Notable Recent Sightings

17/06 Great Black-backed Gull Lake Vyrnwy. Pair am, plus a few each of LBB and BH Gull & Goshawk
03/06 Snow Goose Llyn Coed y Dinas. One escapee plus adult Mediterranean Gull
02/06 Mediterranean Gull Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single distant on island
23/05 Hobby Cors Dyfi. Single today
10/05 Lesser Whitethroat Llyn Coed y Dinas. Singing male present
04/05 Hobby Lake Vyrnwy. Adult over today
29/04 Whimbrel Llyn Coed y Dinas. One over plus Arctic Tern
25/04 Whimbrel Dolydd Hafren. One in front of 2nd hide this morning
24/04 Garden Warbler Guilsfield. Two today
23/04 Swift Welshpool. One over drifting west
19/04 Cuckoo Lake Vyrnwy. Also Grasshopper Warbler
18/04 Arctic Tern Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single through
16/04 Snow Goose Montgomery. Single at Lymore Pools (presumed feral escape?)
16/04 Whooper Swan Lake Vyrnwy. 3 on lake (am) & Short-eared Owl on moorland
14/04 Common Sandpiper Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single plus Blackcap
11/04 Hen Harrier Cors Dyfi. Male present
08/04 Pied Flycatcher Foel. A male has arrived, also one at Pwll Penarth
05/04 Wheatear Lake Vyrnwy. One along Gadfa road
05/04 Tree Sparrow Wern. 3 at garden feeders
04/04 Whooper Swan Lake Vyrnwy. 5 from Lakeside Hide
04/04 Swallow Llyn Coed y Dinas. 3 today
03/04 Black Redstart Guilsfield. One in private garden from 2nd but no sign on 4th
30/03 Egyptian Goose Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single & Mediterranean Gull (this also 29th), Sand Martin
27/03 Mediterranean Gull Llyn Coed y Dinas. 2 adults displaying
22/03 Osprey Cors Dyfi. First returning bird of 2018 today
21/03 Snow Goose Caersws. Presumed escape associating with Canada Geese by river early this morning. First seen yesterday evening, bird doesn't appear to have leg rings
17/03 Hawfinch Guilsfield. 2 in private garden today & Brambling
16/03 Hawfinch Powis Castle. 7 in the gardens
16/03 Mediterranean Gull Llyn Coed y Dinas. Adult present mid pm
13/03 Chiffchaff Llyn Coed y Dinas. Singing bird 10.30am
07/03 Hawfinch Lake Vyrnwy. Single in Hirnant Valley late pm
06/03 Pochard Llyn Coed y Dinas. Pair plus 4 Mandarin Duck (3M, 1F), 14 Goosander, Water Rail
04/03 Pochard Llyn Coed y Dinas. Pair plus Shelduck, Water Rail
02/03 Jack Snipe Montgomery. One in private garden
22/02 Hen Harrier Cors Dyfi. A male today
17/02 Hawfinch Powis Castle. 2 plus Green Woodpecker
11/02 Lesser Sp. Woodpecker Powis Castle. Plus 4 Hawfinch
04/02 Pink-Footed Goose Lake Vyrnwy. 30+ heading north at 11am. Also Goshawk, Willow Tit
31/01 Pochard Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female & Shoveler(m), 13 Snipe, pr Oystercatcher, Shelduck
31/01 Merlin Welshpool. Male, top of Red Bank/Laundry Lane & 4 Redwing
26/01 Great White Egret Llangurig. Bird mid afternoon in field west of town
21/01 Blackcap Llanymynech. Female at garden feeders
19/01 Whooper Swan Aberhafesp. 14 (4 juv) just below village on left of the second rise going through from the Newtown direction.
18/01 Pochard Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single fem. still & 5 Goosander (3m, 2f), 14 Snipe, Shelduck
18/01 Whooper Swan Aberhafesp. c12 presumed Whoopers at west end of Aberhafesp pm
16/01 Pochard Llyn Coed y Dinas. A single female
14/01 Pochard Llyn Coed y Dinas. A singleton
13/01 Barnacle Geese Llyn Coed y Dinas. 6 long staying birds still & 8 Goosander, Water Rail
10/01 Hawfinch Powis Castle. 2+ plus Sparrowhawk, Goosander, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, 50 Fieldfare & 30 Blackbird
07/01 Whooper Swan Caersws. 2 adult north along river Severn, seemed to drop near Aberhafesp
07/01 Pink-Footed Goose Lake Vyrnwy. 140+ (91, 24, c25) & 17 Whooper Swan over heading west am
06/01 Pink-Footed Goose Lake Vyrnwy. 39 over heading N to NW, afternoon
06/01 Whooper Swan Aberhafesp. 6 present
