Sunday 24 February 2013

                                          FIRECREST.


North Wales revisited.............started day at Flint Castle, flock of birds on salt marsh, flew up onto castle walls. Good views thru scope.....54 twite.

Next stop Kimnel Bay.......walked along towards viewing platform, met ringing group who had just cannon netted over 100 sanderlings and ringed plover.Spent some time watching ringing, weighing then on about 100yds to see snow buntings, 9 birds on beach, only 20yds away at one stage.

Llandulas.............much too choppy to pick anything unusual out of scoter flock offshore, 1 red throated diver and lots of great crested grebes.

Time for coffee and cake at Conway RSPB..........no sign of firecrest.

Llanbedr church..........no sign of hawfinch.
Caerhun.............no sign of hawfinch.
2 red kite, 2 raven, 1 peregrine, buzzard.......in Conway valley.

Last stop......sewage works at Morfa Madryn.   First bird as soon as I got out of car.....a crest.....but just a goldcrest. Also treecreeper, long tailed tit and great spotted woodpecker. Then more goldcrests, and then low in hedge right next to gates to sewage works.......a stunner........a FIRECREST......a lifer for me and what a great little bird. Really bright compared to goldcrests which were feeding with it. Big white eye stripe and very bright on shoulders, possibly a male. Even managed to get a picture, but as you can see, not great, but it was quite gloomy and the firecrest was very mobile. Watched it for about 15 min, came as close as 10 yds.


Sean.

2 comments:

Keefy said...

Nice one Sean

Laura said...

Fire and Snow Sean, quite a day you had. Were all Jealous