An excited phone call from our friend Glyn Roberts told us that a drake Garganey was showing well at RSPB Conwy Nature Reserve just down the road. Ruth was in full flow writing up our adventures in Ethiopia for the book so did not want to be disturbed. Alan was very happy to escape and head down to the reserve. Joining Glyn at the Tal-y-fan hide over-looking the lagoons the Garganey was soon seen. This lovely small Teal sized duck was dabbling away only yards from the hide, a very handsome drake. Soon other birdwatchers were arriving and it turned into a mini social event, as it always does when a good bird turned up. Five Black-tailed Godwits fed in the shallow waters of the lagoon and a large flock of Oystercatchers was assembling on the reserve to roost over the high tide. With one of the incoming gangs of Oystercatchers was a smaller wader, luckily it landed and we could see it was a cracking breeding plumaged brick-red Knot. A scarce visitor to the reserve. A juvenile Grey Wagtail fed around the edge of the islands amongst the legs of Lapwings. Alan picked out a drake Pintail on the other lagoon but it vanished before anyone else got onto it. How can that happen? A large colourful duck, there one minute, gone the next. Much leg pulling went on, are sure you saw a Pintail? Perhaps it was a Shelduck? Or Mallard? Hmm very funny. 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 677141