....a case of after the Lord Mayor's Show !

After leaving Dan and Lewis and a fruitless visit to the Heliport and Water Treatment Works on Cardiff foreshore Richard and myself decided to finish off an already great day with a visit to Sluice Farm in the hope off catching up with some Short-eared Owls.
As we approached Sluice Farm I spied a SEO hunting over the fields alongside the main road and and after quickly parking on the grass verge we were soon on  two owls hunting in really good light from about 15.30.
Both made kills and after about 45mins one disappeared and the other perched up in a tree for a while before flying off back over the wharf.
As the light started to fade we picked up the call of a Little Owl but as it was coming from private land we couldn't investigate any further.
What a great end to what had already been a brilliant day,a "lifer" in the bag and some reasonable owl pics to finish off.

Common Yellowthroat,Rhiwderin,Gwent

After waiting for early news that the bird was still present (lazy I know!) I picked up fellow "togger" Richard "Smudger" Smith at Junc 34 on the M4 and then Dan and his RSPB colleage and friend Lewis at Dan's house and we were soon arriving at the community centre car park at Rhiwderin where we just managed to get the last parking space.
After obtaining some directions from visiting birders and throwing our contribution into the "charity" bucket we were soon trudging up the fields to join the massed ranks of twitchers (approx 150 when we arrived at 09.45) and quickly got a brief flight view of the bird as it dived into a holly bush and then flew into the adjacent field.
For the next few hours we all pursued (in the nicest use of the word !) the bird up the field as it worked the hedgerow from one end of the field to the other.
It only gave the briefest of views each time it emerged from the undergrowth before again disappearing from view.
This is the most difficult and frustrating bird that I have tried to photograph and after a few hours myself and Richard had only a few record shots to show for our efforts,a shame really as the light was really excellent just for a change.
We'll probably make a few more visits when the novelty of the "twitch" has worn off and the numbers of visitors dwindles,that is if the bird hangs around,hopefully it will.
I have to add that the twitch was very well organized and "policed" by the Gwent birders and huge thanks to them all for doing such a great jobl,all of the birders present were very well behaved and at no time was the welfare of the bird threatened.
Dan and Lewis had to get back and so we left at about 13.15 and after dropping them off at Dan's we headed for the Heliport in search of the two Bonaparte's Gulls.

"Day out around Cardiff"

With a good forecast last Saturday and a chance of nice light for a change I fancied a day out around Cardiff and started by meeting Cliff "Tiger" Woodhead down at Cardiff Heliport in an attempt to try and connect with the Bonaparte's Gull that has been around for a few weeks but proving elusive.
It certainly proved elusive for us and after a couple of hours we were well into "dipping" mode,a phone call and a text as the "grapevine" got going alerted us to a "Redhead" Smew at Hendre Lake,St Mellons and we were soon getting some great views of the dapper little sawbill.
The light was too harsh if anything "burning out" the white tones but I managed a few reasonable record shots although the bird never came really close enough to get a "crippler".
Alex Bevan was already there and we were soon joined by Steve Hinton and Rob Mitchell who were also hoping to get some good shots.
Cliff had to get to Coed Y Bedw by mid-day and I decided to head for Cardiff Bay and then Cosmeston for the BN Grebe and Lesser Scaup but on passing Sluice Farm couldn't resist having a quick look for a couple of Short-eared Owls.
RGW was pretty quiet although I did see one owl in flight and accidentily "flushed" another as I walked across to the foreshore to get the sun behind me.
I noticed another photographer who turned out to be Cate Barrow who had put on a great presentation back in January for the GWPC and who proved to be great company for the afternoon,we both managed a few shots of SEOs although they were not as active as they had been on my last visit in early December 2011.
One of the owls was favouring the fields on the road side of the wharf and perching up on trees and I managed a couple of record shots in the growing gloom albeit pushing the ISO to 1000 although the camera seemed to cope quite well.
I didn't make Cardiff Bay or Cossie but then again it gives me a couple of targets for the coming weekends.

Norfolk Trip List, Winter 2012

Here's our combined trip list for this year's annual trek to Norfolk.

We dipped Rough-legged Buzzard and Great Grey Shrike, and didn't go for Ross' Goose, and of course the Western Sandpiper had buggered off before we arrived.  Our regular annual ticks of Twite and Whooper Swan are missing and Purple Sandpipers don't really over-winter in Norfolk, do they?

We did less seawatching this year, which may explain the absence of Gannet, Razorbill and Black-throated and Great Northern Divers.  A Red-necked Grebe turned up the day we left.  Golden Pheasant was invisible once again.

