Wales weekend birding.

Jimmy & myself set off to Pembroke Dock for our yearly trip to do Dinas & either the Deer park or Skomer Island plus to meet up with Brian at Strumble head on Saturday for the day as he is here on a weeks holiday with Sue.
On the way we stop off at a new reserve to us called Newport wetland centre as Brian had phoned to say he had seen there was 2 Black-winged Stilts  reported.

This was a very nice place,with nice people in the visitor centre, but this was not the day to look here for birds, the mudflats never had anything on them, & as we walked round all we got out of the visit was to hear a Grasshopper Warbler, we both needed one for a year tick, so not a complete waste of time.
With no sign of the Stilt we head on to Pembroke.
We are staying in a travel lodge in the Dock area that we stayed in last year, basic but nice enough for a couple of nights.


Stonechat

                 
     

Dinas

Rocky Dinas                
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Up early to meet up with Brian as he had phoned to say he wanted to go to the Deer park that over looks Skomer Island.
If we see all we want to from here such as the Puffin & Chough, we will not go over to the Island today.
It turns out alright for us as we see many Puffin's plus loads of Razorbill, Shag, Guillemot, Kittiwake, Gannets, filling the water.
On Deer park we see a few Chough, but not in the numbers of last year, Puffin & Chough give us two more year ticks.
Also seen Wheatear & Stonechat, plus Fulmar.

So with us not going over to the Island it's off to look for the glossy Ibis that we saw last year at Marloes Mere & it has made it's home there, after looking for some time we can't find it today,  we now head up to Brian's holiday house at Strumble Head, we say hello to Sue & have a cuppa before heading up to the head to do some sea watching.

This gives us another year tick in the form of a Manx  Shearwater, many of them are seen going through.

Once again plenty of Gannets & Shag fly past. A few Porpoise pop up to say hello to us.

We have had our feel of birding for the day, so we get some fish & chips & go back to eat with Brian & Sue.

While there I see a Raven fly around the fields at the back of the house, it's a year tick for me, this is great for me as I missed the one that Jimmy had got earlier at the Deer park.

A really nice day with a few year ticks for us.

A 5am start on Sunday, we decide to have another try for the Ibis that we missed yesterday, it's 14 miles out of our way but that's close enough to tempt us to try again.

After only being there for  5 minutes the Ibis shows itself , so well worth the trip to get another tick for the year.

Off now to call into Dinas RSPB  this is one of  the reasons that we come back every year to this area, right up there with our favourite place's to visit.

Just Jimmy & myself now as this is a stop off on the way back to Essex.

We pick up the first Pied Flycatcher of the morning as soon as we get out of the car,( tick ) next up a Garden Warbler, ( tick) then Willow Warbler shows. A pair of Redstarts are just sitting on the fence in front of us.

Then we hear & then see a nice Wood Warbler, another year tick for us both. we walk the whole way round, first along side the river with all the rushing water raging over the rocks, but no Dippers seen yet.

Then a nice walk back in the forest, no Spotted Fly are seen on the walk back which was a shame as we thought that we would see at least one today. A few Nuthatch show.

Jimmy picks up a single Dipper as it flies past, it's a gloomy day so we give in. It's a long drive back to home

over 270 miles, so we say goodbye to Wales for another year & off we go, it's been a good trip for us both made all the better for meeting up with Brian & Sue.

From the Deer park

.