Male Osprey with a Sea Bass at Cors Dyfi, Montgomeryshire
Channel Wagtail, HGF 1st May
xxxYesterday I was working in Tywyn in mid Wales. Beautiful drive down past Lake Bala and through some stunning countryside on a gloriously sunny morning. After delivering a safety briefing to a board of Directors I found myself with some free time in the area. Unfortunately by then the weather had turned and it was swilling down. I headed off to Cors Dyfi in Montgomeryshore (Powys) to see the Ospreys. This is a nice scheme set up by the local Wildlife Trust after a pair of Ospreys summered here last year (they did not breed). Although the usual male returned, the female that stayed around for a while disappeared over a week ago and has not been seen since - no doubt back in Scotland.
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When I arrived there were just volunteers and Trust staff present - the male had not been seen since 07_30 that morning. After 30 mins or so some "casual birders" came in for a look see and simply stared at the empty nest as though willing the bird to materialise. After a short break in the rain I started scanning the skies towards the estuary and soon picked up the male flying around in circles. He then dropped down, caught a large fish and flew back up, circling and going higher. He then drifted over the hide with the fish and disappeared before reappearing 10 mins later on the perch. The wind was blowing him around on the perch so he quickly flew upstream to a feeding perch which, unfortunately is out of sight of the hide.
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I then decided to leave and, being knackered from all the driving, decided not to visit Dolydd Hafren, a reserve I know very well and even though I knew a Great White Egret was present. On the way home as I was driving across moorland approx 5 miles south of Bala a ring-tail Hen Harrier flew right over the car - very low! More information on this Osprey scheme can be found at the links below:
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Yesterday evening I took Bill for a quick trip around HGF. I immediately noticed a Yellow Wagtail on the lawn and realised it was a Blue-headed variety, however it didn't look quite right with the head not strong enough in colour - more of a washed out blue. The bird was very wary and would not tolerate any approach - eventually flying off north. The usual male Yellow Wag arrived shortly after. We were back to seven Black-necked Grebes on the pool and 32 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a Herring Gull came in at dusk.
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This morning there was no sign of the Channel Wagtail. Ian McKercher, whose advice I sought, confirmed the ID. Channel Wagtail is thought to be an intermediate race from Northern France where flava (nominate european race of Yellow Wagtail) and flavissima (the British race) overlap. The main ID features are the paler washed out blue head and more extensive white on the supercillium, behind the ears and the throat though this bird does not show the latter too well. Interesting bird and a warning for claims of Blue-headed Wagtails.
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Also on HGF this morning was a Common Sandpiper, the usual pair of Yellow Wagtails, 4 Wheatears and just 3 Black-necked Grebes. A Whitethroat was singing in the small bushes by the road side nr Midhops paddock - there is always one here. 2 Willow Warblers were singing behind the east hedge and 2 Jays were also loitering here. I then watched the farmer finally remove the eye sore that was the abandoned trailer in the south field!
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At home the Dunnocks seem to have moved on. There is one dead chick, almost fledged, in the nest so i don't know whether the nest has been predated or more likely the chicks have fledged and left the nest leaving a runt which did not survive. The Woodpigeon is doing well - Karen has nicknamed him Pete after Pete Burns because we don't know what sex it is!
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