Summary Bird List for Wales Holiday

Continue reading

Bodnant Gardens

On our last day we travelled home but we wanted to go to Bodnant Gardens so we drove over to Bangor then down  to Betws-y-Coed then up the side of the River Conwy to Bodnant Gardens. The weather was a bit wet but it gave Anne the chance to see the Laburnum Grove in full bloom and we walked for about an hour around the gardens. Down by the little stream, just at the waterfall, we saw a Dipper flying around. It may even have been nesting in a gap in the stonework of the bridge where the water drops from the pond to the river.

Continue reading

Llyn Peninsula

On our fourth day we decided to drive around the Llyn Peninsula so we headed down the peninsula to Aberdaron. En route we saw a Rookery of around 40 birds and we also saw Magpies, Crows etc. From Aberdaron we drove up the hillside to the remote disused lifeguard station on the headland overlooking Bardsey Island. It was pretty wild and windy up there but we had a bit of a walk around. There were gulls and some smaller birds in the gorse but it was so windy they were lying low. The only birds that seemed to love it were the Swallows which were everywhere. On our way back down we saw a Buzzard and a Chough and also what turned out to be a Red Kite. At first we took it for a Buzzard because there was one in the sky at the same time but as it came closer the tail indicated that it was a Red Kite. As we watched it hovered in the air like  bigger version of a Kestrel and then eventually landed behind a rock. We watched for a minute or so and eventually it emerged from behind the rock rising in the air with a snake hanging from one of its talons ! It flew away into the distance and we did not really expect to see it again after such a big meal had been caught.

Continue reading

Cemlyn Bay

We met a chap at South Stack who told us that we had to go to Cemlyn Bay to see the Terns that breed there. This was on our list of places to go but with a strong recommendation we decided we would head there from South Stack. Cemlyn Bay is a small bay with a shingle beach. The beach rises up to a ridge that runs the length of the bay and behind this is a freshwater lagoon with two islands. On these islands Arctic, Common and Sandwich Terns all nest. There are lots of other birds there as well (sometimes Roseate Terns) but these are the main attraction. There is parking at either end of the bay and you have to walk along the shingle below the horizon so as not to disturb the birds (it is marked out to help you keep clear)

Continue reading

South Stack

Our first full day was spent on Anglesey. We started out driving up to the RSPB cafe and shop. When you drive up the road  leading to it you are given the impression that the parking is some way from the shop and cafe but if you keep driving past the car park there is further parking just outside the cafe and this is where we parked. In fact there is more parking a little further on if you want to see the cliffs from the north side looking south which is the best view.

The whole place has been refitted and is very comfortable with good toilets and a little shop. You can sit in the cafe and look out onto a field where we saw Pied Wagtails, Goldfinches and other birds bobbing around on the ground. Apparently a Grasshopper Warbler had been seen a little earlier (as were Choughs) but we did not see it. On the other side of the cafe the windows look out to sea and there are a number of tables and chairs outside which would be great in mild weather. The day we went there was a fairly high wind so it would have been a bit draughty but it was very nice sitting drinking tea in the warm and bird spotting in comfort.

Continue reading