Manx Madness!

Huge numbers, tens of thousands, of Manx Shearwaters are being seen off Borth in mid Wales a true wildlife spectactle! Over 6,000 past in just 20 minutes yday as many many more fed offshore! We are running a trip this Sunday, 15th July, to see this staggering concentration of seabirds. If you would like to join us email info@thebiggesttwitch.com or call 01492 872407 for details. We will also visit the Dyfi Osprey Project. Good Birding Alan and Ruth

Great day on Anglesey

We took a trip around the isle of Anglesey today and enjoyed great wildlife and some sunshine! At Newbrough Forest we watched a beautiful Red Squirrel feeding in the sun. Just up the road at Malltraeth we quickly found a Mediterranean Gull and waders included 2 Greenshank, 5 Common Sandpiper and 2 Black tailed Godwit in fine breeding dress. At Beddmanarch Bay a flock of Bar tailed Godwits fed with many Curlew and 7 Arctic Terns plunged for fish. Nearby a Whimbrel on the saltmarsh. Holyhead Harbour held 5 Black Guillemots and we had brilliant views. RSPB South Stack next and as always great birding, frame filling scope views of Puffins, two noisey gangs of Chough and plenty of Manx Shearwaters. Over at Point Lynas more wonderful views of a family of Chough, lots of Manx Shearwaters, Black Guillemot, feeding Gannets and Sandwich Terns. At least three Harbour Porpoise showed in the tide race. Last stop Penmon Point and we watched 6 Eider, more Puffins and hundreds of other seabirds and even had time for some excellent cake at the cafe here! We have lots of day trips coming up, next Anglesey day is 22 July for details email us on -info@thebiggesttwitch.com Good birding! Alan and Ruth ps just heard an Osprey on the River Clwyd this evening!

Green(ish) debate continues

I have been doing a bit of digging into Green and Greenish Warblers following the bird on Bardsey two weeks ago. I have been in contact with Peter Kennerley (co author of the Dutch Birding Paper on Breen, Greenish and Two Barred Greenis) who has given comments on the bird. I have sent on the comments to Rich B who has done more 'stuff' on his blog and I have copied below. It may be that we are never able to ID the bird in question, as it appears to be at the extreme end of the range for Greenish and even within the bounds of Green. Any comments on this bird would be most welcomed!

Steve

Taken From Rich B's blog (Photos (c) Rich B



We've been given a few more pointers on the separation of Greenish Warbler and (Bright) Green Warbler. It's not going to help to secure the identification of our bird, but it does provide a few more talking points. The reason that Green Warbler has been suggested is due to the extent of yellow in the supercilium and ear coverts, which seems to be on the extreme side for Greenish Warbler, however see: http://birdsofkazakhstan.com/greenish-warbler-phylloscopus-trochiloides/ for photographs ofGreenish Warbler in South Kazakhstan (but different light conditions). The chin, throat and upper breast have a pale yellow wash in our bird, but this seems to be within the realms of Greenish Warbler.


A new feature to us (and apparently said by some to be diagnostic) is the possibility that the feathering along the lower edge of the eye is white (thus contrasting with the ear coverts) in Greenish Warbler and matches the colour of the ear coverts in Green Warbler. It is important that this is assessed in good light conditions so perhaps we can't look at it with any certainty using these photos. However it seems fair to say that our recent bird has feathering more concolourous with the ear coverts than the other two birds, but perhaps not to the extent expected in Green Warbler? The three photos below are full size so anyone out there who's interested can blow them up a bit bigger for a closer look. The lack of yellow in the wing bar seems to have no relevance as fresh Green Warblers on the Turkish Black Sea Coast can show white wingbars when fresh. Ultimately it seems that some extralimital, worn birds cannot be identified without DNA analysis or a sonogram.


We would be very interested if anyone out there knows about leg colour (which was surprisingly pale in this bird), or the patterning of white on the inner web of the outer tail feather which in this bird was as would be expected in Greenish Warbler.

The Bardsey Green(ish) Warbler (upper photo) clearly differs from our two other recent Greenish Warblers (middle photo 11 June 2010, lower photo 8 June 2012). (c) Richard Brown

BMW fun and games

The Great white Egret was again at RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands today showed well from Marsh Covert hide then flew to the border pool in Flintshire. A Black Swan is also here and was joined by two Sacred Ibis early afternoon, mass break out or are we seeing two potential additions to the British list becoming established here in the UK? If you can't make tonight talk "more tales of The Biggest Twitch" at Eirias High School, Colwyn Bay at 7.30pm you can donate to Brain Tumour UK at www.justgiving/biggest-twitch Many thanks Alan and Ruth

RSPB Conwy

Male scaup still present this morning on the Deep Lagoon, while a male redstart near Tal-y-fan Hide is new in. Wader roost in front of Benarth Hide includes 46 black-tailed godwits and the knot that's been here since Sunday.

Waders moving

Loads of waders on the move, early this year perhaps due to poor breeding success? Just back from three days guiding in Norfolk loads of waders their including Golden Plover back on saltmarshes alreadys, loads of Spotted Reds and Ruff. Neraer to home 1,000 Blk t Godwits at Frodsham and yday a Pectoral Sandpiper at Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB so well worth checking local sites for rare waders! Scaup still at RSPB Conwy this am. Giving a talk on "More adventures of The Biggest Twitch" with lots of different pics tomoz at Eirias High School, Colwyn Bay at 7.30pm. Do come along and help raise funds for Brain Tumour UK, be great to see you there! Next Norfolk trip is 8 - 10 September sure to be loads of waders on that one! See for trip report on latest Norfolk birding break. Good Birding Alan and Ruth

Puffin Island with SCAN

 SCANS third of three trips saw the team concentrate on Kitiwake pulli and pole-noosing adults.  Please keep an eye out for colour ringed Kits as there are a several schemes around the country.  A team from Liverpool Uni have also been tagging adults as part of a project to learn more about feeding patterns and distance covered.  Lucky 'ANN' below was ringed by the RSPB's Guy Anderson.

 A nice Bridled guille:

 PI from the east:

 I think there were 6 Puffins caught during the afternoon.