Trip to the Seaside

I needed to escape the valley for a couple hours so myself and Phil decided to go and look for the Rosy Starling at Aberavon. We got there in good time and met Cardiff birder Steve Howcroft, it was nice to put a face to the name. We searched the area very well and saw loads of common starling but just could not find the right starling. We spotted Graham Powell and Martin Bell so Phil thought he would phone Martin who had not seen us and had a good chuckle when we seen him scrabbling for his phone. We told him if he cannot see us standing there he had little or no chance of seeing the rosy. We went over to him and so check a different area, eventually and we managed to pick the rosy out in the distant sitting a televison aerial. It was great too see a adult in the UK, for myself and Phil had both only seen juv's in the past. When we there we started feeding the starlings and was hoping to pull the rosy closer and it did not play ball. But found this Adult Med Gull and a Black Headed Gull with one leg which seemed to be coping with one leg well. Also when looking for the starling we found a Beetle on the flowers near the river, they seemed to be everywhere and it turned out to be Sulphur Beetle which was new for use.

Next we visited Kenfig pool to look for the almost resident Great White Egret and after a bit of seaching and debate over a white carrier bag in the bushes on the far side of the lake the real one flew past us and give brilliant views and unblocked a local bogey bird for the year for myself and Phil. Also on site there were loads of Common Darters, we also found this one Ruddy Darter and a cracking male Black Tailed Skimmer, a nice one for the year list. Last of all we stopped at Cwm Cadlan reserve on the way home and saw this Golden Ringed Dragonfly. I am never tried of seeing this brilliant dragonfly