Grand Day Out

With the new year list standing at a fairly impressive 25, the offer of a day's birding in North Wales was too good to turn down.

It wasn't a bird that initially caught my attention however, but a healthy looking fox making its way along the side of a farmers field as I passed along the A41 on my way to meet Martin. After meeting up with Martin our first stop was a quick call to Colemere to look for the group of Scaup that just about every other birder in Shropshire must have already seen. Mission accomplished without having to walk far from the car, and others ticked off (Pochard, Goosander, and Goldeneye to list a few) it was time to press on.

Our next stop was Gresford Flash just outside Wrexham, to look for the juvenile Iceland Gull which has been around there for a while now. Not that it was around for us of course......But we did add Shoveler to the list, and it was good gull ID practice searching through the throngs of Black Headed, Lesser Black-backed, Herring and Common for the Iceland that just wouldn't materialise. And you can't stare at gulls for too long before you go cross-eyed (and start trying to make them into things they're not), so on we pressed again.

RSPB Conwy presented us with softcore birding opportunities with year ticks through the cafe window over latte and pasty (my kind of birding!), however not wanting to get too soft we did venture out, where the wind was strong and very, very cold, and the birds were few and far between. And you can only stare at distant waders through streaming eyes and very unstable, wind blown scopes before you get cross-eyed again (and get pneumonia).

Next stop The Spinnies, which we decided to look at even though the tide was against us, in a bid to pick up Little Egret if nothing else. And we did, with at least 3 birds around, amongst a mix of Wigeon, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover and Redshank. The nearby pool also gave a brief view of a Kingfisher, along with various small stuff including Bullfinch.

So nothing especially scarce, but a very enjoyable day's birding, topped off with a fantastic tea (thanks Kath!). I couldn't help smiling as I headed home and finished the day as it had started, with a fox - this time on the verge of the A53 by the Muller's roundabout.

That smile got a whole lot wider when a few yards further on I was treated to a great view of a Barn Owl sat on the fence. Now that's how to end a day's birding.......

(Pic definately not taken on the A53, but rather on a day out with Wolverhampton Photographic Society to the Barn Owl Centre, Gloucestershire, 2007).