Ynyslas

Still some Golden Plover at Ynyslas this afternoon - I couldn't count them because they were scampering about amongst rocks and I didn't want to get too close - and 4 Ringed Plover.

Lesser Redpoll

Alongside our usual 30+ (this winter) goldfinches and half a dozen siskins we have been getting regular visits from (a pair?) of lesser redpolls at our feeding station, going for the nijer seed.

Dave Lucas (Felinfach)

Iceland Gull --- Teifi

An Ad. Iceland Gull this evening plus new waders.

See Pembs. Birds

Ynyslas

At Ynyslas in misty, damp air this afternoon I saw 2 Ringed Plover, c40 Golden Plover and my first 2 Ceredigion Swallows of the year.

Swallows

4 Swallows at Aberystwyth Harbour Sunday afternoon.

John Woodruff

Sand Martins -- Ystwyth

A party of about eight Sand Martins along the Ystwyth Trail beside the river - below Pendinas this afternoon.

Greenland White-fronted Geese

John Davis and I visited Ynys-hir this morning. We had beautiful sunshine and got some very good birds from the Breakwater Hide including -
Greenland White-fronted Goose 30, Bar-tailed Godwit 22, Red-breasted Merganser 14 and Redshank 76. We also had a stunning, close-up view of a Raven and heard but didn't see a Water Rail.

Sand Martins -- Teifi

Quiet Still!
The Marshes;-
A couple of parties of Sand Martins through this afternoon/evening, c10 & c25.
Jewsons;-
The wintering Common Sandpiper still present.
(Wendy & Rich D.)

Green Woodpecker etc

A Green Woodpecker was calling in the region of Ysbyty Cynfyn - Parsons Bridge - this morning. Also a battle between a Red Kite and Peregrine - the latter won on speed! Several Wheatears around the Ponterwyd area.

Golden plover Ynyslas

About 200 golden plover shivering in summer dress on a very cold and windy Ynyslas beach yesterday. 6 sanderling still wisely clad in pure white winter attire. Male kestrel flew low across my garden.

Last Thursday (19th March) at Mwnt 2 wheatear and 2 chough. Passing gannets and a kestrel chasing meadow pipits at Pen Peles. Stonechats noticeable by their absence along this stretch of the coast path, normally singing from every other bush at this time of year there was only a single male on Mwnt headland.

Peewits

A pair of Peewits giving a wonderful arial and vocal dispaly on Banc Brysgaga - above Bow Street - this afternoon

Llyn Blaenmelindwr

We went up to Llyn Blaenmelindwr last night. The Bewicks was there with 4 Whooper Swans. There were also a male and female Tufted Duck and 4 Canada Geese.

Matt and Charly Potter

TY GWYN POOL

40 Golden Plovers and a Swallow on a cold afternoon. Also 50+ Lapwings.

LLANRHYSTUD

Only 1 Mediterranaean Gull with the Black-headed Gulls this morning; an adult coming into breeding plumage.

Birdsong - some things to look out for?

There was an interesting seminar at the University yesterday, given by Sarah Collins (Plymouth University) on “Fighting & Flirting: the Function of Birdsong”. The evolution of birdsong is driven by female choice and male competition. In other words, the deliverer has to appear sexy to females and scary to males. Apparently, some birds such as the starling and the great tit use the same song, others such as wood warblers use a simple song to attract females and a complex song to repel males, while others use a different part of the same song for the two functions. Using observations based on playbacks, it's been found that in the chaffinch, the trill deters males and the end bit attracts females. Rather more convincingly, in the blackcap, the warble attracts females and the whistle deters males. Before pairing, there are more warbles and after pairing, there are more whistles. In joint work with Spain, they found that migratory blackcaps have more warbles than sedentary blackcaps.

SWANS

All the Whooper swans and the juv Bewick's were on adjacent Llyn Blaenmelindwr this afternoon.

Bewick's Swan at Llyn Pendam

I went up to Pendam at about 3.45 this-afternoon and had a look at the Swans, 6 Whooper and 1 Bewick's as reported previously. They were on the part of the lake furthest from the car parking area. Closer though were 6 Tufted Ducks, 4 males and 2 females.

