A red start to the morning

The last few days have provided perfect autumn moments - calm mornings, the bushes bursting with berries and full of small birds.  At least two redstarts (one a smart male) have been around through the weekend, between the wildlife garden and the Carneddau Hide.  They're taking a break on their migration south, as doubtless are the dozens of blackcaps here today, far more than can have bred at the reserve.  There are lots of other warblers too, including a few lesser whitethroats and garden warblers, while bullfinches are becoming more evident, with at least an adult male and a juvenile this morning.

Our bearded tits continue to intrigue us.  Two have been seen each day this week, always around the bridge pond, but this morning's vigil revealed one with a very short tail and perhaps two others calling.  Have the adults, unseen for several weeks, had another brood?  If you see any bearded tits at Conwy in the next few days, try and see how long the tails are and how many you think are present - and then let us know; your reports really do count.

Great spotted woodpecker and jay have been seen most days this week, while a wheatear reported on the desert (formally the lagoon) outside the coffee shop yesterday was a surprise.  A kingfisher has been seen most days, from the Carneddau Hide or the bridge pond, while a kestrel on Friday (13th) is the first of the winter.  Out on the water, the goldeneye, pochards and escapedd black swan are still present, while a juvenile ruddy duck was here from Monday to Friday.

There's been a nice selection of waders on offer this week.  A juvenile ruff on Monday and Tuesday (9th and 10th) is probably pick of the bunch, but don't ignore the smart black-tailed godwits, which now number 34.  Up to three greenshanks are with them, and one or two whimbrels have passed through, with a few dunlins and ringed plover (10th).  On the estuary, a goosander was a good summer record on Tuesday (red-breasted mergansers are scarce at the moment) and an immature guillemot last Sunday (8th) was even more unusual.

A young stoat has been playing to an audience on the estuary track, a fox has been wandering the lagoon edges and look out for the fruiting bushes: as well as the blackberries, the rowan berries are ripening red and the sea buckthorn berries are turning orange.