29/12 Pochard Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female plus 6 Barnacle Geese
28/12 Hawfinch Bwlchyddar. 1 again on Back Road at 1pm and later it or another on feeders just north of Llanfyllin
27/12 Pochard Llyn Coed y Dinas. Pair plus drake Shoveler, Barnacle Geese
22/12 Goldeneye Llyn Coed y Dinas. Plus 6 Barnacle Geese
22/12 Hawfinch Bwlchyddar. 1 on Back Road, 2pm, in Hawthorn hedgerow
20/12 Goldeneye Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female & drake Pintail, 2 pair Goosander, 15+ Snipe, 6 Barnacle Geese
17/12 Great White Egret Llangynog. On River Tanat this morning
12/12 Goldeneye Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female plus 2 drake Pintail, 2 female Goosander
11/12 Long-eared Owl near Mochdre. One plucking prey on fence post
11/12 Goldeneye Llyn Coed y Dinas. 2F & 100 Teal, 60 Wigeon, 2 Shelduck, 7 Lapwing, 6 Snipe
10/12 Hawfinch Welshpool. One briefly in private garden.
10/12 Chiffchaff Pwll Penarth. Single.
08/12 Goldeneye Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female still, plus 6 Barnacle Geese, Shelduck.
08/12 Hawfinch Powis Castle. Feeding on hawthorn by castle gardens
03/12 Blackcap Montgomery. Female visiting private garden
02/12 Goldeneye Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female present
01/12 Hawfinch Powis Castle. At least 12 this morning
30/11 Short-eared Owl Lake Vyrnwy. 2 on moors in the Gadfa area
29/11 Hawfinch Powis Castle. Present around car park
29/11 Pintail Llyn Coed y Dinas. At least 17 this morning plus Shelduck
28/11 Pintail Llyn Coed y Dinas. 23 this afternoon (8m, 15f)
26/11 Whooper Swan Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single this morning
25/11 Brent Goose Llyn Coed y Dinas. 2 from 11am. Barnacle Geese still present & the Black Swan
23/11 Pochard Llyn Coed y Dinas. Drake plus 6 Barnacle and c1000 Canada Geese
23/11 Hawfinch Powis Castle. Present around car park but elusive
21/11 Hawfinch Newtown. 6 in churchyard by Elephant & Castle 15.45-16.15.
21/11 Hawfinch Powis Castle. 8+ around car park 8.30 - 10.30. 1 nearby at LCYD briefly 11am
19/11 Mandarin Duck Meifod. 41 flying up river
16/11 Hawfinch Newtown. 1 over Elephant & Castle 12.15pm
12/11 Blackcap Welshpool. Male at the High School
12/11 Starling Dolydd Hafren. c10,000 to roost & 53+ Magpie, Brambling this evening
10/11 Great Grey Shrike Dyfnant Forest. First report of the winter at private site.
10/11 Barnacle Goose Llyn Coed y Dinas. At least 2 plus 2 Water Rail.
09/11 Barnacle Goose Llyn Coed y Dinas. 6 apparently there since 5th. Likely feral origin.
08/11 Hawfinch Powis Castle. 4 around car park trees this morning
06/11 Hawfinch Powis Castle. 9 in car park trees lunch time
06/11 Hawfinch Llanfyllin. One in trees this afternoon north of town
05/11 Dunlin Lake Vyrnwy. 1 over heading west at Gadfa, 170+ Chaffinch, Brambling, Merlin, c40 Fieldfare
03/11 Brambling Welshpool. Male on garden feeders plus Marsh Tit
02/11 Whooper Swan Lake Vyrnwy. 4 over at Gadfa
02/11 Goldeneye Llyn Grinwydden. Male + 2 Wheatear & Reed Bunting on Mynydd Waen Fawr
30/10 Red-breasted Merganser Upper Dyfi Estuary. Female this morning plus 8 Snipe, Dipper
28/10 Hawfinch Powis Castle. 4+ and 1500 Redwing, 4 Fieldfare, 1500 Woodpigeon (all heading west), 40 Greenfinch & 30 Chaffinch
28/10 Brambling Ceri Ridgeway. 10 feeding on beech mast with 30 Chaffinch
28/10 Shoveler Llyn Coed y Dinas. Drake present
27/10 Ring-necked Parakeet Wern. One still around, north of Guilsfield
26/10 Great White Egret Fan Pool. One into roost this evening.
23/10 Ring Ouzel Lyn Mawr. Plus 2 Kestrel, 10 Golden Plover, 5 Tufted Duck, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, Cormorant, Heron, Mallard, Coot
21/10 Ruff near Llanerfyl. One trapped & ringed at night at private site
20/10 Ring-necked Parakeet Wern. One north of Guilsfield and still present 23rd Oct
