Where were you?

With the strong winds entering a third day, the lure of a seawatch at the Point of Ayr was just too strong.

Given that I am still without motorised transport, it was time for the bicycle to make an appearance and after forty five minutes free-wheeling downhill I was ensconced in the dunes by first light.

Initial signs were encouraging: many Terns, Manxies and Gannets were battling against the strong westerly wind. The Manxies in particular were visibly jaded, with most of the birds unusually lethargic – the last few days had obviously drained them of energy.

With so many seabirds passing by it was surely a matter of time before a Skua or a Petrel made an appearance, but two and a half hours later I was still waiting.

I was about to call time when I picked up a gull just behind the Dee Light. I was hard to be one hundred percent due to the distance, but it looked good for a juvenile Sabine’s Gull, but without conclusive views, a young Kittiwake could not be ruled out. Ho Hum.

After loading up the panniers, I headed over the site of the old hide (now sadly looking very overgrown), for a quick scan of the marsh.

The tide was a good way out, so the waders were scattered far and wide. Still a Whimbrel was good and a flyby Kingfisher a welcome boon before the long slog back to Lloc…

Until later.

Well, it was here just a second ago...

An early morning excursion to the River Clwyd was the order of the day and despite the trying conditions, a handful of decent birds were rinsed out of the gloom.

It could have been worse had the forecast rain materialised – I say ‘forecast’ here in the loosest sense of the word given the recent BBC meteorological soothsayers have been about as reliable as a dodgy Lancia (or 02 plate Vauxhall Astra for that matter).

Anyway, the strong wind (again, not forecast) made things a little tough, especially for somebody as nesh as me. I’ll shut up about the weather soon, but being British it’s in my blood.

The assembled waders were also a little skittish, probably due to the bone-chilling autumnal gusts driving across the estuary. (There I go again, I just can’t help it).

However, brave soldiers that Tony, Mark and I are (not that there are many cowardly ones - I think they tended to be shot by a firing squad), we battled on and located a couple of Greenshanks and a lonesome juvenile Knot.

The main shorebird shenanigans were further up opposite the mouth of the Gele though, so after losing Tony hors de combat, a quick yomp further up the river was the order of the day.

And it paid dividends too – the waders were within a stone’s throw from the cycle path. After hunkering down on an old tree stump it wasn’t long before a juvenile Little Stint was winkled out from the Dunlin and Ringed Plover.

It darted about like a toddler on e-numbers, hence the lovely image above. It was the first one I had seen for over two years too and the closest I have ever seen one. Grand.

And did I tell you about the weather…

River Clwyd 3.9.11

1 Little Stint (juv)
3 Greenshank
1 Bar-tailed Godwit
50+ Dunlin
50+ Ringed Plover
1 Bar-tailed Godwit
1 Knot
1 Snipe
3 Goosander
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Wheatear
14 Turnstone


Until later

Klan Ringing Group

Whilst browsing the ‘We Bird North Wales’ site - the new birding webpage for refugees from the NWBF – I cam across perhaps the most bizarre birding image I have ever come across.

It was from the SCAN clamping group after yet another of their highly scientific and effective ringing sessions at a swallow roost.

Quite what the taker of the image had in mind I can only begin to speculate, but one thing it did remind me of was the rather macabre images a certain organisation from America’s Deep South used to release after carrying out one of their infamous lynchings.

I then scrolled down to a picture taken from last year's Christmas Party and I did begin to wonder…

Until later.

Red-vent horizon

A profitable four hours was spent at Connah’s Quay late morning and early afternoon, with a fly-through Hobby, a Grey Wagtail and a single Golden Plover the more unusual birds.

As is typical at this time of year, the best birding to be had though was the magnificent spectacle of thousands of wading birds trying to outwit the incoming tide.

Oystercatchers and Black-tailed Godwits were legion, with fewer numbers of Knot and Redshank.

Unfortunately most of the action took place a good way from the West Hide over towards Flint, precluding close scrutiny of the waders.

More amenable were the ‘shanks on the Bunded Pools – amongst the hundreds of Redshanks Mark Murphy and I managed to extract at least five Spotted Redshanks and about ten Greenshanks.

The local Peregrines put on a good turn too, hunting in tandem; the female did the spooking whilst the male was tasked with the actual hunting – something it summarily failed to bring to a successful conclusion.

Until later.

When was year dot?

It was with no surprise that I read an article in the Daily Telegraph detailing the decline in pan-European numbers of farmland birds.

We all know the reasons: intensification of agriculture, pesticides, yadda, yadda, but what we are never told is what the conservation bodies deem to be a minimum acceptable population.

Declines are measured against an arbitrary year in the past, probably, one imagines, the one that produces the sharpest decrease in numbers.

What it is worth mentioning is that many – if not all – of these species have benefited from the fact that many of their ‘traditional’ areas were once pristine, native forest that was cleared by human beings.

Maybe, the numbers we see now are perhaps true reflections of the populations of these species say 1,000 or 2,000 years ago and the real losers are woodland birds.

It all depends really on where you set the starting point…

It would be extremely interesting to see the BTO or the RSPB produce a document with the desired minimum populations of all species of birds breeding in the United – Kingdom - at least then there would be a target to aim for.

I imagine the line from both these organisations would be that we want as many as possible, but I’m afraid in today’s world that simply isn’t realistic.

With established figures, work could then begin on establishing enough habitats for the birds to breed in.

Not been out much recently – at least to proper birding locations – due to the lack of a vehicle. Cars are just getting too bloody expensive, so a switch to two wheels as oppose to four is one the cards.

It will be interesting to see how difficult it will be to carry kit around without my motor – especially all the paraphernalia that goes with a seawatch!

Until later.