Teifi Birding and Wildlife

The season is moving on, some species are leaving, some are now in song ... The falling tide as seen from the main path, the Gulls favour the river through the reserve, rather than feeling the blast of the westerly wind in the open estuary. 200m down river, the adult Iceland Gull was opposite Curlew hide at 930 yesterday .. The scene from the hide, and the Iceland Gull is there... Further up river, 5-6 Little Egrets in the horse paddocks before the Sawmill, interestingly these don't appear to be in breeding plumage unlike those around the reserve or in the estuary.. The Barnacle Geese haven't settled down yet, over the last few days the whole flock, c 130 are either on Cardigan Island where most will nest, or grazing in the cliff top fields. A short look at the sea proved worthwhile this morning, with 2 Red-throated Divers , 2 Kittiwakes and a single male Common Scoter all flying west past Cemaes Head. Ducks are disappearing fast, most obvious are the Wigeon , down to 87 b...

Saturday 14th - An early wander up the Cippyn valley, the small stream that runs down the south side of Cardigan bay Holiday Park. As we hoped, a Firecrest with Goldcrests just before the red gate in the low vegetation. On the return walk, a Siskin feeding with Goldfinches and Long-tailed Tits in the Alders. Geese in the Farm Park fields with Cardigan Island in the background. Usually we can find c130 Barnacle Geese and c300 Canada Geese, though the species often go their seperate ways. Around the estuary, a pre dawn visit as the high tide dropped found a surprisingly high count of  118 Curlew - maybe they had roosted in the water as the high water only just covered the main mud ? Other  maximum wader counts over the weekend -  380 Lapwing , 120 Golden Plover , 85 Dunlin , and the return of the Shelduck continues - now 43 birds. The  riverside fields just before the sawmill up the Teifi Valley Currently this and the neighouring horse paddocks hold nothing more e...

Another new Chiffchaff on the reserve this winter, also one seen at Poppit yesterday. Chiffchaff - January 11th Guillemots were back on their breeding ledges on Cardigan Island yesterday -- one to look for during this calm weather. Our Skylarks disappear from the breeding sites around the Teifi headlands in winter. This sighting from Liz Snell adds to the local picture -- further up the coast in the coastal fields today between Mwnt and Aberporth c200 Skylarks and 45 Stock Doves feeding on the dunged stubble. A walk out beyond the Cliff Hotel to look for Purple Sandpipers and Turnstone on the rocks was unsuccessful this afternoon but good views of the Barnacle Goose flock as they flew out to Cardigan Island followed by several hundred Canada Geese. Canada Geese over Cardigan Farm Park Five Rock Pipits were feeding on the Golf Course and 2 Stonechat were flycatching in the sun. Stonechat The freezing conditions haven't brought us any obvious new arrivals, 250 Lapwing , 150 Go...