LLYN PENDAM SWANS

All the swans were still on a very misty Llyn Pendam this morning.
Interesting to speculate how long the young Bewick's Swan has been with the 2 adult Whoopers and whether it will follow them to their breeding grounds.

MEDITERRANEAN GULLS

Yesterday at Llanrhystud, on the foreshore by the lime kilns, amongst a large flock of Black-headed Gulls, were 9 Mediterranaen Gulls. 8 were in full breeding plumage and looked fantastic.

Swans at Llyn Pendam (2)

As rep0rted in the previous blog a couple of pics of the Whoopers and juv Bewick at Pendam this afternoon. Too murky and misty to see much.

Chiffchaff in the garden this morning - spring really on the way when they appear.

Swans at Llyn Pendam

6 Whooper swans on Llyn Pendam late morning today: one family party of 2 adults and 2 imms, plus a separate pair of adults. Also an immature Bewick, tending to associate with the pair of ad Whoopers. A smaller bird, shorter and darker necked than the imm whoopers, with rounded pale yellow bill patch.

Also 4 Tufties, but little raptor activity in the area - perhaps too cold a wind, despite bright sunshine.

Aber pier starlings

Peregrine chasing a 'bait ball' of starlings this evening over Aber pier.

Barn Owl

At 6.20, whilst I was watching something on the tele' a Barn Owl flew past very close to my window - only the third time I've seen one from my house at Eglwysfach. I also had at least three small bats, possibly Pipistrelles flying around the house.

More Chiffchaffs

Ynyshir wasn't the only site that had singing chiffchaff today. There
were two in the riverside scrub along the Rheidol near Morrisons
(Aberystwyth) this morning. Nant y Moch reservoir this afternoon - one
male/three female goosander; one pair goldeneye; two pairs tufted duck;
two great black-backed gulls; and a couple of cormorants. Also wheatear
at NyM dam and in the crags at the top of the Ceulan valley.

Dave Thomas
Talybont

Chiffchaff - chiffchaff - chiffchaff

A visiy to Ynys-hir this morning was rewarded with lovely views of a Chiffchaff before I'd even got out of the car-park. Two or three more heard close by. Also, 1 female Wheatear, 2 Greylag Geese, a pair of Stonechats, a pair of Reed Buntings, Sparrow Hawk, Tree Creeper and a dark bellied Brent Goose. And, all in glorious sunshine!

Sand martins - Teifi

35 Sand martins low over Teifi at Cardigan this evening - upstream of Priory (bypass) Bridge. 3 Cetti's singing on Teifi Marshes.

Leri

1 male goosander on the Leri and 1 swallow over Borth Bog.

Purple Sandpiper

Some shots of the purps resting on the wooden jetty and castle sea wall, so easy to see and photograph. Back in the eighties flocks of 300 used to winter around Scarborough and Filey and they were such a rarity around Aber and the west coast generally. However, almost the reverse is true, only about 20 to 30 winter on this stretch of east coast, Aber seems to be the hot spot now around this western coastline. My first destination is always to see these wonderful birds. Just included a few other resident species, especially the first wheatear of the year at tanybwylch, fantastic.

Field Trip Report

The Bird Walk with Harry up the Rheidol from Morrisons to nearly Glan yr Afonon Sunday 15^th March was a new area for many of the birdwatchers.

Birds seen or heard by at least one member of the group were

Dunnock, Chaffinch, Magpie, Red Kite, Carrion Crow, Herring Gull, Wren, Starling, Long –tailed Tit, Blackbird, Grey Wagtail, Robin, Song Thrush, Woodpigeon, Bullfinch (pair), Goosander (pair), Blue Tit, Mallard, Coal Tit , Goldcrest, Heron, Rook, Treecreeper, Greenfinch, Great Tit, Jackdaw, Raven (pair), Chiffchaff (at least 3 singing) Reed Bunting, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Buzzard, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush, Jay, Sparrowhawk.

A few people went to Tanybwlch to see the early Wheatears. 3 males and 1 female were spotted plus a Stonechat.

And the last two people went to the Castle rocks and saw Purple Sandpipers and Turnstones

Moira

SNOW BUNTING

Sue and Terry Reeves sent me these splendid photos of a Snow Bunting taken at Borth on Friday 13th.

It was on a breakwater opposite the path leading across the golf couse to the hide at Aberleri.

