1 hour in Tacumshin

Common Tern

Glossy Ibis

 Getting off the ferry at 6:45 in Rosslare , we went to East end pond at Tacumshin before the drive home.
In 1 hour i saw a Forsters Tern, 2 Glossy Ibis,2 Little Gull,5 Garganey, let alone the more common birds that inhabit these wetlands, a truly wonderful place.

Oxwich Nature reserve

Adder

Grass snake

Oxwich nature reserve is a special  mix of habitat from woods to dunes to reed beds and ponds.
We saw Long eared owl fly through the wood being chased by a Jay. An Adder was basking in the sun ,A Green woodpecker was looking for ants, Garden warbler was near the hide , from the hide we heard Cettis and saw Reed warbler, Little grebe and a family of Mute swan`and a Grass snake swam passed.....all before 10 in the morning

Reed warblers and the Cettis `ghost bird

Reed Warbler

Cetti`s warbler

 

Llangenith marsh near to where we were staying was a quiet place.
Plenty of Reed warblers , Sedge warblers and Whitethroat were on show but above all was a song from different areas of the marsh that i believed to be that of Cetti`s warblers... 5 days of listening and following to the calls but these birds remained invisible, sometime within only a few yards away they remain unseen .I love a challenge and never gave up the chance of a sighting,then one suprised me with a loud call,i missed the focus on the camera and it was gone..a ghost bird."gotcha"

Great spotted woodpecker

With a nest hole 5 feet of the ground on the side of the footpath with screaming chicks this Great spotted woodpecker was a easy find and a great start to the day.

A walk to Whitford bird hide, Gower

Whitford bird hide

Tree Pipit

Dunnock

Salt marsh ponnies

A walk out to Whiteford bird hide was nice , wrong time of year really as this is a winter ground for shorebirds and wildfowl.
But we saw Tree pipit which were hard to follow and photo , Wheater , Whimbrel , Ringed plover, Lapwing and Shellduck  were on the saltmarsh.
Woodpigeon, Coal tit,Whitethroat ,Tree pipits ,Blackcap and Grey Squirrel were in the copses and pine forest

Carregg cennen quick visit

Jay

Pied flycatcher

A quick stop at a welsh tea gardens . Myself and one of my daughters had a quick woodland walk, lots of singing birds but not much showing in the heat of the day....but we saw Jay ,Redstart, and caught up with an elusive male Pied flycatcher

Gower wildflower cafe bird feeders

Nuthatch

Great tit

 

 

 

A fine place for a coffee and lunch is the Gower wildflower  centre where good bird feeders attract various  garden birds , plenty of tits and sparrows ,Nuthatch,Chaffinch and Collared doves visit regularly

On route to Wales

Common Dolphin

Gannet

Grassholm

On route to Wales aboard the ferry on a fine day ,We spent our time on deck where we seen Basking shark, 3 pods of Common Dolphin and plenty of Seabirds .We passed  by the Gannet colony on Grassholm island.

Use of low light

A late evening at the Cascades relaxing and learning to manipulate light.....then a Batwatch at the bridge.

The Sea Eagles

Took a spin out to Mount shannon to the White -tailed Eagle project at Lough Derg .
Met up with wardens for a chat...
The female sat out on a dead tree for the time i was there, good viewing in the scope..but a long distance to photo,  but you have to try...

Wren family

 

Mother Wren is busy with 7 fledglings,glorious little buzzing balls of fluff .

Her calls  and contact keeps all 7 together in a secure bramble bush.

She is an exeptional mother.

Common Whitethroat

Plenty of these Whitethroats have arrived west after resent east winds...They sing like they own the patch.

Arrival time

Willow warbler

Blackcap

Grasshopper Warbler

Mute swan

A change in the winds to the East has given migrants a lift into the county .
The weather is fine and warm.The song of the cuckoo is in the air, all warblers are singing ,, hedgerows are busy with new arrivals..birds are on the move.
But a resident Mute swan ...can catch the eye