Birding North Wales: October 2011

Friday, 28 October 2011

Yellow Browed Warbler

One bird I wanted to find for myself this Autumn was a Yellow Browed Warbler (YBW) as the last one I had was back in 2009 at South Shields but got somewhat ignored by a first for Britain - An Eastern Crowned Warbler ...And just to clear up, both birds were lifers and I did see the Yellow Browed first. Honest!!

Although, birds have been far and few between in Wales I had been out searching for migrants every morning this week in the hope I would come across this speciality.

This morning (Friday 28th), I decided to try Point of Ayr (Talacre). Skylarks were passing through overhead in good numbers along with the occasional meadow pipit. About half an hour in I heard the ohh so familiar call of a yellow browed within the dense thickets. The bird called twice but sadly remianed unseen throughout the 2 following hours I was there searching for it.

The one that got away... Here are a couple of images of a yellow browed that was about last year at Soldiers Point, on Anglesey. Pics taken by Chris Bridge.

Garden Bird Ringing

Now a fully trained ringer with a C permit, Chris Bridge kindly came and did some ringing in my garden. I have a good range of birds with over 40 species recorded within the last 5 years including meadow pipit, tree sparrow, Common Gull, Brambling and other birds including Waxwing, Reed Bunting and Fieldfare just recorded just outside.

I'm no expert in sexing birds, so I went by Chris's expertise.... The day started with a first year Dunnock kindly hopping into the potter trap.

Dunnock

After the Dunnock, birds came thick and fast, and the majority were Blue Tits - Ringed 14 of these in all.

Blue Tit

The next bird was a personal favourite and to my suprise, ringed more than we originally thought we would with three in total. We had 2 adults and 1 first year bird.