I arrived at Conwy RSPB after leaving Rhos and the fantastic Purple sandpipers there. It was still fairly close after high tide.
A Little Egret, Egretta garzetta, stalked the shallows of the reserve, giving a few photo opportunities in the poor light of late afternoon.
The rest of the reserve was relatively quiet, but there were plenty of birds as well as people around. There were a lot of herring gulls, but a bit too far away too diagnose in detail.
There were lapwings, Vanellus vanellus, roosting on one of the islands. These were all in winter plumage, with the lack of the black throat, and perhaps the browner back - its a bit difficult to tell. There is one bird near the middle with rather less black in the eyespot as well, so possibly a first winter bird - the apparently shorter crest might support this view - perhaps!
Next to the island were fleets of Mallard, Anas platyrynchos, and Teal, Anas crecca, with Canada Geese, Branta canadensis, on the shore behind.
Several Red-Breasted Mergansers, Mergus serrator, were seen, but were too far away for photographs. A female Goldeneye, Clangula bucephala, was preening thoroughly on the other side of the causeway, almost completely inverted!
I kept my eye open for water rails, Rallus aquaticus, and the recently seen bittern, Botaurus stellaris, but no luck again today.
There were redshanks, Tringa totanus, and a few curlew, Numenius arquata, and Grey Plover, Pluvialis squatarola, on the estuary foreshore exploring the freshly exposed mud as the tide went out.
Onshore the feeding area/wildlife garden was busy with Great Tits, Parus major, Blue Tits, Cyanistes caeruleus, Dunnocks, Prunella modularis, and Chaffinches, Fringilla coelebs, such as this female.
As we left the reserve, the first groups of starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, started arriving for their evening"murmuration". Up to 30,000 birds have been recorded on particular one night this winter.
A Little Egret, Egretta garzetta, stalked the shallows of the reserve, giving a few photo opportunities in the poor light of late afternoon.
The rest of the reserve was relatively quiet, but there were plenty of birds as well as people around. There were a lot of herring gulls, but a bit too far away too diagnose in detail.
There were lapwings, Vanellus vanellus, roosting on one of the islands. These were all in winter plumage, with the lack of the black throat, and perhaps the browner back - its a bit difficult to tell. There is one bird near the middle with rather less black in the eyespot as well, so possibly a first winter bird - the apparently shorter crest might support this view - perhaps!
Next to the island were fleets of Mallard, Anas platyrynchos, and Teal, Anas crecca, with Canada Geese, Branta canadensis, on the shore behind.
Several Red-Breasted Mergansers, Mergus serrator, were seen, but were too far away for photographs. A female Goldeneye, Clangula bucephala, was preening thoroughly on the other side of the causeway, almost completely inverted!
I kept my eye open for water rails, Rallus aquaticus, and the recently seen bittern, Botaurus stellaris, but no luck again today.
There were redshanks, Tringa totanus, and a few curlew, Numenius arquata, and Grey Plover, Pluvialis squatarola, on the estuary foreshore exploring the freshly exposed mud as the tide went out.
Onshore the feeding area/wildlife garden was busy with Great Tits, Parus major, Blue Tits, Cyanistes caeruleus, Dunnocks, Prunella modularis, and Chaffinches, Fringilla coelebs, such as this female.
As we left the reserve, the first groups of starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, started arriving for their evening"murmuration". Up to 30,000 birds have been recorded on particular one night this winter.
No comments:
Post a Comment