Migration finally got underway apace today, with excellent numbers of passerines and hirundines at the Point of Ayr this morning.Wheatears were everywhere; in the Talacre Dunes, in the horse paddocks near Presthaven and all over the old colliery site. Sixty three birds this morning – my highest count ever for a single area. Superb.
Sharing a grassy fenced-off section with a pair of Wheatears near the entrance to Presthaven was the bird of the morning – a cracking male Whinchat, a first for the year.
After checking the constant stream of Swallows and Martins for anything unusual I was treated not to a red rump, but a completely different silhouette – my earliest ever Common Swift!
A gropper reeling from some scrub was the next bird of note, but a scan across every blade of grass and every fence post in the horse paddocks for a Ring Ouzel or a Yellow Wagtail drew a blank.
With father time jabbing me firmly in the shoulder blade, a quick look around the new (or old as it should have read -thanks Mark!)** hide produced a Whimbrel and another good flypast from what seems to be the resident jack Merlin.
Point of Ayr 19.4.10
63 Wheatear
1 Whinchat
150+ Meadow Pipit
200+ Swallow
200+ Sand Martin
1 House Martin
1 Swift
1 Whimbrel
1 Merlin (male)
2 Kestrel
1 Grasshopper Warbler
Until later.
** By the way Mark, I bumped into the BHP Land Manager at the Point of Ayr on Tuesday and she said that the RSPB and BHP were just about to decide who is going to apply for planning permission for a replacement hide - 21 months and counting.
Hi Paul
ReplyDelete63 Wheatears in one 'Hit'......."That's Awesome"..!
It's also nice to bag your first Swift,I'm still waiting for one myself,and the same has to be said for a Whinchat,but I'm the undisputed "King of Cetti's" that there's no doubt.
LLYN PENRHYN
LLYN TRAFFWLL - LLYN DINAM
VALLEY - ANGLESEY
19-04-2010 8.30AM - 4.00PM
65 SPECIES RECORDED
CETTI'S WARBLER 11
WILLOW WARBLER c30
REED WARBLER 20
GRASSHOPPER WARBLER 2
SEDGE WARBLER 2
LINNET c20
HOUSE SPARROW c30
OYSTERCATCHER 2
COOT c100
POCHARD 12
SHOVELER c100
LITTLE GREBE 3
SWALLOW 26
TUFTED DUCK c100
SKYLARK 7
GOLDFINCH c20
GREAT CRESTED GREBE 12
MEADOW PIPIT 8
RUDDY DUCK 5
GADWALL 5
SAND MARTIN c50
REED BUNTING 3
RAVEN 4
COMMON SANDPIPER 1
GOLDENEYE 2
LITTLE EGRET 1
HOUSE MARTIN 11
PEREGRINE - MALE 1
COMMON BUZZARD 8
WHITE WAGTAIL 6
CHIFFCHAFF 2
SPARROWHAWK - MALE 1
STONECHAT 2
BARNACLE GOOSE 5
KESTREL MALE - FEMALE 2
CHEERS DENZIL
Hi Paul, did I read that right.. "the new hide" whatever next, the four horsemen of the apocalypse?
ReplyDeleteMark M
Eleven Cetti's! That's some going. One hundred Shovelers is an excellent count too. I bet the walk was blissful too - I heard the RAF have been largely grounded by the ash cloud.
ReplyDeleteCheers, Paul.
Hi Paul
ReplyDeleteAs you probably know,Llyn Penrhyn,Llyn Traffwll,and Llyn Dinam are very special places to me.
This is where it all began for me at the tender age of 7,and since then,my passion for birds has just grown and grown,and now over 40 years later,I know this place better than anyone,and without doubt there is some seriously good 'Birding' to be done here.
The interesting thing of late has been that the Cetti's are now colonising Llyn Dinam,where as not so long previously,they were very much confined to Llyn Penrhyn.
Of the 11 recorded,8 were around Llyn Penrhyn,and 3 were around Llyn Dinam,and yet again I had some 'super' views of the birds,particularly the ones at Llyn Dinam.
Shoveler's are a very plentiful bird here as well,especially during the winter months,when I can easily count 300 plus on a single visit,and I know that the breeding population is very healthy as well.
Llyn Traffwll is another excellent body of water too,and I always expect the unexpected here,especially during Spring and Autumn passage when some excellent Waders can turn up here.
You were absolutely right about the quality of the peace and quiet,because normally the Jets are flying regularly,but I should be the last person to ever complain............because when we used to live here ..........MY DAD WAS FLYING ONE OF THEM !!!
CHERS DENZIL
I knew it was too good to be true (regarding a new hide) but at least it looks likes things are progressing albeit at at snail's pace.
ReplyDeleteHad a walk through Garth Woods today, nothing special to report but good numbers of Blackcap present.
Mark M