Side on view of a Puss Moth on an egg box
Overhead view of a Puss Moth on an egg box
Head on view of a Puss Moth on an egg box
Another cold night here in north Wales with only 7 individual moths of 2 species to show for it, but that included this lovely Puss Moth. My last one here was in 2020 so I’m glad I persevered! #teammoth #VC50
Brindled Beauty moth
A cold night with frosty patches meant only 5 moths here this morning but one of them was this smart Brindled Beauty - my first for the garden and another moth caught outside the trap! #teammoth #VC50
An ropy record shot of American Green-winged Teal (left) and Eurasian Green-winged Teal (right)
Little Ringed Plover on the mud
Plenty of birds at RSPB Cors Ddyga today included a drake Green-winged Teal, Garganey, reeling Grasshopper Warbler that showed quite well, Marsh Harrier and Little Ringed Plover. Lovely soundtrack of Lapwings, Curlew and Skylarks too.
Old moss-covered stone walls in a Welsh oakwood
A path winding through an old Welsh oakwood
Nice to get out down the Conwy valley this morning. A Welsh oakwood on a sunny day in spring is hard to beat! Several male Redstarts singing on territory and great views of a male Pied Flycatcher that was repeatedly chasing Blue Tits off his patch were the avian highlights.
Frosted Green on a wooden door
Side view of a Frosted Green on a wooden door, showing the prominent ‘ear’ tufts
Frosted Green on a plastic pot
Really pleased to find my first Frosted Green for the garden this morning, not in the trap but on a nearby door - glad I checked! #VC50 #teammoth
A Mediterranean shearwater of the pale ‘Menorcan’ type (left, foreground) with a larger Scopoli’s shearwater (right, background).
A Scopoli’s shearwater showing its distinctive underwing tip, with much white in the primaries compared to Cory’s shearwater. Some had darker primaries than this one though.
A Scopoli’s shearwater sat on the sea with a yellow-legged gull for scale. The sea off Punta Prima was a great place to watch these birds feeding close to shore.
While in Menorca it was great to have good views of Scopoli’s and Mediterranean shearwaters. The variability of the latter was educational! Most were of the paler ‘Menorcan’ type, but I also saw quite a few ‘classic’ Balearic types and a couple of presumed Yelkouan types with plain white underparts.
Woodchat shrike of the Balearic subspecies ‘badius’ dismantling what I think is a grasshopper. Note the lack of white patch at the base of the primaries.
Pair of Audouin’s gulls. The default gull species in Punta Prima, their nasal calls ringing out around the village all day.
Hermann’s tortoise encountered on a walk near Punta Prima, shortly before it shuffled back into the bushes.
Thekla lark perched on a rock in the early morning light.
A family holiday in Menorca last week gave me some good opportunities to explore the island for the first time. I enjoyed a good mix of wildlife, including Egyptian vultures, my first ‘Balearic’ woodchat shrikes,
good views of Scopoli’s &
Mediterranean shearwaters, plus a Hermann’s tortoise.
Illa de l’Aire and its lighthouse at sunrise from the coastal path at Punta Prima, Menorca
Nice sunrise in Punta Prima, Menorca this morning. Good views of Scopoli’s shearwaters foraging close in the bay. Spring migrants from the coast path included 6 Garganey over the sea, a male Redstart and a singing Willow Warbler. #menorcabirding #birding
Pale Pinion
Dark Sword-grass
Pale Pinion and Dark Sword-grass were new moths for the year last night, amongst 37 of 10 species. Also, some bird movement over the garden today with 1 Fieldfare ‘chuckling’ away in a tree before flying east early on, and 2 Crossbill heading west later.
#teammoth #vc50
A nice, bracing walk around RSPB Conwy this morning yielded brief views of the striking leucistic Cetti’s warbler, dark-bellied Brent goose on the estuary, and my first swallow, house martin, sand martin and willow warbler of the year. #birdingwales
Funnily enough, I’ve just finished reading the two chapters about her - a fascinating, eye-opening read. Thoroughly enjoying the rest of the book too!
One of 147 Common Quakers caught the previous night
Selection of moths on an old egg box
Shoulder stripe
Despite the improved weather I was still a bit surprised to catch 224 moths last night, of 9 species. A count of 147 Common Quakers was especially notable! #teammoth #vc50
Oak Beauty (one of four caught)
Dotted Border
Satellite
Mottled Grey
Had a good first mothing session of the year last night, with 39 moths of 13 species. 4 Oak Beauties were the highlight but also great to see Dotted Border, Mottled Grey, Satellite, Shoulder Stripe and plenty more including 16 Common Quakers.
#teammoth #vc50
A small black and white duck swimming on the water.
Nice to have second helpings of the Bufflehead over lunchtime today - this time on Llyn Coron, Anglesey. A bit further away than last time I saw it but great to see this smart little duck again. #birdingwales #ukbirding
A three second exposure of the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) showing a clear green beam of light to the south-west.
