TERN-ed out nice again.

June is the time to attempt a full sweep of the five tern species that breed in Britain. One place that gives you this chance is Cemlyn Bay, Anglesey. The Tern colony is mainly made up of Sandwich terns, with a fair number of Common Terns, and a couple of Arctic Terns. About this time of year, you could be lucky and get our rarest tern, the Roseate Tern – I should have been here yesterday.., none today. Also worth trying is Rhosneiger. Little Terns often put in a n appearance too Cemlyn also. Very rare migrant terns have also shown up here too, Sooty and Bridled Terns in resent years.
After a couple of hours, it’s off to Holyhead Harbour. At the right time, (not today) you have a chance of three species of divers (winter months best). At the moment Black Guillemots are here – can’t miss them, follow the AA signposts. Also a Phalacrocorax aristotelis fishing close in.
South Stack RSPB. A typical seabird colony, but the speciality here is Chough. Looking out to sea, a good number of Manx Shearwaters, glide effortlessly inches above the waves. South Stack sometimes holds breeding Peregrine, which you can watch on CCTV from the RSPB information centre. (Not this year though). If you are into Flora, the place is full of plants that beg to be identified. Sea Campion, Sea Cail etc.
One the way back home. Call into Point of Ayr, near Prestatyn and walk West towards Gronnant where a colony of Britain’s smallest terns are easy to see.
This is the longest trip I have to make each year, around trip of 320 miles, but thoroughly enjoy it , as long as it is only the once.

Watergrove Reservoir

Last week I had an accident during which I managed to break my binoculars. I should get them back in a month. Crikey! Birding without ‘bins’ is?..well. So I am restricting myself to only local sites, and there is no closer than Watergrove Reservoir, Wardle SD908178. Watergrove is one of those sites that isn’t exactly stuffed with birds. Some days you could walk miles and struggle to see 10 species. But hey we are in May. So, with just my scope and camera, I take the car 0.4 miles to the res. The car park is packed with dog walkers – not a good sign. Dogs are magnets to photographers who may have waited patiently for ages to get close to there subject, only for fido to come bounding over to set everything up in the air..Grrr!!. So I chose to take to the hills. These are grazing hills, with sheep and there new lambs about. Along the many walls you will find Meadow Pipits, and Wheatears. Look carefully and you may see one of the many Little Owls on look out for a fat juicy worm.
This year seems to be an excellent year for shorebirds. Whimbrel, Sanderling and Bar-tailed Godwit have paid a visits. By the waters edge, some irregular visitors are just crying out to be digiscoped. Ringed and Little Ringed Plover allow me to get close to them. Common Sandpiper where less obliging.