News archive

March 2006

Monday, 20 March 2006

Field Trip to North Wales, Sunday 19th March 2006

When 30 members met at Conwy RSPB the sun was shining and the cold winds had been left behind. Welcomed by site manager Alan Davies we spent a while scanning the scene from the Centre, picking out several ducks including red-breasted merganser, shoveler, pochard, and goldeneye. Lapwings were busy flying around and calling, while one of the resident water rails popped in and out of the reeds giving great views. Reed buntings were active too, as were finches and other small birds near the feeding station. As we walked around the reserve in the mild conditions, peregrine, sparrowhawk and several buzzards soared against the clear blue sky. Along the banks of Afon Conwy we found a large flock of curlew, smaller numbers of redshank and ringed plover, a few shelduck, gulls (including greater and lesser black-backed, herring, common and black-headed), while across the river in Benarth Woods several grey herons stood statue-like by their treetop nests.

Moving on to the promenade at Llanfairfechan (back to grey skies and cold winds) several species were seen on the sea, including red-throated and black-throated divers, great-crested and Slavonian grebes, common scoter and (for a lucky few) the wintering black scoter. We then followed the attractive coastal walk along to Glan-y-mor Elias and to Morfa Madryn reserve, where it was more sheltered. On the seamarsh we came across a flock of wigeon, with a few pristine-plumaged pied wagtails flitting around. More waders were added to the list, such as dunlin, knot and turnstone. The river back at the promenade unfortunately yielded no dippers, but we did see grey wagtail.

Many of the group called at Rhos Point, either in the morning or on the way home, some being rewarded with purple sandpipers. The trip had yielded over 60 species.

Sunday, 5 March 2006

Moore Nature Reserve

Today and for the last few days the Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers have been showing really well especially early in the morning. This morning a pair were drumming away allowing you to get really close views. They are also displaying and calling.The best place to view them is between Lapwing Lane and the bird feeding station.