Bearded Tit

Back to November last year. This male Beardie gave great views at Cosmeston Country Park.
Possibly a returning bird from two years previously.

Sparrowhawks

Whilst attracting smaller birds to a feeding station inevitably attracts birds of prey.
Two individuals started coming regularly to the perches, often too close .

Black Redstart

This Black Redstart had been at Dunraven  for at least 10 days, so when the opportunity came  I made the effort.
An early finish on the Friday with good light was a must!
Feeding on flies on the walls of the Lodge allowed close approach. Of all the Black Reds I have seen this one was by far the most confiding!
I returned the next morning but the clear night didn`t help, it departed!

Long billed Dowitcher.

This juvenile Long billed Dowitcher spent a few days up at Rhaslas Pond near Merthyr.
A great find by Mike Hogan.Working your local patch pays off eventually!
 This site is in serious danger of being lost to opencast mining, A real shame, such a place with little disturbance and great potential of good birds!
This is only the second Long billed Dowitcher in Glamorgan, the first on the Rumney estuary in 1987 to which I saw also.
It was one of those birds that you just have to sit still and it will walk up to you! Brilliant!

The Pembrokeshire Isabelline Wheatear

I had to wait 4 agonizing days before I could get down to Pembs because of work commitments.
I arrived on friday evening to the caravan and Saturday I was in position. The day proved fruitless with Seal watchers and too many other Toggers and a few birders.
Sunday was better. Quieter it was, but the light was poor!
At times the Isabelline would run up to me taking insects and chasing the two Northern Wheatears away! I had stayed in my same position for abou t4 hours and had the birds complete confidence!

The Bay of Biscay.

Again this year, as every  year, a group of us took the ferry across the Bay to see Cetaceans and Birds.
Last year was a disappointment as the sea was too rough to pick up any blows etc.
The conditions going down were very good with the odd white cap. But as the day drew on the conditions became perfect, almost glass like as we neared Santander.
The highlight of the day was the Humpback Whale and this shot, possibly the only photo of one in the Bay of Biscay. They are quite rare here!
A few Fin Whales also came close, sadly this ship is a little too fast for Dolphins to ride the boat, so photo opportunities are few and far between!
When the sea is as calm as this it enables everything near to the boat to be identified - even the 5 sharks seen.
The bird in the hat is a juvenile Redstart rescued from the boat and released in Santander.

A list of what was seen is below.

Striped Dolphin

Fin Whale

Fin Whale

Humpback Whale

   
23 Fin Whales and 4 unidentified large Rorquals. 2 Sperm Whales. 3 Pilot Whales. 4 Minke Whales. 2 Cuvier`s Beaked Whales. 280 Common Dolphins. 10 Striped Dolphins. 30 Bottle-nosed Dolphins. 2 Thresher Sharks and 3 Shark sp.  1 Ocean Sunfish and lots of Tuna.
Birds.
1 Cory`s Shearwater. 4 Great Shearwaters. 1 Little Shearwater. 6 Sooty Shearwaters. 1 Balearic Shearwater.  35 Great Skuas. 9 Arctic Skuas. 25 Sabines Gulls.