Star of the weekend has been a grey phalarope, which has given great views from the Benarth Hide. First found on Friday morning, it's still present today. This photo, by Adrian Foster, is one of many that have been taken from the hide - so quite why some people have felt it necessary to climb over fences and bunds to take photos from the shoreline is beyond most of the rest of the birdwatchers who've been appreciating it... This is the third grey phalarope for the reserve, now taking its place ahead of the two Wilson's and two red-necked phalaropes that have also been here. Some watchers on Saturday saw it have a close run-in with a peregrine.
It's been another good week for waders, as water levels start to rise slowly in response to rain and pumping from the Afon Ganol. This morning's list included bar-tailed and black-tailed godwits, snipe and dunlins, while greenshank, little stint, knot, ruff, spotted redshank and curlew sandpipers have all put in appearances during the week, though the last three not since Monday (20th).
Some of the birders who'd come to admire the phalarope found some other birds, the highlight being a juvenile garganey expertly picked out among the teal on Friday evening; it's our first of the year. Others got views of one of the bearded tits, just in front of the Benarth Hide, photographed by Rob Sandham. The youngsters seem now to have moulted into adult plumage, and up to three have been seen together, suggesting that the adults and the juveniles are still with us.
Summer migrants are becoming less frequent now, but swallow, house martin and chiffchaff can still be seen daily, and blackcap and wheatear were still here earlier in the week. A slow build-up in wigeons indicates the movement of winter birds, as did a single skylark - the first here for months - on Monday (20th).
Grey wagtail has been a regular along the Afon Ganol, and 'stoatwatch' continues to please, with two near the Carneddau Hide and another on the wall between the coffee shop and Visitor Centre on Wednesday (22nd).
Julian HughesSite Manager, Conwy
Hi s49
I'm pretty certain that it's a grey phalarope - two reasons; the bill is quite chunky (the bill on a red-necked phalarope is very fine, almost like a needle, from the base to the tip) and in flight you can see a fairly wide wing bar (red-necked has a narrow wing bar, which is quite hard to see in flight). At this time of year, I tend to go on these structural features rather than plumage, because the differences in feathers can be quite subtle. Judging by the relatively clean grey feathering on the back, I think that it's a moulting adult, but I'm prepared to be told I'm wrong by anyone who can determine that it's a juvenile.
Glad you saw it!
J.