New Bird for Rhaslas

MERRY CHRISTMAS lads and to all our blog viewers, also have a great new year and I look forward to birding with you in the New Year. Lets hope it's a cracker. This new bird was found by Mike after two crates of Spitfire, if we don't laugh we would go off our heads pmsl.

Quiet Sunday

I visited the lake on Friday afternoon  and there was no sign of the Great White Egret so I thought I had given it the kiss of death after I told Phil the egret could be good for a year tick for 2019. I took some seed for the swans, as I was  feeding them I counted them casually and I thought how are there 17. On counting them several times more I found there were indeed 17 and this is the highest count so far. I noticed the one with the yellow ring was back and she had a mate. I sent the details to the BTO  again and I hope this time they can find her has I would love to know where she is from.

Rewind back to Sunday morning and I was going to my daughter’s house to paint and I needed a chill out hour so I took some more food down for the swans but they were back to 15 and the one with the ring had gone again. I noticed one of the swans had got a lump on her face, at first glance she looks fine but then she turns around and you can see it, so I am beginning  to wonder if maybe there is a fish hook in there. It seems every time I go over there I am picking up fish line, these anglers are dirty sods.

This is list of what I had this morning 5 Goosander, the two drakes were fighting like hell and you would think three female would be enough to kill any Drake. 16 Little Grebe, 4 Cormorant, 25 Mallard, 36 Coot, 11 Moorhen, 15 Mute Swan, 2 Common Snipe, 1 Grey Heron and just has I was  about to  leave the Great White Egret came in. It came from up the valley and landed in the reed bed so  it could be roosting in the lower Tir Founder Fields. It's great to think it's been here for two weeks has far as we know.

This afternoon after painting I thought I will pop up Cwm Cadlan for hour and see if I can find a Jack Snipe but has I got to Hirwaun you could see the fog over the quarry so there was no point going up.  I had Munch with me and he needed a walk and was giving me stinking looks so I went up Craig Llyn instead and yes still fog. Bird wise it was dead, best birds were three Lesser Redpoll feeding along the forestry road. I walked across the dam and Munch jumped in the reservoir when I was not looking, he came straight back out, I think the water was a tad cold. The best thing I found was this Stags Horn Club Moss  which is new for me and it just shows it doesn't matter how many times you do the same walk there always new stuff to be found and thank you Mark for ID.

Last webs of the year

After the thought of working Sunday, getting up to do my Webs count, it was emptying down, the rain and wind was hitting the window, I thought I need another coffee and for a second I thought I am turning into one of these fine weather birders and that has never been me. So I went straight to Abercwmboi Lake to get my last webs of the year done and has I got  there I noticed there was a white bird in the distant. At a glance I thought that swan has got a long neck and it was only when I picked my bins up I thought with a neck like that it has to be Great White Egret. The Grey Heron with it kept chasing it off and it was getting a bit closer each time. I phoned Phil and I expected to hear him say we are down Porthcawl and there are birds everywhere but I was surprised to hear he was home. He said he was putting his willies on and was coming up for the Egret straight away. I know they are  getting more common but still a big one for the valleys. It was like the Great Spotted Cuckoo all over again, the egret took off a couple of times and I was thinking how I am going tell him it's flew off. When he finally turned up he told me he had walked through the stream and filled his willies in the process, boy was I relieved when he got there and it was still present. The egret seemed  to be quite settled so we carried on doing my webs. It was great the 15 Mute Swans were still on the lake we also had two flocks of Little Grebes (16 in total) fly in, it takes some getting use to seeing them in a flock. There were 36 Coot, 16 Moorhen, 25 Mallard and my first Tufted Duck of the winter. To finish  there were two Greylag Geese and two Cormorant and it was all done for another year .

 I went back at one pm in between showers and I photographed the swans. The Egret popped out in the back of the reeds and carried on feeding so I went back to the swans and just I turned around the egret took off and flew right over me and boy was I glad he did not white wash me as he went over. As I stood there I could still see the egret feeding to my left when I also heard a Water Rail calling, it's been a long time since I heard one here last.

Day Trip to the coast

Mr Bell, Phil and myself decided on Saturday night the conditions for a sea watch could be
ok on Sunday, the wind was not really right for Porthcawl being a west south west and
not south west which is the best plus the high tide was in the afternoon. But what the hell its always nice to get out and just have a go. We got there nice and early, set up and straight away we got a couple of hundred Black Headed Gulls going though and about a dozen Med Gulls. Common Gulls as well but apart from two Common Scoters going down channel it was dead and the main highlight was a massive flock of Starlings going over, there must have been two thousand birds in the flock and a brilliant sight to see. But we did last longer than normal well over 5 minutes in fact which is our record.

Right Plan B was Kenfig Pool and Sker. We had a quick check for Little Owl at Sker Farm but had no joy and then headed down to the sea and on passing Sker pool there was a single Redshank on the shore but it took one look at us and was gone. As I still need Jack Snipe for the year I had a walk around the back of the pool, it did look good for snipe but sadly not today. As I stood there I looked down and saw what I thought was a dog toy first but was a pinky coloured fish and on looking closer could see it was real. I called the boys over to have a look, it's eyes looked clear and it was still in good condition and looked fresh. We thought it could be a John Dory and had most likely been dropped by a gull has we are not that close to the sea for it to get here under its own steam. So the boys decided we should, meaning me should take it to the centre for Dave Carrington the warden to have a look at it. We met Tate Lloyd there and his family and Tate said its a Boarfish. I had never heard of one and fair play he was spot on. It's a deep water fish and they get blown in with stormy weather. On checking it is found in welsh waters and in the south west. We also did Kenfig pool and got the Slavonian Grebe within minutes also at the pool was another Redshank and a very smart drake Goldeneye and for a change quite a number of ducks, they were mostly Tufted, Pochard, Gadwall and a nice flock of Teal. Also there was reasonable numbers of Common Gull.

I found this Frog around the back or is it a Toad mmm of the pool and it looks like a Heron or egret as had it . When we go sea watching this is how I like it and blowing a gale and yes old photo.

Shrikeless[2]

Checked the Neuadd this morning and noted the above, which both appeared to be, "too fat to move" ding ding. So avast there; I'm offering a pint of rum [Diplomatica Reserva Exclusiva] to the first man that finds a shrike [any shrike] on our north glam patch. Hic

Shrikeless

Quiet times at the moment but good birds to the north and south, we've got to be next. Checked the Neuadd this morning but quiet, save for yet another kestrel, must be their best autumn for a long time. TG at Llwyn_onn had one swooping down onto a passing goshawk, what are they on? Once again a nice pale buzzard at Pontsticill reservoir, image taken from car but as soon as I switched off the engine it was gone, oh hum. Short-eared owl at Cwm Cadlan on the 5th and female merlin south of Rhaslas on the 12th plus all the usual suspects.

Best bird seen in Cornwall.

The two Martin's and myself found this corker of a bird on our recent trip down to Cornwall. Best bird of the today was the common consensus. We did wonder however if Mike had been down before us !!!!!!.