The Longest Day

A long, long, day out in the field today, save an hour or so for a late Breakfast, produced an excellent haul of birds, plus some strong evidence that autumn migration is finally kicking-in.

So, let’s begin at the beginning as they say.

A quick trip down to the Point of Ayr at dawn – ostensibly to walk my dog – turned into full-on stravaigin when it was obvious a good number of birds was on the move. Signs were good from the start when I heard a Goldcrest calling from a conifer in near the car park and although there were few birds on the ground, the next couple of hours produced a heavy passage of mainly finches including two groups of Crossbill and a score or so Siskin.

A nose around the colliery lagoons added Kingfisher, Greenshank, the resident Little Grebes and a couple of Kestrels, whilst the surrounding grassland held excellent numbers of Skylarks, Meadow Pipits and a flock of Linnet.

After a hearty breakfast of puffball, eggs and bacon, it was back on the road and on towards Connah’s Quay. After a quartet of Little Stint had been reported yesterday, the aim was to pick up at least one today, but despite much searching I drew a blank.

Plenty of other wader around though (including good numbers on the Bunded Pools – hopefully I am wrong about the vegetation bring too short and they stay), with the highlight being seven Spotted Redshanks from the middle hide.

With some familiar ‘boat races’ around too, including Geoff, Keith. Mark and Stan it was an excellent few hours. However, attempts to locate the Long-billed Dowitcher were curtailed somewhat when a couple of young pikies decided they were going to attempt to steal a boat moored on the edge of the pools. Exit birds stage left.

This was a cue for Stan and me to head over to Kop Hole and have a good a scan over the marsh.

It was a glorious warm evening – toasty enough for a Ruddy Darter and Hawker sp – and with superb visibility too. Although never close, we watched a couple of Marsh Harriers, a ringtail Hen Harrier and a Merlin that were all hunting and a little nearer a couple of Swallows hawked insects over one of the flashes.

Also over the marsh was a small flock of fifteen very unsettled Brent Geese (numbers on the up now), whilst closer to home a late Wheatear sat on my old tree stump seat. The soundtrack to the evening was kindly provided by a noisy Water Rail that called constantly from the ditch behind us.

A cracking day!

Point of Ayr, early morning:

50+ Crossbill
1 Kingfisher
1 Greenshank
2 Little Grebe
2 Kestrel

Connah’s Quay, early afternoon:

7 Spotted Redshank
1 Greenshank

Kop Hole, early evening:

2 Marsh Harrier (adult male, juv/fem)
1 Hen Harrier (ringtail)
1 Merlin
1 Peregrine
15 Brent Goose
2 Swallow
1 Pochard
1 Water Rail
1 Wheatear

Until later.