19/10 Brambling Lake Vyrnwy. 2 males today plus c60 Crossbill, 30+ Redwing, Peregrine
10/10 Brambling Lake Vyrnwy. Female near shop. A few Redwing.
07/10 Yellow-browed Warbler near Llanfyllin. One moving through hedgerows near Cwm Nant y Meichiad
05/10 Hobby Cors Dyfi. Good views of a hawking bird today
14/08 Ringed Plover Llyn Coed y Dinas. Juvenile still present
14/08 Water Rail Llandinam Gravels. One present today
13/08 Ringed Plover Llyn Coed y Dinas. Juvenile plus Common & Green Sandpipers
04/08 Osprey Welshpool. Juvenile over Leighton Weir this morning
29/07 Hobby Newtown. 2 birds on pylon just outside town
12/07 Cattle Egret Cors Dyfi. Single present
06/07 Hobby Llwynderw. Single hunting for 30 mins
20/06 Tree Sparrow Sarn. One on garden feeder
12/06 Gannet Llyn Coed y Dinas. Adult at 10am, mobbed by BH Gulls, then found on the bypass and taken into care
05/06 Hawfinch Dolanog. 1 in private garden feeding on Wych Elm seed
03/06 Hawfinch Dyfnant Forest. Single bird present today
31/05 Common Scoter Lake Vyrnwy. Single off Old Village CP
25/05 Crag Martin Lake Vyrnwy. Single over dam at 12.30pm but not seen since (by 13.30)
16/05 Greenshank Lake Vyrnwy. 1 passage bird on Gadfa Road
13/05 Common Gull Lake Vyrnwy. Flock of 7 over lake late morning
01/05 Black Tern Llyn Coed y Dinas. Present 7.30 until 10.30am and Dunlin
19/04 Great Grey Shrike Lake Vyrnwy. 1 still around & Cuckoos have arrived
13/04 Grasshopper Warbler Frochas Common. 1 heard
12/04 Pochard Llyn Ebyr. 3 present & c25 Sand Martins, 2 Swallow, Great-crested Grebe
11/04 Osprey Lake Vyrnwy. Sightings over dam/hotel heading up lake at c11am & c1.30pm
09/04 Great White Egret Dolydd Hafren. One plus Common & Green Sandpipers
09/04 Marsh Harrier Lake Vyrnwy. One over noon, Great Grey Shrike still on Bala Road & male Ring Ouzel at Gadfa
05/04 Osprey Lake Vyrnwy. One over 1pm & Great Grey Shrike on Bala Road in afternoon
04/04 Brent goose Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single with Canadas - probably same bird as at Dolydd Hafren 14/3
03/04 Brambling Welshpool. Single male in private garden
02/04 Redstart Welshpool. Male present pm
02/04 Swallow Forden. 3 on the Fron. Obviously a few around now.
02/04 Swallow Lake Vyrnwy. Single
02/04 Swallow Felindre. Single, a few Sand Martin & Blackcap singing Llanidloes
01/04 Ring Ouzel Lake Vyrnwy. 4 (3m, 1f) at Gadfa near first ruined building. Singing Willow Warbler, 3 Redwing, a few Fieldfare, 2 Great Black-backed Gull on lake off Tower.
31/03 Willow Warbler Llanidloes. Singing bird and 10+ Sand Martin, 90 Black-headed Gull (30th)
27/03 Ring Ouzel Lake Vyrnwy. Male at Gadfa loosely associating with Fieldfare (evening). Wheatear and Sand Martin also around.
27/03 Tree Pipit Frochas Common. 1 displaying
26/03 Great White Egret Caersws. 1 over west to east
24/03 Little Ringed Plover Caersws. 5 along the Severn plus 6 Oystercatcher, 11 Snipe, 50 Curlew, 15 Teal, 1 GBB Gull, 8 LBB Gull, 400 B-H Gull, 1 Sand Martin
24/03 Whooper Swan Caersws. 8 nearby opposite Red House
23/03 Great Grey Shrike Lake Vyrnwy. 1 hunting top end of lake on Bala Road at 7:50am
16/03 Hen Harrier Cors Dyfi. Male present
16/03 Great White Egret Machynlleth. One near station at 12.30pm
15/03 Sand Martin Machynlleth. 2 along river west of Dyfi bridge
14/03 Brent Goose Dolydd Hafren. Single bird this evening
12/03 Great Grey Shrike Machynlleth. In field between railway line and River Dyfi OS ref SH73972 01135
12/03 Merlin Lake Vyrnwy. 1 seen to predate Reed Bunting plus Goshawk, Red Kite, 17 Stock Dove
12/03 Pochard Llyn Coed y Dinas. 4 still present
25/02 Pintail Llyn Coed y Dinas. 1 pm
24/02 Tree Sparrow Guilsfield. Wern area - pair in private garden
22/02 Whooper Swan Aberhafesp. 12, at least one young bird, most easily seen from back road out of Aberhafesp to Caersws
21/02 Pochard Llyn Coed y Dinas. Still 4 present plus 7 Shoveler, 26 Tufted, 14 Wigeon, 15 Lapwing, 16 Snipe
