Well, Well, Well....

3 Months since my last post.. and no birding done what so ever. What with being tied up with numerous injuries do to refereeing and refereeing on Saturdays and Sunday's, i haven't had time to got sum serious birding done.

Just 1 bird to put down for the year and life list from today was Mandarin Duck. Was travelling back from a match this morning and as i was coming back across the bridge in low town i noticed a duck swimming on its own in the middle, now i don't normally pay much attention to the river but this one bird made me look again, Beautiful Male Mandarin Duck. Been waiting to see one for years!! So 1 more for the year & life.

Nothing else of note.. just thought id post just to let you know i am still here!

2010 should be a better birding year for me as i will have a car of my own!! After passing my theory 1st time yesterday (Friday 27Th) So hopefully i can start the year on a high by passing my theory and getting out there and getting my lists up!!

Wales - Porthmadog - Ruddy Shelduck!

Yesterday was ment to be a rest day... but at 2PM it turned into a birding afternoon with a quick check of the bird line and reports of a Ruddy Shelduck we set off for Porthmadog. Little Egret and Canada Geese were first to be noted, then found a nice hide where after about 5 mins we located the Ruddy Shelduck over on the far bank in the long grass. unfortunatly the bird was too far for my lens to take any photos of it but there are some pics to come!!

Next to be noted was Whooper Swan, then Black Tailed Godwit's. Plenty of Curlew about on the Glaslyn Marsh which were also noted. The bird i wanted to see didnt put in an appearence and i could still do with Osprey for the Year.

Other than the birds noted above, the usual birds were about, Black Headed Gull, Herring Gill, Lesser BB Gull and Great BB Gull, also a Kingfisher was present.

Ok..... Now ive got the wording of the post sorted now for the pics!!! Enjoy......

Little Egret with Canada Geese

Little Egret with Canada Geese

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan

Day List ....

• Buzzard
• Swift
• Swallow
• Herring Gull
• Ruddy Shelduck
• Curlew
• Black Tailed Godwit
• Kingfisher
• Whooper Swan
• Mallard
• Black Headed Gull
• Canada Geese
• Mute Swan
• Little Egret
• Lapwings
• Great BB Gull
• Lesser BB Gull
• Heron
  

Target....

Ive set a Target of 114 birds for this year, looking at how many times i get out during the year this sounds like a reachable target im currently on 107, and ive still got a week left in wales!! Hopfully ill get down to Chelmarsh and Venus Pool with only a few weeks left of the 10 weeks holiday ive had!! Lets hope i reach my target!!

over and out....

Wales - Tonfanau

Spents a good couple of hours up at Tonfanau today. Birds of note included....

• Ringed Plover
• Dunlin
• Sandwich Terns
• Black Headed Gull
• Herring Gull
• Oystercatcher
• Manx Sherwater
• Gannets
• Turnstones
• Little Stint
• Goldfinch
• Cormorant
• Sand Martin
• House Martin
• Swallow
• Swift
• Lesser BB Gull
• Raven
• Crow
• Jackdaw
• Rook
• Magpie
• Red Kite
• Redstart

2 for the year not a bad day and the sun was out so it was a bonus.

Dunlin

Wow! 2nd post in todays!! im on a role here!

Right then....... Went down the beach last night, not alot about and light faiding fast, all that was noted was Curlew, Mallard, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Herring Gull, Black Headed Gull, and Red Shank.

I got up close to some dunlin who at one stage were no more than a meter away from me!

Maybe more to come later on today we shall see....

Over and out!

Dear O' Dear!!

Well, June 4th was the last post. Im getting well behind here! My Laptop broke with all the pics that id processed ready to upload so sadly no pics to be seen! but i will get some uploaded very soon!!

Lets catch up on the year....

19/02/2009 - Venus Pool

• Song Thrush
• Great Spotted Woodpecker
• Robin
• Canada Geese
• Brambling
• Chaffinch
• Blue Tit
• Great Tit
• Coal Tit
• Long Tailed Tit
• Nuthatch
• Lapwing
• Mute Swan
• Snipe
• Grey Lagg Goose
• Oystercatcher
• Black Headed Gull
• Wigeon
• Pochard
• Shoveller
• Kestrel
• Mallard
• Bullfinch
• Tree Sparrow
• Moorhen
• Coot
• Greenfinch
• Wood Pigeon
• Collard Dove
• Buzzard
• Crow
• Jackdaw
• Great Crested Grebe
• Stonechat
• Dunnock
• Teal
• Shelduck
• Cormorant

Good session at VP there, and my first of the year boosting the year list up also topping up the life list with Brambling.

13/04/2009 - Fairbourne

• Sky Lark
• Herring Gull
• Meadow Pipit
• Oystercatcher
• Stonechat
• Greenfinch
• Goldfinch
• Mallard
• Linit

Nothing special there, usual 'sea-side' birds. But still a couple making it the the year list!!

