RSPB Conwy sightings board

Monday kicked off with a great white egret, only the second reserve record (and the first to plant its feet firmly on reserve mud) and is still present today. Aside from its size, its bright yellow bill is distinctive, but a close look shows traces of black at the tip of the upper mandible, remnants of its breeding-season coloration farther south in Europe.

The first wigeons and shovelers of the autumn arrived this week, another signal that the northern breeding season is coming to a close. Teal numbers are also on the up, while waders include a couple of hundred curlews, a few black-tailed godwits, dunlins and whimbrels, a single greenshank and green sandpiper, with a little stint reported on Thursday (21st).

For more sightings from RSPB Conwy this week, check the latest reserve blog post.