Day two of birding with Doug and Eddie and we were a bit taken aback by a heavy snow shower in Llandudno early morning. Within minutes it was white, we do not have snow in Llandudno. Undaunted we set off in to the blizzard and headed for the A55 expressway which we hoped would take us to Anglesey. At the junction with the A55 we were met with a stationary row of brake lights stretching away as far as we could see, great a massive traffic jam. No problem Alan knew a short cut and a rapid change of direction had us miss the slip road for the expressway and head for Conwy. In the town we turned uphill and headed for Sychnant Pass, with the snow still falling thick and fast and road white Doug, who was driving, was getting more nervous by the minute. The road climbed quickly out of town and the snow got thicker and our speed got slower as Doug became more and more concerned by our route. Alan was very relaxed, well he could be not driving and not his car, and assured Doug it would be fine and encouraged him to push on up hill into thicker and thicker snow. At the top of the pass the road runs through woodland and it was a real picture post card scene with every tiny twig covered in thick snow, we could have been in Finland! Doug took one look at the very steep decent down the other side and gulped! He was not happy; he had only had this car a few weeks and could well imagine sliding into one of those solid Welsh stone walls. We crept forward and inched our way down the pass with its dramatic views and steep drop to the right of the road. Finally we reached the bottom and with the car undamaged, whew! The snow on this side was much less and had just about stopped by the time we rejoined the A55 at the west end of Penmaenmawr village.
Another mile and we were in sunshine, what a difference. First birding stop was back to Aber Ogwen where we had seen the Firecrest but try as we might no sign of it today. Little Egrets and Greenshanks showed well on the estuary and three Goosander swept over and headed up the River Ogwen.
Moving on we crossed the bridge and onto Anglesey, the A55 soon had us near Holyhead and we turned off just before the port town and parked at Beddmanarch Bay. This shallow bay is always a good birding spot and we were soon watching a flock of Pale-bellied Brent Geese feeding along the edge of the advancing tide. Scanning further out produced our main target here, Slavonian Grebe, three of these neat little birds with clean white cheeks dived for fish offshore. Waders feeding on the fast disappearing mudflats included Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Dunlin and Ringed Plover.
Next we headed into Holyhead and down to the harbour; we stopped over looking the inner dock and again almost immediately found the Black Guillemots we had hoped for. Three of these piebald auks were bobbing about on the sheltered waters of the dock giving us great views; we could even see their shockingly scarlet red legs and feet through the clear waters.
South Stack RSPB reserve next, which lies just out side Holyhead. Our luck was holding and we found a pair of handsome Red-billed Chough before we even reached the car park. We walked down to the cliff edge and took in the amazing views over the spectacular cliffs and lighthouse perched on a small island. Further away the mountains of Snowdonia were laid out covered in a blanket of fresh some and the rugged coastline of the Lleyn Peninsula stretched away to the west, quote a view. Just to enhance the moment a flock of sixteen Chough bounced and twisted their way across the cobalt blue sky calling wildly, pure magic!
Treaddur Bay next stop and we scanned the black seaweed rocks for Purple Sandpipers and there they were just where they should be. Sixteen of these dumpy grey orange legged waders huddled on the rocks waiting for the tide to drop so they could feed on the exposed rocks.
At Malltraeth we had distant views of a Spotted Redshank on the Cob Pool and close up views of juvenile Shag sat by the river bridge, strange place for this species. Out on the Cefni Estuary flocks of Pintail and Eurasian Wigeon fed as flocks of Dunlin swirled over them and Little Egret high stepped his way through the shallow pools.
With the light beginning to fade we headed back for the mainland and a last ditch look at RSPB Conwy but our luck finally ran out and we failed to see the hoped for Jack Snipe seen earlier in the day.
Doug and Eddie said goodbye and headed back for home another great days birding over.