Three visits to RSPB Conwy Nature Reserve in the last few days as an escape from the computer. The first visit produced a lovely find of a pair of Avocets seen from the Tal-y-fan hide. We now wait and see if these two will stay and breed, of course we don’t know if we have a pair yet. But they were still present this afternoon often visible from the coffee shop. Two Lesser Whitethroats have taken up residence on the reserve and their distinctive churring song is easily heard. Sedge Warblers have finally returned though not many yet, at least four Reed Warblers are on territory. White Wagtail passage peaked at forty-one birds, only four left today and sadly no sign of the Yellow Wagtail that was seen on the saltmarsh last night. Still eight Black-tailed Godwits showing well now moulting into their fine brick red summer dress. The pair of Great Crested Grebes seems to have given up on their nesting attempt; a pair of Coot is now in possession of the nest site. Better news for Lapwings with several pairs defending their nests from Lesser Black Backed Gulls on the islands. Still very few Swallows or Martins about, they really should be back by now. But it was a lunch time visit today that produced the bird of the week. A meeting at the reserve finished with a cuppa in the coffee shop and a gang of gulls were loafing on the lagoon outside. A scan through them produced a lovely first-winter Iceland Gull! Everyone in the coffee shop saw the bird and staff and volunteers dashed over from the visitor centre to see this local rarity. Just as well they hurried as a Common Buzzard soared over the lagoon flushing all the birds. The gulls headed out to the estuary where luckily the Iceland Gull was relocated on the sand banks opposite the Benarth hide.
We are looking forward to a trip to Texas, USA on Thursday for ten days of mega birding along the coast from High Island to Corpus Christie. We should be in time for peak spring migration and hope to see warblers, flycatchers, tanagers, waders and wildfowl on the move. We will of course do our best to keep the blog updated during our trip so watch this space for some amazing birds!
Would you like to go birding with Alan? See Black Grouse leking? Upland raptors? Seabird colonies on Anglesey? Special birds of Snowdonia including Ring Ouzel and Twite? Classic North Wales – Pied Flycatcher, Wood Warbler, Redstart and Hawfinch? Or a tailor made day to suit you?
See below 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 a field 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. Who better to guide you than the author of “The Best Birdwatching Sites in North Wales”?
Highlights could include Red-billed Chough, Black and Red Grouse, Dipper, Red Kite, Hen Harrier, Goshawk, Atlantic Puffin, Ring Ouzel, Hawfinch.  Expect to see a lot of birds!
info@thebiggesttwitch.com or call Alan on 07778 677141We 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!