6th
May 2010
The Wind Cat Stevens
Early morning walk around the reserve looking from the hides and a circumnavigating walk around the reserve, gave a lot more birds in the morning : eighteen Whimbrel, seven Eider [189] and lots of Oystercatchers, Little Egrets, Red-breasted Mergansers and other shorebirds.
To Aber Falls I went via steep and long, narrow country lanes and had an
amazing time there. From a small car park near to an old bridge, after hiding
the bike in some thick undergrowth, I walked along a gravel path. The weather
was cold and misty.
Just
before the information cottage, a female Goshawk was perched on a large oak.
Instead of the panicked speedy flight of a departing Sparrowhawk, the Gos' just
gently took off and circled over my head before disappearing into the low
cloud. Best view I had ever had of one. Brilliant! I can still feel the
goosebumps the encounter gave me at the time. The coincidence here was that
with that same fiancé, Joy, many years before I had seen a displaying pair of
Goshawks at the same location.
The
walk to the tall waterfall was too comfortable, as a gravelly path had now been
constructed all the way from the road bridge to the falls. I felt this
detracted a bit of the remoteness that I had felt previously.
A family of Treecreepers with three small youngsters came close to and were unconcerned over my presence and then a Dipper visiting a nest was beneath a bridge over a narrow, babbling brook. Three Garden Warblers [190], also in the vicinity here, were the first I had had this year.
Next to Conwy RSPB reserve, to be met at the door by the fabulous
Robbie. Being made to feel extremely welcome, I enjoyed the centre comforts
before walking around the whole of the reserve. Sitting alongside the huge
estuary a small wader
passed and I noted a lack of wing bars. What was that? I thought. It suddenly
hit me, a Little Ringed Plover! [191] I had almost missed a
common bird due to my slowness and the lads back at Upton Warren, my previous
patch before travel, would have had a laugh at my floundering over the
identification of one of the Warren's major breeding birds. Anyway another bird
for the year list. There were also two Barnacle Geese and nearby five Fox cubs
cavorting on the earth bank near to the furthest screen. Masses of hirundines
and Swifts were here and I had some fun feeding them too in yet another extraordinarily
strong gale. Feeding Swifts was achieved by banging nearby hawthorns with a
large stick and watching and counting as the displaced flies flew off in the
wind into the eager mouths of passing Swifts and House Martins. 1,2,3,4,5,6 ….
gone!
Starlings
were also taking advantage of the large quantity of large black knat-like
flies. The Starlings collected them and made a round ball of the flies before
flying off to feed nearby youngsters.
The camp beside the estuary was beautiful with the tent being sheltered by a screen. The views to Conwy Castle and suspension bridge were impressive.
Tickle My
Feathers
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