With the finding of a Elegant Tern in the breeding colony of Sandwich,Arctic & Common Terns at Cemlyn Bay on Anglesey,Tracey and myself put a plan together to twitch this bird and stay overnight,the following is an account of our time away.
Friday 8th
After getting some well earned sleep after my nightshift,we both got up ready for our journey to North Wales.
After a brekkie stop on route,news came through that the bird was still thankfully in situ and the final part of the journey to Cemlyn was far more relaxed.
On arrival a small group was gathered along the shingle ridge which separates the breeding colony from the Irish Sea and we made our way along.
We saw the bird straight away,but he was a little hidden at first,but then thankfully was perched several times out in the open.
The bill was considerably longer than the surrounding Sandwich terns,and orange for two thirds of its length,with a yellowish tip and the shaggy crest was evident also.He went for a fly about on one occasion and i thought the body size was similar or slightly larger than Sandwich Tern.
He certainly put on a great show,strutting around,with a head flicking display and constantly calling,what a smart bird!.
This constitutes the 5th record for Britain,with the most recent record being one seen in Dorset,Hampshire and Sussex in 2017 and also there is one more record for Wales,when a bird was seen at Black Rock sands in Gwynedd in July 2002.
Interestingly,this bird is thought to be one of the part of a small colony of this species at Sebastapol,Barbatre in France.This is in itself is incredible,that a species which is usually found on the Pacific coast of North America is breeding and producing pure young in Western Europe.
Other species seen and enjoyed at Cemlyn included a lovely adult Roseate tern,which seemed to be paired with a Common tern,2 Black Guillemots out in the bay and the usual stunning and confiding views of Sandwich,Common and Arctic Terns.
After enjoying the Terns at Cemlyn we drove around to South Stack,here we were treated to a flyby of a flock of 12 Chough as we got out the car and then more great views of these fantastic corvids as they fed in nearby fields.
Over the sea several Manx Shearwaters,headed south and we managed to gain some lovely,if a little distant,views of Puffin,Guillemots and Razorbills as they fished and preened on the water below their breeding cliffs.
Also seen while watching the Auks were several Compass Jellyfish adding some welcome interest from the birds.These are a Oceanic species which travel inshore to these pristine waters to breed.
Back to the land and some great views of the local Stonechats and i even managed to find a stunning Rose Chafer,a bit of an island speciality here.
Finally after all this hectic birding,we travelled over to Treaddur Bay for some well earned tea,taking in the lovely views of this picturesque place before heading over to our B&B for the night.
Friday 9th
After a sound sleep and great brekkie,we decided to pay the Great Orme a visit at Llandudno on the way home.
A look from the pier before heading up the Great Orme,saw us seeing more Compass Jellies and also a couple of Lion's Mane Jellyfish as well,the latter really striking with their intense red colouration.
We also managed to see 2 Black Guillemots swimming and flying about just below the Orme.
It was a little cloudy and showery on our visit,but the views were great and we also managed to see 5 Chough and the famous Great Orme Kashmir Goats.It is certainly a place we would visit again,obviously in better weather next time.
Sadly it was time to go home and get Tracey back home for work,but what a fantastic trip it had been and another mega rare bird added to our lists.
 |
| The Star Bird...Elegant Tern,Cemlyn Bay. |
 |
| Happy Twitchers. |
 |
| The Outstanding Scenery Of South Stack RSPB. |
 |
| Helen's Tower & South Stack Lighthouse. |
 |
| A Stunning Rose Chafer. |
 |
| Treaddur Bay. |
 |
| Sea Holly |
 |
| Sea Bindweed |
 |
| Shore Crab. |
 |
| The Great Orme. |
 |
| Llandudno. |
 |
| Kashmir Goats,The Great Orme. |
No comments:
Post a Comment