Three Wet Days in Wales: 25th-27th June

Decision taken to go for the gull-billed tern near Llanelli, I set off early, planning to head north to Abersoch for the night. I reached the WWT National Wetlands Centre early afternoon and spent some time in the British Steel hide. No sign of the tern. To get to my mother-in-law's I couldn't stay forever so I eventually gave up hope of seeing the bird. Perhaps it was out on the estuary somewhere. Were its movements tide-dependent?

I took some photos of captive birds in the collection, including an eclipse red-crested pochard and a Barrow's goldeneye pair. Don't suppose I'll ever see one of those in the wild! Also saw some orchids - see Orchid 2012 posting.

Red-crested Pochard Barrow's Goldeneye The next day, weather still horrible, I went to the Glaslyn Osprey Project viewpoint to see the ospreys. You couldn't see the tree the nest is in! Too misty. I hung around and eventually a partial clearance enabled me to see two chicks. One was clapping its wings energetically to build up flight strength. An adult was seen flying from the nest. Apparently there are 3 female youngsters this year, doing well in spite of the weather.

I visited some of my favourite places but saw little of interest. A few sandwich terns. It was what you might call a 'coot, moorhen and shelduck' kind of day. And the gull-billed tern was showing well from a railway bridge in Loughor a mile or so east of the Wetlands Centre. Repeated sightings on the pager!!

Persistent like the song thrush I don't give up easily. So at 5.18am on the Wednesday [27/6] I set off from Abersoch back to Loughor. I arrived at about 9.10am and parked north of the railway bridge at Loughor to explore on foot. In the rain. The Wetlands Centre wouldn't be open until 10am so I might as well have a look here. As I approached the road bridge which overlooks the railway line and parts of the estuary beyond, I saw a man with a scope on the bridge. You can tell somehow if a birder is looking in hope or looking at. He was definitely looking at. I hurried along.

'Any sign?' I asked hopefully.

'Yes, it's there with those gulls.'

I rapidly started lowering tripod legs and setting up my scope.

'They're off!' the friendly welshman said. Panic. Surely I'm not going to miss this bird, this lifer, by a few seconds?

With the naked eye I saw the birds settle back.

'Behind two gulls, preening,' the man said.

'Got it. Great views in the scope. In the rain. Who cares! 381 - 19 to go!

I couldn't photograph the bird, but this Senegal stamp shows a gull-billed tern! Gelochelidon nilotica formerly Sterna nilotica.

I watched the bird for about twenty minutes. You certainly wouldn't confuse it with a sandwich tern. This full adult was unmistakable, its black cap tapering down the back of its head like a pigtail. The beefy black bill and a sort of dirty grey colour. Big-winged tern too.

And so I decided to head home at a more leisurely, contented pace. I called at Slimbridge for a break. Photographed a few more captive birds, including two very approachable Bewick's swans not able to fly north.

Bewick's Swan Bewick's Swan

In the Observatory [= posh word for posh hide!] a huge chart displays Bewick's swan bill patterns from the 1960s. With the big lens on I could only photograph a small section.

Blog bit Again there were lots of marsh orchids to see. Caribbean flamingoes are so photogenic, I can't resist them!

Caribbean Flamingo I had to stand on a funny angle to take this one so I've straightened it up in Photoshop, which is why the corners are clipped!

Ok. All the rest of the photos are wild birds.

A tufted duck was escorting a very large number of chicks [15]. I wonder if they were all hers?

Tufted Ducklings By the Holden Tower I saw an entrance to the Summer Pathway. I had not been before when this was open. Down to the River Severn to the Midpoint Hide it said. I walked in the sunshine. It rained on my summer waistcoat on the way back! The hide is unique: an old Commer van with steering wheel intact but with hide-type windows on one side.

Midpoint hide Whilst I was there a little egret came towards me quite unaware of me at first. I fired the shutter as it came nearer. Sequence below.

Little Egret Little Egret Little Egret Little Egret Little Egret Little Egret

I walked back. On one of the pools a pair of lesser black-backed gulls were resting.

Lesser Black-backed Gull His mate [or friend] was on an adjacent post. You can see the rain falling.

Lesser Black-backed Gull To my right I thought I could see a small wader just beyond a fence behind some weeds.

Green Sandpiper Can you see him? I'll zoom in. It's a green sandpiper.

Green Sandpiper Happy birding everyone!

240 UK; 381 life list.