A three second exposure of the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) showing a red glow of light to the north.
A three second exposure of the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) showing a clear green beam of light through trees to the east.
A three second exposure of the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) showing green beams of light to the south-east.
Treated to an amazing show from the #auroraborealis here in Llysfaen, north Wales tonight. The best I’ve seen it here yet, with some lovely clear pulsating greens to the south and a red glow to the north. These photos were taken with a 3 second exposure on my phone. #northernlights
A Purple Sandpiper roosting on a rock with its beak tucked under its wing, showing a bright orange leg and purple sheen on the wing feathers.
One of six Purple Sandpipers that were showing well on the rocks at Rhos on Sea during high tide today. Love it when the winter sun brings out the purple sheen on their feathers. #ukbirding #birdingwales
A Russian White-fronted Goose showing its white forehead and pink bill
A family group of Russian White-fronted Geese grazing in a field
Two Whooper Swans grazing in a field, with Greylag Geese in the foreground
Nice to see 13 Russian White-fronted Geese during a walk along the Afon Cefni this morning - not often we get to see them in north Wales. 2 Whooper Swans, 3 Egyptian Geese and Great Egret were also notable on the walk #ukbirding #birdingwales
A Lesser Yellowlegs walking on mud, showing its yellow legs
A Lesser Yellowlegs walking on mud, showing its yellow legs
It was great to catch up with the local Lesser Yellowlegs on the Clwyd estuary this morning. My third in Wales but surprisingly my first in the UK since 2012! Top find by @alexhj.bsky.social and Bob
Bright orange witches’ butter fungus growing on a yellow and green lichen covered fallen branch
I like how witches’ butter fungus (Tremella mesenterica) always brightens up a winter woodland floor, shining up from the leaf litter. This was found growing on a fallen branch in the back garden today. Green woodpecker heard calling too, quite a scarce species in north Wales.
#gardeningforwildlife
Drake Bufflehead with the morning sun showing off the iridescent green and purple hues on its head
View west over the embankment pool, with the Llŷn peninsula in the distance
Drake Bufflehead riding the waves
Drake Bufflehead (foreground) and Little Grebe (background)
After being too busy to take time off work yesterday, it was great to catch up with the drake Bufflehead near Dinas Dinlle this morning. The smart little duck was busily feeding on small fish. Nice to see some familiar faces there too, including the finder Simon H-R! #ukbirding #birdingwales
A Shorelark showing its distinctive black and yellow head markings and black collar standing on some short-cropped turf.
View west from the Great Orme as clouds roll in and obscure the sun.
Enjoyed catching up with the Great Orme Shorelark this afternoon. Initially elusive it eventually dropped in to feed for a good spell in the usual spot near the cairn. Only the second one I’ve seen in Wales. Felt pretty fresh in the wind up there today! #birding #birdingwales
A juvenile White-rumped Sandpiper stretching its wing and showing its white rump
Juvenile White-rumped Sandpiper taking a brief rest from frequent feeding in the mud
Enjoyed great views of the Malltraeth White-rumped Sandpiper this afternoon, feeding along a channel close to the path. My first one in Wales - the last one I saw was in Texas, 2016! #ukbirding #birdingwales
Figure of Eight
Pine Carpet
Satellite
A nice selection of moths last night despite the cold temperatures included Figure of Eight, Pine Carpet and a fresh Satellite (VC50). #teammoth
Two Bramblings having a drink in a little garden pond
Sure I’d heard a Brambling in the garden yesterday, so it was great that the pond cam confirmed it with these two taking a drink later in the afternoon. Several Skylark moving east too, and Redwings have arrived this morning. #ukbirding
A Caspian gull sat on the water amongst harbour reflections
Looking north from Scarborough castle towards Long Nab in the background
Anne Brontë’s grave
No needletail for me today, but it was good to see this Caspian gull in Scarborough harbour as we don’t get many in north Wales. Snow bunting showed well on the outer harbour wall too, and a skein of pinkfeet went south. #ukbirding
Large Wainscot
Dark Swordgrass
Rusty Dot Pearl
Pleased to catch my first Large Wainscot last night. Also Dark Swordgrass, Rusty Dot Pearl and 4 Feathered Ranunculus among the rest. #VC50 #teammoth
A juvenile Peregrine falcon (foreground) rests on a sandbank with Oystercatchers feeding in the background.
Quick visit to Llanfairfechan this morning yielded 6 Brent geese, a late Sandwich tern and this juvenile Peregrine trying to blend in on the sandflats, perhaps eyeing up its next meal. #ukbirding
Nice chilly seawatch off Rhos Point this morning included Leach’s and European Storm-petrel, 3 Sabine’s Gulls, 2 Pomarine Skuas, Arctic Skua, 2 Manxie plus Whooper Swan and Golden Plover. Sandwich Terns still on the move too and plenty of Kittiwakes and Gannets. #ukbirding
