A frozen week on the Teifi

Late December is colder than usual and brings with it some different numbers and species..

Frozen ponds .. but glorious skies

Looking over the buffalo gate by the car park

Birds were foraging along the paths and unfrozen patches.

From Creek hide

Fieldfare have been particularly noticeable with over one hundred counted along a short stretch between Curlew and Kingfisher hides early one morning.

Fieldfare - Stuart Hall

Water Rails have been more visible..

Water Rail -Stuart Hall

and several Common Snipe 

Common Snipe - Tommy Evans 

An increase in waders rather than ducks over the past 48 hours, now 230 Dunlin and 26 Ringed Plover. Unusual to see a Greenshank roosting with these small waders, now 2 Greenshank and a newly arrived Grey Plover. 180 Lapwing roosting in the main estuary at low tide, spread out into the local fields and mixed in with 80 Golden Plover as the tide rose.  

Wigeon at Gwbert - Paul Taylor

200 Wigeon from St Dogmael's Quay, with 3 Shoveler - 2 males with 1 female today, opposite sex ratio two days ago, a movement of these dabbling ducks trying to feed ! 

On the reserve, 2 Goldeneye on the river and chattering Fieldfares flying everywhere as mentioned above. 

Fieldfare - Tommy Evans

Kingfishers still fishing on the river through the reserve and in the main estuary. A pretty complete Goose count yesterday, a (dark-bellied)Brent with 58 Barnacles and 660 Canada Geese. 

The waders have been favouring the Webley salt marsh and sandbanks but with lower tides now they are mostly opposite St Dogmaels slipway in front of the big yellow house.

The Otter in a frozen car park on the reserve...

 With frozen pipes, the visitor centre and cafe had to close.

To the main river, it took a few seconds to realise the source of the constant cracking noise, like distant shooting. It was the ice flows moving down the river and breaking as they hit buoys and boats....

Ice sheets moving down river through Cardigan

A quote from PembsBirds 12th Dec 2010 - - a previous cold snap..

"From the river viewpoint late this afternoon;-13 Goosander, including 4 drake, 1 Goldeneye, & an exceptional count of 15 Tufted Duck, plus 1 female Scaup type -(difficult to get bill pattern at 16:50).(Howard & Siwan T & Rich D)"

 The change in the weather has arrived - what next this Christmas week......

 (Rich D and Wendy J)