Malvern Choughs on first day of summer break

Malvern Chough

Chough hang out

Stunning Malvern

Grayling

Small Heath

Gert & Mike from Upton were also looking for Grayling

Ready for walk ahead

Malvern view

I've got plenty of leave coming up this summer and autumn due to some lengthy extra hours managing a project at work. I took a couple of extra days to my annual week in August to get rid of a couple of days. 

My first day off was spend on the Malvern Hills which is just a couple of junctions down the M5. Two juvenile Choughs had been seen on the Herefordshire Beacon so given the super weather I headed up to explore. The previous afternoon the birds had disapperared for a few hours so I thought it might not be an easy task. Thankfully, the Chough couldn't have been any more confiding with the pair showing down to 15 feet not taking any notice of the couple of admirers.

From there I headed across to North Hill where I observed my first Grayling butterfly. This was a real scramble (in case you were thinking of going). I also noted a Small Heath & a Hummingbird Hawk Moth. 

Cornish Capers (Part 5) - Chough & pasties

Chough

Raven

One for the collection

All set for journey back

Shadow shot

Botallack

Bar the returning journey on the pelagic sailing & the following morning we were really blessed with some fantastic weather throughout our three days in Cornwall. With the weather looking glorious we visited at Botallack. Botallack was once a busy industrial landscape but now entertains tourists as part of the Cornish Mining World heritage site and was also featured in Poldark.

Botallack is home to breeding Chough who made us wait a short while for an appearance. Their arrival was dramatic as always, flying in high over us from the north before diving deep into a cliff top crevice. 

We headed back to the M5 and our homeward bound journey to the Midlands. Three superb days, great company and fantastic birds. 

North Wales - Day 2 - South Stack & plenty of Terns

 Conwy Valley

 South Stack Lighthouse

 South Stack - Land of the Choughs

Sandwich Terns

 Red Breasted Merganser

 Sandwich Tern 

Arctic Tern nest building

Cemlyn Bay Lagoon 

 Pied Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher

The village in which I was staying (Rowan) had converted the local phone box into a library which had a number of local walks so given I was up at 5.30 I thought I’d try an hours walk before breakfast. After walking for about 35 minutes a Spotted Flycatcher caught me eye flicking it’s tail catching flies. A great find, most pleasing. After passing through the field I came to a old farm where I found a male and female Common Redstart. The male was clearly trying to court the female, sadly the dull light didn’t enable me to get a photograph but it would have been hard to really capture the stunning image in front of me.

After breakfast we all headed off to Anglesey in awful weather however on arrival at RSPB South Stack the skies cleared allowing fantastic views of all the seabirds including Guillemot, Razorbill, Fulmar and Great Black-backed Gulls. My Puffin search was not going to plan until one finally popped out of a burrow on the light house side of the cliffs. I also located a Rock Pipit feeding on the cliffs. The best bird at South Stack in my opinion is the fantastic Chough. The views were superb of these glossy metallic looking birds and their aerobatic flying could be seen at its best in the wind. Inside the Ellis Tower there was a camera showing the Chough youngsters on the nest. After a lovely coffee and cake we headed back through the heather where there were Stonechats and Swallows.

Cemlyn Bay is a beautiful place that is practically ruined by the power station however the wildlife is fantastic. From the moment we got out of the car Arctic & Sandwich Terns passed over our heads while on the coast line 14 Ringed Plover were keeping company with six Turstones and eight Dunlin. The Tern colony was full of action with the birds establishing territory’s ahead of the breeding season. If you have never visited I’d urge you to. When heading back to car a pair of Red-breasted Merganser came into view whilst a Little Egret fed on the edge of the lagoon by an Oystercatcher. We then had a slow drive round the rest of the island before heading towards home. A quick stop looking for Dippers was rewarded with a calling Pied Flycatcher and Grey Wagtail. A quality day out.

Biggest Twitch day out in North Wales

 Sunrise at RSPB Conwy

Conwy Valley

Greenshank

 Goldeneye

 Wader Fest

Tre Felin

 Glaucous Gull

 Alan and Ruth scanning on Beddmanarch Bay

 Gulls on Beddmanarch Bay

RSPB Conwy was the meeting place with Alan and Ruth Miller from famous Biggest Twitch. A big day was certainly on the agenda with these world birding record breakers. We were also joined by a lovely local birder called Jane. As we packed up the cars a Buzzard flew low over the car park hounded by a Herring Gull.

The beautiful Conwy Valley was our first destination where 5 Hawfinches greeted our arrival. The site was very picturesque and looked over a river and water meadows. A Red Kite and a Peregrine gave us a fly pass whilst Canadian Geese moved through the valley.

It was back to Conwy for an aerial view of the RSPB reserve from a sneaky car parking. This cheeky spot enabled us to see Scaup, Goldeneye, Pochard and Tufted Duck. 

Sea watching at Llanfairfechan was next on the agenda. Alan quickly put us on a Red-throated Diver and then a close Great Northern Diver. It was a real treat to see Divers on the sea rather than the lakes that I'm used to. In addition a Kittiwake flew across the sea and there were a number of Great Crested Grebes.

Next habitat was another coastal gem of a place named Aber Gowen. There were birds every where. A Greenshank was ridiculously close in front of our parking pitch whilst waders fed along the shore line. These included Redshank, Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Bar-Tailed Godwits the variation was stunning. Off shore I saw my first Slavorian Grebe which I was delighted with. Alan then pulled out another gem by finding a Spotted Redshank, never an easy bird to see in and around my Midlands base. Ruth kindly made us all a welcome hot drink and we treated ourselves to some fantastic cake made by Jane. If Jane were to start a bakery mail order business I will be ordering in bulk ! 

Recharged and ready to go we spotted (on a local river) a Dipper in action. Brilliant views once again. Two Jays were also seen in the trees.

Beddmanarch Bay was just brilliant, quality birds all over the place. I'd never seen Pale Bellied Brent Geese before and there were around 100 showing very well. The light wasn't great around this time so photos were difficult to obtain. 2 Grey Plover, Bar Tailed Godwits, Curlew, Oystercatcher were all on display before we headed off to our next destination. As we were coming to the end of the Causeway a large white blob was clear to see on the shore line. Alan parked quickly sensing a mega gull. He was not disappointed it was in fact a large bulky Glaucous Gull. This chap was a beast and looked ready for a wrestling match he was that big.

It was then time for lunch at RSPB South Stack. As we filled our faces Chough, Raven and 5 Rock Pipets were visible. 5 Rock Pipets ! I'd only ever seen one before. 

Hollyhead Harbour held the next set of beauties for us. From a great viewing spot we observed Shags, Black Guillemots, 2 Great Northern Diver, Common Guillemot, Razorbill, Kittiwakes, Common Gull, Turnstone and Red-Breasted Mergansers. 

As we turned for home we watched a female Long Tailed Duck at RSPB Valley Lakes Nature Reserve accompanied with Goldeneye, Shoveller, Pochard as if we hadn't had enough treats. I do love Long Tailed Ducks. 

At Aberffraw, Sparrowhawk, Fieldfare, Redwing and Common Snipe were all added to an impressive day list  which was increased further at Malltraeth where Golden Plover were on the estuary. 30 Pintail gave us a final encore on the Cob Pool.

The 2 3/4 hour drive back in the dark and the rain wasn't the best however the day had been just fantastic. I'd urge anyone to look Ruth and Alan up if you are heading to that part of the world and I will be definitely seeing them again. A fantastic Christmas present from the wife.

91 Species on the day list and 22 for the Year list which has moved nicely to 132. (131 on Bird Track, need to find missing one)