tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129697042009-07-05T12:42:09.710+01:00Waynenoreply@blogger.comBlogger296125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-84552498692643464322009-07-05T12:30:00.004+01:002009-07-05T12:42:09.807+01:00

The Twitchmeister grafted another couple of lifers onto his UK list this morning. A visit to Goldcliff provided him with a Little Ringed Plover and 2 Ruddy Shelducks (#212). The Boy Birder is a great advocate of the British Legal System - these birds are innocent until proven guilty! 'Stalag Goldcliff' - the view from the 3rd Viewing Platform If the Ruddy Shelduck had been kept under the kind of

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085781208991011594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-16920942881852832872009-06-22T19:54:00.011+01:002009-06-23T15:02:12.370+01:00

With the disappointment of the Lions defeat to South Africa on Saturday (a game that we could have and should have won !) still weighing heavily I definately felt that a "twitch"would help to redress the balance,afterall we were "on a roll" after the Friday evening success with the Woodchat Shrike. The Little Bittern at Walton Heath on the Somerset levels seemed a good target,not too far to

Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934332345934361538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-26363811218172637932009-06-22T19:04:00.005+01:002009-06-22T19:51:12.402+01:00

With Wayne unavailable and Kevin preferring to "dip" on Sunday myself,Dan and the "boy-wonder" birder Gethin aka "The Twitchmeister" headed west Fri evening (19th June) down the Gower to try and pickup the 1st summer female Woodchat Shrike that had been found earlier in the week on Rhosili Downs. Dan had made a visit the previous day whilst on business but had "dipped" as had others, the bird

Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934332345934361538noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-18592869548487383932009-06-20T20:12:00.003+01:002009-06-20T20:19:44.042+01:00

The thought of another pasting from the TM was too much so I had to go to Gower today, and managed to get the woodchat shrike after a little wait.

Waynenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-79905749349591797312009-06-17T21:38:00.002+01:002009-06-17T21:57:56.068+01:00

To mark his entry into the (Birders in Boxers) UK200 Club the boys took the Twitchmeister out for a celebratory nosh up at the 3 Michelin Star McArthurGlen Pizza Hut. Garlic bread and erm, pizzas all round. The Boy Birder was also presented with a BiB UK200 Club Certificate which is now proudly hanging on his bedroom wall. A telegram received from a 'Mr L Evans from Bucks' rubbishing Gethin's

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085781208991011594noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-50326913962776525162009-06-15T21:26:00.005+01:002009-06-15T22:25:45.495+01:00

On one of our recent weekends up the caravan and whilst visiting the local tourist information office in Brecon I picked up a cracking guide to their 19 nature reserves published by the Brecknock Wildlife Trust. The guide is excellent and provides good directions,grid references,trail maps and details of all the flora and fauna you could with luck expect to see. Although now late in the breeding

Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934332345934361538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-44712898647676945002009-06-13T12:32:00.015+01:002009-06-13T14:44:37.977+01:00

No, the Boy Birder hasn't suddenly put on a lot of weight. In May he finally scorched through the 200 UK Lifer mark with a sudden blitz of ticks (admittedly mainly of the tart variety). It was like watching Usain Bolt at the Beijing Olympics. He finally broke through the barrier with a visit to Rudry Common - target species Tree Pipit, Garden Warbler and Cuckoo. Although the Common resembled a

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085781208991011594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-45165059304098766212009-06-08T10:23:00.003+01:002009-06-08T10:29:56.395+01:00

Yesterday, a trip to the West Country was of mixed success. No little terns were viewed at the 'colony' at Ferrybridge, Chesil Beach. The site is heavily fenced off, but it seems some folk have been trespassing, though kestrels may also be playing a part in the colony's failings. 40 birds were around at the start of the season. Only one or two now. A planned visit to Martin Down and Sixpenny

Waynenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-83416211334701024502009-05-22T11:57:00.022+01:002009-05-22T14:06:46.843+01:00

