In need of some sun?

The last two days have been grim, lousy weather and next to no bird news! However, there is hope when the sun finally comes out, there are some great birds in North Wales and with a lttle luck most will stay through the winter and into 2013 for our Year List! A Yellow browed Warbler was seen in Marl Woods on Monday and Tuesday. Firecrests still being seen at RSPB Conwy, try the bridge pool. Snow Buntings at Kinmel Bay beach. Long tailed Duck and 4 Scaup on Llyn Penrhyn. Still gangs of Waxwings around Denbigh and Kinmel Bay. Then there was that Rough legged Buzzard seen over Cemlyn, somebody re-find that please! But if all this grey damp is to much for you why not plan some brilliant Spring birding? We are taking a very small group to Extremadura in March for some of Europes best birding. Fancy coming along? for details of this trip. Or if you just fancy looking at nice weather and wildlife check out our Galapagos trip photos here If anyone plans a visit to Galapagos we are very happy to offer advice on the best possible trips. It is going to even more expensive soon, so if you want to go, go soon! BBC have a programme on New Years Day about the islands, see what an amazing place awaits. Happy Christmas and a Bird Filled 2013 to all! Alan and Ruth www.thebiggesttwitch.com

Desert Wheatear Poo full of sand!

I received this email from Dr Martin Collinson regarding DNA analysis of the Rhyl Desert Wheatear.

Hi Marc

Not great news on the Rhyl Desert Wheatear - its poo contained plenty of sand(!) but we can't PCR up any DNA. This sometimes happens with these samples, a bit hit and miss. We were processing 6 different birds and 4 worked, two didn't, so you're just unlucky. Thanks for collecting it though! It was a decent sized deposit and I would have expected to get something. Strangely it seems to be very hard to get DNA out of seaside poo, and I wonder if it's the salt or something.

Best wishes
M

Oh well, thanks for trying Martin. All's not lost though- perhaps Dr Paul Brewster's pellet may contain the key to unlocking the question of which race of Desert Wheatear our bird belongs to.

Green Birding pays off again-Yellow-browed Warbler Marl Woods

I decided, like Marc to take a look at the local area to see how far I could sensibly walk for the January birding by foot challenge. Starting off with the small patches of trees in junction then Marl Woods to Glanwyddan Lane. Not long after entering the woods c11.15 I heard the distinctive call of a Yellow-browed coming down from the higher part of the wood and landing. It's quite tame and approachable, calling frequently. After carrying on with my route, I returned about 12:30 and it was still in the same place. Just checked and its just 19 days after the one I found last year at Conwy RSPB.

The bird is at the back of Marl Hall, Marl Hall Woods, Llandudno Junction by the green fence along the main path. Also reported inbetween times by the front of the hall along Marl Lane. Chiffchaff there too with lots of Goldcrests.

Green birding pays off - Penrhyn Bay on foot

This weekend I've left the car behind and walked from the front door, getting ready for the January 'foot it' challenge by sussing out a few species and user watched areas.
Yesterday on the prom from Penrhyn Bay to Rhos Point produced seven Purple Sandpipers (six in front of number 75 and a single at Rhos Point). Offshore 6 Red throated Divers and several Great Crested Grebes. On the walk back, I checked the flooded fields between Penrhyn Bay and Rhos. The fields are full of Curlew and Lapwing while duck numbers have increased- 70+ wigeon, 30+ Teal and 2 cracking Shoveler; a good bird for this site.
This morning I concentrated on the stubble fields along Glanwydden lane where yesterday I saw 2 Brambling (picture below). Large numbers of birds here at the moment with 800+ Woodpigeon being spectacular with 500+ Corvids, 1000+ Starlings, 30+ Skylarks, 20+ Reed Buntings, 100+ Chaffinch and the highlight a super Lapland Bunting! The Lap Bunt was with the Skylarks and was quite vocal.
Peregrine and Merlin are hunting the area, while my personal highlight was finding 4 showy Water Rails in a swampy Corner of a field at Glanwydden; all being extremely vocal.
Not a penny spent on fuel and some good birds to boot. Amazing what can be found under one's nose - it's been a bit of an eye opener for me! To take part in 'January foot it challenge' click here - http://birdingbyfoot.blogspot.co.uk/p/taking-part.html

What a Year!!!

