With another lovely spring day and Ruth working from home, so hogging the computer Alan just had to go out birding, tough life. A walk around the RSPB Conwy Nature Reserve always produces lots of birds and the prospect of some migrants in the warm sun. Arriving in the car park Alan was met by three chaps keen to show him some bird photos they taken and the next fifteen minutes was taken up looking through a folder of pictures one of the guys had taken. A picture of a Treecreeper was pretty good, not an easy bird to get a shot of. Most interesting though was a lovely shot of a female Mandarin complete with newly hatched chicks taken, no not in China, but here in North Wales.
Then it was out onto the reserve, the resident 14 Black-tailed Godwits were loafing about in front of the coffee shop with some handsome Lapwings. Down to the Tal-y-fan hide and a good selection of birds here including Gadwall, Eurasian Teal, Goldeneye, Common Snipe and several Common Buzzards wheeling high over the reserve. Next hide, the Carneddau, produced views of Pochard, more Lapwings and a fine Great crested Grebe. At the east end of the reserve three Chiffchaffs were singing their simple songs in the hawthorn bushes near the railway line, spring! At the estuary track a lovely male Wheatear jumped up on a boulder and showed off in the sun, great stuff. Scanning the mudflats adjacent to the reserve produced a good flock of 208 Curlew roosting, amongst them a single sleepy Bar-tailed Godwit, a nice record here. Two Little Egrets chased each other over the estuary and lots of gulls were bathing in the river channel, but no rarities with them. At the Foel-fras viewing screen a stroke of luck as a Water Rail half flew, half ran from patch of cover to another. At the Benarth hide further views of Great Crested Grebe, Gadwall and Goldeneye.
In the late afternoon Ruth had to pop over to Colwyn Bay so we took the opportunity to call in on the two Snow Buntings at Penrhyn Bay on the way home. Both were still there showing nicely and a gang of Turnstones were feeding on the breakwater.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 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 woodpeckersWe also 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!If 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!