Day 3 started with a visit to Loch Frisa, home to a pair of White-tailed-Telly Star-Eagles - the ornithological equivalent of 'Richard & Judy'. OK, it's not the coolest place to go and see WTEs but, after last year's eagle dipathon in Speyside/Gruinard Bay, we weren't taking any chances and had already booked our visit to the loch where WTEs are guaranteed. (01680 300640 - Adults £4, children (16

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085781208991011594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-21808666076256610682009-05-14T19:41:00.005+01:002009-05-14T21:48:41.521+01:00

What can I add that Dan hasn't already said,great location,wonderful birds,brilliant company,awesome scenery,good digs,food and beer,our annual early May trip just gets better and better-I know I'll add a couple of video clips. Whilst we were blessed with mainly dry and sunny weather (well apart from the last day!) it was always very windy so photography (ie digi-scoping) was always difficult as

Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934332345934361538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-74457538331762932892009-05-11T10:16:00.056+01:002009-05-11T13:40:26.429+01:00

Thank God, unlike Speyside, there aren't any Capercaille watches and 5am starts on Mull. Eagles aren't early risers either so it was with a clear conscience that it was as late as 9am by the time we left Craignure on Day 2 of our trip. The plan for the day was to tank over to Iona, a small island off the south western tip of Mull, bag ourselves a Corncrake before heading back to tick off both

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085781208991011594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-31081504362416962132009-05-10T08:18:00.025+01:002009-05-10T10:15:41.102+01:00

So to the birds . . . . . Having dumped our suitcases at the Craignure Inn we headed west on the A849 towards Grasspoint. This is supposed to be one of the best areas for White-tailed Eagle (WTE) on the island. Yeah right! Although we visited this site daily during our stay we didn't have a sniff of an eagle and we soon christened the area 'What's the Point?' In four visits there we only

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085781208991011594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-83010537327230920102009-05-07T10:36:00.015+01:002009-05-09T12:27:53.170+01:00

I'll break this trip report into two or three parts. Before recounting which birds we saw and where we saw them here's how we got there and back, where we stayed, where we ate and roughly how much it all cost. Dramatis personae (left to right): Dan, Kev, Jeff and Wayne in front of the Abbey at Iona. (The car in the background wasn't part of our group!). Tim couldn't make the trip because of the

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085781208991011594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-43923103219516435352009-04-29T21:58:00.003+01:002009-04-29T22:07:31.388+01:00

We went up by car and by plane.We'll all bring ours wives back a present,So we can go next time again! We're off to Mull on Friday - trip report to follow soon.

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085781208991011594noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-88075954617400458782009-04-14T19:44:00.014+01:002009-04-14T22:35:39.710+01:00

Spring has sprung, birds are pouring into the country - admittedly few that would set the pulse racing, particularly here in Glamorgan - and the Birders in Boxers are again in the wrong place at the right time: namely, working or enjoying precious time with family when we should be out birding! Well, that's not strictly true. I've been out quite a bit in the sunshine over the last few days

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085781208991011594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-52652086554991125332009-03-19T10:19:00.004Z2009-03-19T11:12:06.176Z

With sandwiches and flask packed I went out yesterday for my first 'all dayer' of 2009 with one thing on my mind - Ogmore's Iceland Gull. It has a nasty habit of going AWOL for long periods of time and I'd already dipped on it three times. I was expecting some early spring sunshine but the weather was decidedly grey and cold when I got to Ogmore. I stopped off at the Watermill but couldn't get

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085781208991011594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-45144275947217507572009-03-14T20:27:00.009Z2009-03-14T21:41:42.623Z

With Wayne "Baldrick" Morris having conceived yet another "cunning plan" for a family visit to Ikea (only a stone throw from the Bonaparte's Gull) for Sat afternoon I met up with Dan and Sat a.m saw us parking up near Cardiff Yacht Club hoping to "double up" with the newly arrived Bonapartes Gull and long staying Lesser Scaup. A brisk walk across under the flyover soon had us

Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934332345934361538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-37218715120567088942009-03-04T20:10:00.009Z2009-03-04T21:27:49.725Z

A phone call from Kevin Hughes on Saturday evening saw myself,Wayne and Kevin heading up the M4 early Sunday morning in the direction of Cotswold Water Park for a day's "twitching".There were some good birds reported in Glouscestershire so first it was to Pit 68 for 2 early Gargeney reported on Saturday,no sign from the "new" hide of these reclusive ducks but plenty of Teal,

Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934332345934361538noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-50780211412248660502009-02-08T12:50:00.005Z2009-02-08T13:04:21.386Z

No - nothing to do the economic problems currently facing our friends in the North. Worse than that. I've been to the Ogmore Estuary three time and I've dipped on the Icelanc Gull every time. I had company yesterday - Jeff and the Twitchmeister. Iceland Gull would have been a lifer for the TM and he duly scoured the estuary for it. He tried really hard, scoping all the gulls but there was to be

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085781208991011594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-27526792391045205162009-02-07T20:14:00.013Z2009-02-07T22:32:27.869Z

On Fri 30th Jan Wayne and myself with honorary "Boxers" for the weekend Geri Thomas and Kevin Hughes "in tow" headed for that winter birding mecca Norfolk for a long weekend basing ourselves at the King's Arms in Blakeney. After meeting up early in Cardiff we were on our way and after an "Olympic" breakast at a Little

Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934332345934361538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-71497034832629806412009-01-25T22:07:00.006Z2009-01-25T23:15:12.142Z

Having bagged the Glaucous Gull at Ogmore Rivermouth yesterday it seemed like a good idea to get back out birding as soon as possible while it appearead, for once, that we had a bit of luck on our side. It was time to honour my Christmas promise to Geth that I'd take him to Slimbridge in the New Year. He'd been itching to go there for a while having learnt how many glaring ommissions in his list

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085781208991011594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-91188252944137475542009-01-24T21:47:00.005Z2009-01-24T22:32:50.766Z

I'd dipped on the Iceland Gull earlier on in the week at a 'quiet' Ogmore-by-Sea and so I didn't hold much hope of finding the Glaucous Gull there today in the middle of a beach full of weekend trippers. Even so I was surprised at the sheer number of people (and dogs) there this afternoon - it was packed. The world and his wife were there (erm, including my wife) and the only gulls visible were

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085781208991011594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-23967966219439397802009-01-04T20:20:00.010Z2009-01-04T21:24:42.863Z

On Sat 3rd January Teresa and myself made our Xmas visit to an aunt and uncle of mine living near Llangranog not far from Newquay. Keeping an eye out for Red Kites from the car as we travelled we spotted one over the road whilst going through the village of Pencader. We usually see a couple on the approach to Carmarthen but not on this occasion. After a

Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934332345934361538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-66237487112972199502009-01-02T13:02:00.003Z2009-01-02T13:20:29.052Z

Albeit a slow one. Waking up in Tenby on January 1st isn't the ideal way of starting your Glamorgan Year List, but this morning found me claiming my first dip of the year in VC41 at a very cold and misty Cardiff Bay. The long-staying Slav Grebe appears to have naffed off. With nothing much else down there I drove to Cosmeston where I managed to re-locate the Lesser Scaup and, after a long wait,

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09085781208991011594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12969704.post-56396578423200013722008-12-29T15:05:00.005Z2008-12-29T15:36:38.333Z

A text from Dan invited me to join him and The Twitchmeister at Cosmeston C.P to see the Lesser Scaup which had been found the previous day. The park mid-morning was generally busy and there were several familiar birding faces to greet us upon arrival,Martin Bell got us quickly on to the bird which was with the other wildfowl on the East lake. Soon after we had arrived we were joined by Tim

Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04934332345934361538noreply@blogger.com2