Not on a Roll(er)

Shot up to Usk Reservoir this evening, saw a very small number of Rollers, exactly zero to be precise, that is none, nada, bugger all, zilch, naff all. The reservoir, and surrounding area, was in a pure state of Roller shunyata.

On the other hand we saw a large number of Jays (which were very nice big colourful birds that, normally, I might not drive to Powys to see).

A second for Gwent

Found a brood of Gadwall at the weekend (second confirmed breeding record for Gwent methinks) on the same pool were a couple of Tufty broods and a Cetti's was belting out its song nearby. Unfortunately, if the likes of Rhodri 'Fat Controller' Morgan and the rest get their way, this site will be under the nice new shiny second M4 before long,... oh good, more forward thinking from the Westminster rejects.

Blind faith and its ability to inspire stupidity

Following the appearance of a Yellow-nosed Albatross on the other side of the Bristol Channel, my blind faith in the almighty power of Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and all things that smell slightly of brine resulted in the usual pilgrimage to Goldcliff Point, whereupon I was rewarded for my adherance to the word of the Holy Trinity (Svensson, Grant and Mullarney) by the appearance of a Stormie and two Fulmars. Seawatching in Gwent - it's as bonkers as a grown man in a dress and a silly tall hat believing in a 2000 year old fairy tale (as if such people existed in 21st century Britain).

The other find of the day was this,on MSN UK News:

"The floods that have devastated swathes of the country are God's judgment on the immorality and greed of modern society, according to senior Church of England bishops. The Sunday Telegraph reports that one diocesan bishop has even claimed that laws that have undermined marriage, including the introduction of pro-gay legislation, have provoked God to act by sending the storms that have left thousands of people homeless."

If you know anyone religious, please pop round to their house, pat them on the head and tell them that it's OK and that the adults will take it from here.

Thank gawd for that

At last, bagged the plover,... and what cracking views! Thank gawd there was no heat haze. Other notable moments included: a male Marsh Harrier being phoned in as a male Hen and the return of the M6 to its usual habits.

Oh Crap

It's all very well being good, not throwing sickies and waiting to twitch at the weekend, but it don't half bite you in the arse sometimes. Of course no day's birding is a complete waste of time, highlights included:

1. an "I'm horny" sticker on the back of a car being driven by a women who is currently being investigated by the Advertising Standards Authority;
2. a lorry on its side in a field;
3. a good view of the tight-fisted w**kers birding club (standing outside Caerlaverock, £4.40 apparently being too much for their moth-filled wallets);
4. 670 more miles for my "miles I have travelled" total; and
5. the most distant view of an Osprey EVER (in the heat haze it appeared to be doing an impression of Scooby-doo, see pic below).

Birding in an armpit

As is so often the case, a nice bird turns up in an armpit of a location. Let's hope the heron doesn't tell his mates about the model aircraft, the rabid gypo horses and the scruffy little urchins on tiny little motorbikes.

Manxie invasion!

More seabirds off the point this morning, and it went,... a bit like this,...

08:00 to 08:59 - 3 Manxies, a few Sanderling and a smart 1st-summer Med Gull close in down channel
09:00 to 09:59 - 1 winter plumaged Great Northern Diver close in down channel, 3 Fulmar and a few more Sanderling
10:00 to 10:59 - 6 Manxies, 1 pale phase Arctic Skua, 1 2nd-summer Common Tern straight over our heads and yet more Sanderling.
11:00 to 12:00 - 210++ Manxies in one flipping big flock, 2 dark phase Arctic Skuas and 1 adult Arctic Tern.

An entertaining morning, certainly a helluva lot more entertaining than that poor excuse for a football match this afternoon (mind you, guess you can't expect too much from the 3rd/4th place play-off for the Champions League).

Back to normal

Thirty or forty Kittiwake, two Gannet, one Sanderling, four Whimbrel and a distant dark phase skua (probably Arctic) was all the point produced today.

Tales from the Golden Cliff

Four hours of peering into the pea soup produced 1 Manxie, 1 Little Tern, 1 dark phase Arctic Skua, 2 Sandwich Tern, 74 Arctic Tern, 6 Fulmar, 2 Kittiwake and 33 Gannet. A seawatch in Gwent,... with seabirds! Whatever next?!

Did they show well?

Yeah,... not bad.