18th February

Spent the day in North Wales, starting off at World’s End above Llangollen where there were 11 Black Grouse seen on the hill – all cocks, looking quite miserable in the rainy, windy conditions, not doing much displaying!   Other birds of note through the day included 180 Pale-bellied Brent Geese on the Dee Estuary at Bagillt (plus another 28 at the Point of Ayr), 2 Black Guillemots off Llandudno Pier (the only sheltered spot in the brisk, cold, showery SW wind) where there were also 4 Eiders, Guillemots and a couple of Gannets and Kittiwakes and a single Velvet Scoter seen with 400+ Common Scoter off Llandulas.

Jackdaw