Today I made a visit to the RSPB Reserve at Conwy. Very much an exploratory trip as I knew it was not the best time of year for birding. Here are some images from the day.
The reserve was created from material dug out during construction of the tunnel in the North Wales Link Road (A55). It commands a view across the River Conwy to Conwy Castle.
A very scenic site with views across the salt-marsh, the River Conwy to the outliers of Snowdonia.
With ‘big skies’.
This Mute Swan has flown some distance. The blue Darvic ring ‘7IDD’ would have been put on it in Shropshire.
On the salt marsh alongside the River Conwy this group of Canada Geese includes a number of well-grown goslings from several broods. Not really a crèche as there are too many adults.
A pair of Shelduck comes in to ‘land’. The drake with the brighter and swollen base to its bill. The other bird looks rather faded and I suspect it may be an immature that probably did not breed.
The wardens were excited about three species of duck present. This drake Teal had arrived overnight. A strange record as most birds left the UK about a month ago and normally even non-breeding birds would not arrive back until late July. This seems to be in breeding plumage with the long scapulars, though the head does have a white patch in the green. It spent all the while asleep so perhaps it was exhausted from his travels.
A duck Goldeneye really should not be here either. This looks like a first-year duck with an all-dark bill and a not very ‘golden’ eye. Perhaps it has decided that Russia is too far and it will stay here. This species nests in holes in trees and it is strange to see ducks flying through the forest and then ‘disappear’ it to their holes.
The third of the trio of unexpected ducks was this Red-breasted Merganser. This species is the sea / brackish-water equivalent of the fresh-water loving Goosander that nests on the River Severn and has been visiting Priorslee in increasing numbers during recent winters. Red-breasted Mergansers have a more wispy crest. The drakes are easy to separate, the ducks less so. This is a duck and likely a non-breeding first-year bird.
A study in white and green with one of the many Little Egrets amongst the Ox-eye daisies (
Leucanthemum vulgare). The egrets are breeding here and this bird has all the plumes to prove it. Also note the blue-grey base to the bill, another indication of breeding condition.
The only waders here were a few Oystercatchers. During Spring and Autumn passage and through the winter all the waders feeding on the River Conwy move to the reserve lagoons at high tide.
On the reserve this pontoon – perhaps they were hoping for terns – had been commandeered by a pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls. They had three chicks which they were defending against the marauding Herring Gulls while at the same time trying to predate the Herring Gulls’ chicks. Jungle warfare.
They look very mean.
This individual is beginning its moult in to winter plumage. We see a few black flecks that will become the head-streaking. Note the ‘step’ at the back of the wing between the secondaries and the primaries indicating that the annual wing moult has started. I never know whether it is the inner primaries or outer secondaries (or both?) that are moulted first.
As with most sea-side locations you need to be aware that the local Herring Gulls will make off with any food they can get their bills on. This one seems to be making off with innocuous-looking nesting material.
A fine adult Herring Gull also showing the ‘step’ in the back edge of the wing. We can clearly see the pattern on the primaries, only the outermost primary showing white other than at the extreme outer tip. This indicates it is of the race argenteus from, as we would expect, Western Europe. The Scandinavian race argentatus has white along several of the outer primaries.
This is a third-year Herring Gull showing a hint of black to the tips of the outer primary coverts and the alula.
A different third-year bird overhead. Again the black on the bend of the wing showing underneath as well. The ‘step’ at the back edge as well.
And another. Note the extensive retained black on the bill. Also note the pale area around the inner primaries and outer secondaries where the light shines through – the so-called ‘window’. This always separates Herring Gull from Lesser Black-backed Gull which shows very little pale here.
Here is the same view of a first year Herring Gull. The ‘window’ is not quite so obvious, especially on this moulting bird.
Some of the first-year Herring Gulls are looking very scruffy. Just about all their feathers are a year old and will soon be replaced. There are bits missing all over this one.
The gulls were using one of the lagoons to drink and bathe. A rather soggy adult Herring Gull shakes it wings with a first-year on the water.
Even if the first-year is rather soggy the wing-feathers do look in urgent need of replacement.
From this angle it is a wonder it can fly at all.
If you think the Lesser Black-backed Gulls look mean how about this Great Black-backed Gull. It dwarfs the loafing Herring Gulls. That bill is massive – they can swallow Puffins whole if they get the chance. The rather worn appearance identifies it as a third year bird with much black, and certainly minimal red, on the bill.
While looking over he estuary a small group of House Martins flew in, collected some of the mud and left. They all did it together and I didn’t see any others do so.
The field were carpeted in flowers – just like I remember from my childhood! This is Meadow Crane’s-bill (
Geranium pratense).
You couldn’t make it up! This is what an insect sees when it approaches a Bee Orchid (
Ophrys apifera). Supposedly it mimics a particular species of bee to attract the bees to pollinate the plant. The particular species of bee does not occur in the UK so ‘our’ Bee Orchids are self-pollinating. Seems to work very well as there were hundreds of them.
“I suppose you think that’s funny”
The wardens told us there were three species of orchid in flower. By elimination this is a ‘marsh orchid’. Not sure whether, of the likely candidates, they meant Early Marsh Orchid or Northern Marsh Orchid. Looking at the photos I would favour the former.
Even this close-up does not satisfactorily resolve the issue when I compare the shape of the flowers with those in my references.
This I think is the third species of orchid mentioned by the wardens: a Pyramidal Orchid (
Anacamptis pyramidalis). I must say it does not look as much like a pyramid as many I have seen, but is clearly different from the marsh orchid.
Well: you have to try the ‘art shot’ some times ....
I shot this flower to identify it when I got home. WRONG. How can I not find anything like this very distinctive plant in any of my references?
This little critter is the very common micro moth Common Marble (Celypha lacunana)
With my grubby fingernails holding the flower steady against the wind we see a Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle (
Ischnomera cyanea)
Snails were plentiful. Here is one with nobody at home. Not sure of the species.
(Ed Wilson)
