Wales (Day 2)

Even less birding today, but a pleasant day at Conway Castle and around where I snapped this Herring Gull.

Also went for a walk around Conway RSPB where a Common Sandpiper was a first for the year.

Wales (Day 1)

Left for north Wales early morning, on the way seeing two Hobbys and a Red Kite from the A14 near Ellington, Cambridge. Not really any birding, but went for a walk by myself at dusk for an hour near our accommodation on Bull Bay at Anglesey where I had a Whimbrel.

Fowlmere

A brief visit early morning was rewarded with a female (type?) Marsh Harrier. Also a single female Teal and possibly three Cetti’s Warblers heard.

Foxton

Checked suitable fields between Foxton and Fowlmere looking for Dotterel. No luck as expected, but four each of Grey Partridge and Red-legged Partridge, three Corn Buntings, and a Whitethroat.

Fowlmere

Another beautiful day, but yet again, birding only in the early morning: A different Grassphopper Warbler heard, as well as one of the usual Cetti’s Warblers, and a Snipe seen.

Also the first House Martin of the year in Foxton.

Fowlmere

A couple of hours in the morning. Heard only Grasshopper Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, and Yellow Wagtail. Also the first positively identified Small White.

Fowlmere

Very brief visit on a fine spring evening: Grasshopper Warbler heard and a Snipe seen on the mere.

Fowlmere

An excellent couple of visits on a very warm day with several new birds for the year.

Cetti’s Warbler x 2 heard
Lesser Whitethroat – heard
Cuckoo
Whitethroat
Yellow Wagtail
Grasshopper Warbler – seen in exactly the same place as last year’s bird.
Grey Partridge x 2
Red-legged Partridge
Linnet x 20+

Also, the following new butterflies…

Speckled Wood
Large White
Green-veined White

And the year’s first dragonfly was seen (and photographed), a Large Red Damselfly.

Fowlmere

Nothing new this evening. Ruff still and the two Cetti's Warblers heard.

Fowlmere

A couple of visits on a lovely day. One long one in the morning and a shorter one with Tom in the evening. Not a lot though Ruff still present and Cetti’s Warbler showed nicely. Also a couple of Teal.

Ruff

Had a call from Gavin Ryan to sat there was a Ruff on the mere. Dashed down and ticked! A female. Second reserve record, the only other one being a fly-over in 1995.

Fowlmere

A cold evening as I walked around with Tom. Plenty of migrants but nothing new. Four Teal, two Grey Partridge, and a Cetti’s Warbler heard.

Fowlmere

Another glorious morning, but little new apart from a couple more Willow Warblers. Also saw a couple of Grey Partridges and heard both Cetti’s Warblers, but none of the hopped for arrivals that have apparently been seen there (House Martin, both Whitethroats, and Hobby.) Another Grass Snake was seen briefly too.

Wimpole Hall

A pair of Buzzards were displaying whilst we enjoyed a Pimm’s and Lemonade picnic.

Fowlmere

Went very early morning (first light, couldn’t sleep) then early afternoon with Tom. A glorious mid-summer-like day

Sedge Warbler x 3
Red-legged Partrdige x 2
Willow Warbler
Reed Warbler x 2 (heard.)
Cetti’s Warbler – heard.

Also Small Tortoishell and Peacock Butterflies as well as a Small Blue when we arrived home. Tom also saw another Grass Snake.

Redstart

A very brief walk along the Guilder Brook, Fowlmere produced an equally brief view of a Redstart and a Red Admiral.

Wheatears

Another sunny day. Two Buzzards on the way home from Cambridge after work before I quickly headed down to Fowlmere to catch up with a couple of Wheatears (male and female) that had been found on the track to the airfield. Unfortunately they were quite distant and not having much time I headed to see yet another Redstart which I missed by a few minutes (there were two in total.)

A visit to Shepreth L-moor afterwards produced the year’s first Willow Warbler.

23°C

I think I heard on the radio that Cambridge was the hottest place in the country. Actually started cool and overcast but by late morning I’d taken my work outside into the garden. A Blackcap was singing and several Brimstones were seen.

In the evening I went with Tom to Fowlmere. Two excellent birds, but both seen poorly: First a Merlin (probably female), then a Redstart (probably male.) Six Grey Partridges, a Small Tortoishell was also seen and Tom did very well to find a Grass Snake.

Fowlmere

A very quick walk around on a blustery afternoon produced no new migrants (though a snatch of Willow Warbler may have been heard in the wind.) Cetti’s Warbler singing by the Mere hide as usual and a Greylag with goslings.

Amwell and Fowlmere

Despite promising conditions, Amwell was very disappointing. Just a couple of Redshanks and Buzzards, though three new butterflies were seen for they year: Red Admiral, Tortoishell, and Peacock.

Late afternoon and early evening I went to an even quieter Fowlmere, but apart from a Barn Owl on the way home and two singing Cetti’s Warblers there was nothing of note.

Redstart

A brief early morning visit to Fowlmere produced little though the Little Grebe was seen for the first time! I returned early evening (after seeing numerous Brimstones locally and the year’s first Swallow over the garden) to be told that a Redstart was on the Guilder Brook.  I soon found it (a male), along with a Swallow, at Least thirty-four Linnets, five Teal, and about twenty Sand Martins.

Woodcock

A very strange sighting of a Woodcock as it flew over the M11/A10 roundabout and landed in the “Golden Plover” field.