Stormin'

One from yesterday. The torrid, moistened murk off the point, complete with biege-caps and, somewhere amidst the tempest, a wee Stormie. Please note the dark patch of water behind the bird giving the impression of a projecting under-carriage - if only.

Interesting times

Do you know your ducklings? Click on the picture to see a slightly larger version, if stumped, do not despair, the answer is found herein...

A quick look in the fields around Goldcliff and Whitson produced no Whimbrel of either persuasion; and those seen later, off the point and pools, were stubbornly pale-arsed. The point did produce a reasonable smattering of seabirds though: 2 Arctic Skuas, 7+ Gannets, 10 Kittiwake and a Storm Petrel. The pair of Rock Pipits and a few Turnstone were also knocking around. Peering out from the pools post point produced a Fulmar and, bobbing about on the wind-whipped waters, a brood of Pochard and, even more inspiring of 'oohs' and 'aahs', a brood of Shoveler. However, possibly the most interesting bird, was a fly-through Swallow with wholly orangey-buff underparts (presumably showing the variation within rustica as opposed to the influence of transitiva genes).

Cracking weather Gromit

The weather for the bird race is looking good, although it appears the BBC no longer believe the wind (direction or strength) is an integral part of a general forecast map so, for all I know, there might be storm force winds to lash the promised rain in through the windows of the, as yet unrented, car. May I suggest a 'big sit' in the front window at the Farmer's Arms?

Dropping like a stone

The standard of behaviour around here is awful and getting worse, if it's not abusive dog-walkers, it's f**king foul-mouthed birders, and now the birds are getting in on the act. This Garganey repeatedly blew raspberries at the non-plussed locals and was also seen flicking 'V' signs with its outermost primaries at passing hirundines,... I blame the parents, society in general and Norris McWhirter.

Platform 9¾

A Garganey appeared at Goldcliff today and, whilst we stood on the sea-wall, the Spoonbill wandered out from behind the reeds; along with a reasonable mix of waders (including Golden Plover) and a couple of Wheatears, this evening has almost convinced me something exciting might just appear at the pools before the month's end. Who knows? A third Bar-headed Goose might turn up.

A flight of calidrids in the gloaming, the view from the magical platform (would somebody move that bloody sheep).

Naffin' doing

A five hour vigil at Goldcliff Pools was only maintained due to the surprising comfort achievable whilst reclining on the sea-wall. The birds were very thin on the ground/water. Three Gannet down-channel were the only seabirds; a fly by Cuckoo, a Wheatear and a few Swifts and hirundines were the only real migrants; and a few Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit and Knot were the best of the waders. All the above were beaten into a poor second place by the unringed (and, therefore, blatantly tickable) Bar-headed Goose.

P.S. Also had my first ickle baby Redshanks of the year,... aaah.

Long distance badgers

Too windy for recording Cetti's so busied myself with birding paperwork. I have spent most of the day staring out the window in between spells writing cobblers about redpolls, all to the tune of England comprehensively beating an under-performing Windies side. In an effort to maintain a minimum level of interest within the readership, here's a picture of some brightly coloured passage waders currently to be found refueling along the estuary on the way to somewhere really exciting like Greenland or Baffin Island. Not the most difficult of identification conundrums, I guess the most likely confusion species for Turnstone is American Badger although I accept many fewer of the latter are to be found flipping pebbles on the Goldcliff foreshore (see here to be totally convinced).

'Sea' monsters

An evening high-tide, the wind in the west and the magnetic pull of Goldcliff - it must be seawatch o'clock. A couple of hours sentry duty produced 1 pale phase Arctic Skua up-channel, the briefest view of 2-3 Manxies, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Sanderling, 13 Turnstone and 15 Whimbrel.


Stealing the show, however, was my second ever Gwentish Grey Seal, a reasonably petite (female/immature?) and rather attractive individual, that is, as compared to the male that was at the mouth of the Wye a while back.

See, I said she was a cutie.

Sound and vision, no contest

Yesterday was 'International Dawn Chorus Day' (see here for more details), something I singularly forgot to mention, however, as today was 'Welsh Dull, Wet and Windy Day' I've got nothing else to bore you with, so you'll have to make do with a photo and recording of Sedge Warbler from Uskmouth. The background of the Sedgie recording is 'enhanced' by Coot, Wren, Cetti's Warbler, Reed Warbler, Carrion Crow and the soothing tones of Uskmouth Power Station; the background of the photo is enhanced by nothing but the smooth rendition of out of focus areas, life is so much richer when you carry a parabolic microphone around.



[NB. The mp3 file is 1.8MB, if you have a slow connection, then either be patient or sort yourself out a quicker one,... consider yourself disclaimed.]

From mega to dross

An early morning at Uskmouth followed by a quick nose around Goldcliff Point and Goldcliff grasslands produced another Hobby, a few Whimbrel, a light hirundine passage and precisely naff-all else; you might say 'back to earth with a bump' after the fun and games enjoyed over the last week. One thing that did catch the eye was the burgeoning numbers of Collared Doves on the fringes of the reserve. A quick rummage through the library on my return and, Bob's your mother's brother, I found this...