HIDDEN WALES 7TH-12TH JUNE 2007

Our HIDDEN WALES tour for Bird Watching magazine from 7th – 12th June produced a very good variety of species. We began with cracking views of Little Owl, Dartford Warblers, singing Yellowhammers and several juvenile Northern Wheatears. Dipper and Grey Wagtail also showed well, while our boat trip to Worms Head undertaken in glorious weather produced fantastic views of a pod of fifteen Common Dolphins, 100 Manx Shearwaters and large numbers of Northern Gannets, Common Guillemots and Razorbills, as well as a couple of Northern Fulmars, Black-legged Kittiwakes and Atlantic Grey Seals. Back on land, a pair of Red-billed Chough were at Pennard, while our woodland walk in Clydach produced fantastic views of a pair of Pied Flycatchers, a Wood Warbler gathering food, a male Common Redstart and a very active Spotted Flycatcher. A male Honey Buzzard at the usual site on the third day was the highlight, but three Red Kites were also there, along with numerous Common Buzzards, a male European Sparrowhawk, four Common Ravens and a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers. At least three Bullfinches were also present, as well as a singing male Blackcap on what was a very hot day. Day four produced a major bonus bird in the form of an Osprey over Kenfig Pool on another very hot day, where we also saw Reed Bunting and Reed and Sedge Warblers, but on a nice day of mixed wildlife, we also saw Small Skipper, Clouded Yellow and Dark Green Fritillary butterflies and Red-veined and Ruddy Darters as well as Emperor Dragonflies. Two Little Ringed Plovers and four Grey Partridges were the highlights of day five, but we also saw Little Owl, Yellowhammers and four Tree Sparrows as well as good numbers of Northern Fulmar and a Red-billed Chough. We also saw the first Painted Ladies, Red Admirals and both Wall and Meadow Brown butterflies and Black-tailed Skimmer dragonfly. The final day was cloudy and breezy, so we started by sea watching off Porthcawl, which produced 100 Manx Shearwaters, five Northern Gannets, two Razorbills and two unseasonal Black-headed Gulls. At the Kenfig Rivermouth, we enjoyed a splendid breeding plumaged adult Mediterranean Gull, as well as a mixed flock of terns that included nine Sandwich and single Common and Little Terns. Five Sanderling, a pair of Ringed Plovers, a Stock Dove and a Common Cuckoo rounded off the birding here, but we also saw several Beautiful Demoiselle dragonflies. A return visit to the raptor watch point male European Sparrowhawk and a cracking male Northern Goshawk to round off a really successful and enjoyable trip.