RSPB Conwy, a first visit for 2022!

With the interesting, dare I say, weather we've been enduring, its been hit and miss, more miss, trying to get to the reserve at Conwy, and along with my diary also interfering....

But I made it, Saturday 5th March, a stunning day was forecast, and for once, it was bang on right.

I'd even had a very good drive up the M6, M54 and A41, though a small hiccup on he A55, but still a good drive which meant I was due to arrive a bit too early, so I took a detour into Snowdonia, and enjoyed a little reminiscing at some of the mountains I used to frequent. A stop off just past Plas-y-Brenin to capture the views, though sadly, the sun wasn't playing ball for the northern views, but the memories are still clear, and Llyn Mymbyr still looks good, and Snowdon to my south had a dusting of snow.

Moel Siabod to my east was engulphed in cloud, so was the southern Carneddau to my north, likewise the Glyderau to my north west....

But there was sun.

Then it was time to drive back up to Conwy, and catch up with the staff in the meet and greet hut before moving on to the first screen. Looking back I noticed the mini daffs were looking splendid in the sunlight.

On to the Boardwalk Screen to check out the Shallow Lagoon, all was quiet apart from a few coots, but to be fair, the tide was still out and the mudflats will have been busy with waders. High tide was due around 12:27, so another three hours to wait, well, two hours once the mudflats had started to become water covered, so time to move on.

Walking the Boardwalk towards Tal-y-fan hide (named after the nearby hill on the eastern Carneddau overlooking the reserve and Glan Conwy), a greenfinch was serenading the sunny morning.

Reaching the Tal-y-fan hide, there was a bit more activity to be seen, three little grebes paddling along, ducking and diving as they do.

Now you see it

Plop!

Gone....

And again, now you see it....

Plop!

Gone again....

Moving on from the Tal-y-fan hide to the Carneddau hide, which I needed to be close to at least if not inside for around 11:00 to watch the waders fly in, the daffs by a bench alongside a pond were in full bloom.

And a pair of robins were sticking very close to each other....

it reminded me of that advert, where a couple sitting on a sofa, and the punchline was "We want to be together" (YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9DIDMeOJlY)

The views as always, were brilliant, Conwy Castle and Conwy Mountain, really a hill at a mere 244mtrs asl....

Looking down the Conwy Valley, Tal-y-fan with a few small snow patches on

And more to the south, Moel Eilio (left peak) and Pen Llithrig y wrach (right peak), which means "The hill of the slippery witch"

The Deep Lagoon was still quiet, but busy enough to be more than interesting, and the waters hadn't quite covered the mudflats yet, but there were the usual gulls, some lapwings, moorhens, coots, and a few other waterfowl, including this pair of greylag.

Even the Carneddau Ponies made an appearance, and you know the old saying, "you can take a horse to water....."

That's it, the moment has arrived, the mudflats must be virtually covered, the redshanks were flying in....

And the curlews, with possibly some whimbrel, though I didn't see any.

By now, the sun was at the wrong angle for any decent photos, so time to move on. Normally I walk around the Deep Lagoon path towards the Vadre Screen on what I call the pony track, but that was too muddy so I followed the Ganol stream which feeds into the estuary, and there, more Carneddau Ponies.

I don't normally take my camera filters with me, but with it being a sunny day, I did this time, and the sun was reflecting nicely on the Ganol, so I put the Star 6 on.

I also tried the ND10 (with tripod and remote release) to try for a long exposure of the Afon Conwy, better than I anticipated, but not quite as good as I'd liked.

And the circular polariser on the castle

Back to the birding, a 'shy' little egret viewed from Ynys Screen

Round to Foel Fras screen (named after a nearby hill), nicely sheltered from the north wind, and a spot of lunch, where I was joined by Vincent Price!

Some of the younger members will be wondering why I've named a fly Vincent Price!

Well, Vincent Price was a horror movie actor from the late 30's until the 90's, and one key film he took the main role in was called The Fly.

Lunch over, that side of the Deep Lagoon was very quiet, it had to be, the only thing I saw was Vince, so time to move on to Benarth Hide, (named after the Coed Benarth, Coed = Wooded area), which is also where the heronry is.

Once settled in the hide, I could see all the waders, and not one was moving, not one wanted to pose, or perform, for the camera!

Oh well, I even got a bum shot!

Another 'shy' little egret

That was until another little egret flew in, then it was a fracas between the two...

Then all settles down, and I get some brilliant close pics of a little egret right in front of the hide.

There were some wigeon scratting around on the bank between the Shallow (L) and Deep (R) Lagoons, and a moorhen....

A  shelduck flies over

and looks brilliant in the sun as he opens his wings out to apply the brakes...

More fracas, this time male shelducks

Soon to calm down and like the egrets earlier, a photo opportunity comes along, right in front of the hide.

An inbound oyster catcher spots the wigeon, and thinks things might be good...

So it sets out to join them, then stops...

A teal was playing herd to get,

but I did get a piccie...

Leaving the hide to return to the main reserve, and some dunlin were on the first of the mudflats to be revealed with the ebbing tide

ack on the main reserve, and straight round to the Tal-y-fan hide, to try and catch the redshanks and curlew start to fly off back to the mudflats, and the shoveler ducks were busy doing what shoveler ducks do....

Some more challenging teal drakes, photographing into the sun....

Mr & Mrs Shoveler give a flypast

And to end the day, a little grebe flies in

A brilliant day, good to catch up with the staff and volunteers, two of whom I hadn't seen for over two years, no thanks to Covid, but it was good to see them looking well and a lot of gossip to catch up on.

Hopefully I've not bored you, and a heads up, I'll be back around Easter time, if not before....