This is always an interesting time of year with Wheatears, Sandwich Terns and Sand Martin already with us and winter birds such as Whooper Swans and Snow Buntings still to be seen.

WHOOPER SWANS

5 Whooper Swans (2 adults and 3 imms) still on Llyn Blaenmelindwr this morning and 2 adults closer to home on Llyn Frongoch, since at least Friday.
2 Willow Tits at the north end of Cors Caron this afternoon and 14 Lapwings and 11 Curlews.

Bittern -- Teifi Marshes

Bittern, 1 perhaps 2 on the Marshes.
Please see Pembsbirds for further details.

Ynyslas -Leri Saltings

Good high tide, fine spring morning but a conspicuous absence of a much of ornithological interest. As the tide dropped a few Redshank came in. Several flights - about seventy in the biggest group but most disturbed by walkers, dogs etc.

Sand Martins --Teifi

Teifi;-
3 (+) Sand Martins flew through pre 0800. Otherwise quiet.

(Wendy J. & Rich D.)

WHEATEAR

I slip-streamed after Red Liford at Tanybwlch early this morning and caught up with a fine-looking Wheatear.
10 Purple Sandpipers on the wooden jetty, 7 on the prom wall infront of Aberystwyth Old College (and then 6 on the concrete harbour bar seen from Tanybwlch but they could have come from those seen earlier.)
Excellent Starling roost at the pier this evening.

Starlings and wheatear

Most of us enjoy the spectacle of starlings coming into roost at the pier. One colleague says it is now the only reason she comes into Aberystwyth! Yesterday, there was a small flock late afternoon of 12-34 birds feeding on the front "lawn". It's more of an old pasture really - we don't put on any fertilizer or weedkillers - it has built up a thatch and has waxcups and parasols in autumn. The starlings were really like waders probing the turf and indeed they have got dunlin-like bills. I couldn't see what they were eating but it just shows the importance of old pastures rather than the open ryegrass swards that constitute our green deserts.

Saw a gorgeous wheatear down Tanybwlch earlier. Perhaps the one seen by red. Its throat was yellow rather than yellowish-buff.

Magazines looking for somebody else to read them.

I have a pile of magazines to pass on to anyone who would like them. They were Hywel Roderick's. There are 20 + issues of "World of Birds" starting with Volume 1 No.1 - published in September 1971 when you could go on a 15 day holiday "Birds & Flowers of Crete" with a wildlife specialist for £169.00!
There are also about 30 "Welsh Wildlife" magazines. Read them and pass them on......

Contact me if you would like them.
Bob Relph

Some pictures of the firecrest caught by the new '3D' building on main campus, Aberystwyth last week. It was a male bird. Stunning. I have also heard one has been heard and seen in Penglais woods as well. Possibly the same bird but maybe not!

These pictures were taken my Emily Mockford.

Sarah Harris.

Bittern -- Teifi Marshes

1 seen flying this evening over reeds between Priory Bridge & Heron Hide.
Please see Pembsbirds for further details.
(Wendy J. & Rich. D.)

Has spring arrived?

Peggy and I saw our first 09 plate wheatear at Tan-y-Bwlch this lunchtime at the bend in the river. It was in beautiful condition and made us feel that spring is actually on its way.

RED THROATED DIVER

A rather fine looking Red throated Diver in breeding plumage was just a few yards off the beach at Tanybwlch this morning.
Harry P. had 21, possibly 24 Purple Sandpipers at Aberystwyth yesterday!

Ynys-hir guided walks.

Hi Bob

Could this be distributed to all the wonderful birders on your list please...

Hello folks

The new season of guided walks is about to kick off and I am desperate to find some willing people to lead a few of them for me. I would be particularly grateful for help during May - birdsong ID walks and introduction to birding walks. All are on weekend days and if anyone is interested I can mail them a list to see which takes their fancy.

I've been a bit ambitious with walks this year and will have to do nearly all of them myself - my new assistant Hannah is not confident enough in her bird skills yet.

SO, any help at all would be most welcome - all walks last about 2 hours on the reserve.

Many thanks
Caroline de Carle
Visitor Centre Manager
RSPB Ynys-hir

Camera for sale

I have a Panasonic Lumix camera for sale. It's a model that has become popular among digiscoping birders. Full details on "News & Events" link or contact me if interested.

