The weekend started with promise. I'd noticed some tweets from local birders about a Turtle Dove in Leasowe, just a couple of miles from home. A quick dash after work, and we managed to find the bird while there was enough light to take a few pictures. What this bird, more usually found in the South and East of the country, is doing here is a bit of a mystery, but welcome nonetheless, especially as this species is declining and considered under threat.
As much of a mystery is this Snow Goose, found on the river Clywd at Rhuddlan.
While this goose is wandering around quite happily, it's not a natural wild bird at all. Most likely is that it has escaped from some wildfowl collection or other, and it has been reported in the Rhuddlan area for about a year now, so clearly happy with it's location.
At the same place we saw a seal cruising up and down the river. Presumably it had come up the river with the tide, and hopefully found its way out the same way. What we didn't see though was the Glossy Ibis that had been reported here.... So we went over to Bolton to check on the four that been there for the last week or so. When we arrived there was a birder just packing up. We asked about the Ibis, and he replied along the lines of, "Oh yes, they're just over there... Oh, wait a minute, they've gone...."
Sigh, for all the joy of seeing the Turtle Dove we had the frustration of not finding the Ibis - that's three trips to Bolton now, and one to Clywd, and no joy. And then we get home to the news that one was seen flying into one of our local reserves, Inner Marsh Farm at RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands just as it was closing!! Argh!!
So Sunday afternoon we dash down to IMF, to find that there was no news... The Ibis has again evaporated... Instead of rushing around looking for it, we decided to stay for a while and check out the pools at IMF.
Among the delights were a good number of Snipe. Unlike at Conwy the previous week, these Snipe were less keen to be seen - there is one in this photo - but can you see it ?!?
In with the many teal and lapwing there were about half-a-dozen curlew sandpiper. These small waders could be seen busily moving through the groups of other larger birds, busily dipping for food, head moving rapidly up-and-down. It took quite a few photos before we finally got one shot with the distinctive curved beak clear of the water.
Also in the pools were around two doxen Golden Plover. These handsome birds with their short dark bills brightened up everyone's day with their 'kindly' faces, as one observer put it.
Several time during the afternoon the flock of lapwings took to the air, wheeling around. Clearly something had spooked them. We searched the skies for signs of a Peregrine or a Harrier - but couldn't see anything. Yet something had them on edge - indeed at one point, as the lapwing took off, all the teal hurried from the four corners of the pool to gather in one cluster at the deepest point. Perhaps there was a fox around? We didn't see anything, but clearly there was something around tht was perceived as a threat.
The highlight of the afternoon had to be this Greenshank, moving around the pool, seemingly oblvious to the excitement - perhaps with its extra size it felt safe from whatever was around. Certainly it was clearly comfortable, and gave good views to those watching.
So despite the frustration of fruitlessly searching for the Glossy Ibis, the weekend had it's rewards. While seeing a new bird always brings a feeling of satisfaction, there is as much satisfaction from seeing the more familiar, but perhaps seeing a bit more of their behaviour, learning a little more about their behaviours and characteristics.
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