Norfolk Weekend

Our Weekend Winter trip to Norfolk was a great success.  The dry but cold weather conditions did not deter us and we saw plenty of birds (species count 105).    Two of our group are relatively new to birding so it was "raining" lifers, Simon had 28 and Alex had 15 over the two days.   A full species list and detailed write up can be seen at www.aquilabirdtours.com/trip reports.  We will be running a Spring weekend to Norfolk, with provisional dates of May 10th - May 12th.  Anyone who is interested in joining us can contact us via email at info@aquilabirdtours.com 

Some pictures below and more in the trip report. 

 Wigeon (Buckenham Marshes)

 Shellduck (Cley Marshes)

 Teal (Cley Marshes)

 Wildfowl including Pintail/Shoveller/Teal (Titchwell RSPB)

 Kestrel (Buckenham Marshes) 

 Turnstone (Seahouses)

 Avocet (Titchewell RSPB)

 Spotted Redshank & Redshank - good comparison (Titchwell RSPB)

 Fulmar (Hunstanton Cliffs)

 Sanderling (Hunstanton)

 Water Rail ((Titchwell RSPB)

 Redshank (Titchwell RSPB)

 Redpoll (Titchwell RSPB)

Grey Partridge (Choseley)

North Wales

As I was not due back in work until 7th Dad, Al and I decided on a day out to Anglesey and the North Wales Coast line around Llanfaifechan. A total of 76 Species were seen. The day began at first light in the Fish Quay Holyhead where all the usual suspects were seen including 3 Great Northern Diver and Black Guillemot. We had one very unusual sighting there - a pair of Chough feeding on the tall wall covered in grass. Other birds of note on the Principality were Long-tailed Duck, Merlin,  Peregrine Falcon (male), 200 Brent Geese, Slavonian Grebe and a flock of 11 Grey Plover.

Next stop was Rhos-on-Sea for the Purple Sandpiper which we found without any problem.  After lunch and a short sea watching session at Llanfairfechan, we headed to the nearby RSPB Reserve at Conwy.  We had a pleasent couple of hours on the reserve rounding the day off nicely when I located one of the Firecrest. A fantastic splash of colour to end a fantastic days birding.