Connah’s Quay and Burton Mere Wetlands : 29th March 2016

Connah’s Quay and Burton Mere Wetlands : 29th March 2016

Curlew, Connah’s Quay

A return visit to Connah’s Quay failed to produce any Twite. We stayed at the area where they are usually to be found for a couple of hours but we were out of luck. It is probably about the time when they are moving up to higher ground for the spring and summer but I don’t really know. While we were waiting we surveyed the area of the Dee with the tide a long way out. In fact it started to turn when we were there. It is a real contrast to the English side of the River Dee and from the elevated position of the upper floor of the “white hide” at Connah’s Quay Reserve, you can really see the extent of the mud flats that make this such a fantastic area for wading birds and those that don’t wade but feed on either small mammals or other birds.

We did get one “year tick” at Connah’s Quay and that was our first Chiffchaff of the year; we didn’t see it but we heard it and may just have got a glimpse of it in the bushes but we couldn’t be sure. It being rather cold and a bit dull and no Twites showing, we decided to head off for lunch and then we dropped into Burton MEre Wetlands where we got a second “year tick” in the form of a Barnacle Goose mixed in with the Canada Geese in the fields beyond the scrape. On the scrape there were good numbers of Avocets and the Black-tailed Godwits, that seem to have been a bit hard to see this year, were ther in plentiful numbers as well and starting to turn colour into their summer plumage.

There wasn’t anything that special to be seen apart from the above but it was a nice walk. We didn’t have the time to get down to Inner Marsh Farm, unfortunately, but we are due to be back at Burton in a couple of weeks with the birding group and we will certainly include it on our rounds then.

Bird Sightings : Connah’s Quay

Bird Sightings : Burton Mere Wetlands : Main Scrape

Bird Sightings : Burton Mere Wetlands : Environs