'A mad dash to Goldcliff'........

After yesterday's early start for Cotswold Water Park my intended lay-in was interrupted by a message of a Red-necked Phalarope in summer plumage found by Blair Jones at Goldcliff Pools, Newport.
Leaping into action I was soon on the road and the bird was present when I arrived, it was very much a case of 'record shots' only today because as usual the birds were very distant at the back of the lagoon.
There were good numbers of birds present and the phalarope was associating with a flock of Dunlin, other birds present included the breeding Avocets, a cracking summer plumage Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit and a Curlew Sandpiper.
Lots of warblers as well including a couple of Lesser Whitethroats which unfortunately didn't oblige for any worthwhile photos.

It was good to bump into and chat with Kevin Hughes who I'd not seen for twenty four hours !!, Rich Webb, Blair Jones and Phil Bristow before leaving for home.

Nightingale : 'Mission accomplished'.........

I've been promising myself to re-visit Cotswold Water Park for the last few years in the hope of photographing Nightingale, although not in the numbers that existed previously due to habitat destruction by greedy developers building holiday homes for the rich they still exist in small numbers in sporadic locations.
So it was that myself and Kevin Hughes met up in Cardiff at 6.00am this morning and by 7.30am we were listening to our first Nightingale in scrub near Pit 43, they are notoriously difficult to see and after about an hour one gave itself up and perched out in the open and I managed a quick series of shots that I was really pleased with...……

We heard and saw three different birds in territories close to each other and at one point had a bird singing no further that 3m away from us in scrub, could we get a close view, no chance !!

We visited a few other pits and picked up a very distant Great White Egret and three Common Terns,there were lots of other warblers including my first Sedge and Garden of the year together with Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Willow Warblers.

A very enjoyable morning and with 'mission accomplished' we called it a day and headed for home early afternoon.

Chiffchaff : Llynfi Valley

A few images of a confiding Chiffchaff at Maesteg Cemetery Car Park taken on the evening of Sat 20th April...…

'Gropper time'.........

I worked today but have next Tuesday off instead, with an earlyish  finish this afternoon I spent a couple of hours up at Garnwen and Maesteg Golf Club in search of Grasshopper Warbler and found two territories with one of the birds duly obliging.
Here's a few images from this evening with a nice male Stonechat and a Meadow Pipit thrown in for good measure...…..

'A jaunt around Breconshire'............

A few images from a jaunt on Saturday 13th April 2019 with fellow birder and 'togger' Dave Gilbert starting with the Ring Ouzels currently at Trefil Quarry near Tredegar followed by a couple of visits to typical Western Oak woods around Brecon followed by re-finding a cracking male Common Redstart in Maesteg Welfare Park on the way home...…..