Sri Lanka comes to Bangor

I will be giving a talk at Bangor Birdgroup tonight about my trip to Sri Lanka this February just gone. Its in the Brambell building at the University, near the mini roundabout on Deiniol road just down from Bangor Station opposite Asda. Doors open at 7 for a 7.30 kick off. All welcome.

Anglesey News and Ringed Black headed Gull

This morning on the Range at South Stack there were 4 Lapland buntings feeding on the North End of the Range. They were quite flighty and vocal but when they touched down they were quite approachable.
Visible migration over South Stack Cafe between 9,30 and 10 am produced
Lapland Bunting 2
Reed Bunting 1
Chaffinch 454
Starling 580
Greenfinch 60
Goldfinch 25
Siskin 8
Meadow Pipit 35
Mistle Thrush 5
Merlin 1
Skylark 2
Redpoll 4
Linnet 6
At Llyn Llewennan there was a family party of 4 Greenland Whitefronted Geese with the large Canada Goose flock an there were 3 Whooper Swans on the lake with the Mute Swans. Also another Lapland bunting flew over here calling with a small flock of Skylarks.
At Penrhos Country Park Car Park at SH 275805 there was an adult Black headed Gull with a single metal ring on its left leg. Numerous photos allowed me to read it and it said
Vogeltrekstation
Arnheim-Holland
3. 589. 203

Mark Avery comes to Bangor Bird group this Wednesday

Tomorrow night Mark will talk about the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon in North America - formerly the most numerous bird on the planet, and about his campaign to ban driven grouse shooting.

Mark worked for the RSPB for 25 years and was the Conservation Director for 13 of them. He now writes columns for Birdwatch and British Wildlife and has written a number of books including A Message from Martha - the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon and its relevance today, Inglorious - conflict in the uplands and Remarkable Birds.

          Doors open at the Brambell Building at the University at 7pm for a 7.30 start

RIP Hoopoe

Sad news this afternoon as the Hoopoe at Conwy RSPB reserve was unfortunately taken by a Peregrine :-(

Tonight at Bangor Birdgroup...

Tonight it is the joint talk with the NW Wildlife trust. Sabine Nouvet, A Conservation Ecologist for the National Trust will be talking about Shepherding in the Uplands. Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30 start, all welcome.

Cemaes Bay Birds

This is one of the rather showy Kingfishers that have been in the Wooded Valley along the River Wygyr over the last few weeks. From the beach car park walk under the road into the Valley and it favours the area of river on the right just as it passes under the trees. I also had a Yellow Browed Warbler on the 24th October in the Valley and Martin had a Firecrest here on the 22nd and nearby I had a Jack Snipe on the 21st October on Parys Mountain.

North Wales Birding - Tue 25th Oct

I headed up into Snowdonia yesterday for a bit of a change. After a quiet drive up the Nant Francon Valley a quick coffee stop produced a male Ring Ouzel, Dipper, Grey Wag and a noticeable passage of winter thrushes over the pass near the Youth Hostel. The Ugly house feeders are full and Nuthatches and Treecreepers were around in this lovely setting with glorious Autumnal colours as a backdrop. I carried on to Clocaenog where there are good numbers of Crossbills at Bod Petrael and the Car Park at the base of Craig Bran Banog. There was also brief sightings of Goshawks flying low over the plantations as we drove around the forest. The Rowan and Hawthorn bushes are bursting with berries and large numbers of Fieldfares, Redwings and Starlings were making quick work of the berries. One roadside was fringed with large numbers of Fly Agaric toadstools. As we headed back, news of a Hoopoe at Conwy dictated that we would be going back to Anglesey via the RSPB reserve where this somewhat flighty Hoopoe showed very well.