View over Llyn y Gadier towards Eryri

A bit of Spring in north Wales recently with Chiffchaff singing at Nant y Coed yesterday and a single Sand Martin at Llyn y Gadair today.

The Newborough pines Hooded Crow was busy on the upper shingle between C2 buoy and Ynys Llandywyn this afternoon. Perhaps a hybrid? ... seems to be a rather mottled bird.
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Newborough Warren entrance !

Lapwing Anglesey

Greenshank, Menai Strait

Bufflehead, Llyn Coron

A sort out of photos from a few days in north Wales : a wet Newborough Warren, Lapwing hotspot near the R Braint in SW of Anglesey. Greenshank on the Strait, and well pleased to refind the Bufflehead at Llyn Coron,... smart bird, poor photo !

I thought yesterday's starling #murmuration at Silverdale CP was of interest, ... started at 4.45, and descent into reedbed at 5.15, car a bit bespattered tho.

Bufflehead male at y foryd.

Menai Strait sunset

Having missed the Bufflehead b4 new year, a return to Y Foryd was successful today with some mid-range views at high tide. Then back north... to find the mighty dragon of Wales reflected in the Menai Strait at sunset! #NorthWales #sunset #WelshSunset

Bit busy at Moel y don mid ebb-tide this morning - guest appearance from 11 Ringed Plover & 10 Dunlin, also 2 Greenshank, 1 Red Kite, 1 Peregrine, 30 Oystercatchers, 47 L-b Brents, 6 Shelduck, 14 Wigeon, 34 Redshank, 12 Turnstone, and a couple of Stonechats.
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Black Swan Cors Ddyga

Call in to Cors Ddyga this pm, Black-tailed Godwit in the hundreds, plus the 3 Black Swans that we seem to be following around this autumn. Starling roost looks to be building with several thousand streaming in up valley E of. Llangefni... perhaps in Ceint /Talwnt area? @angbirdnews.bsky.social

Some mid-Menai Strait interest off Port Dinorwic this afternoon with GNDiver (occasional here) on Anglesey side, Rasorbill (regular) , and Common Scoter (no surprise, but not usually a Strait bird... 1st in 12 years... star bird here!)
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Not seen snipe before by water side in mid-Menai Strait, but a number were feeding in boulders north of Moel y don yesterday pm. Had a better view of them this morning when they had parked for a rest on the mudflat revealing a total of 42 birds. I wonder if they've been flooded out from elsewhere?

Spectacular B&W fly past by a Black Swan, heading S down Menai strait on Moel y don side at 12.45. Skylark half an hour earlier was new to Felin list. A Morfa Aber visit held usual duck, geese and waders inc several Greenshank and flood field by Spinnies with 297 Curlew alongside 45 Black-t Godwit.

A trip along the upper Nanttle valley then down to Llyn y Gadier - Red Kite, Sphawk and buzzard all in one binoc view and several wildfowl in small numbers : Goldeneye, Wigeon, Goosander and Tufties. Spectacular area, surprised we haven't driven the B4418 before!

High tide visit to the metal hide at Forydd bay this morning. Plenty of birds on the banks and in the marsh with good counts of Brent Geese (130) and Greenshank (13) - usually see them in 1s and 2s so good to see them concentrated by the tide a bit.

Quick twitch to the Malltreath cob pools for David W's W-r Sandpiper, which eventually kindly flew in mid-pool for a few mins before moving to the near pool margin. 1 Curlew Sand and 150 goldies also made for a good trip. @angbirdnews.bsky.social

Moel y don yet again this morning : little change birdwise from yesterday but did add Snipe to the "seen near Strait" list (now at 104) with a trio off the muddy pool by the car park,... they're strangers round here.

Moel y don on Anglesey this morning: a single Common Tern on the mudflat may be a farewell bird for the year but was NFY 4me here too, also a single Greenshank and 4 Dunlin were a bit out of the ordinary,... plus usual suspects. @angbirdnews.bsky.social

Out on the Anglesey side of the strait from Moel y don to Castell-gwylan and back before the rain hit : Curlew 27, Turnstone 33, Oystercatcher 55, Redshank 28, Linnet c60, and a single swallow. @angbirdnews.bsky.social

Thanks,that might make more sense sizewise... It didn't strike me as a small duck, and it seems quite "long" in the photo too although I should have paid more attention at the time! A useful learning bird

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Just sorting a few photos from last weekend,... overlooked it a bit at the time other than quick photo but any thoughts on this duck, Malltreath cob pools on Saturday 26th... Garganey? Seemed a bit big but was solitary.

High tide drop in to Malltreath cob pools - nothing unusual but 62 Redshank and 8 Black-tailed Godwit were loafing the pools, alongside 40+ Lapwing and a family party of Shelduck.
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Getting themselves lined up in a row - a gaggle of 16 Goosanders hoofing around the Strait at Moel y don, Anglesey, this morning.
And same location yesterday (21/7/25) : 2 Whimbrel, 5 Common Sandpipers, 3 Redshank
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And today 4 Redshank have turned up - first for some while.

Am impressive-ish 14 Common Sandpipers marching the mudflat at Moel y don this morning as the tide falls away, a few (4) Curlew too, and BHGull numbers slowly rising.
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Don't often get more than an in-flight view of a cuckoo so quite pleased to get a closer view at Cors Ddyga this afternoon

I'm always surprised by the number of birds cruising high in a warmed afternoon sky when you get a telescope pointing above the horizon. Mostly unidentifiable dots, but several buzzards and a Red Kite amongst the larger gulls that were close enough for an ID today, over Moel y don, Anglesey.

NFYs at the bottom and top of Anglesey today with single Whimbrel at Moel y don first thing, then a visit to Cemlyn in the N for Arctic Tern and Med Gull. Not NFY but 2 Greenshank on upper Alaw estuary added some texture as did Little Gull and other Terns spp back at Cemlyn @angbirdnews.bsky.social

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Moel y don – 22nd March 2025
Brent Goose light-b – 17
Wigeon - 55

Moel y don – 23rd March 2025
Brent Goose light-b – 10
Shelduck – 10
Red-breasted Merganser – 7
Redshank – 25
Sandwich Tern – 8
Guillemot – 1
Harrier sp. (prob Marsh) – 1 over high heading N
Red Kite – 2

4 Little Gulls dip-feeding off Moel y don were a good start to the day (nice birds for the 100th sp within 1km of base at Felin) followed by my first Sandwich Tern of the year. Chased the LapBunt at Cors Ddyga - no luck but did find a Green-winged Teal to compensate!
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Moel y don this morning 10th March :
19 light bellied Brent, 3 Wigeon, 20 Oystercatcher, 20 Redshank, 18 Dunlin, and a couple of Curlew.
9th March - Llangefni industrial estate Starlings... guess at 25,000 birds.
8th March - Moel y Don regulars plus a single Greenshank.
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Whooper Swan - Llyn Cefni (1 on 22nd)
male Scaup - Llyn Cefni (1 on 22nd)
Kittiwake - 4 South down Menai Strait in high winds at Moel y don on 23rd