Best Of North Wales Five Day Tour Day One Conwy Valley 13 February 2023
Best Of North Wales Five Day Tour Day One Conwy Valley 13 February 2023
We have been very lucky to show so many of our guests Hawfinches on recent tours.
We all met at the lovely Princes Arms Hotel in the Conwy Valley and enjoyed the views across the Conwy River seeing our first birds of the trip. Two Red Kites and several Common Buzzards soared over the hills and a pair of Mistle Thrush fed on the grass by the river. Angela, Lesley, Gerald, Denise, John and Elaine had booked the tour as a custom group of friends, all from Yorkshire, a great idea. We had lunch before setting off on our first birdwatching trip.
Just a few minutes’ drive from the hotel we were all watching a pair of Dippers on a fast flowing stream, such wonderful birds. A little further along the valley we visited an area of parkland where lots of birds were coming down to the ground to feed. Chaffinches were the most numerous species but there were also Greenfinch, Great and Blue Tit, Blackbirds, Dunnocks and Robins. Then Ruth picked out the hoped for Hawfinch! This fantastic bird landed amongst the Chaffinches and luckily stayed in view for a good long spell allowing everyone time to enjoy the brute of a finch. What a start to out five-day tour!
Northern Lapwings in the winter sunshine - a beautiful sight.
We then headed north to RSPB Conwy where we walked down to the first two hides on the sunshine, pausing to feed Robins by hand – always a delight. A great selection of birds on the lagoons and the sunshine allowed super views through the telescopes. A female Greater Scaup was a nice addition to the trip list, very scarce bird in North Wales, but the wonderful views of so many species were more memorable! A drake Northern Pintail, Eurasian Wigeon and Teal, Pochard and Northern Lapwings all looked stunning in the sunshine. Five Common Snipe were picked out lurking in the edge of the reeds – such amazing birds with their beautiful plumage and crazy beak.
So lovely to see early signs of Spring in the Conwy Valley.
We then went back south and stopped at a viewpoint overlooking the Conwy River, a really beautiful spot with signs of Spring. Snowdrops were in flower and daffodils almost ready to burst into colour. On the river a nice surprise three Lesser black backed Gulls, spring migrants here we don’t see them in this area in the winter! Wonderful to see migration under way already in mid-February. Goosanders saw on the water, Little Egrets fed in the creeks, lots of Red Kites soared over the valley and one of these gorgeous raptors posed in the late afternoon sun on top of a nearby oak tree – fantastic.
We headed back to the hotel to enjoy a delicious dinner and lots of laughs around the table – perfect start to the tour!
We run our Birdwatching Trips throughout the year a mix of set departure tours and custom-made trips perfect for you! To book your custom tour or any of our set departure trips please email us here….
info@birdwatchingtrips.co.ukWe can then make all the arrangements for your perfect Birdwatching Trips tour.