18-6-10, Llanynys.

I decided to stay in a tent for the whole holiday and set my tent up on the site where the wedding will be on Saturday. Friday morning at 03.30 I was awoken to the call of a Quail not more than twenty feet away. I lay there listening to it and if I had seen how low the maize was I could have got out of bed and seen it, but I didn't. I lay there for about an hour listening to the bird slowly go away before getting up to go to Anglesey.

18-6-10, South Stack RSPB.

I have not been to many seabird colonies in my time as a birder. They are all special and usually offer something different but South Stack has to be my favorite. Why? I dont know. Maybe because it was my first seabird colony I ever went to. Maybe its complete ruggedness. I'm not sure. All I know is I love coming here. Birds noted here were Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Pied Wagtail, Hooded Crow (year tick), Chough (year tick), Common Whitethroat, Stonechat, Skylark, Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Wren, Linnet, Gannet (two out at sea, year tick), Razorbill (year tick), Oystercatcher, Fulmar (year tick), Peregrine, Guillemot (year tick), Puffin (year tick), Swift, Cormorant, Sand Martin, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Raven, Starling, Black-headed Gull, Chiffchaff, Song Thrush and House Sparrow. A brilliant couple of hours spent here.

18-6-10, Holyhead Harbour.

This is a great place to watch Black Guillemots as long as you can find the car park where to watch them from. Where the Sea-Cat moors up then leaves, it goes around a right hand bend to get to the new harbour before open sea. It is on the inside of that right hand bend where you can park inches away from the water and so you can scan left and right for the birds. Birds noted were Oystercatcher, Herring Gull, Black Guillemot (year tick, nine in total), Grey Heron, Swallow, House Sparrow, Ringed Plover, House Martin, Cormorant and Great Black-backed Gull.

18-6-10, Cemlyn Bay.


This is another of Anglesey crown jewels. This site has a breeing tern colony and has had many special birds here. I missed a Sooty Tern here by hours a few years ago. A Bee-eater and a Common Rosefinch had been seen here the last couple of days. Birds noted were Swallow, Shelduck, Coot, Mute Swan, Mallard, Black-tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher, common Whitethroat, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Blackbird, Red Breasted merganser (year tick), Sandwich Tern (year tick), Arctic Tern, Turnstone (year tick), Ringed Plover, Pheasant, Common Tern, Kestrel, Mediterranean Gull, Goldfinch, Manx Shearwater (year tick), Razorbill, starling, House Martin, Linnet and Greylag Geese.


18-6-10, Conwy RSPB.


With the very early morning thanks to the Quail I headed for Conwy for some food and relaxation. I had targeted some birds on my trip and one I was struggling with was Water Rail. Inner Marsh Farm usually delivers but not this time. Conwy also is a very good place to see them. I decided to have some food and drink at the restuarant at Conwy. Out of the window is also the area where Water Rails are best seen. Once I had a belly full I had a very slow walk around the reserve. Birds noted were House Sparrow, Swallow, Canada Geese, Coot, Lapwing, House Martin, Black-headed Gull, Mallard, Blue Tit, Herring Gull, Dunnock, Magpie, Blackbird, Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Sedge Warbler, Gadwall, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Moorhen, Tufted Duck, Oystercatcher, Willow Warbler, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Jackdaw, Wren, Great Crested Grebe, Mute Swan, Common Whitethroat, Song Thrush, Greylag Geese, Goldfinch, Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Greenfinch, Curlew and Linnet. No sign of any Water Rail. Tiredness had got the best of me so I did a bit of friend visiting before watching the football. The less said about that the better too.

On returning to the campsite I was informed that a Red Kite had flown over the Clwyd Valley during the day. Typical but I cannot complain I suppose.