Water Feature

A warming south-westerly wind accompanied by the outburst into song of the local Chaffinches may well be the harbinger of a most welcome spring following a long and hard winter.

A job interview locally - although keeping me occupied for a couple of hours – left me with ample time to mooch around Llyn Helyg and Greenfield Valley.

Now that the seasonal Pheasant blitzkrieg has ceased the lake is considerably quieter, allowing many of the inhabitants to get down to the business of nesting.

Blue, Coal, and Great Tit were all in good voice, joined by plenty of Robins, Blackbirds, Dunnocks and Song Thrushes.

Star bird of the morning had two plausible candidates: a 2cy drake Goosander on the water, and a pukka Marsh Tit - fist picked up calling and then viewed closely – deep in the wood.

It’s no surprise that this declining species is resident here – good mature deciduous woodland with plenty of dead trees.

The habitat also looks good for LS Woodpecker too, although neither it, nor more surprisingly its larger relative, was heard drumming.

Later in the day I made it over to Greenfield Valley, ostensibly to walk my dog, but like most birders I’m never normally without my bins when outdoors.

The area was pretty quiet being bereft of people and birds save a few singing commoner species.

A scan of one of the lakes didn’t reveal much either until when looking at a small flock of Teal nestled in the reeds I spotted a Water Rail steadily picking its way through the vegetation.

I was made-up: this individual is actually my first for Flintshire, although I have heard many calling. A showy Dipper further down the valley added yet another county tick for me this year and with the addition of a Tawny Owl in my back garden on Monday morning, my Flintshire year list now stands at a respectable 97 species so far.

Until later.