Medicinal Leach's: Overdose

If this morning’s session was a bit pony and trap, then stint number two this afternoon at the Point of Ayr certainly made up for the slow start this morning – and then some.

As soon as I had hunkered myself down in the dunes I was on to a Bonxie that was quickly joined by a couplet of dark phase Arctic Skuas that proceeded to harass the bigger Great until flew high back into the estuary.

The next couple of hours up to high tide at around five produced a constant heavy passage of Arctic Skuas (more then I have ever seen), Manxies and a constant drip of Leach’s Petrels.

Next, torrential rain.

Then, as the skies finally cleared, bird of the day: a cracking juvenile Sabine’s Gull that flew very close to the shore, quickly followed a few minutes later by number two that nearly slipped by unnoticed in a small group of juvenile Kittiwakes.

With the wind easing things began to relent a little, with one notable exception – Leach’s Petrels, that right up the point that I called it an evening at half six were moving out of the estuary one after another…

Strange business this birding.

Flintshire this year: Sabine's Gull 2, Mediterranean Gull 0.

Who'd have thunk it?

Point of Ayr 15.09.10 3:00PM to 6:30PM

2 Sabine’s Gull (both juveniles)
60+ Leach’s Petrel
30+ Arctic Skua
1 Great Skua
30+ Kittiwake
80+ Manx Shearwater
4 Fulmar
1 Gannet
1 Red-throated Diver
10+ Common Scoter
Gazillions of Guillemots

Until later.

Medicinal Leach's

Despite feeling a little under the weather after being struck down by a good dose of Iberian bacteria, the howling winds battering my window panes this morning were enough to lure me down to the Point of Ayr for a spot of seawatching.

First light is supposed to be a good time for seabird passage and with the tide still fairly high up the beach – albeit receding – the omens looked good.

On the downside, the wind looked a little too south-westerly and after a promising start of two Leach’s in the first ten minutes, things fizzled out quicker than bottle of Lidl champagne and an hour later I called time.

Great to see a Little Shearwater had been bagged off the North Wirral coast yesterday, but another intriguing report was that of ‘70+ Skua spp.’

I can’t quite get my head around this; how was it that seventy observations were made of Skuas without any conclusive identification of one single bird? Beats me.

Until later.

Las Islas Cies

I have just returned from a short break to Galicia in north-western Spain, where in between sinking enough seafood to sink a battleship, I managed a quick trip to a quite outstandingly beautiful small archipelago of islands just off the coast of the city of Vigo.

The three islets are a small nature reserve, and significantly hold the largest breeding colony of Yellow-legged Gulls in the world, two thousand pairs of Shags, a significant number of pairs of Storm Petrel, plus a healthy population of Kentish Plover to boot.

More details at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%ADes_Islands

Unfortunately for the birder, access is strictly regulated with normal punters only allowed onto to shoes from the start of July to the middle of September. Most people venture out on a day trip, but it is possible to stay overnight on a small campsite for a maximum of twelve nights.

Despite its rustic appearance, there are some facilities including this excellent seawatching hide (picture below) overlooking the Atlantic Ocean – I sat there for a good fifteen minutes fantasising about the birds that must have slipped by unnoticed.

There is also a network of paths across the islands enabling easy exploration of the lagoon, scrubland, coastal and wooded areas. Given the islands position on the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula, the islands must be superb for migrants; indeed without the aid of my binoculars I was able to bag a female Pied Flycatcher. Also, this kind chap (underneath) was also kind enough to pose for me…

Any ideas where I may be going camping for ten days early next September?

Until later.

P.S - Never under any circumstances get carried away in Spain and think you can eat anything. Clams, Scallops, Mussels, Cockles, Octopus, Squid: yes. Boiled pigs ears: no.

Four Hundred Swallows does make an Autumn

With news that a Stone Curlew had been sent packing from Hilbre in the direction of Wales, in a bout of ludicrous optimism I was up early this morning for a good scout around the dunes at Talacre.

And what did I find? Well, alas no Eurasian Thick-knee, but plenty of warblers – Blackcaps mostly – and a very good passage of Swallows that continued unbroken all morning.

After a couple of hours of a diet of Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Common Whitethroats, and the aforementioned Blackcaps, I decided I wasn’t going to bag a Wryneck or a Barred Warbler and elected to walk down to the old hide area to watch the tide come in.

As expected, the Kingfisher was present and correct, but my attention was drawn to the end of the spit where the amassing Oysties were being terrorised by a rather inept juvenile female Peregrine.

Things had settled down by the time I had plonked myself on hte bench. Excellent numbers of Curlews today, possibly in excess of two thousand birds – a great count down here.

Other waders included singles of Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit, Greenshank and Knot and these were soon joined by a score of winter liveried Bar-tailed Godwits spare a couple of moulting adults.

For the final hour I moved over to the spit and found a hundred or so Ringed Plover, plus thirty Dunlins roosting on the shingle, whilst over the drink there was little save a handful of Sandwich Terns, a Gannet and a Grey Seal.

Point of Ayr 7.9.10

Curlew circa 2,000
Oystercatcher circa 2,500
Ringed Plover 100
Conwy Sandpiper 30
Bar-tailed Godwit 20
Black-tailed Godwit 1
Whimbrel 1
Greenshank 1
Knot 1
Redshank 80
Peregrine 1 (juvenile female)
Sparrowhawk 2 (juvenile female and an adult female)
Sandwich Tern 6
Gannet 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2
Kingfisher 1
Blackcap 10+
Common Whitethroat 3
Chiffchaff 4
Willow Warbler 3
Bullfinch 2
Wheatear 3
Swallow 400+

On a different tack, I could write thousands of words on what I feel about the direction the RSPB is heading, but in a glorious piece of serendipity this little quote from RSPB Starbuck’s website sums it up for me much more succinctly than I ever could:

“My husband and I often visit on a Saturday afternoon. It's a real treat. There's always something interesting to see at this lovely spot and the coffee, cakes and view (sic) from the café are just great. “ Jane Turner

Until later, or hasta luego – off to Spain again for a short break!!

Odds and Sods

It’s been fairly quiet down at the Point of Ayr this week. The exception being a Kingfisher that has taken up residency on the pool next to the path that leads to the old colliery site.

The water looks grim, and resembles a smaller version of the uber-polluted lakes that you used to see in next to chemical plants in some poor ex-Soviet bloc satellite country.

Still, it seems fairly content there, although it is often buried right at the back of a cluster of dead branches – almost as if it is slightly ashamed to be fishing in such a dirty pond.

The odd Wheatear on the seawall past the old hide, plus a few common warblers have been the only signs of passerine migration, although on the wader front I did catch up with a group of circa three hundred Ringed Plover feeding on the mud yesterday when out gathering some Marsh Samphire.

General wader numbers seem to building, and also the first Pintail and Wigeon have returned to the Point – both species before August was out.

Until later.