Red Kite in Harpenden

I was made to feel quite at home in Harpenden in Hertfordshire when I saw a red kite fly pass. It's not far from the Chilterns.

I won't be able to make the outing on the weekend. Bridge Saturday and Sunday in Builth. Maybe will spot a sand martin, wheatear or respendent qwetzel on the mountain road from Devil's Bridge! I will have to check where the border is!

Goshawk

Today a Goshawk flying East at Blaenplwyf and a male Merlin perched on a small bush at Tichrug on the B4337 brightened up a drive to Aberystwyth and back.

Derek Moore

Harriers @ Borth

(news via John and Annette Leafe) 1 possibly 2 ringtails hunting over Borth bog this afternoon.

Chough

Yesterday, Monday 9th March John Davis and I went on safari to deepest, darkest Pembrokeshire to see their Cattle Egret. On the way, at Tan-y-Bwlch we saw 2 Chough.

Signs of Spring

As the buds on our Amelanchier tree (Snowy Mespilus) start to swell - signalling the start of spring - the Bullfinches arrive and start their spring feast!

Stock Doves have taken up residence in our Tawny Owl box and are regularly going through the 'spring motions'!

Gulls at Aberystwyth

Standing at south beach, Aberystwyth, I noted 778 Herring Gulls and 38 Lesser Black Backed Gulls flying south presumably to roost, in addition 300 Herring Gulls and 9 Lesser Black Backed Gulls roosting in the bay. Also, in the afternoon, 140 Common Gulls flying north over the sea.

Alan Harris.

Chough @ Borth

This Chough gave very nice views along the Borth costal path today, very little else about!!!

Over-wintering Blackcap

I have had an over-wintering male blackcap on my feeder by my house (Aberystwyth) for the first time since April 2006. Before that there were always 2 or 3 quite regularly each winter since 1997 when I first started recording them. Local friends have had the same pattern. I don’t know why they have disappeared for the last two winters. Milder weather? Any ideas? There is a treecreeper which has discovered a climbing hydrangea just beside my window and it has turned up to feed there for several days now. Obviously they don’t just use big old trees.

Moira Convery

Greenland White-fronted Geese

20 Greenland White Fronted Geese on the Dyfi Estuary this morning looking from the end of the River Clettwr, also a Pale Bellied Brent Goose from here.

Andrew + John Morris

green sandpiper

Dull light and through double glazing but recognisably a green sand on our garden pond.
Our plot of damp woodland and small well vegetated ponds resembles its breeding habitat...(if only!) tho' 15 degrees too far south.
Green sands have been visiting us in winter for some years and when I first excitedly informed Hywel, he of course knew that plus all the other small local sites where they are seen,tribute to his immense local knowledge.

Goosander

Female Goosander spotted at Aberystwyth harbour this morning, couple of pictures.

Maria Gill

Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa

I have been asked to dispose of Hywel Roderick's library.
Among his collection is a complete set of The Handbook of Birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, all 9 volumes! As I'm sure lots of you will know this is a superb set. It is probably the most comprehensive reference work to date, the set to have! Pretty weighty - each volume measures approx' 26x21 cms. so you will need strong shelves to put them on. In excellent condition, it would be good to re-home them within the Ceredigion birding community.
Buyer collects, or I could bring them to the next field trip.
First offer of £200.00 (two hundred pounds) secures them.
All profits to the RSPB.

NEW QUAY

This morning I had a lovely cliff-top walk at New Quay. Many Guillemots and Razorbills were on the cliff ledges and Shags at their nests. Cormorant, Fulmar, Peregrine, Sparrowhawk, Chough, Raven and Linnets were also about.

Before they start to breed the auks can disappear and one can visit the cliffs and none are to be seen at all. They all go out to sea and the next day will be back. Hopefully, by the time of the monthly Ceredigion birdwatchers' walk in April, which is at New Quay, they will all be settled and we will get good views of them.

Barn Owl

We saw a Barn Owl hunting over Ystumtuen last night around 7.30pm.

Matt Potter and Charly Morgan

Firecrest

This morning (4th March) me and a trainee caught and ringed a firecrest on main campus, Aberystwyth. I was a stunner!! Better than the Great Tits we were trying to catch for a colour ringing project!!In the afternoon we ringed in a garden in Penrhiedol, Aberystwyth, which produced two Nuthatches, a male and female, also very beautiful!

