Let It Snow

This blog has nothing to do with the weather what so ever.
As today I was on the hunt for Snow Bunting on Friday I found out about a couple of Snow Bunting that had been showing well recently at a place called Kinmel Bay (never heard of the place before), but some chaps from North Wales Bird forum pointed me in the right direction.
Soon after parking up I had already bagged Sky Lark, Sandling, Dunlin, Redshank and Oystercatcher. Down by the viewing patform and logs where I had been informed to hunt around there was a small group of Linnets to be had but no Snow Bunting was thinking all was lost until another couple of birds also looking for them turned up.
Soon after bingo! a pair were seen just by the dunes but never stayed in one spot too long, can't blame it was too cold to stand still for any length of time.

Managed to get a couple of shots of the little beauties




On the way back to the car I had a possible pair of Red Throated Divers out to sea.

It was then on to Rhos to try my luck at another bird on my photo wish list Purple Sandpiper, on getting there the tide was out so there was to be no joy there. But did pick up Turnstone.





Weekend Jaunts

Well decided after a busy week at work to chill out with a spot of proper birding this weekend.

Saturday's plan was to hopefully see the Great Grey Shrike on the Chase that has been showing around the cadet huts for a while now, and after seeing some great shots by various chaps on the bird forum it was my turn.

Well Saturday turned out to be a damp grey horrible day but Lesley and me still gave it our best. Nothing was really seen around the cadet huts on our walk, just Green Woody and Goldcrest of interest. It was really quite not many birds singing but it didn't feel like spring though so I can't blame them.

Sunday was to be spent on the Wirral to see the big tide at Park Gate usually I am stuck in the lab at work but this one fell on a weekend so it was my chance to see one.

First headed up for New Brighton to try and grab that perfect shot of a Purple Sandpiper, but the light conditions and the fact they had already come into roost put an end to that plan.

So we headed off down the coast to Park Gate, we thought as we were due to get there around 11:00 parking at the Boat House car park would be a easy bet, boy were we wrong. The car park was already full when we turned up. So we parked along the sea wall, and walked back along the road.
Was good crowd and hada good natter to a few folk including a few chaps from Manchester way.
Plenty of action out on the marsh with Merlin, Peregrine, Hen Harrier and Short Eared Owl all putting in show.

Saw a couple of Voles swimming for safety but didn't have to fish them out as they each found a safe place to hide up in.

Were even a couple of boats going up the channel which before the water level rose looked quite strange.

Finching Fantastic!

Well after getting rather wet on Saturday and Sunday looking rather grey and spotting with rain I decided I would stay nice and warm and dry at home. I was going to head for the Chase to try my luck at finding the Shrike but that can wait a week.

Had almost the full range of finchs visit my feeders over the day with Gold,Green,Chaff and Bullfinch plus Redpol, Brambling and a single male Siskin, which was a nice year tick for me.

These had a supporting cast of Willow,Blue,Coal, Great and Longtailed Tits along with Nuthatch, Dunnock, Robin, Collared Dove and Black Bird.

Managed to get some nice shots with the Redpol being my main target bird photo wise.

Lunch Time Birding

Decided to do a spot of lunch time birding today and even dragged along a non birding colleague to see the Waxwing that had been hanging around the Basford/Hartshill area near the fantastic Titanic pub the Greyhound.

Got there for around 12:15 to only find a bird less set of trees, bumped into a couple of fellow birders who informed me I had just missed them (drat!)
So we hung around for a bit having a natter as you do while birding, decided I should try pointing the camera at some thing so got a few Redwing shots although they were never quite in the right spot, but thats life and what makes wildlife photography that little bit more fun.

A few more minutes passed and a group of 15 or so Waxwing flew over head so we waited for them to return, but instead another 2 appeared. Managed to fire off a few shots before having to head off back to work.