After a few trips where we seemed to maintain the quality of birding throughout the day, today we returned to a more normal service where the day starts well but gets quieter as the day progresses.
It was an early start - nothing new there - for myself, Phil and Martin Bevan, picking Martin up at 6am, as we headed down the Gower for the day. Whiteford, and the long walk round the point was first up, though we new Phil was going to struggle from the off, when he missed the car park entrance at Cwm Ivy.
A slow walk down through Cwm Ivy and the first block of conifers was rewarded when I pulled out my 5th Firecrest of the year.A series of heavy showers saw us take shelter in the hide, for the first coffee of the day. Martin decided the waterproof over trousers were in order so on the went before we resumed the walk out to the point and back. Walking out we had double figures of Snipe and 3 - 5 Jack Snipe, but otherwise there was little life to grab our attention until we reached the Lougher mouth, with the exception of a lone Whooper Swan flying over. Most of the wintering Brent Geese were feeding on the exposed shore, a few Red-breasted Mergansers and Great Crested Grebe, hunted the river channels, with masses of, predominantly, Herring Gulls. Oyk's, Curlew, Grey Plover and Turnstones were the waders of note, though Phil and Martin found a couple of Ringed Plover.
I found, and quickly lost a Slav Grebe, and then a Long-tailed Duck, appeared and disappeared just as quickly. I eventually managed to get both Phil and Martin onto the Long-tailed Duck, bore we found a second one. The Slav also eventually gave itself up - though it was rarely surfacing for any time.
The Eider were eventually picked up near the old lighthouse and a single Great Northern Diver and Common Scoter were also located. Martin also found a washed up Cuttlefish. Normally all we find are Cuttlefish "bones" but this was the entire animal - about 450mm in length, so quite a big animal. The upper side showing a nice herringbone pattern.
From Whiteford, we crossed the Gower to try for Dartford Warbs -a species which has become a bit of a nemesis for us all in the past few years. Suffice to say now sign of any Dartfords - though the wind was probably the main cause of that. Slight compensation in a couple of Chough and a female Black Oil Beetle Meloe proscarbaeus.
Back across to the north side of the Gower and Llanrhidian, where a couple of Great White Egrets were the stand out, along with some 800+ Golden Plover near Coity.
I then took the pair out to Salthouse Point - a site tick for both Phil and Martin - were we managed to find a distant Spoonbill on the Carmarthenshire shoreline.
It was an early start - nothing new there - for myself, Phil and Martin Bevan, picking Martin up at 6am, as we headed down the Gower for the day. Whiteford, and the long walk round the point was first up, though we new Phil was going to struggle from the off, when he missed the car park entrance at Cwm Ivy.
A slow walk down through Cwm Ivy and the first block of conifers was rewarded when I pulled out my 5th Firecrest of the year.A series of heavy showers saw us take shelter in the hide, for the first coffee of the day. Martin decided the waterproof over trousers were in order so on the went before we resumed the walk out to the point and back. Walking out we had double figures of Snipe and 3 - 5 Jack Snipe, but otherwise there was little life to grab our attention until we reached the Lougher mouth, with the exception of a lone Whooper Swan flying over. Most of the wintering Brent Geese were feeding on the exposed shore, a few Red-breasted Mergansers and Great Crested Grebe, hunted the river channels, with masses of, predominantly, Herring Gulls. Oyk's, Curlew, Grey Plover and Turnstones were the waders of note, though Phil and Martin found a couple of Ringed Plover.
I found, and quickly lost a Slav Grebe, and then a Long-tailed Duck, appeared and disappeared just as quickly. I eventually managed to get both Phil and Martin onto the Long-tailed Duck, bore we found a second one. The Slav also eventually gave itself up - though it was rarely surfacing for any time.
The Eider were eventually picked up near the old lighthouse and a single Great Northern Diver and Common Scoter were also located. Martin also found a washed up Cuttlefish. Normally all we find are Cuttlefish "bones" but this was the entire animal - about 450mm in length, so quite a big animal. The upper side showing a nice herringbone pattern.
From Whiteford, we crossed the Gower to try for Dartford Warbs -a species which has become a bit of a nemesis for us all in the past few years. Suffice to say now sign of any Dartfords - though the wind was probably the main cause of that. Slight compensation in a couple of Chough and a female Black Oil Beetle Meloe proscarbaeus.
I then took the pair out to Salthouse Point - a site tick for both Phil and Martin - were we managed to find a distant Spoonbill on the Carmarthenshire shoreline.
Yes Mart nice day out and Salthouse point real good
ReplyDelete