Rose-coloured Starling is a bird that I've found it difficult to catch up with although I have seen a couple over the years.
There have been two local birds previously that I recall in Port Talbot, one back in about 2002 and one last year and I've 'dipped' on both, last year's was particularly disappointing as it was reasonably well photographed by others.
I had no plans for yesterday as the weather was poor but when my mobile bleeped with a 'grapevine' text at about 12.30pm half way around Aldi with Teresa alerting me to a juvenile in Port Talbot I couldn't resist a visit.
I got to the location on the Sandfields Estate at about 2.30pm to be greeted by Mark Hipkin who had put the news out and Gavin Moore who had popped down from Cardiff, the bird had shown earlier but we had to wait about an hour before it reappeared on the rooftops.
The bird has been visiting garden feeders since last Thursday and I managed a shot on the rooftop before it disappeared to feed in the garden.......
The bird flew off and Gavin also said farewell, myself and Mark had a good search and arrived back at the location at the same time as the bird, Mark decided to leave and Gary the homeowner invited me into his home to view the bird on the feeders, I managed a few shots although shooting through glass didn't provide the best results........
I gave it another hour hoping the bird would come to roost in a pine at the rear of the garden but had no such luck.
With fantastic weather forecast for today I had decided to visit Crymlyn Burrows for the wader roost with a good high tide at 7.58am arriving there at 7.30am, unfortunately a few dog walkers had the same idea and the disturbance was frustrating to say the least........
I just couldn't get near the birds who were by now quite flighty and managed just a few record shots........
I didn't waste much time on the waders although there were good numbers of Sanderling and Ringed Plover with some Dunlin and a few Knot mixed in with them and decided to finish off with a circuit of the scrub in the hope of a Yellow-Browed Warbler, no luck I'm afraid but good numbers of Goldfinches and Stonechats with an obliging female Reed Bunting.....
I moved on to Sandfields in the hope of getting some better images of the Rosy Starling but in much improved light than yesterday and wasn't to be disappointed, upon arrival I was greeted by Kevin Hughes who had added the bird to his year list and Martin "Billy Wizz" Thomas sporting his new SLR and lens.
The bird soon came back and I managed some nice shots as it perched high up on a TV aerial.......
The bird then flew over to the house with the feeders and first perched on the chimney and then dropped to the roof edge before visiting the feeders and I managed some shots that I was really pleased with.......
Martin had already left and Kevin also said his goodbyes and deciding that I wasn't going to achieve much better than I had I decided to finish off the morning with a walk up the side of the River Afan from the beach in the hope of a rare gull.
There were very few gulls around and the only waders of note were half a dozen Curlew calling as they flew up river, a passage Wheatear was not unexpected and a pair of Linnets flew in before being flushed by another bloody dogwalker, a comic Carrion Crow with a bill full of what looked like Cheesy Wotsits provided a nice novelty shot to finish the day.........
Having not done a lot over the spring and summer I've had a great few weeks catching up with Wryneck, Spotted Crake and Rose-Coloured Starling, all species that I have seen previously but not had great and prolonged views of, I've managed to get some really pleasing shots of all, right now where's that late passage Golden Oriole !!!!
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