A visit to Connah’s Quay on Wednesday was yet another step into winter. As is its want when the wind blows from the north-west, the west hide was absolutely freezing.
The last eight or nine months have been the perfect illustration that us human beings may have over-extended ourselves when we went north of Andalucia – give me Flamenco, Fino, Seville Women, and the Coto Donana any day of the week over the Dee Estuary in June!!
I don’t mean it – or maybe I do.
Still, there where some good birds abound today, including an adult and a juvenile Common Sandpiper and best of all a young Little Ringed Plover – my first for the reserve. Muy Bien.
The heron family were well represented too, with around ten Grey Herons scattered around the reserve, plus twenty or so Little Egrets.
In football manager argot, the Legrets appear to have good ‘bouncebackabilty’, for after the last two winters decimated numbers on the estuary they appear to be legion again. Like us homo sapiens, they must be wondering why they bothered to venture north of the toasty Mediterranean lagoons.
And speaking of things Mediterranean, still no gull of the same name for me in Flintshire this year. They seem to be popping-up all over North Wales, Lancashire, and even the Wirral side of the Dee, but I cannot buy one at CQNR or the POA.
Finally, some wag on the NWBF responding to my suggestion (or maybe plea!) that the Point of Ayr be taken over by RSPB Starbucks at Conwy, mentioned that they may build a climbing frame and slide instead if that were the case.
Pretty much sums up where the RSPB are at the moment: a children’s play area is more important than a bird hide.
To be hones, I don’t care if they build an exact replica of the Taj Mahal from gravy, providing they build a hide, or even to use RSPB doublespeak – a ‘viewing structure.’
Until later.
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Hi Paul
ReplyDeleteI've Birded at the Coto Danana National Park,although only on one occasion,and it was absolutely roasting then.......circa 40 degrees centigrade.
Due to the park's immense size I was only able to go birding in a very small part of it,and the most notable memory that I have was that there were birds of prey everywhere,most notably kites,both red and black.
I've also birded in Extremadura,and at the Dalmiel National Park as well,both of which were also fabulous locations.
In fact just driving around the country was amazing,with birds being seemingly everywhere,but of coarse it is still very wild and unspoilt,especially in the country's interior.
Cheers Denzil