MONTGOMERYSHIRE BIRDS: Whinchat and Willow tit

Notable Recent Sightings

17/11	Firecrest	2, Castle Caereinion
07/11	Barnacle Goose	1 among Canada Geese, Llyn Coed-y-Dinas
07/11	Hawfinch	a few, Lake Vyrnwy, also Bramblings
01/11	Short-eared Owl	1, Cefn Coch Wind-farm
01/11	Great Grey Shrike	Gregynog
28/10	Great Grey Shrike	Lake Vyrnwy, also 1 on 30th at Eunant
25/09	Gannet	1 juv grounded near Caersws
07/09	Nightjar	1, photographed near Pontrobert
17/07	Quail	RSPB Lake Vyrnwy, also heard 20/06 and 08/07
24/04	Long-eared Owl	2, RSPB Lake Vyrnwy
16/04	Purple Heron	1, Cors Dyfi
05/03	Firecrest	1, Lake Vyrnwy
05/03	Short-eared Owl	1, Lake Vyrnwy
14/01	Pink-footed Goose	1, Dolydd Hafren
03/01	Waxwing	20, Meifod; also 5 Welshpool by canal on 01/01. Last: 6 Bwlch-y-Garreg 17/03
23/12	Waxwing	Newtown College, first arrivals 04/12, 47 on 23/12, 67 on 01/01, 30 on 04/02
09/12	Cattle Egret	1 roosting with 8 Great Egrets and some Little Egrets, Llyn Coed-y-Dinas
02/12	Waxwing	21 Guilsfield, 12 Montgomery, 1 Welshpool, and 1 on 01/12 Llanfyllin
16/11	Dotterel	3, just west of Dyfnant Forest on RSPB land
16/11	Great Grey Shrike	1, on edge of Dyfnant Forest on RSPB land, last reported 19/01
15/11	Waxwing	25 or 30, just west of Lake Vyrnwy along the Dinas Mawddwy road
08/11	Great Northern Diver	A juvenile was found near Anchor, rescued and released
30/10	Black Redstart	1 in garden at Hendomen, near Montgomery
06/10	Hawfinch	5 in treetops at Powis Castle, by main car-park
04/10	Cattle Egret	Dolydd Hafren, a flock of c.30
29/09	Red-flanked Bluetail	Dyfnant Forest: a county first
23/09	Manx Shearwater	1st year bird grounded in Llanfyllin; released at coast
03/09	Cattle Egret	10 at Cors Dyfi, rising to 32 on 05/09
01/06	Turnstone	1 at Caersws with Little Ringed Plovers
03/05	Wood Sandpiper	1 at Dolydd Hafren
18/04	BLACK-WINGED KITE	1 video-ed at Glan Mule, near Kerry: a likely FIRST for UK
07/04	Black Redstart	Female on Carno roof
07/04	Little Ringed Plover	Llandinam Gravels
25/03	Osprey	Female 5F 'Seren' arrived back at Llyn Clywedog
25/03	Pied Flycatcher	An early migrant near Llanfechain
22/03	Hen Harrier	Female in flight near Berriew
15/03	Sand Martin	5, Dolydd Hafren
15/03	Golden Plover	c.50, Heldre Hill, Long Mountain, nr Welshpool
05/03	Whooper Swan	1, between Caerhowel (Montgomery) and The Gaer, with Mute Swans
05/03	Pink-footed Goose	1, Caersws, with Canada Goose flock
05/03	Jack Snipe	2, Caersws
05/03	Hawfinch	24, Powis Castle, feeding behind orchard
28/02	Pink-footed Goose	c.25, flying north over Welshpool
26/02	Merlin	1 male, chasing Meadow Pipit, Long Mountain near Welshpool
26/02	Pintail	3, Llyn Coed-y-Dinas, 1 since 14 Feb
14/02	Hawfinch	1, Powis Castle car-park, very vocal
23/01	Jack Snipe	1, Moel-y-Garth near Guilsfield
17/01	Brambling	80, in beeches at Pen-y-Waen near Cefn Coch with Chaffinches
07/01	Hawfinch	2, bathing in puddle, Cwm Lane, Castle Caereinion
		See Sightings Archive for older records

Tuesday, September 06, 2022

Whinchat and Willow tit

Not having seen either on the farm for quite a while it was good to have both Whinchat and Willow tit present last week. Would be nice if the Willow tit decided the area around one of the ponds and the river was where it would like to be.

As the berries are ripening now the Mistle thrushes are appearing and counted 38 on Sunday although this is less than the 60 or so we had last year. The Linnet numbers are up to about 30 but how many are home-bred and how many from elsewhere I am not so sure. Spotted flycatchers are down to one family this year but Stonechats have done very well with at least two broods being achieved.

Our Swallows arrived and went straight into the shed but then deserted it so we did not have any breeding Swallows this year. This did happen a few years ago and the culprit turned out to be the Tawny owl entering through the opening we have at the back of the shed for when it is locked . Perhaps a similar thing happened this year. Similarly the House martins kept returning to the eaves but did not build and this is the fourth year they have done the same thing- have no idea why.

All the other migrants arrived on time and appeared to have bred except for the Whitethroat as we did not have a singing male until 9th June, sang for about 4 weeks and then gave up.

The first Snipe of the autumn arrived on 31st August now we just have to wait for the rest.