Weekend Travels

With a fine weekend we made plans to head for North Wales on Saturday, this would have been a great move with a Dotterel being found on the Orme but I had forgotten about a bank appointment on the Saturday morning so like a good boy off I went to the bank in stead of birding. So in the end it was just a trip to Attenborough for the afternoon, rather hot to say the least the cars thermometer was reading 29.5C, not been like that during the summer!

With the good weather it was rather busy but as it's an easy place to push a pushchair around so was an easy place for a walk. Not too much around the high lights been 3 Snipe from the Tower Hide and 4 Black Tailed Godwits on I think what is Clifton pool in front of the screen but too far for a photo. Plenty of Dragonflies around although I only managed to get a shot of a Common Darter.

Lapwing at Attenborough

Black Headed Gull at Attenborough taking off

Common Darter at Attenborough

Sunday was a new day and our second chance to head for Wales off we set although we had lost the good weather being over cast the whole journey with even the odd spot of rain, being the ever optimist both Lesley and me had dressed for sun and had left the rain guard for the pushchair at home as well. This was a mistake as it was rather windy with the odd shower plus the paths around the Orme and not the easiest place to push a small child around. Didn't help that we didn't find any Dotterel to make walking through the wind and rain worth while.
We did see a group of 4 Goldcrest plenty of Stonechats and a few Meadow Pipits for good measure.
From here we decided on a quick visit to Rhos - on - Sea, plenty of Turnstone feeding around the boulders had 9 birds alone on one stretch of beach with smaller groups dotted around. Plenty of Oystercatcher were coming into roost on the break water as well.
It was then off home, but as we drove along the sea front past the pier the little one started to moan so we pulled over to see what was wrong. This turned out to be a great move as just by the sea wall a single Guillemot was feeding with a couple of Razorbills just a little further down a great surprise and sight having only ever seen these birds this close at the Farnes or Bempton Cliffs.

Winter plumage Guillemot at Rhos on Sea

Guillemot at Rhos on Sea

Razorbill at Rhos on Sea

Razorbill at Rhos on Sea