25th February

A surprisingly nice day with lighter winds and some bright spells; first stop in the morning was Penrhos Coastal Park where an adult Mediterranean Gull on the beach by the carpark was the highlight before a scan of some floodwater along the A5 at Valley produced 4 Black-tailed Godwits and 35 Shoveler along with plenty of Oystercatchers, Redshanks, Wigeon etc.   A look at the mouth of the River Alaw (spotted from across the water at Penrhos as a likely site!) then produced an adult male Peregrine which missed a Bar-tailed Godwit out over the water by inches and a good total of 205 Pale-bellied Brent Geese.   A random drive around was then highlighted by another adult Mediterranean Gull in fields by Trearddur Bay and a smart adult male Sparrowhawk at Roscolyn Bay.

Mediterranean Gull

Peregrine action

More Pale-bellied Brent Geese

24th February

Inevitably still very windy but a bit brighter in the afternoon than it has been with a walk around Lligwy Bay up to Dulas Bay late morning producing two Black Guillemots offshore and a few waders roosting in fields at high tide including a single Sanderling with 224 Dunlin and 33 Ringed Plover.   A productive little look at Red Wharf Bay on the dropping tide then produced brilliant views of the male Snow Bunting which has been lingering here, a good total of 51 Pale-bellied Brent Geese (including three darvic ringed birds), a single Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 2 Greenshank, 3 Little Egrets and 80+ Wigeon.

Snow Bunting

Greenshank

Dark-bellied Brent Goose in with the pale-bellies

Pale-bellied Brent Geese

20th and 21st February

A few more days up in North Wales (but it generally involved sitting in the van, reading a book while the gale force winds and heavy, driving rain raged about me!); the little bits of note comprised an adult male Peregrine along the shore at Llandulas on the 20th before a look along the shore between Caernarfon and Foryd Bay at low tide produced another adult male Peregrine perched on a sandbank in in middle of the straits, a Merlin, a single Dark-bellied Brent Goose with a total of 125 Pale-bellied Brent Geese scattered along the shore and a few waders including a Grey Plover, 7 Greenshank and 300+ Dunlin.   The next morning, bang on high tide birds at The Spinnies included 26 Goldeneye, 7 Red-breasted Mergansers, 6 Little Egrets, 37+ Great-crested Grebes, 450+ Dunlin, a good 12 Greenshank, 235+ Redshank and a Kittiwake.

Peregrine at Llandulas

Pale-bellied Brent Geese at Foryd Bay

Rock Pipit at Foryd Bay

(All these look like it was a lovely sunny day, they were all taken in the late afternoon on the 20th before the 21st was a complete write off!)

Fighting Great-crested Grebes in Foryd Bay

SPURN - 4th January

Still breezy but nice and sunny through the day; a walk along the Humber to just beyond Sammie’s in the morning produced 57 White-fronted Geese (20 juveniles) and 94 Pink-footed Geese in fields north of Sammie’s, a Red Kite which flew north up the river over Sammie’s (probably my first at Spurn!), a Marsh Harrier also going up the Humber and scattered flocks of Brents containing 11 Barnacle Geese and a Pale-bellied Brent Goose.   

A drive to the two sites on the Humber in the afternoon then produced a Merlin at Skeffling while during a pleasant couple of hours at Welwick in the easing wind there were 3 Short-eared Owls showing well, a ringtail Hen Harrier and 6+ Kestrels.   Also of note through the day were the two Long-tailed Tits and a female Blackcap at Kew, the 14 Whooper Swans still and an excellent covey of 13 Grey Partridges at Grange Farm along Easington Straight at dusk.

Red Kite

Marsh Harrier

Hen Harrier at Welwick

Pale-bellied Brent Goose with Barnacles and Dark-bellied Brents

NORTH RONALDSAY - 1st November

The wind had picked up to a strong westerly bringing frequent, heavy showers; I walked the northern census route in the afternoon where birds included a single Pale-bellied Brent Goose on the sea at Bewan (only the second of the year), 8 Pintail and 3 Gadwall on Bewan where 5 Whooper Swans also came in across the sea, 3 Great-northern Divers, 3 Red-throated Divers, a Common Redpoll at the Beacon and 2 Snow Buntings.

Brent Goose

Snow Buntings