Holly Blue in garden

On Saturday 29th May I was delighted to see a Holly Blue finally in the garden for this year.

Woodchat Shrike at Benacre sluice

After work on Friday 28th May, I parked in the mobile caravan park and walked up to Kessingland sluice, couldn't see anybody there initially so I hobbled over to the Benacre sluice side and a birder motioned me over and walking behind him I joined him and had good scope views of the fine Woodchat Shrike initially perched on the left bside of a bush in the clump of bushes along the western edge of the sluice. The Shrike then disappeared then seen even further away perched on top of a flowering bush. I decided to slowly hobble back. A female Wheatear was seen on the grassy area by the now much diminished pit (half the size it usually is). I also saw several Linnets including an impressive double pink bibbed male which was particularly striking by the bush near the shore edge. Hobbling over to the Kessingland side, sticking to the main path, I first saw Chris D and he was very fortunate to see a wonderfully Hobby fly right over his head and south. From the main path, I saw the Woodchat Shrike perched on top a bush around 30 metres away, I stood still by the main path & it flew towards me perching only 10 metres away from me, sadly the bird was obscured by an overhanging bramble branch but I stayed stock still as I didn't want to move, in order not to disturb the bird, so no pics, but it soon flew again (it appeared to be hunting) and I lost it from view. A "person" was gesturing" the other side of the sluice indicating I should move east (???) (I was still on the main path) so I moved east sticking to the main path and I only checked the bushes from distance by the sluice pumping station, but not seeing anything, I hobbled back. By now my foot was really sore and I eventually made my way back to the car. After this I had to rest my foot for the next few days, so birding trips completely curtailed sadly.

Wally the Wandering Walrus now seen off France!

On Wednesday 26th May, a Walrus closely resembling and almost certainly Wally the wandering walrus, had been sighted resting on a slipway off Les Sables-d'Olonne, a seaside town in western France. Also closer to home, driving down the road again leaving for work 8.16am, lovely to see a male Linnet feeding on the gutter weeds!

Hobby over the garden

A fantastic very low flying Hobby flew up the Pastures (just 15 foot off the ground) I got a really good view of it as it whizzed by & then SW over the garden towards Parkhill Hotel, Lowestoft as I was leaving for work, this am, Wednesday 26th May at 8.17am.

Dinas RSPB = right time, right place

On Wednesday 19th May, at RSPB Dinas, on a lovely sunny day, although there was some cloud in the sky whilst driving up but by the time I reached the reserve proper at 10am, the sun was shining and the car park was almost full. Walking down the boardwalk, a group of photographers had gathered and I positioned myself at a spot would yield some good results and I wasn't disappointed! Several Pied Flycatchers were seen including 1 male visiting 2 nest boxes and up to 8 male Pied Flycatchers seen on the reserve and 3 females, totalling 11 Pied Flycatchers in all, a wonderful tally. A male Redstart seen further along and a total of 9 male Redstarts seen and 3 accompanying female Redstarts all mostly along the left hand side of the wooded hill. With several male Redstarts seen along the fence, some singing from trees in the woods, a pair of Redstarts by a scrubby bit along the hill, and a a female Redstart investigating a sunlit log at the end. 7 Nuthatches were also seen including one by a tree very close to the boardwalk, a Great- Spotted woodpecker was feeding on the grass and then flew up to a tree. Whilst the sun lit up the grass beyond revealing a hunting Song Thrush later joined by a second Song Thrush. A Spotted Flycatcher also seen by the boardwalk and another second Spotted Flycatcher seen around to the left edge of the hill. Up to golden 3 Bank Voles scurrelling about (1 by the boardwalk and 2 seen by the path on the left hand side of the woods. 3 Tree Pipits were heard and 1 Tree Pipit seen flew down to the ground at the end part of the wood too. 2 Wood Warbler trills heard only at the end of the wood just before the waterfall area. A ground beetle was seen on the path just before the boardwalk again and Marsh Tit was seen, the mournful "peuu" of Siskins heard and one Siskin seen atop a tree and almost back to the car park, 3 Garden Warblers were seen in a tree, one singing and one relatively showy bird too. Hearing at the feeding station, a Yellowhammer regularly visited. There was a big log and I viewed from the edge of the car park and regular visitors were Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin, 5 Goldfinches, 2 House Sparrows, Dunnock, a Nuthatch, a Great- spotted Woodpecker, a Rat that ran through from the back and first a female Yellowhammer then a second Male Yellowhammer too. Finally on driving back, leaving at 5.30pm, I saw a fine Red Kite (a belated first seen in Wales for this trip) perched close in a field and driving back it had already flown up and circled around, a further 2 Red Kites seen on the wayback including one Red Kite over Llandovery, a female Bullfinch flew over the road just before the hilltop village of Rhamirdiryn too. A really great day, why do I find Wales is consistently better than my local patches back home???

Back to Cymisfael stream

On Tuesday 18th May, in the morning, back at Cymisfael stream I saw 2 Dippers on the stream a third of the way down from Llanddarg end but the white striped post, when the Dipper flew in with food to the near bank lots of squawking heard so confident there is a nest on the near bank. 2 Bullfinch seen flying over the road between the brdiges, a male Blackcap seen foraging by the weeds by the Dipper bridge and Whitethroat heard by the meadow opposite the second bridge. Drving back up the hill, a fantastic female Pied Flycatcher flew down from the wood and settled on the road for a second before flying back! A first record of the area for me. A look in the woods opposite Llethr Llestri Lodge (where Mum) used to live. Mum had said she had seen Early Purple Orchids in this wood years previously but I'd always been to late looking for them (usually going to Wales in July, May ws almost perfect timin to look for these) As I entered the wood from the first path leading through on the right, success as I refound Early Purple Orchids, 12 in total seen, 9 seen just by the edge of the path just as you go in and 3 they were slightly past the best and looking down a path bisecting down to the right a further 3, including a pale individual.

More Wally the Walrus at Tenby pics, by phenomenal popular demand!

Here are a few more pics of Wally the Walrus at Tenby, as requested by many of you! Thanks for all your kind comments and requests, happy to oblige! Including the gurning image at the end!