Woodchat Shrike

It was great to catch up with the superb male Woodchat Shrike which had been frequenting a rough area adjacent to the track that runs behind Whitesands Bay. It was very active, flying to and from a perch and foraging in the grass. It seemed to have a particular fondness to bumble bees but I didn't see it successfully catch one. I did however see it regurgitate a pellet, which appeared to contain some bumble bee or beetle.

I also had a quick look on St David's Head. There wasn't much there a few Sand Martins and Swallows, a Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler. A flock of  10 Whimbrels flew over Whitesands beach before I left.

Not the best photo but it shows the white flashes in the bird's wing 

It showed well but remained fairly distant most of the time

More black on forehead suggest male

Woodchat Shrike

Marloes- Hoopoe

Couldn't resist another look at the Hoopoe this evening. It took a while but eventually we found it feeding on a lawn. I managed much better views as it sat on the lawn, it later flew up into a nearby tree to show its fantastic crest! The bird soon flew off in a SE direction, possibly towards the church. A bird then flew from the west towards a similar direction. There is good chance that there is more than one in the area!

HOOPOE

HOOPOE

I was very pleased to re-locate the Hoopoe at Marloes this evening. Actually it was my parents who saw it first feeding in someone's front lawn. I soon caught up with it but only had a fleeting view because it was very mobile around the village. I soon lost sight of the bird but I could hear it singing, a faint 'hoop...hoop...hoop' in the distance.
This has to be one of my favourite birds!!

Tenby Patchworking

Lovely morning checking my PWC patch for some spring migrants. I was pleased to locate a female Wheatear on Tenby golf course bu it soon got disturbed by some golfers and headed off. Good numbers of Chiffchaffs (12) behind south beach and 6 Willow Warblers (my first of the year) were in the same location and a few more behind Giltar Point. My first 3 Swallows flew overhead and 2 Cetti's Warblers were singing in the reeds.
Other patch highlights included a Sparrowhawk, several Razorbills and Gullimots, a single Puffin and 10 Skylarks.

Skylark

Lake District Holiday

I've just come back from a week in the Lake District National Park. It wasn't so much of a birding trip but I still managed to get some done.  On Sunday morning we went to Sizergh Castle hoping to see some Hawfinches. After a fairly long search a pair flew by and landed in a nearby tree. They stayed long enough for decent views before flying away overhead.

On Tuesday we visited Dalton Crags. Unfortunately I couldn't locate the Great Grey Shrike but a few Green Woodpeckers yaffleing in the woods was a pleasant surprise. Later on we headed to the RSPB Leighton Moss reserve. The Highlights included 20 Avocets, several Shoveler and Pintails, a few hundred Black-tailed Godwits, a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers, 3 Marsh Tits, 3 Ruff and a smart female Marsh Harrier. However the rain came halfway through the visit. I managed to cope with it for two hours but I later retreated to the warm car!

Thursday, our last full day, we climbed Scafell Pike. There were loads of Meadow Pipits displaying on the mountain and 2 Wheatears (a male and female) were foraging by the river in the valley.

Black-tailed Godwits

Red-breasted Merganser

Avocet

Pintail

Goldcrest