The Welsh Red Kites are off to COTF!

Welsh birders are forming the first team from Wales ever to compete at COTF (see: www.champions-of-the-flyway.com/) next week to raise money to help the fight against illegal bird slaughter.  This year's causes are Birdlife partners in Serbia and Croatia.  This may sound far enough away not to be our problem in Wales or in the UK but it involves unsustainable, systematic hunting of migratory species -which ultimately could end up here and elsewhere in Europe but their journey ends before they reach their destination.

We have some amazing prizes for supporter and all you have to do is donate to the Champions of the Flyway cause to help our migrant birds. Help the 25 Million birds that will be killed this year as they fly through Europe. Donate here and you’re in the draw. Win a week at Bardsey Bird Observatory - a year subs to BirdGuides , Iolo Williams signed books and many many more.

Donate here:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/welsh-red-kites

A massive thank you to everybody be who has already donated! Help us reach £8000! Every penny goes towards helping eliminate the annual slaughter.

Regional BTO Member and Volunteer days

Once again this spring we are planning on holding some member and volunteer days at various venues around Wales. These will be relaxed events where we will update participants on BTO’s activities across Wales, provide some free training, a friendly quiz, and (weather permitting) a bit of birding. They are open to all existing members and volunteers and anybody new who wants to get involved with the BTO for the first time.

 

Saturday 24th March, Dyfi Osprey Centre, Machynlleth

Sunday 25th March, RSPB Conwy.

Saturday 14th April, Pembrey Church Hall, Pembrey, Carmarthenshire

Saturday 21st April, Chirk Castle, Chirk

 

All events start at 10:00am and tea and coffee will be available from 09:30. Bring suitable clothing for an outdoor walk.

 

Further details and bookings please contact your Regional Representative or the BTO Cymru office. Prior booking essential to make sure we have enough tea and coffee. 

  

Dyfi: Moira Convery, Jane Kelsall, Rob Morton

RSPB Conwy: Mel ab Owian, Geoff Gibbs

Pembrey:  Terry Wells Dan Rouse

Chirk Castle: Anne Brenchley Jane Hemming, Jane Kelsall

Georgia : Birding in the Caucusus - At Bangor Bird Group

This Week I will be finishing off the season with a talk about the wonderful birds I saw last year in the beautiful country of Georgia, sandwiched between the Greater and Lesser Caucusus Mountain ranges. Hopefully see you there if you can make it.

At Bangor Birdgroup we meet on Wednesday nights in the University of Bangor Brambell Building, Deiniol road opposite Asda just down from the Train Station. Costs are £2 per meeting (non members), or even better join as a member. Membership costs are as follows- Waged = £15, £12 for concessions and £10 for students. Not bad for 24 talks!

Doors open at 7 for a 7.30 pm start. Talks last for around 1 hour. All members of the public are welcome. 

Chile in Bangor this Wednesday.

This Wednesday at Bangor Bird-group Senior Ecologist Richard Birch will be showing us one of the Videos he has made from  his trips to Chile, the land of the Monkey-Puzzle Tree Forests! It covers all aspects of Natural History including birds. Why not come along and see what him and his wife Kathryn saw on their adventure to this quite unusual destination.

At Bangor Birdgroup we meet on Wednesday nights in the University of Bangor Brambell Building, Deiniol road opposite Asda just down from the Train Station. Costs are £2 per meeting (non members), or even better join as a member. Membership costs are as follows- Waged = £15, £12 for concessions and £10 for students. Not bad for 24 talks!

Doors open at 7 for a 7.30 pm start. Talks last for around 1 hour. All members of the public are welcome. 

Cemlyn - the site that keeps on giving

Tremendous weekend of birds at Cemlyn - with three Little Gulls close in over the beach on Saturday (Adult winter and 2 1st winter), a Red-throated Diver on the small pool between west car park and sea - also Saturday and close up views of Slavonian Grebe on Sunday.

Flurry of Excitement

Yesterday I spotted a male Scoter in Cemaes but from a distance it appeared to have a pale patch on the back of it's head. At distance it looked like a Common Scoter but as I kept seeing a pale patch on the back of it's head I was hoping for a first winter male Surf Scoter. As I got closer it became obvious that it was a male Common Scoter, but there was something stuck on the back of it's neck. I got closer to try and get some shots to see what this object was. The bird was occasionally shaking it's head trying to shake whatever it was off. Otherwise it seemed healthy, flew OK and spent all afternoon coming and going in and out of the bay. Even with closer shots I still can't work out what it is. It had the appearance of something between Bracket-fungus and the fluff that comes out of a Bullrush/Reed-mace head. I wasn't sure whether it was some form of growth / tumour or possibly more likely a combination of discarded fishing line/gear or plastic possibly with some old sea-weed or rubbish entangled in there. Has anyone else got any ideas?

 Otherwise it was a nice walk in the wintry conditions, seeing lots of Redwings and a Fieldfare oddly on the beach. Plus some icicles on the sea-cliffs, not a common sight in Cemaes.