1. Mute Swan - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
2. Taiga Bean Goose - Buckenham Marshes, Norfolk
3. Pink-footed Goose - Holkham Freshmarsh, Norfolk
4. European White-fronted Goose - Buckenham Marshes, Norfolk
5. Lesser White-fronted Goose - Buckenham Marshes, Norfolk
6. Greylag Goose - Buckenham Marshes, Norfolk
7. Canada Goose - Buckenham Marshes, Norfolk
8. Dark-bellied Brent Goose - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
9. Egyptian Goose - Strumphaw, Norfolk
10. Shelduck - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
11. Wigeon - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
12. Gadwall - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
13. Teal - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
14. Mallard - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
15. Pintail - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
16. Shoveler - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
17. Pochard - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
18. Tufted Duck - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
19. Eider - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
20. Long-tailed Duck - Titchwell, Norfolk
21. Common Scoter - Holkham Gap, Norfolk
22. Velvet Scoter - Titchwell, Norfolk
23. Goldeneye - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
24. Smew - Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
25. Red-breasted Merganser - Titchwell, Norfolk
26. Red-legged Partridge - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
27. Grey Partridge - Titchwell, Norfolk
28. Pheasant - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
29. Red-throated Diver - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
30. Little Grebe - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
31. Great Crested Grebe - Cosmeston Lakes CP, Glamorgan
32. Slavonian Grebe - Titchwell, Norfolk
33. Fulmar - Hunstanton, Norfolk
34. Cormorant - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
35. Bittern - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
36. Little Egret - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
37. Grey Heron - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
38. Marsh Harrier - Stubb Mill, Norfolk
39. Hen Harrier - Buckenham Marshes, Norfolk
40. Sparrowhawk - Holkham, Norfolk
41. Buzzard - Strumphaw, Norfolk
42. Kestrel - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
43. Peregrine - Thornham, Norfolk
44. Water Rail - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
45. Moorhen - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
46. Coot - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
47. Crane - Stubb Mill, Norfolk
48. Guillemot - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
49. Oystercatcher - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
50. Avocet - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
51. Ringed Plover - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
52. Golden Plover - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
53. Grey Plover - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
54. Lapwing - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
55. Knot - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
56. Sanderling - Titchwell, Norfolk
57. Dunlin - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
58. Ruff - Buckenham Marshes, Norfolk
59. Jack Snipe - Titchwell, Norfolk
60. Snipe - Thornham, Norfolk
61. Woodcock - Hickling, Norfolk
62. Black-tailed Godwit - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
63. Bar-tailed Godwit - Titchwell, Norfolk
64. Curlew - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
65. Spotted Redshank - Thornham, Norfolk
66. Redshank - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
67. Turnstone - Hunstanton, Norfolk
68. Black-headed Gull - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
69. Common Gull - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
70. Lesser Black-backed Gull - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
71. Herring Gull - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
72. Great Black-backed Gull - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
73. Feral Pigeon - Buckenham Marshes, Norfolk
74. Stock Dove - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
75. Woodpigeon - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
76. Collared Dove - Strumpshaw, Norfolk
77. Barn Owl - Holme, Norfolk
78. Little Owl - Flitcham, Norfolk
79. Tawny Owl - Hickling, Norfolk
80. Short-eared Owl - Holme, Norfolk
81. Kingfisher - Thornham, Norfolk
82. Green Woodpecker - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
83. Great Spotted Woodpecker - Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk
84. Skylark - Burnnham Overy Staithe, Norfolk
85. Shore Lark - Holkham Gap, Norfolk
86. Meadow Pipit - Burnham Overy Staithe, Norfolk
87. Pied Wagtail - Thornham, Norfolk
88. Wren - Strumpshaw, Norfolk
89. Dunnock - Buckenham Marshes, Norfolk
90. Robin - Fen Drayton, Cambirdgeshire
91. Blackbird - Fen Drayton, Cambirdgeshire
92. Fieldfare - Fen Drayton, Cambirdgeshire
93. Song Thrush - Fen Drayton, Cambirdgeshire
94. Redwing - Fen Drayton, Cambirdgeshire
95. Mistle Thrush - Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk
96. Bearded Tit - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
97. Long-tailed Tit - Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk
98. Blue Tit - Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk
99. Great Tit - Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk
100. Coal Tit - Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk
101. Treecreeper - Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk
102. Nuthatch - Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk
103. Jay - Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk
104. Magpie - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
105. Jackdaw - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
106. Rook - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
107. Carrion Crow - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
108. Starling - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire
109. House Sparrow - Strumphaw, Norfolk
110. Tree Sparrow - Flitcham, Norfolk
111. Brambling - Flitcham, Norfolk
112. Chaffinch - Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk
113. Greenfinch - Titchwell, Norfolk
114. Goldfinch - Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk
115. Siskin - Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk
116. Linnet - Thornham, Norfolk
117. Lesser Redpoll - Titchwell, Norfolk
118. Arctic Redpoll - Titchwell, Norfolk
119. Common Crossbill - Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk
120. Hawfinch - Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk
121. Bullfinch - Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk
122. Reed Bunting - Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
123. Lapland Bunting - Burnham Overy Staithe, Norfolk
124. Snow Bunting - Holkham Gap, Norfolk
125. Yellowhammer - Choseley, Norfolk
126. Corn Bunting - Choseley, Norfolk

In addition, to these birds we also saw Roe Deer; Chinese Water Deer; Grey Squirrrel; Rabbit; Brown Hare; Weasel and Stoat.