Waxwings on the Teifi..
On the 8th ...3 Waxwings in Hawthorns along main track near Mallard hide - Teifi Marshes at 1130 (Josh Brown).
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| Waxwing on the 9th - Tommy Evans |
On the 9th we re-found the 3 Waxwings as they flew in from Cilgerran direction 0840, presumably from roosting elsewhere. Over the course of the 9th and 10th, well photographed by many, enjoyed by many more....
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| Waxwing on the 10th - Tommy Evans |
With the reserve ponds frozen from the 8th, the best viewing of water birds was from Curlew hide. On the 10th - 97 Teal and 57 Dunlin.
This fine drake Pintail on the 8th was the first we have seen since 2022, and coincided with a very large count of 71 at Kilpaison in S Pembs.
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| Record shot of the brief visit by a Pintail - WJ |
I think the drake Goldeneye below arrived on the 7th, a day before the Pintail. As mentioned in the previous post, a species we are seeing less, and in much lower numbers...
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| Goldeneye on the 7th - Diane Williams |
Red-breasted Mergansers are only just annual on the Teifi and don't usually stay. This female has now been with us since 27th September.
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| Red-breasted Merganser - Dyfed James |
They are not likely to breed around the Teifi, unlike the Goosanders which appear to be pairing up now.
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| Goosander - Tommy Evans |
On the 3rd a male Blackcap was near Creek hide, and Cetti's Warblers are becoming vocal.
Gulls... On the 2nd a recce in the main estuary for the BTO national Winter Gull Survey to be carried out later in Jan. From 1600 onwards, 4 Mediterranean, 120 Common 35 Great Black-backed, 100 Lesser Black-blacked, 900 Black-headed and 1000 Herring Gulls. Already at roost a minimum of a further 1000 Herring Gulls on Cardigan Island.
These Gulls may well have come down the coast from feeding at Newquay fish factory. On the 9th - c1200 Herring Gulls feeding at the Newquay site.
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| Photo Brennig, Always a chance of a white-winged gull on scanning through the flock (this Iceland Gull present from 2023 until Jan 2nd) |
The above counts were of a smaller than average Teifi gull roost. Very different to the species breakdown and ratio of the inland Llys y Fran Reservoir roost, where Lesser-blacked Gulls predominate.
.....I wonder if we are still watching Waxwings in the morning - for the fourth day.
(Rich D and Wendy J )