Wet? yes, Windy? yes, We Went? of course..

With the weather set to be a little wet! and windy we decided to head for the North Wales coast, mad? probably but with Shropshire producing little of note why not?
So a late night start on the Friday saw us at Abergele for first light and not a lot to report there apart from a rising tide and a couple of fishermen. Llanfairfechan produced the first tern of the weekend in the shape of one Sandwich Tern battling the high winds as were we.
So on to our chosen destination the wonderful Cymlyn bay arriving at high tide, and boy was it windy. But by midday it had abated enough to allow for some wandering along the shingle and the headland searching for what was becoming an alarming lack of Passerines.
But the Terns. Well.



They were all over the place.



The noise was incredible.



But the Tern colony was really performing well with juveniles spread all along the shingle begging and getting fed after adults had correctly found the right one!




 

Responding to any begging youngster.

 

From all directions.



It was so nice in the afternoon even the Seals took time to enjoy it.



The only small bird to be found braving the storm hugging the edge of the headland.



The good weather did not last as the rain threw it down all night and continued into the Sunday.

But the Black Guillemots were not phased in one bit down in Holyhead harbour.

Scavenging from under the fishing bouts.

  

And taking full advantage of the free food!



  

 And onward to south Stack and oh boy was it raining  and raining practically horizontal.

Not an exciting or large list for the weekend but we got the main ones needed for the year list. But the rain did mean bacon butties for lunch again !! whohoo! nearly a brown sauce sarnie though LOL!!

Back after two years absence.

There can be few Birds that get the public interest fired up, like the Birds of Prey, and in particular the Peregrine Falcon.  And that is just what happened this year 2011 when for the first time since 2008 they were back. In an inspirational move the birds were advertised!! on the local radio and in the local press, raising to virtual celebrity status. Signs were posted, gazebo's erected, telescopes provided, and the public flocked to see and watch the spectacle, providing a virtual 24hr watch on a very public family. With some there every day from Sun up til sun down.. including BBC news, local law enforcement and of course the RSPB and the Shropshire Wildlife Trust.

Feeding was sporadic throughout the day

Mother was spotted overhead

Practice was making perfect.

The first short flight

In the next instant it was of.

The result was the successful fledging of four young.

Paul

(all photographs taken under schedule one licence conditions.)

Martin mere zero, Marsh side plenty.

The afternoon of the Monday the storm had abated enough for the light to improve enough for the camera to see the light of day although the wind was still a pain. Marsh side produced the goods with the first birds to be had were Little Gull and Little Stint. and of course the Dunlin, Godwit, Redshank, Avocet and Egret etc etc.
So a few of them follow.

On the way back to the chicks.

Banking into the wind.

Back to feeding.

Dunlin were by far the most in numbers.

Coming extremely close.

Redshanks also.

There are loads of similar shots so I will leave it at that

Paul.

The Birding bus goes forth, again..

Having had such amazing weather whilst in Holland it was to much to hope for that the situation  would continue? Yes it was and the winds and rain of the final Bank Holiday weekend was going to prove a real situation to deal with, as the Birding bus carried me northwards to the Lancashire coast and the RSPB reserve of Leighton Moss.
Boy was it wet? a full on English storm with monsoon like rain. Oh well, glad the waterproofs were packed. With the arrival coinciding with a lull in the torrential, it was a quick look around, sans camera, to get a look at the lay of the land. Parked up by the railway bridge down by the Allen hide and settled in for the night.

The species list started to increase,as did the wind and rain.

A lot of fledgling Long-tailed Tits about.

Young Robins were very confident.

One from the day before setting off at Acton Burnell.

Well the weather precluded the cameras getting anything really. So it was a move down the coast to Marsh side and Martin mere.

Paul

More Beer and Birds..

From the time of leaving UK the weather had a distinct flavour of the Mediterranean about it, in fact by midday it was hot enough to calm the birds down considerably. So in keeping with another tradition it was

siesta time.


Tired and shagged out after a long squawk!
Photo courtesy of Rob Walters.



A day wandering around the dune comlex not far from Waasenaar, and another local reserve produced some more nice birds as follows..

Tree Pipit

Tripit in song

Gliding to the perch

We could hear them everywhere but this was the only one to show.

Northern Wheatear

Common Whitethroat

Common Tern on the dive.

Meadow Pipit



Common Gulls



Ruddy Shelduck and Egyptian Goose.

There might be a few odds and sods to follow so worth a check back..
Paul