Sometimes, birds get it wrong!

You may have noticed a few Canada Goose eggshells around the reserve over the last few weeks.  The herring and lesser-black backed gulls take a proportion of the goose eggs every year, but this gull will have had trouble breaking open the shell, as it's found a golf ball.  Think how smooth and perfectly round a golf ball is, and you realise that carrying the ball in its bill is quite a feat!  A great photo by Aled Williams on the Conwy Flickr photostream.

Despite the gulls, there are plenty of successful Canada goose nests, with a creche of 18 goslings swimming around the lagoons this week.  We've also spotted another brood of Mallards this week, and if you hear high-pitched cheeping from the Carneddau Hide, that's because there's a brood of blue tits being fed inside the roofspace. 

The good weather has finally enabled northbound waders to move, but they won't stay long, as it's now a headlong rush to get to the Arctic.  Star find was a curlew sandpiper, rapidly heading into ruddy summer plumage, on Wednesday (23rd), while there were at least 50 dunlins wheeling around the estuary this morning, as well as a few ringed plovers and at least four little ringed plovers. A few wheatears are still passing through, and this morning a spotted flycatcher was a nice find near Tal-y-fan Hide.

The fine sunny weather has finally enabled some butterflies and dragonflies to get going.  There were plenty of orange tip butterflies around yesterday (25th), and several common blue damselflies around the ponds.  The stoats are out-and-about, and on Thursday, warden Sarah was lucky enough to see an adult carrying 10 young kits from one den to another, so expect to see more stoat action on the reserve over the coming weeks.

Job opportunity
It's Dave's last week working in our Coffee Shop, as he moves on to pastures new.  So we're looking for someone to fill his shoes.  If you know someone who would be interested in working at a fantastic location for three days a week, please point them in the direction of our website.

Olympic torch relay
Finally, the torch will be passing the north end of the reserve on Tuesday morning (29th), around 8.50 am.  Our gates will be open from 8 am, and you're welcome to park and walk along the estuary to see the flame go past the Cob.  Why not follow that with a walk around the reserve, then a cup of coffee and a piece of cake when our Coffee Shop opens at 10 am.  Don't forget to bring your Ddraig Goch or Union Flag!