14/04/2009 - Wales - Tonfanau

• ChiffChaff
• Linit
• Herring Gull
• Swallow
• Magpie
• Buzzard
• Ringed Plover
• Oystercatcher
• Whimbrel
• Razorbill
• Manx Sherwater
• Gannet
• Mallard
• Eider

A Good days Birding there with Razorbill, Manx Sherwater, Gannet and Whrimbrel adding some good birds to the Year list.

03/05/2009 - Venus Pool

• Pochard
• Tufted Duck
• Little Ringed Plover
• Canada Geese
• Grey Lagg Goose
• Lapwing
• Gadwall
• Goldfinch
• Great Crested Grebe
• Cormorant
• Wood Pigeon
• Tree Sparrow
• Buzzard
• Coot
• Moorhen
• Mute Swan
• Heron
• Swift
• Swallow
• Stoat - Fantastic Picture of it but sadly - Pc 'Bost'
• Collard Dove
• Shellduck
• Chiffchaff

25/05/2009 - Abergonolwyn + Fairbourne (Red Back Shrike Search)

• Wheatear
• Chaffinch
• Goldfinch
• Herring Gull
• Starling
• Blue Tit
• Great Tit
• Great Spotted Woodpecker
• Jay
• Red Kite
• Buzzard
• Shelduck
• Mallard
• Raven
• Jackdaw
• Crow
• Magpie
• Sedge Warbler
• Willow Warbler
• Read Bunting
• Swift
• Swallow
• House Martin
• Black Headed Gull
• House Sparrow
• Heron
• Lapwing
• Oystercatcher
• Blackbird
• Meadow Pipit
• Sky Lark
• Song Thrush
• Wood Pigeon
• Collard Dove

Saddly Not Red Backed Shrike even after hours of searching!!

26/05/2009 - Anglesey Round Trip

Cemlyn Bay

• Common Tern
• Artic Tern
• Sandwich Tern
• Ringed Plover
• Oystercatcher
• Black Headed Gull
• Red Brested Merganser

Penrhos

• Moorhen
• Coot
• Mallard

Hollyhead

• Black Gulimot - Again Cracking Pictures right up close bloody Pc!!

South Stack

• Chough
• Puffin
• Gulimot
• Kittiewake
• Siberian Stonechat
• Stonechat
• Wheatear
• Gannet
• Herring Gull
• Razorbill

Inland Sea

• Herring Gull
• Dunnock
• Mallard
• Sandwich Tern
• Artic Tern
• Oystercatcher
• Turnstone
• Grey Lagg Goose

RAF Valley Lakes

• Wren
• Black Headed Gull
• Water Rail - Calling not seen
• Grey Lagg Geese
• Great Crestede Grebe
• Cormorant
• Sandwich Tern
• Tufted Duck
• Mallard Duck
• Herring Gull
• Willow Warbler

Sorry for Repeating some Birds but i recorded them by site!

1/08/2009 - Fairbourne

• Herring Gull
• Black Headed Gull
• Stonechat
• Wheatear
• Swift
• Swallow
• House Martin
• Sedge Warbler
• Canada Geese
• Heron
• Great Spotted Woodpecker
• Treecreeper
• Robin
• Common Sandpiper
• Meadow Pipit
• Sky Lark
• Buzzard
• Redstart

04/08/2009 - Fairbourne

• Peregrine Falcon
• Herring Gull
• Cormorant
• Black Headed Gull
• Raven
• Starling
• Wheatear
• Sky Lark
• Meadow Pipit
• Ringed Plover
• Curlew
• Mallard

05/08/2009 - Penmeanpool + Penmeanpool Woodlands +Fairbourne

• Chaffinch
• Great Tit
• Wood Warbler
• Cormorant
• Herring Gull
• Jackdaw
• Starling
• Buzzard
• Mallard
• Ringed Plover
• Dunlin
• Black Headed Gull
• Sky Lark
• Meadow Pipit
• Long Tailed Tit
• Curlew
• Robin
• Starling
• Blackbird
• Crow
• Jackdaw
• Wheatear
• Weasel - less than a meter away and guess who didnt have his camera?? Yup Me - Muppet!!

Well thats caught up on the year so far! off out birding at Dusk tonight.. Will update later on tonight! And a year list will appear on here soon aswell im on 103 now, so im beating last years total of 95. Still got a few months to go so lets hope for a few more ticks!!

Over and out.

Whats that phrase? .....

Oh yeh, Fail to prepair, prepair to fail! Well over the easter break i went away and of course took ye olde camera, but failed to put in the charger for the camera oh and i completly forgot to charge the batterys before i travelled! But and this is a but!...... I went away during whit - week (Apologies for spelling) and remerbered to charge everything and managed some photos! Which i am processing very slowly! They will appear here sometime in the next week or so! I tell you what i got a couple of lifers while i was away!! Black Gulliemot and Siberian Stonechat. But pictures paint a thousand words!! They will be here soon keep coming back and checking!

Thanks all