Early morning Swift causes panic!

A Swift located by Pete Alderson soon after 8am understandibly caused his heart rate to quicken. The bird was flying above the cemetery and against the grey sky was difficult to make out as anything other than a silhouette. Other birders were quickly on the scene and Alan Davies duly picked the bird up flying over the fields to the east of the old cafe. The bird was at eye level and made some very close fly byes. Most factors, including weather and date pointed to the bird being a Pallid, but unfortunately however hard the observers tried, the Swift showed all the plumage characteristics of Common Swift. This must be the latest record of Common Swift for the headland and certainly shows that any 'late' Swift doesn't necessarily have to be a Pallid. Oh well, perhaps next time!
Only other birds of note today were a few Crossbills overhead.

Water Rail - 3rd Great Orme record!

The strange sonogram of the Great Orme Water Rail call. Recorded with Remembird and sonogram created with Raven Lite 1.0
A total of six hours spent on the headland today taking advantage of the extra hour of light inthe morning. It was good to welcome mid-Wales birder Paul Leafe up there today and he didn't let me down, calling a Lapland Buning as it flew in with a few Meadow Pipits along the eastern edge of the headland. The bird called several times and showed overhead before continuing south. No sightings of the Snow Buntings today, hwoever at least one bird was heard calling over the sheep fields so could still be around. A female / imm Merlin showed well on a couple of occasions, once near the 5 barred gate and the other by Pink Farm.
At least seven Crossbills were logged along with two early morning Bramblings. Four Bullfich, 7 Mistle Thrushes, 5 Redwing, 3 Coal Tot, 2 Chiff-Chaffs, 6 Goldcrest and a flock of 11 Long tailed Tits meant that there was always something to look at. A nice flock of 5 Lesser Redpoll and several small groups of Siskin were intermingled with the Chaffinches and Greenfinch passing over.
Highlight was the third known Great Orme record of Water Rail (only the second alive bird) that was calling from the old reservoir. It called twice this morning and was at it again this afternoon, making a right racket.

More Snow Bunts - up in twos!

Another two Snow Buntings joined the four present yesterday. They are showing well in the same area as the pair have for the past week or so - by the cairn on the limestone pavements. Other migrants today included 2 Brambling, 2 Fieldfare, 3 Goldrests and a few Redwing, Blackbirds and Song Thrushes. Rather blustery and wet up there today.
The pictures above were taken by Pete Latham.

Snow Bunts save the day

Four Snow Buntings are showing well by the cairn this morning. A quiet coupkle of days really, with only Treecreeper, 4 Bullfinch, Brambling, 10 Crossbill and a female / imm Merlin being of note.
Thrushes have been plentiful with 10+ Mistle Thrushes and and plenty of Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and Blackbirds on the headland.

Another good morning - October 26th

Another good morning on the Great Orme. A total of seven birders were on the headland at dawn and this was reflected in the number of birds seen. The Richard's pipit was still present in the sheep fields, while two Black Redstarts were new in. One was near the limestone carpark (PA) and another in the cemetery (AD). The two Snow Buntings continued to show very well near the cairn. A nice selection of buntings produced at least one Yellowhammer along the wall, a good bird here as well as at least 6 Reed Buntings. Seven Bramblings were noted amongst the small passage of finches, while 10 Crossbills passed over head. Four Wheatears were dotted around the pavements, while a Golden Plover and two Snipe represented the waders. A female Merlin hunted a Goldfinch along the cliffs (PA).

Dick pipit still but the Orme mega gets away

Gutted! A Marsh / Willow Tit - an Orme first popped out of a gorsebush in front of me thsi morning and flew high to he east with 3 Coal Tits and 6 Blue Tits. I would have thought it was probably a Marsh Tit,but with no call and a 0.5 second view I couldn't be certain. Not to worry, other birds included the Richard's pipit over the cemetery at first light (AD), 2 Snow Buntings at the cairn, a Yellowhammer over, 25 Crossbills including 2 at Llys Helg Drive in the pines, 6 Bullfinch 9including a fine male in the north end gorse bush and 5 hardy Wheatears. 10 + Goldcrests , a few Redwing and 250+ Starlings also on the move.

Weekend Roundup

Birds recorded on or over the headland during the past week have included the following:-

Ring Ouzel - one on the gunsite on 22/10 (JW)

Snow Bunting - 2 on 22/10 and a single seen several times during the preceeding week.

Merlin - one fem / imm on 22/10

Crossbills - many over - max 59 on 20/10 with beween 9 and 25 seen evey other day.

Brambling max 20 on 22/10

Good numbers of finches with 1000+ Chaffinches and 200+ Greeninches on both 21/10 and 22/10.

Little Orme records

Black Redsart near the summit on 21/10 (PA)

Snow Bunting - one above Angel Bay on 23/10 (PA)

Pomerine Skua and 2 Arctic Skua on 19/10

juv Common Tern between the two Ormes on 23/10