Friday, February 08, 2008

TTV 2

Just finished my 2nd winter visit to ST18K. A lovely walk in the sun with birds singing everywhere but no particularly unusual birds seen.

Incredibly I did manage to find another Blackcap at a completely different location to the 3 I found on my 1st TTV back on Boxing Day. A lone female this time on the road up to Pantmawr Cemetry. The other 'highlight' was the sheer number of Magpies recorded: 51 of them, with 41 in the first hour. Sadly, no Lesser Pecker again at Forest Farm.

After finishing I had a very pleasant 20 minutes in the Llyn Brwynog Hide (which lies just outside ST18K). The female Brambling was still amongst the flock of c.35 Chaffinches, and Reed Buntings, Grey Heron (fishing) and Little Grebe made up a nice supporting cast. Unusually, I also saw a Common Snipe there - my first from this hide. I normally see them from the other hide but they appear to have been absent from there this winter. Well, they've avoided me anyway.

5 comments:

Tim Hall said...

There have been at least 3 Snipe from the other hide recently. Even Rosie has seen them!

Wayne said...

The Twichmeister must be worried, as baby Hall closes in on his life list total.

Wayne said...

Come to think of it, she's probably way past TM and closing in on my total!

Dan said...

I'm beginning to go off Rosie - first of all she pukes up on my newsletter and now she's gripping me off!

The TM has recently updated his UK life list - discounting those birds he can't remember seeing, although I know he's seen them (including Sanderling and Stonechat!) - and he's on 153 with a few birds he should have got by now waiting to be ticked too. Not bad!

While I was still dozing in bed early this morning he shoved a pair of 'bins in my face and dragged me downstairs to check out a pair of Siskin he'd found on our bird table. A Garden Tick for both of us! That's my boy!!!

Wayne said...

Did my first late winter TTV in the sunshine this morning at Clydach Vale. 22 species in total, with the highlight a corking goshawk, giving my best ever views of this species. Watched at around 100m for over a minute, and then it obliged my showing off a second time some ten minutes later!