Conwy 2005

Outdoor Meeting at Caer Hûn and Conwy
(also Llanfairfechan, Pensarn and Kinmel Bay)

Sunday 27 February 2005

It was snowing as we met in Duke Street car park, but we trusted the weather forecast and set off at 8 am to meet others of the Group at RSPB Conwy, where the weather was bright and sunny! In total there were 24 people, and Trish Thompson was in charge. At her request we consolidated into the minimum number of cars and drove south down the Conwy valley to Llanbedr-y-cennin near Caer Hûn. We walked just past the church and took up position to scan the trees. Our target? Hawfinch. One or two people got a short glimpse of these heavy muscular finches almost immediately, but for most of us it was other birds that made their appearance: chaffinch, greenfinch, bullfinch, robin, thrushes, tits, nuthatch and goldcrest in the trees and hedges, while overhead flew a stock dove, a buzzard and a croaking raven. Then two birds flew between trees and an almost simultaneous cry from David and Graham signalled that the target was again in view. Graham managed to get his 'scope on one perched hawfinch for a few seconds before it disappeared. A bit later two more were seen in flight, and most people got at least a glimpse.

We then went on to Llanfairfechan promenade for some sea-watching at high tide. Immediately we could see lots of red-throated divers, and some common scoters. Great crested grebe and eider were seen, and red-breasted mergansers flew past. Graham was still studying the scoters through his 'scope, and one seemed to have a large yellow bulge at the top of its bill. Could it be? Yes, it was a black scoter (the American subspecies of common scoter). Others rushed to confirm the diagnosis, and Trish, who was on the point of setting off back to Conwy, came running over to get her first ever view of one. We soon all decided to move on, but not before some of us had seen a pair of dippers in the stream that runs down to the sea there.


Outdoor Meeting at Caer Hûn and Conwy (also Llanfairfechan, Pensarn and Kinmel Bay) Sunday 27 February 2005 It was snowing as we met in Duke Street car park, but we trusted the weather forecast and set off at 8 am to meet others of the Group at RSPB Conwy, where the weather was bright and sunny! In total there were 24 people, and Trish Thompson was in charge. At her request we consolidated into the minimum number of cars and drove south down the Conwy valley to Llanbedr-y-cennin near Caer Hûn. We walked just past the church and took up position to scan the trees. Our target? Hawfinch. One or two people got a short glimpse of these heavy muscular finches almost immediately, but for most of us it was other birds that made their appearance: chaffinch, greenfinch, bullfinch, robin, thrushes, tits, nuthatch and goldcrest in the trees and hedges, while overhead flew a stock dove, a buzzard and a croaking raven. Then two birds flew between trees and an almost simultaneous cry from David and Graham signalled that the target was again in view. Graham managed to get his 'scope on one perched hawfinch for a few seconds before it disappeared. A bit later two more were seen in flight, and most people got at least a glimpse. We then went on to Llanfairfechan promenade for some sea-watching at high tide. Immediately we could see lots of red-throated divers, and some common scoters. Great crested grebe and eider were seen, and red-breasted mergansers flew past. Graham was still studying the scoters through his 'scope, and one seemed to have a large yellow bulge at the top of its bill. Could it be? Yes, it was a black scoter (the American subspecies of common scoter). Others rushed to confirm the diagnosis, and Trish, who was on the point of setting off back to Conwy, came running over to get her first ever view of one. We soon all decided to move on, but not before some of us had seen a pair of dippers in the stream that runs down to the sea there.
Views across RSPB Conwy reserve
We returned to RSPB Conwy and spent an hour or so there, seeing many different ducks and some waders, particularly lapwing, oystercatcher and curlew. Several water rails also made an appearance, and the scrub produced reed bunting and stonechat. Finally we moved on to Pensarn to look for snow bunting. Unfortunately we didn't find any, but we did increase our wader list to include dunlin and ringed plover. Also notable was a flock of ten or more pied wagtails! A few of the group also went a bit further on to an industrial estate where a Richard's pipit had been reported. They did see it (or rather just its head), but also had excellent views of several short-eared owls.
Looking out over the estuary	Stonechat
Lapwings at RSPB Conwy	Shorted eared owl at Kinmel Bay
So we had an excellent day in North Wales, seeing or hearing 80 species/subspecies. Our thanks go to Trish and Mike Thompson for pioneering and organising the day's activities. If you've not been to one of our outdoor meetings or our joint coach outings with Wilmslow Guild, then do come along and join in the fun! Graham Palmer
Common Name Red Throated Diver Little Grebe Great Crested Grebe Great Cormorant Grey Heron Mute Swan Greylag Goose Canada Goose Common Shelduck Eurasian Wigeon Gadwall Eurasian Teal Mallard Northern Shoveler Common Pochard Tufted Duck Common Eider Common Scoter Black Scoter Goldeneye Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck European Sparrowhawk Common Buzzard Common Kestrel Peregrine Falcon Common Pheasant Water Rail Common Moorhen Common Coot Oystercatcher Ringed Plover Lapwing Dunlin Common Snipe Bar-tailed Godwit Whimbrel Eurasian Curlew Redshank Black-headed Gull Common Gull Herring Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Great Black-backed Gull Guillemot Stock Dove Woodpigeon Collared Dove Short-eared Owl Meadow Pipit Richard's Pipit Pied Wagtail Dipper Northern Wren Hedge Accentor European Robin Stonechat Blackbird Fieldfare Redwing Song Thrush Mistle Thrush Goldcrest Blue Tit Great Tit European Nuthatch Long-tailed Tit Jay Common Magpie Carrion Crow Jackdaw Common Raven Common Starling House Sparrow Chaffinch Greenfinch European Goldfinch Northern Bullfinch Hawfinch Reed Bunting	Latin Name Gavia stellata Tachybaptus ruficollis Podiceps cristatus Phalacrocorax carbo Ardea cinerea Cygnus olor Anser anser Branta canadensis Tadorna tadorna Anas penelope Anas strepera Anas crecca Anas platyrhynchos Anas clypeata Aythya ferina Aythya fuligula Somateria mollissima Melanitta niger niger Melanitta niger americana Bucephala clangula Mergus serrator Oxyura jamaicensis Accipiter nisus Buteo buteo Falco tinnunculus Falco peregrinus Phasianus colchicus Rallus aquaticus Gallinula chloropus Fulica atra Haematopus ostralegus Charadrius hiaticula Vanellus vanellus Calidris alpina Gallinago gallinago Limosa lapponica Numenius phaeopus Numenius arquata Tringa totanus Larus ridibundus Larus canus Larus argentatus Larus fuscus Larus marinus Uria aalge Columba oenas Columba palumbas Streptopelia decaocto Asio flammeus Anthus pratensis Anthus novaeseelandiae Motocilla alba Cinclus cinclus Troglodytes troglodytes Prunella modularis Erithicus rubecula Saxicola torquata Turdus merula Turdus pilaris Turdus iliacus Turdus philomelos Turdus viscivorus Regulus regulus Parus caeruleus Parus major Sitta europaea Aegithalos caudatus Garralus glandarius Pica pica Corvus corone Corvus monedula Corvus corax Sturnus vulgaris Passer domesticus Fringilla coelebs Carduelis chloris Carduelis carduelis Pyrrhula pyrrhula Coccothraustes coccothraustes Emberiza schoeniclus