Woolston and Connah's Quay

Oh lordy - I am so far behind now (more than a month) that I seriously considered allowing this blog to die... but after a mammoth photo-filing session last night I've decided to try to revive it. So - here are photos from a weekend Up North in mid-April - a Saturday at Woolston Eyes and a Sunday at Connah's Quay and RSPB Burton Mere. The Saturday was sunny, the Sunday really really wasn't, at first, though did brighten up later. And I was using a new (to me) camera - Nick's D300s (with my usual birding lens attached). The D300s is a pretty minor upgrade from the D300, so it wasn't that weird for me, though I forgot to check the date setting and the camera thought it was January.

So Woolston first. A beautiful and ringed Chiffchaff on the walk to the main hide. There was ringing going on at the reserve when we arrived, with tape-luring. Luckily we figured this out and did not tick off the singing Wood Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler and Yellow-browed Warbler...

And from the main hide, a couple of Black-necked Grebes on view... but sadly distant.

Another distant delight - first-winter Little Gull, who's been here for a few weeks.

On walkabout round the rest of the reserve - this corking Peacock. There were a fair few Peacocks and Small Torties around, enjoying the sunshineyness.

We then went for a walk down a different part of the reserve. This was most lovely - much of it along an embankment bordering what looked like a really excellent patch of scrub, ideal for Grasshopper Warblers (and indeed N found one or two there on a subsequent visit). No Groppers for us on this occasion but ample compensation came in the form of this beautiful male Redstart.

And now on to Connah's Quay, the Deeside reserve just over the border into Welshlands.

From the main hide, highlights were baby bunnies making tentative forays from their burrows, and hirundines (all three) skimming over the pond. Also a Common Sandpiper patrolling the pond margins. The muddy marsh was quietish, just Shelducks and Oystercatchers to-and-froing.

We set off along the path, finding Wheatears in the fields and this distant dingy Whinchat on the riverside.

We met no other humans on the path today, just this Fox.

The other hides produced very little. Here's a Common Sandpiper on patrol, and a lovely first-summer Black-headed Gull.

 An irresistable Robin posed for me on the walk back to the car.

Done and dusted earlier than expected, we decided to call in at Burton Mere on the way back.

While Nick unearthed a few Spotted Redshanks from the wader flocks in front of the visitor centre, I was outside trying to phtoograph the House Martins skimming over the water. I failed, though the Black-tailed Godwit's slower speed and larger size made it an easier target.

We walked down to the far hide and watched Avocets, more godwits, a pair of Dunlins and assorted ducks. A raptor put up all the waders back at the visitor centre, and these godwits flew over, accompanied by their Ruff friend.

Avocets and Black-headed Gulls were also put up in the kerfuffle. I bared glimpsed the raptor responsible but the visitor centre folks confirmed it had been a Peregrine.

A couple of Oystercatchers trying to land on the island without crashing into each other.

Little Egret - a flyby against a very moody sky.

On the walk back, a couple of little 'uns showed nicely - this Wren...

... and a pair of Robins courtship-feeding.