Cornwalls

Spent the weekend in Cornwall on a family break with a couple of early mornings birding thrown in.Highlights being a few Cattle Egrets at Drift and an Iceland and Glaucous Gull at Newlyn.Never drive home on a bank holiday Monday-6 hours and ten whole minutes of pure driving pleasure.Back home i missed Wood Warbler at Uskmouth(visit http://www.gwentbirding.blogspot.com/ for a recording) but picked up Whitethroat(get In There) and the Short Eared Owl still about at Goldcliff.

Purps I Say

The family decided they wanted a walk at ogmore this afternoon.No problem i said,i will take my camera just in case there is anything about i said.How about a nice walk on the rocks i said.Within 15 minutes we bumped into these.What a nice surprise i said.On the way back to the car i asked if anyone wanted a nice walk around Bartinney Downs in Cornwall, no thanks they said.

Lodge Woods

Took a ten minute stroll through the Lodge woods yesterday afternoon and found 3 Marsh Tits numerous Chiffy's and the usual woodland species.

Hoopoe Not To Be

No sign of the Hoopoe this evening but Marsh Harrier,Short Eared Owl,Chiffchaff,Willow Warbler,Wheatear,Swallow,Blackcap and a flock of 20+ Fieldfares and 2 Redwings.

Larus Weirdentatus

Spotted this hanging around the playground at Uskmouth NR.Anyone seen anything like this before.Apart from this a few Chiffchaff a couple of swallow and a few Cetti's.

Cute

I managed to get a pic of the lovely white thing that's flying freely at the Pools.Its so cute!Also my first swallows of the Year at Goldcliff Pools this afternoon.

Shortie

A Short Eared Owl was the highlight at Goldcliff Pools this afternoon,it did everything apart from landing on my head.The usual waders about the Marsh Harrier and quite a few Sand Martins.

CLICK BIG FOR FULL EFFECT.

Manche Rouge

Had an email about a coloured ringed Redshank that i reported last April.

This is the birds details.

It was ringed on 13 December 2007 at Larmor-Baden (south Brittany, France) and it is the first record of this bird. 13/12/2007 Pen en Toul LARMOR-BADEN Morbihan France

Up North

Headed up north to uncharted territory this afternoon looking for Ring Ouzels.Note to self (must try harder and more regular).No joy with the Ouzel but the place was ouzing with Wheatear and 20+ Fieldfare.

LRP Goldcliff

Checked out the pools after work today looking for Garganey after 4 were seen yesterday and this morning over at Portbury.No sign tho of any.The 2 Spotted Redshank and 1 Greenshank still there.1 Little Ringed Plover was new in and a nice little surprise.I think it matches the earliest record of LRP in Gwent?2 Rock pipits were up on the wall by the house at the Point.

What is it with farmers and little white buckets,It takes me ages to drive anywhere because every bucket has to be checked that's its not a Cattle Egret.Cant they use a different colour of bucket so i can drive through the lanes without stopping and checking every minute or so.You got to stop and check just in case.

Orchard Pools

A couple of hours at Peterstone foreshore this morning produced 3 Water Pipit and 1 Sand Martin.2 Sand Martin at LR yesterday.Four hours at Orchard Pools Severn Beach this afternoon produced the Firecrest that's been there a while.A right little bugger to pin down but showed the best just before i was going to leave.It responded well to the ipod.