Martin nailed the Med at Cemlyn!

Hats off to Martin Jones, who read the Adult Med Gull ring at Cemlyn this weekend. It was a white ring with 71A on it. It was ringed as an adult bird, > 3 rd calendar year on the 19th May 2007 in Southern Holland. There have been previous reports of this bird in Belgium and France but this is the first time it has been reported from the UK. Thanks to Martin also for chasing it up!

Another ringed Med Gull at Cemlyn

I went for a walk with the kids this morning around Cemlyn, There was a build up of gulls around the islands including 3 Meds (Tony had 5 or 6 on the 25th). One adult bird had a white darvic ring on it's left leg but I didn't have my scope, so if your in that neck of the woods keep your eyes peeled for it, in case you can get its code number.

LLANELLTYD HAWFINCHES

As soon as I arrived this afternoon Hawfinches were to be seen, as they were on and off for the next hour. At one time 7 were together in one tree and there were must have been at least 9 in total moving to and from the churchyard trees. (Once again, locals insist on coming up to you saying Hawfinches come into their gardens for food!) 

My photo is not up to the standard of the one in the previous posting but it was a digi-scoped pic taken from some distance away.

 Earlier I was pleased to see that the Red-necked Grebe was still at Borth y Gest.



Spinnies Hawfinch and Lleiniog Glauc!

Martin Jones relocated this 1st Winter Glaucous Gull on the Shore
 at Lleiniog today, it was still there late afternoon.
It had earlier been reported at Penmon.

The Hawfinch was seen again today at the Spinnies by David Wright. It was seen from the hide that overlooks the pool and the shore. It didn't come to the feeders but was feeding on the floor to the left by the waters (pool) edge. He did say it was hard to see and did involve playing the waiting game. (this photo was taken a few years ago in the Conwy Valley and isn't the same bird). But the Spinnies bird has been showing almost this well at times!

Weekend birds and bird-news

One of yesterdays highlights was the 4 Bramblings. They have been coming to feeders at Pentrellyncymer Outdoor Education Centre. Yesterday there was no seed in the seed-feeders but the peanut feeders were full. I commented that they probably wouldn't come to the feeders if it was just peanuts on offer and no seed. So, we moved a little way down the road where there was an obvious feeding flock, and thankfully the Bramblings were with the other birds. Ironically one Brambling had a Peanut in it's mouth :-/ What do I know about Bramblings ?

Upto 4 Bramblings were south of Llyn Brenig at Pentrellyncymer

They were in a small wet copse near a house called Treforris
about 200m from Pentrellyncymer outdoor education centre

The single Snow Bunt by Holyhead Breakwater today

Upto 6 Purple Sands were at Trearddur Bay today at high tide

Some BG's are in Summer plumage in HH Fish Quay

Mergs in the Fish-quay are looking good at the mo.

Hoodie Hybrid on the South Stack Road

Black Grouse at Worlds end yesterday

Black and Red

The watcher on the hill - Male Merlin at Worlds End

7 of a lek of 22 Birds (we had c35 - 40 birds in total)

Dave and Tony stretch their legs

Dipper and Grey Wag at Llangollen, but sadly no Mandarins.

Norman

Black Red at Rhos on Sea opposite the Monkey Puzzle Tree

Iceland gull again yesterday just on the South Stack side of Porth Dafarch

Black Redstart, Rhos-on-Sea, Conwy

The bird was showing on and off on the rocks just of the prom outside the white house with the monkey puzzle tree.

The bird appears to be sporting a shiny ring!

And after some discussion on Facebook it was rung by Robin Sandham.

http://austinmorley.blogspot.co.uk/

SOME OBLIGING BIRDS

I did not expect that the Holyhead Hooded Crow would be quite so easy to see. On Thursday we drove into the Asda/McDonalds car park and the bird was on the ground right infront of us.

We parked and then it found a Heinz tomato sauce sachet which it hammered and pecked with great relish.





After a bit of shopping we noticed that it had flown to a nearby house.



On Friday we saw the Scaup on the little boating lake at Colwyn Bay. (It was absent the previous late afternoon. Does it go to roost on the sea?) We then went to Kimnel Bay where the 2 Snow Buntings soon appeared and here is one of them.

On Saturday we watched a Kingfisher for several minutes while it perched on the shore at Aber Ogwen.

This morning, on my way back to Ceredigion, the Red-necked Grebe at Borth-Y -Gest showed better than expected.

 

 

 

RSPB Conwy sightings board

The latest blog post for the reserve features some early spring flowers, the first butterfly of the year, and recent bird sightings, including barnacle goose, water pipits and 10,000 murmurating starlings.

Thanks to Bob Garrett for the excellent photo of a pair of red-breasted mergansers.