Alan and Ken were out early and headed west, the strong biting wind was not great for hopes of photography but they were determined to give it their best shot. At Foryd Bay the juvenile Glaucous Gull was quickly located sheltering behind a bank at the south end of the bay. A huge flock of 242 Brent Geese were feeding on the saltmarsh on the rising tide, most were Pale-bellied birds but at least eight were Dark-bellied. A gang of Pintail dabbled in the channel close by and Ken braved the wind to try and get a few photos. Waders included a great view of their first Whimbrel of the spring, well Alan’s as Ken had seen dozens on a recent trip to Ghana, West Africa. Thirty-two Bar-tailed Godwits fed close to the road allowing cracking views.
Heading south to Morfa Bychan, Black Rock, they were soon watching two Sandwich Terns patrolling over the surf just a few meters offshore. Small numbers of Common Scoter, Red-breasted Mergansers and Great Crested Grebes added to the scene.
At Porthmadog the wind increased and it hailed, not nice, but they still managed great looks at Black-tailed Godwits and Knot sheltering near the sluice gates. Amazingly three Swallows battled across the bay, poor birds trying to find flying insects in these conditions.
On to the Glaslyn Marshes and they soon found some of the wintering Whooper Swans, five birds grazing quite close to the road, a new bird for Ken. A little further along a single Whooper very close, with two Mute Swans, but delight at such a good view was tempered as they saw this bird had a badly damaged wing. However, the bird was feeding ok and will hopefully survive, but unlikely it will make it back to the breeding grounds above the Arctic Circle.
At the RSPB Viewpoint at Pont Croeso the pair of Ospreys, that returned from Africa last weekend, were both sat on the nest. Distant views through the telescopes in poor light, but great to see these wonderful birds back safely. A commotion from a flock of Curlew had Alan and Ken scanning the sky for a raptor. They soon had their bird, a huge female Goshawk soaring over the marsh and terrifying the Curlews. This massive hawk was in no hurry and great views were had before it powered off north, wow! Moving in to the visitor centre amazing views of the Osprey nest were had on the huge TV screen beaming live images of the birds every move back to the visitors. The picture quality was excellent and the pair were filling the screen, they looked a bit fed up, perhaps wondering why they had left the warmth of Africa so early? The staff were enthusiastic and they chatted for a while, glad to be out of the rain, and heard stories of one staff members trips to Madagascar and Mauritius very impressive.
Time to move on and they braved the cold again. Heading north in to Snowdonia gob smackingly good views of a Hen Harrier were enjoyed and a nest building Dipper entertained as a pair of Goosander looked on.
Back at the coast a quick visit to Aber Ogwen on the falling tide and plenty of birds. A Spotted Redshank fed in the river channel with three Greenshank and eleven Little Egrets were counted. Ken managed a few good shots of flying Wigeon so all in all an excellent day.
If you would like to go birding with Alan, you can, see below!We are giving a talk on The Biggest Twitch at RSPB Conwy on 16th April at 7pm, again a donation to the reserve will be made, do come along and hear all about our adventure and support this great reserve. Tickets available at the reserve, 01492 584091 for details.Would you like to come birding with The Biggest Twitch? Well now you can!
We are putting together a package of birding tours here in the UK, Europe and further afield using our huge experience to share our enthusiasm for birds, wildlife and wild places with you. We offer custom tours throughout the year in North Wales, day trips or longer to see all the special birds, dates to suit you. Highlights could include Red-billed Chough, Black and Red Grouse, Dipper, Red Kite, Hen Harrier, Goshawk, Atlantic Puffin, Ring Ouzel.  Expect to see over 100 species on a two-day tour!We are offering the following trips as set departure tours:Galapagos Islands and Ecuador: April 2010 – there’s been a lot of interest already!
India, Tigers and the north: November 2010We offer custom tours to the following countries with dates to suit you for an individual tour, or you can join a group of like-minded people:Spain, visiting Extremadura and/or the Coto de Doñana
Eastern Turkey for wonderful birds and mountain scenery
Finland and Norway with the very best guides for all the owls and woodpeckersIf you would like more details of any of these, please email us at info@thebiggesttwitch.com.  We would love you to join us for wonderful birds and much more!