Aqua-cadabra!

As if by magic yet another bird I twitched decided to put on a vanishing act. If I missed the Anglesey Black Stork by about 10 minutes this one was even worse. "Any sign of the Aquatic Warbler?" (Note the trepidation in my voice). Yep, it popped out five minutes ago. It's a bit elusive but if you hang around long enough you should see it. An hour and a half later and there was no sign of the little bleeder. Not in the mood for a 'Monty's Marathon' (see 'The Full Monty', Tuesday, June 06, 2006) I shouldered my 'scope and naffed off. Switching on the computer at home I read on Birdguides: Aquatic Warbler, Uskmouth - last seen 1150. I arrived at 1155. Still, I spent a very pleasant hour and a half looking at a nice bush . . .

A Nice Bush - spot the Acrocephalus paludicola

The moral of this story? If you want to see the bird turn up 10 minutes before I do . . . preferably in the company of Tim Hall!

At last - a bird

I had planned to spend the sunny afternoon of 12th Sept at Goldcliff. Just before I set off, an Aquatic Warbler was reported from nearby Uskmouth, so I headed there instead. Approaching the lighthouse, I met a birder coming away, who asked if I was looking for the warbler, explained that he was the finder, and then took me to where it had showed.

He left, and a lonely and birdless hour passed, until Gareth Stamp and another birder arrived. I explained the situation, and left to move my car (left inside the gate-silly when it's locked at 5pm).

A quick trip to Goldcliff seemed reasonable, as I felt that the bird had escaped me.

Little Owl,

Yellow Wags, a Little Stint, a few

Ruff,

and several Knot and Blackwit were nice, but not what I wanted.

Wayne texted me to ask if I'd seen the warbler. I then rang him and found out that I'd missed it by about 10 mins!

Back I went, and Gareth put me on the bird within a couple of minutes, and it showed well in sunshine, on and off, at about 20 feet.

No piccies of it, sadly ( well not by me anyway), but a welcome "lifer" on a gorgeous evening.

Good luck to anyone else who looks for it!

Stork SB

Stork Safely Bagged? Sadly not. Stork Sadly Buggered-off more like. I had to attend a wedding on Anglesey over the weekend and as the date drew nearer I noticed that the long-staying Black Stork on the Alaw Estuary near Llanfachraeth was only 15 minutes drive away from where we were staying. Top banana! Every night before the trip I logged onto Birdguides praying that it would stay until the day I got there. And it did . . . . right up until about 15 minutes before I arrived at the estuary. I had the privelege of meeting the very last birders to see it, who promptly told me "You should have been here ten minutes ago. It's just flown away". (Through gritted teeth) Any idea where it could have gone? "Could be anywhere!" I revisited the estuary over the next couple of days but no joy. Nice views of six Greenshank, R-b Mergs, Knot, Dunlin, shed loads of Curlew, the odd Little Egret and Kingfisher was small compensation. Nice estuary though and worth a visit if you're up North.

One Hundred and Seventy!!!!

Okay, not a big total, and still behind Tim's maximum posted a month or two ago, but nevertheless I got my first year tick since May! The two ospreys at Llanrhidian Marsh performed well eating a large fish each out on the posts. A first for both Alec and Non too! There must have been avery high tide today as the road was flooded at Crofty when I arrived, but had cleared when I left. Never seen that before.