had 2 Pom skuas off Rhosneigr today and Ken had a Firecrest in the Plantation at South Stack. Puffins are still thin on the ground there! There's still a cracking brick red Breeding plumage Red Knot on the lagoon at Cemlyn today plus 3 Sanderling on the beach, again one in full breeding plumage.

Just a word of warning to birders and photographers. Just heard from a friend of mine. He rang me to say a photographer had all his gear stolen from his car at Ynys Y Fydlyn near Cemlyn yesterday.

Garganey

The North West is full of drake Garganey, there must be some on Anglesey or in North Wales? Bottle of Red for the first person to find one in North  Wales  tomorrow ;-)

Golden Oriole at Malltraeth cob

A female bird was at the south end of Malltraeth cob pool embankment this morning in willows c.8.30

Ospreys at Malltraeth

Philip Snow has reported both male and female Ospreys hunting over the estuary at Mallraeth recently so keep your eyes peeled if you are birding over at Malltraeth cob pool.

Cemlyn waders tonight

This evening there was another good show of waders. This time the bright red wader was a breeding plumage Knot on the lagoon. At high tide on the Trwyn side of the bay there were 14 Sanderling, 70 Dunlin, 10 Ringed Plover, 5 Turnstone, Curlew and a a Whimbrel, with many birds in fine breeding plumage. I couldn't find any Purps tonight.

Grey headed wagtail still at Cemlyn

Still present on Thursday.

More photos of the Cemlyn Summer Plumaged Curlew Sandpiper and Sanderling

Photos of the Cemlyn Grey Headed Yellow Wagtail

Here's some shots I got of the Grey headed Yellow Wagtail (thunbergi) that was at Cemlyn tonight. It was with two British Yellow Wagtails in a field with cattle. If you park in the west car park take the coastal footpath up and down the hill to the field with the wet pool near the shore looking back over to Tyn Llan Farm. It was around the cattle here until at least 6pm tonight. Another nice find by David Wright after his brief early morning Pectoral Sandpiper!

 

Splendid Sandpipers

This fine breeding plumaged Curlew Sandpiper was at Cemlyn last night. It was on the lagoon but then moved over to the bay on the Trwyn side where it hung out with the Dunlins, Ringed Plover, fine looking Turnstones and breeding plumaged Sanderling. There was a Pectoral Sandpiper in the pool by the west car park briefly at 9am ish today found by David Wright but apparently it flew off North. After a Little Stint at Hen Borth 2-3 days ago it's been a great spot for waders recently.

Snow Goose, Whinchat, Spot fly and Purps

Mark Sutton had a Snow Goose with 8 Canadas yesterday on the coastal footpath between Hen Borth  and Carmel head. It was level with Mynachdy house. I did the NWWT reserves bird race with Simon and Eddie. Highlights included Spot fly back in at Coed Porthamel near Moel y Don. A Whinchat at Cemlyn (plus 3 together as we passed the jam factory). 5 Purple Sandpipers were coming into breeding plumage on the Trwyn and were very approachable. This, good company and good views of  Tawny, Little and Barn Owl, all added to a fun day!

Osprey at Rhosneigr

Cedric Lynch had an Osprey fly over his house towards Valley wetlands at 4pm today. He also had a cuckoo last Thursday.