campervan birding north wales

 birding in style this weekend 😀

left mytholmroyd early saturday morning, some nice birds around in north wales 

arrived at llanddulas beach around 10am..........1000's of common scoters we had a brew then tried old conwy again 1000's of common scoter but no sign of the surf scoter.

so went to llanfairfechan nice walk with jess who was for a change well behaved, the tide was out so it was nice to watch a little egret doing its spinny dancey thing on a nearby pool 

little egret 

then on to aber falls.........packed to busy for us so made a brew and chilled. in the sunshine we watched the buzzards displaying 

rspb conwy

been past loads of time but never been, so mid afternoon is not the best time as the sun is facing you but still a great reserve 

the scaup showed well 

picked up supplys at tescos then got my first kfc in years and ate it an conwy marina lovely

conwy marina 

then onto dolggarog where we would be staying the night on the drive of cols parents house 

quite sad looking around the empty house and now tatty garden, but we made do and had a fire going by 6 

in the yard toasty 

ravens roost on the hillside behind the house, very hard to count but i estimated at least 40+ quite a sight and sound 

as we chatted about an end of an era coming here with the fire crackling the dog asleep it was peaceful and we slept in the van 

this morning was just bird song from the woods 

2 red kites 4 buzzards and a sparrowhawk were in the air before 9 and ravens left the roost 

red kite

a hawfinch flew over calling 

we left saying our last goodbyes to a house that held so many memories 

tried again for the surf scoter but nothing  but we enjoyed a lovely but expeninsive bacon sausage mushroom sarnie on the beach 

van life is the best 

redcar tarn

 drove up here this morning for the first time in ages, and good to be back 

not many gulls but once i started throwing bread it happens 

caspian gull 

caspian x herring 

quite a few tufted ducks plus 4 oystercatchers and a posing rook 

by 10 in minus 4 my fingers had froze and needed a wee so over cock hill for mytholmroyd to watch the snow 

langley castle northumberland

 a one stay stay at langley castle in northumberland 

we left the royd at just before 8 saturday and headed for bowlees where the red flanked bluetail is wintering 

guess we were unlucky the weather was bad fine rain and heavy winds........but we had a look nothing 

so walked to low force then high force longest walk ive ever done in the rain and wind the bear enjoyed it though her ears flapping in the wind, the way back was quicker, had another look for the bluetail but nothing 

not surprising given the weather no black grouse seen on the way to hexham 

but hexham was lovely and quaint a nice feel to it.......though i did pick up a copy of "rare birds in britain" for 1.99 bargain 

we headed to langley castle for the night 

nice room, food and beers 

the morning tour was excellent 

headed home after a great breakfast 

coming down the hill we turned left when i suddenly shouted black grouse stop !!!!!!!!!! 2 males and 2 females 

col put the hazards on as we watched the black grouse for 10 minutes in the rain from the van 

black grouse

saw a few more down the road 

langley castle 

a nice day out

 off we headed to scarbourgh and the A64 very quiet 

stopped at the harbour first very windy and low tide so not many birds but a clour ringed turnstone interesting 

turnstone 

the great northern diver was seen by colette first just outside the harbour always good to see divers 

great northern diver 

then onto the north bay so jessie could have a run on the beach 

lots of surfers surfing but not much birdwise 

the beach huts are lovely 

then down to bempton 

really windy here, bought colette lunch at the center and i had a walk on the clifftops 

gannet 20 

fulmar 4

kittiwake 1

stonechat 1 

rock pipit 1

tree sparrow 

red throated diver 2 

lapland bunting 6 

fulmar 

colette was meeting up with a friend for drinks and a band at 7 so we set off back 

by 10 the fresh air and a few pints of white rat at the dusty miller in mytholmroyd we were done in...........a good day out