20/02 Hen Harrier Carno. Male flew across road between Carno-Talerddig by roadworks at 2.35pm
19/02 Chiffchaff Pwll Penarth. A few overwintering birds present with at least 1 showing Siberian Tristis characteristics. Also on 18th
15/02 Bearded Tit Dolydd Hafren. Male 4:30pm, on ponds to left of pine tree hide nearest to osprey pole - on fronds of common rush near the water
15/02 Waxwing Guilsfield. Wern area - single in private garden & 200+ Lapwing between the Breiddens & Wern
08/02 Bittern Dolydd Hafren. in front of 1st hide 10.30am for 5 mins then flew towards 2nd hide. Also at dusk near 2nd hide in field near bench & dead tree
31/01 Bearded Tit Dolydd Hafren. A male mixing with Reed Bunting calling and visible on top of the small island of reeds between the first hide & the river between 2-4pm.
30/01 Waxwing Guilsfield. 9 in private garden (Wern area). 5-10 have been present for past week
30/01 Waxwing Newtown. 24 in smaller car park at 'back' of College
29/01 Waxwing Newtown. 12+ at the college
29/01 Bittern Llyn Coed y Dinas. Still present
27/01 Waxwing Newtown. c.50 today on Vaynor Estate next to the college
27/01 Bittern Llyn Coed y Dinas. Still plus 3+ Pochard, Water Rail, Kingfisher
26/01 Blackcap Welshpool. Male in private garden & pair Brambling
26/01 Bittern Llyn Coed y Dinas. Still present
26/01 Waxwing Newtown. c.40 on Vaynor Estate a couple of which ringed in Scotland
25/01 Waxwing Newtown. 20+ around Heol-y-nant and flying across railway towards college
24/01 Bittern Llyn Coed y Dinas. Still plus Pochard, Water Rail, Snipe, Kingfisher
23/01 Bittern Llyn Coed y Dinas. Present since 21st, in front of main hide plus 4 Pochard
23/01 Waxwing Newtown. 20+ in trees on Heol Vaynor today
22/01 Waxwing Newtown. 35+ on the estate behind college late morning
21/01 Waxwing Kingswood. 4 on Offa's Dyke path south of village
18/01 Waxwing Abermule. 3 at 1:30pm
18/01 Waxwing Newtown. c.8 on Vaynor estate
17/01 Waxwing Guilsfield. 20 in private garden and 4 north of this
17/01 Waxwing Churchstoke. 14 in trees, upper car park Tuffins supermarket 8:40am
16/01 Waxwing Newtown. c.8 on Vaynor estate
16/01 Marsh Harrier Dolydd Hafren. A probable male reported - quartered for 15 mins am
16/01 Whooper Swan Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single still present
15/01 Little Egret Llanidloes. Present today near main bridge
15/01 Whooper Swan Llyn Coed y Dinas. 1 on water 1pm
15/01 Waxwing Newtown. 20+ at College 1:45pm
14/01 Waxwing Montgomery. 1 in private garden plus female Blackcap
14/01 Waxwing Newtown. 12+ today
13/01 Waxwing Newtown. Some present - flighty.
12/01 Waxwing Newtown. 15+ mobile - at college and the Vaynor Estate
11/01 Waxwing Newtown. 22 at college
10/01 Waxwing Newtown. 12+ in hawthorn alongside railway at college
09/01 Waxwing Newtown. 11 today in hawthorn bordering railway line at college
08/01 Waxwing Newtown. 9 in hawthorn bordering railway line at college 1.15pm
07/01 Short-eared Owl Llyn Mawr. Hunting in field south of lake at 4.45pm
07/01 Great White Egret Machynlleth. In fields to west of town at 2pm
07/01 Waxwing Newtown. 8 in college grounds in Hawthorn bordering railway line 3pm
06/01 Waxwing Newtown. 6 in tall tree in College grounds c.9am. Flew towards Vaynor estate.
06/01 Waxwing Machynlleth. 30+ still
06/01 Blackcap Welshpool. Female in private garden plus Brambling
05/01 Waxwing Guilsfield. Wern area - 30+ in private garden (the first since those on 2nd Jan)
05/01 Waxwing Machynlleth. 16 still including a bird ringed in Aberdeen on 27th Nov that was also seen Llandudno 30th Dec
05/01 Hen Harrier Cors Dyfi. Female this afternoon
04/01 Waxwing Machynlleth. 15+ in trees around library. Also present on 3rd.
02/01 Waxwing Guilsfield. Wern area - 20+ in private garden
02/01 Waxwing Newtown. One opp. golf course in a tall tree. Flew off over golf course c.10am
   