Sarah Harris and Emily Mockford.

From Felinfach

Another late posting.........

Since early winter we have been fortunate to entertain Goldfinches at our feeding station daily. We started with five and have built up to 33 counted on and in the immediate vicinity of the station. We are still regularly counting 20+ on the feeders and trellis.
Also, since the turn of the year we started with one Siskin which increased to 5 before and during the cold spell, but all females (we usually get both) except for one instance when a male visited briefly.
Other observations:
We have a recent rookery (3 yrs) adjacent to us in the Oak trees of the field surrounding the house and two years ago we witnessed an epic Rook fight (about an hour and a half) both contestants survived, though one was really beaten up.A couple of days ago saw a lone miserable Crow in the field. 5 others came down and harried it severely, it had a broken or dislocated wing and as it made its way to and through the hedge it suffered constant attacks. Nature in the raw................!
Also re Rookery for the last two years we have noticed that one (same) nest grows (and remains) larger than all the others. The interesting thing is that as it gets larger (this year) of the six nests until this week there are now only three. Last year all but this one disappeared and were re-built again. I wonder is this an Alpha/founding pair, any ideas?

David and Anne Lucas

Hen Harrier

A few late postings - appologies to the senders, I've been off the air in Kintyre for a while -

This morning (3rd March) a Male Hen Harrier was hunting over the common land at Ystumtuen and flew very close to our car!! The best views we have ever had of a Hen Harrier! Also a Curlew was flying around and calling. We heard a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Treecreeper has now made an appearance in our garden along with several singing Song Thrushes!

Matt Potter and Charly Morgan

Bittern -- Teifi Marshes

The Bittern was seen in flight at 1810 on Sun 1st, & at 1705 on Mon 2nd Mar.
We didn't visit last night due to the weather!

The bird seems to be living in the area of reed-bed in front of kingfisher hide. This part of the reed-bed is not tidal, & has a nice fairly open channel through it(not visible) which we created last summer to enable us to ring in the reeds, where I think it likes to feed!
The bird I believe has only been seen in flight.

If having a visit, then the Cattle Egret at Newport is worth putting on the agenda! (see PembsBirds)
The Cettis' have survived the winter so far.... at least a couple singing in the vicinity of the Bittern, & c3 more around the reserve.

HEN HARRIER at PONTERWYD

A male Hen Harrier flew low over The George Borrow Hotel early this morning, heading north.
Later, the 15 Purple Sandpipers were seen at Aberyswyth, 15 Sanderling at Ynyslas and 3 Goldeneyes on Llyn Syfydrin.

Re 'Contact Addresses'

Contact addresses should not be freely avaiable on the site as it could contravene 'data privacy' and allow unwelcome access for spammers etc!

LLanerchaeron

When I went to LLanerchaeron the other day I was also looking for,and failing, to see Lesser Spotted Wooodpecker. I've also often wondered where exactly they have been seen or heard in this area. Any ideas?
Saw Peregrine,Snipe and Yellowhammer in Ffostrasol today. Hopefully I didn't misdeliver Her Majestys mail,what with all these interesting distractions about.

CURLEWS RETURN

Phil Ellis was pleased to hear a returning Curlew back near his home near Tyn-y-Graig where Mistle Thrushes are nest building. Should cause the cold weather to return!

WATER RAIL at YNYSLAS

Andy Bramwell reports of finding a Water Rail, dead on the road, just to the south of Ynyslas Turn

Purple Sands etc

Ten Purple Sandpipers on the rocks alongside the Aberystwyth harbour wooden jetty and a pair of Goosander fishing in the harbour this morning.

Green Woodpecker

A Green Woodpecker was calling again today in the woods to the North side of the old railway track from Llanerchaeron to Aberaeron about a quarter mile from the mansion.
I keep looking for Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, but without success. This area seems to have been good for seeing them in previous years and I was wondering whether any contributor knows whether they were seen in any particular woodland e.g. Llanerchaeron grounds, N,S,E or W of the house, along the railway etc. so that I might concentrate my search.

BITTERN at the TEIFI MARSHES

Moira Convery was given a reliable report of a Bittern seen from one of the hides on 27th Feb.