A cracking flock of seventy-two Twite – the biggest I have ever seen – was the highlight of a trip to Connah’s Quay NR over the high tide.
They must have bred like Rabbits this year as there were several smaller flocks bouncing about too - a sign of a Twite renaissance? Let’s hope so.
Otherwise things were fairly quiet, although a male Peregrine did buzz the waders roosting towards Flint before alighting on the pylon behind the Ash Pool.
A summer-plumaged Dunlin was a novelty this late in the year. I assume it must have been a female as a male Dunlin wouldn’t have taken this long to prepare its winter wardrobe!
The Bunded Pools were fairly quiet, although a quartet of Greenshanks was viewable from the middle hide.
For afters Mark Murphy and I set a course for Cop Hole and a scan of Burton Marsh.
It wasn’t too long before MM picked out a brace of Shorties, a female Merlin and a sub-adult male Hen Harrier, before my single paltry contribution of an immature female Hen Harrier.
You don’t too many male Hen Harriers on the Dee to the pound, so we enjoyed the spectacle for as long as we could before heading for home…
Until later.
Hi Paul
ReplyDeleteWhen I bumped into Mark on my last visit to Connah's Quay NR,I said I had had around circa 50 Twite,to hear that the flock has swelled to over 70 birds is fantastic news.
Cheers Denzil