Birding RSPB Conwy 4.5.2013

 A pretty chilly start to what is supposed to be spring today down at RSPB Conwy!  I opened the door to leave the visitor centre and was off to a cracking start with a beautiful pair of Bullfinches.
They're a bit skittish but have been using these feeders regularly for a few weeks now and I hope they'll stay.
When I get in the Coffee Shop I like a few minutes just to see what's there and today it was pretty good. A few Coot, some Shelduck, Canada Geese, a Grey Heron giving a lovely close view and a little to the left a smart male Gadwall.  A pair of Red-Breasted Mergansers were there too alongside good numbers of Tufted Duck
There's a fair bit of work going on and it's great to see Y Maes & The Lookout beginning to take shape. I went past the work and our dipping pond and out into our wildlife garden, being sang to the whole way by Willow Warblers, Blackbirds,Chiffchaff, Robin etc.
Down by the bridge pond I stopped for a while, trying (& failing!) to get a good view of the flitting Whitethroats. I was rewarded though, with a stunning male Blackcap, my first of 2013, framed by a pair of more familiar Dunnocks. Wrens were singing everywhere, more than I've noticed in past years. In fact, they were even drowning out the very common Robins and Blackbirds.
I met fellow volunteer Glyn in Carneddau hide, a great bloke and a brilliant birder. Tony was there too who visits regularly and Julian Wheldrick soon joined us, all terrific birders. There was a Wheatear just sadly our of my sight but I was really pleased with 3 or 4 Common Sandpipers, lots more Shelduck,& Canada Geese plus Mallard,Tufted Duck & Mute Swan. It's also great to see our Great Crested Grebes are nesting in reeds and we have 3 Lapwing chicks which we really hope will survive. Lapwing were really pretty common 20 or 30 years ago, it's so sad that they're now getting scarce. The graceful Little Egrets were around as were the Grey Herons,Coot,Moorhen etc
The best sight from the hide surely was to see dozens maybe even hundreds of Swift,Swallow & House Martin with a few Sand Martin skimming the lagoon for their insect lunch!
After a break for my pie lunch I wandered round for a bit, loving the birdsong!
hmm!? Sedge or Reed Warbler!? probably a couple of each but it's just great to have them back
isn't it?
I met great friends Alan and Anne Rogers, twice in the same spot an hour apart!
Promise I did move about....a bit!
It was lovely some Wildlife Explorers bird-racing in aid of Penguins, hope it went well for you all?