As we approach 2013 it is time to reflect on a fantastic year on Bardsey. I apologise here for the gratuitous amount of picture in this post, but i feel another look at them will keep us all going in the cold nights as we get towards the longest day! Thanks to Ben for keeping the picture of the very best quality coming in.

Lets start way back in in January then - with Purps and Turnstones

Storms and Kittiwakes

And not forgetting the ever present Choughs

And overwintering Whimbrels

Cold weather brings waders to the beach like Sanderling and Knot

The first rare of the year, Bardsey's 9th Iceland Gull

Snow flakes in February!

And the year's first spring arrivals in early March

and Lap Bunts moving North

Seabirds begin to return -Shag

and Redwings heading back to Iceland like this T.i.coburni

Black Redstart

 

Yellowhammer

 

Glaucous Gull

 

Lapland Bunting

 

Treecreeper

 

Ring Ouzel

 

Tufted Duck - 25th Island Record!

 

Mealy Redpolls

 

Wooodlark

 

Glaucous Gull

 

Cuckoo

 

Whimbrel

 

Pied Flycatcher

 

Snow Bunting

 

Redstart

 

Short-eared Owl

 

Blackcap - record numbers were seen and ringed

 

Pied Flycatcher

 

North-western type Redpoll

 

Yellow Wagtail

 

Red-rumped Swallow - 3rd for the island and the start of our run of good birds

 

Whinchat

 

Grasshopper Warbler

 

Lesser Whitethroat

 

Common Redpoll - we think

 

Whinchat -  a stunner!

 

Snow Bunting - Ditto!

 

Greenland Wheatear - normal and leucistic

 

Whitethroat - after a late and slow start numbers were good.

Pied Flycatcher - another belter

 

Yellow Wag - Ditto

 

Crossbill

Turtle Dove

Subalpine Warbler - a very skuly bird indeed

Phyllosc sp - Chiff, willow, hybrid or Iberian!

RED Knots

Black Kite

Firecrest

Common Rosefinch - three were seen

Bar-tailed Godwit

Little Owl

Another Rosefinch

Red Kite

Bee-eater (Rich B)

Melodious Warbler

Woodchat Shrike

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Greenish Warbler

'Dombrowskii's' type Wagtail

Pomarine Skua (Rich B)

Greenish Warbler - second of the year! (Rich B)

Autumn Begins

First Med Gulls of the autumn in July

And Common Terns

Crossbills arrive in early autumn

Baby Owls

First Skuas of the autumn

and godwits

Young Swallows still being fed

First Willow Warblers of the autumn

Stunning Knots

Fantastic Butterflies

and Baby Cuckoos

Still Summer really - Wagtails in August

Returning waders

The first 'Real' bird of autumn a Bardsey Specialty - this Melodious was the first of the autumn for the UK

More Willow Warblers arrive in August with up to 400 some days!

Pied Flys - up to 15

Two Baby Dotterels

More waders

Sprawks

ANOTHER Melodious Warbler

That stayed for ages!

Spotty Flys up to 40!

Hummers!

White Wags

Late September - Autumn Begins, with a a Barred Warbler

and a Little Bunting

and Yellow Broweds

More Snow

Whinchats

Merlins

And more stripes!

Baby Seals

And then this -  a new species for the island

Citrine Wagtail

More Asian warblers - this Yellow Browed

And this RADDE'S

Ring OuzelsAnd Raptors

Small and Firey

With Long-tails

Hundreds of Jackdaw appear from nowhere!

With Bramblings starting to arrive

More from the east.....

Chiffchaffs

Yellow-Broweds continues - Six in a day!

And Blythii Lesser Whitethroat

Its a Hoot......

A real Tristis

and a normal one

White Fronts

I'd a...!!

and more Brambos

Not so Long eared!

Very late Common Tern

Scandi Chiffs

Last bits of autumn

Coming back to winter

And a bit of late fire to keep us all warm

When the weather goes bad!!