More Rosefinch 06.06.11

Still present 7pm singing off and on and returning to the feeder on north side of main road every 30mins or so.  Plenty of cover and other feeders about so its ranging quite far around the village.

Red-backed shrike

A female has been found on the Ganol Trail (the split trail at the Glan Conwy end) at RSPB Conwy this afternoon. Second one here in three years!

Common Rosefinch, Cerrig Man

May not win 'photo comp, but shows off the colour on this wonderful bird.  Many thanks to Marc for contacting me and asking me to check it out.  Bird was signing almost constantly, making it easy to keep a track of it.

Rosefinch @ Cerrig-Man, Anglesey

There's a singing male Common Rosefinch at Cerrig-man just south of Amlwch at the moment. It has been present since last sunday. Thanks to Joe Swindells who let Adrian Foster of NWBF know, who in turn passed the info on. Martin Jones went this morning and found the bird singing its head off on wires along the main road some 200 yards south of the turning to Point Lynas. The above picture is the original picture taken by the finder.

Cemlyn - terns with black bills!

Been up to Cemlyn a lot recently while guiding - always produces great birds! There have been a few reports of Roseate Terns but as far as I am aware the only defo bird was one seen by David Wright one evening. People have come over and said they have had Roseates on a number of occasions "it was not a Sandwich but had a black bill so we knew it was a Roseate"!! A tip is not to base any bird ID on a single feature and then ignore the rest of the bird! There are at least two first summer Arctic Terns at Cemlyn that have black bills, so treat reports of Roseates with caution. But as David has shown there could be one knocking about, or perhaps something even rarer given Cemlyns amazing track record for mega terns?

Still got space on our third Norfolk trip, first two full, the dates are Saturday 25th June - Monday 27th June. Having done two earlier trips we should have all the special breeding birds nailed down! For more info email info@thebiggesttwitch.com or call Alan on 07778 677141.

Good Birding!
Alan and Ruth

A few days in ceredigion

A few days in Ceredigion was enjoyable. As well as ticking off Kate Humble and Chris Packham, birds included a fine Great Skua off Llanrhystyd which lingered all morning, five Med Gulls including a couple displaying (even though one was a 1st summer!), 3 Nighjars giving amazing views in Cross Inn Forest, breeding Little Ringed Plovers and good numbers of waders at Ynys Las - Numbers here included 800+ Dunlin, 350+ Ringed Plover (the vast majority being northern birds), 3 Whimbrel, 25+ Sanderling and 2 Turnstone.


Sanderling Ynys Las

Redshank - Borth Bog

'nominate' Ringed Plover

Displaying Med Gulls

Great Skua at Llanrhystyd

Curlew Sandpiper, Conwy RSPB

Came across a lovely Curlew Sandpiper today at Conwy with the two resident Dunlin:

2 LRP still showing well along with other waders, Lesser Whitethroat still about as well at far end of reserve!

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