Anglesey Comes Good After A Slow Start Due To Traffic Problems 20 January 2020

Northern Lapwing look gorgeous in the winter sun and we enjoyed lots - library photo.

We always like to allow plenty of time to get to reach agreed meeting points with our guests coming on our tours but sometimes even the best laid plans can hit a snag! Heading over to Anglesey to pick up Maria and Tim we left Llandudno with lots of time in hand, new road works at Penmaenmawr on the A55 delayed the journey but no problem plenty of time. The “old” road works at Aber on the A55 were slower than usual but no problem plenty of time. Then a real problem, a sign proclaimed “A55 shut at Britannia Bridge” oh no! This is the main road onto the Isle of Anglesey and is a very busy bridge. Luckily we know the area well so off at the next junction and through the city of Bangor to the only other bridge onto the island of Anglesey. A good plan but about a thousand other motorists had the same thought! It was gridlock on the approach to the bridge, not plenty of time now! As the traffic was at a complete standstill it was possible to let Maria and Tim know of the situation thankfully so at least they knew what was going on. Eventually the traffic crept painfully slowly over the alternative Menai Bridge and suddenly open road ahead at last, a Marsh Harrier floated low over the A55 hopefully signalling a change of luck.

Always wonderful to see this "battleship of a diver" - Great Northern Diver library photo.

At last we could get birding and there were plenty of birds around the holiday cottage where Maria and Tim were staying including a Common Starling doing a perfect impression of a Common Buzzard call that had us scanning the blue sky until we realised our mistake. Close by was a freshwater lake so that was the first stop and the light was beautiful though the air cold. We were soon enjoying Shoveler, Goldeneye and a lovely gang of Pochard. Nearby a flooded field gave us super close views of a flock of Black-tailed Godwits – record numbers of these waders on Anglesey this winter they used to be tricky to find here, not any more. Also a flock of beautiful Eurasian Wigeon were feeding here. At nearby Beddmanarch Bay it was cold and the sun had gone, the wind making the high tide water’s choppy but we did enjoy a good look at a Great Northern Diver before jumping back into the warmth of the car. Holyhead Harbour next and again it was really cold but luckily the main target bird soon popped up, Black Guillemot and in summer dress to a lovely bird. We were surprised to see a second bird appear alongside the first in winter plumage still! Crazy goings on with the world’s climate and wildlife these days very worrying indeed for all of us that share this planet. We also had super views of Shags, Red-breasted Mergansers and Great Crested Grebes here in the harbour.

Red-billed Chough are a real highlight of our North Wales Birdwatching Trips tours taken by David on one of our tours.

In nearby fields we had super views of two pairs of Red-billed Chough always wonderful to watch these engaging and beautiful corvids. Maria spotted a lovely Stonechat on a fence as we watched the second pair of Chough and it was good to see both Mistle and Song Thrushes in these fields both species that can be thin on the ground here. A lovely rocky cove was our next stop but no sign of the hoped for Purple Sandpipers on their usual high tide roosting rock sadly. We scanned and scanned but not one wader but we don’t like to be beaten so followed the coast path a little wat around the headland and there they were! Ten Purple Sandpipers roosting on a flat rock with Ringed Plover and Ruddy Turnstones and lovely and close to the path. We enjoyed frame filling views of three species of waders before the cold had us hurrying back to the warmth of the car. Just time for one location before lunch so we scanned the Inland Sea but not so many birds today as the tide was still high covering the mudflats but we enjoyed lots of Shelduck, Red-breasted Mergansers and Tim picked out pick flocks of Northern Lapwings in flight such a wonderful sight. A very lunch was enjoyed with very welcome hot drinks always good to build in time to really warm up on these winter days.

Lunch done and nice and warm we headed south, pausing to watch a lovely flock of Pale-bellied Brent Geese, before reaching Rhosneiger where we had a look for the Glossy Ibis seen here the day before but no sign and no reports from other birders either sadly. We did watch at least three Little Egrets in the fields here and a flock of Wigeon.

Wonderful to see a Little Owl on this Best of Anglesey custom day trip - library.

On again and we stopped to marvel at fields covered Northern Lapwings in the beautiful sunshine that now lit up the scene. Such beautiful birds Lapwings and even better there were both Fieldfares and Redwings feeding amongst the waders what a wonderful sight. It got even better when Alan spotted a Little Owl sitting out in full view enjoying the sunshine – a real thrill to see this scarce and declining species on Anglesey and great views through the telescope.

The nearby lake held lots of birds and it was great to see a female Scaup here – a scarce bird on Anglesey. We also added Goosander and beautiful Pintail to our impressive day list of duck-shaped things. The light here was stunning and Tim took lots of landscape photos taking advantage of the mirror reflections in the calm water. Plenty of Ravens in this area and we enjoyed some close views much to Maria’s delight one of her fav birds. We then went to an area where we had recently seen big flocks of Golden Plover but no one bird on this occasion sadly but we did enjoy Stonechats and our first Pheasants of the day.

In Newbrough Forest we enjoyed feeding the birds but no red squirrels put in an appearance perhaps not helped by a child repeatedly sounding a car horn very loudly! Just time for one last stop at RSPB Cors Ddyga here the light was superb with low sun lighting up the birds on the flooded fields just beautiful to see. Masses of birds were here with wonderful views of Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveler, Teal and lots of Black-tailed Godwits and a lone Common Snipe. As we turned back towards the car a pair of Stonechats popped up right next to us and Tim was able to take some super photos in the atmospheric light.

A really lovely day with 74 species of birds enjoyed come and join us soon!

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We look forward to enjoying great birds and wildlife with you soon.