an owl or two

With the Pallid Swift not re-appearing after the rain eventually stopped yesterday, I decided to head to Llanrhidian Marsh after coaching, to catch up with the owl and harrier fest that has been reported there recently.

I arrived about 10 past 3 and was informed by the only birder there that a couple of ring-tail's and Shorties were already on show. Quickly setting up the scope, the first bird I locked on to was a Short-eared Owl, quickly followed by one of the ring-tail Hen Harriers.

In total we had 3 Hen Harriers - all ring-tails, 7 Shorties (there may have been more, but 7 was the largest single sweep count, but birds were dropping and rising all the time), 4 Kestrel, 1 Merlin, 1 Red Kite, 1 Buzzard, 3 Great White Egrets (I only managed 2) and a single Green Sandpiper. We also had several waves of Starling heading over towards Swansea to roost, One wave must of contained close to 200,000 birds and must have been over a mile in length. In all I recon somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 a million Starlings must of passed over!

Post Script: On entering my sightings into Birdtrack, I was somewhat surprised to discover that the 4 Kestrel, nor the 3 Hen Harriers, or even the 7 Shorties constitute a "unusually high count", particularly strange when 2 Dipper pass that threshold!

More Record Shots From Peru

American Pygmy Kingfisher

Anhinga

Blue Cheeked Jacamar

Collared Puffbird

Species not known

Oilbird

Swallow Tailed Kite

White Necked Jacobon

Golden Tailed Sapphire

Rufous Crested Coquette

Peru Photos

Some photos from the first week of my trip to Northern Peru before my camera packed up.

Black Collared Hawk

Common Potoo

Hoatzin

Yellow Headed Carcara

Large Billed Tern

Great Potoo

White Winged Swallow



Wattled Jacana

Horned Sceamer

White Eared Jacamar

Aberdare Park Last week

There were lots of Grey Squirrels in the park and all were looking or burying their nuts for the winter. People may love or hate them but I find them great fun to watch and are  proper characters.

 The resident Eyptian Geese are still present and looking real well.

There was loads of Canada Geese present and lots with rust on their bellies and looking like a subspecies. Nice too see so many and maybe worth keeping a eye out if they travelling anywhere else in the valleys.

This Greylag hybrid is the one from Tir Founder Fields and for a long time had a damaged wing but it moulted the damaged feather out and can now fly with the other geese. There were a couple of Gulls in the park and all seemed too be Juv Herring Gulls. It was nice too see so much wildlife on your door step and I will be going back again.

Everything has gone grey

Heavy cold, stiff neck and now fog with silent dripping hedgerows, bugger. The best bird in days was the above brambling, 1 of 2 birds, with the chaffinch[c35] flock foraging at the car park, north east corner of Pontstic reservoir this afternoon.

Great Memories

Great times, good company and lots of banter and it's coming up to that time again Christmas and thought it would be nice to have a Christmas dinner stroke meal boys. I have spoke to some of you and you seemed up for it and would be a good way to meet up and chill. I was thinking maybe Pontypridd with Whetherspoons and Chinese next door but open for ideas on the meeting place and date. It would be nice if Mike's sock draw is in order and he could come to and even if it's just to buy us ice cream. Any thoughts would be great and time is getting on so the sooner the better.

Garw nant

I've been laid up with the dreaded warblers neck (your fault Bevan) but hearing that a great grey shrike had been found at RGW I was determined to drag myself away from the fridge (I haven't been drinking just had my head in there) and venture out. Garw nant was very quiet, no foraging flocks except c12 long-tailed tits, everything else in single figures and then, and then! in the Sitka, bordering the north clear fell a grumpy barn owl, the day was made. I checked both clear-fell areas and the Cwm Cadlan road but no shrike. Next was the Neuadd reservoirs, again very quiet and no shrike. Called in at Rhaslas close to dusk hoping for a short-eared owl but no luck, just; wigeon[27] and tufted duck[29].