North Wales Birding Forum

[Andrew]

Today I surveyed a section of the coast between Porth Cadlan and Penrhyn Mawr today, a continuation of the British Trust for Ornithology's Non-estuarine Coastal Waterbird Survey survey. Although few of the target species were seen there were plenty of other interesting sightings.

Starting off from home the walk down to the coast was cool with a blanket of high grey cloud and a cold northerly wind. A small flock of cook-headed Gulls/Gwylan Benddu in the pasture below Salfur held a find moulting chef Mediterranean Gull/Gwylan Môr y Canoldir - a good start. Despite the temperature, several birds were singing with Song Thrush/Bron Fraith, Blackbird/Mwyalchen, Great Tit/Titw Mawr and Robin/Robin Coch all staking their territories.

A flock of 35 Curlew/Gylfinhir lifted off the fields near Porth Ysgo and headed east.

Eventually I reached the footpath above Maen Gwenonwy and decided to follow the old overgrown path down to check the causeway to the island. As I did so the clouds rolled back and the sun came out. Dropping out of the wind it was positively warm and the Coconut-like scent of Gorse/Eithin was on the wind – fantastic! A single Oystercatcher/Pioden y Môr screamed from the rocks with a Razorbill/Llurs offshore. Several lobstermen were out checking their pots and the gulls were checking them.

This was the first time on the shore here for me – great round boulders lie everywhere at the foot of some huge slabs of twisted volcanic rocks. I noticed an iron ring and a winch and wondered who had kept their boats here in the past. I may have to check out the fishing marks later on in the year.

Continuing uphill a fine Hare/Sgwarnog scurried off through the gorse while a pair of Raven/Cigfran circled overhead. Later, one bird was seen trying to balance a stick in its bill then flew off towards an old nest site. The first of several Rock Pipits/Corhedydd y Graig were seen as well as a couple of Stonechat/Clochdar y Cerrig.

There was much sign of Badger/Mochyn Daear activity along the cliff top, with areas of broken turf (where they search for worms and other invertebrates) and great clumps of hair caught at the bottom of the fences. Several Chough/Bran Goesgoch were seen, riding the breeze, then a superb Peregrine/Hebog.

Reaching the headland opposite Ynysoedd Gwylan I found a sheltered spot for some lunch and a Small Tortoiseshell/Iâr Fach Amryliw butterfly whizzed past! I’ve seen the odd one very early in the Spring but did not expect one today.

Heading back up the road via Penrhyn Mawr several plants were in flower with my first Dandelion/Dant y Llew and Lesser Celandine/Llygad Ebrill of the year alongside Tormentil/Tresgl y Moch and Pink Campion/Blodyn Neidr, which seem to flower year round in this area.

Five distant lumps in a field by Ty’n Lon Fawr proved through binoculars to be a party of Hares/Sgwarnog. It was odd to see them sat out just loafing and browsing.

Read my nature blog here:



Good Birding

Andrew

[ELFYN LEWIS]

It was refreshing to read your post detailing the nature around Rhiw yesterday, Andrew. Of interest was your record of a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly. I also saw one in January a couple of years ago flying down Porthmadog High Street! Not the most natural of habitats but obviously the butterfly had been disturbed from its hibernation in someone's garage or shed.
Spring is obviously in the air. In the warm weather this afternoon, I saw a Peacock (butterfly not bird!) in the Porthmadog area! Although Paul Whalley in 'Butterflies of Gwynedd' (First Hydro) states that "the adults can be seen in most months of the year", I have no recollection of seeing one so early in the year. You know it's quiet on the rare bird front when twitchers start talking about butterflies. But that is usually in the quiet Summer months and not in Winter like this!

[Eddie Urbanski]

Hi Elfyn,

You may not be on drugs; but what had you been drinking?

{And where can I buy some locally?}
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Eddie and Sally

[ELFYN LEWIS]

I was sober as a saint, as usual! No stimulants, either legal or interesting, involved at all in the sighting thankyou. Which is more than can be said about other recent postings on the forum! Seen flying around in the sunny weather this afternoon one 'inachis io' not a million miles away from Porthmadog. Do you need it for your list?! Try pishing one down from the trees tomorrow and see what happens! You may have a heavy shower of them! I must stop smoking these cigarettes that Andrew got me for Christmas!

[Eddie Urbanski]

Hehe!
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Eddie and Sally

[Andrew]

Gentlemen perleeeeez!

So the Birding on Drugs (legal or otherwise) thread is now in full swing! Trust me Elfyn if I had any funny cigarettes I would not be giving them away!

Back to the serious stuff. I have seen Small Tortoseshells in Gwynedd in previous Januarys - at least once.

No doubt we will have some proper snow next week and my dreams of sunbathing in the spring flowers will disintergrate. Time for a naturism with binoculars thread too?

Had another stick carrying Raven today. So Spring is in the air... no LBB Gulls yet - the first proper migrants - but they should be arriving in the next few weeks, then Sand Martin and Wheatears.

All the best

Andrew

[ELFYN LEWIS]

Whilst we're on the subject of birds and butterflies, have I read or heard somewhere that someone had a claimed Wallcreeper turned down by the BBRC on the grounds that it was most probably a Red Admiral butterfly?! Or is the weekend's excess of Guinness starting to affect my memory? If so, what was that guy on?!?! I remain to be enlightened!!
Had a LBBG at Foryd on Saturday, or it may have been a RBG!

[Andrew]

Wallcreeper - now that would be niiiiiice on a big slab of volcanic Lleyn rockface one day. More likely to be at South Stack though, knowing the credentials of a certain local birder though...

I was literally speechless shaking with excitement when I saw my first in the Pyrenees. MEGA BIRD!!!