See Sightings Archive for older records

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

A rather humbling experience



Yesterday, after talking to visitors for the best part of eight hours at the Dyfi Osprey Project, a call came from the visitor centre "female Merlin on the osprey nest". Last week we had had a male Merlin visit briefly. In my haste I 'grabbed' a couple of screen shots off the hard-drive literally as we were closing the door for the night. After driving home, I posted two of these Merlin shots under the DOP thread. A good birder off the North Waled Bird Forum sent me a message last night questioning, rightly, whether the bird was indeed a Merlin or a female Kestrel.

With a cup of tea and some relative calm this morning, I opened the visitor centre and played back the actual video of the raptor on the nest (around three minutes). The bird was a female Kestrel. No question.

I then wondered of course, how on earth I had made this mistake? The video footage was good, the light was good as was the focusing.

On the same thread last night I mentioned that we had had a few Mealies, Common Redpoll, on the feeders at the project. Mark (Hughes) this time, and again rightly, asked if they actually were Common (very un-common in this country!) or the more common Lesser Redpoll. Well, I took the camera down today in an attempt to correctly ID the Redpoll race, or species as they are now classed. The images are shown above, and again, I seemed to have made a misjudgement of ID.

This whole experience had made me feel rather embarrassed and somewhat foolish. Not one ID blunder in one day, but two. Now, it would be easy to try and blame this rather large peccadillo on tiredness, poor quality footage, somebody else(!) etc, but at the end of the day, these miss-identifications were down to my lack of attention, care, and in the case of the Redpoll, research.

Now I am sure that I am not the only person in the world that has wrong-called a species and I won't be the last; but this occasion has certainly re-taught me one of the first rules of birdwatching - good observation skills and due care and research.

I've stopped beating myself up about this now - next time though, and learning from one's mistakes of complacency, I will be, hopefully, a better birder.

Emyr.
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