A nice end to the year

2021 has been a funny old year. Not bad on the birding front, especially considering the limits on movements at times. With Xmas over it was time to have one last chance to get a lifer under the belt before the New Year listing starts all over again. I had two choices to go for - both fairly long-distance and long-staying birds that I should have gone for before now but were still present yesterday. The first and rarest was the belted kingfisher in Lancashire. The weather looked awful for that so I decided to go for the slightly closer and slightly less rare pacific diver near Swansea. This has been at Eglwys Nunydd reservoir just off the M4 since 11th December. It has proved slightly controversial, not in its ID which is certain, but for the fact that the reservoir is "off limits". Public viewing is limited to very long-range views across the reservoir. Rights to the access are owned by TATA steel sailing club and some fishermen. Early visitors to see the bird who went on site were escorted off-site by security and local police! Since then a semi-truce seems to have settled in. On one day two nice local police ladies apparently let birders onto the site as long as they behaved. The issue seems to be worst at weekends and with the fishermen. The birders underground had also worked out an access route to get past the gate and onto the reservoir without being seen. So, armed with this information I set out early and ploughed through all the roadworks on the M4 to get to the site by 8.15.

The weather had been awful with really heavy rain storms in Wales and it didn't look hopeful as I pulled into Margam Cemetery where you could park your car. By the time I'd had a coffee the clouds had lifted a bit and it wasn't actually raining so I pulled on my full wet-weather gear and set out. I won't go into detail about how but a 15 minute walk got me onto the bank of the reservoir.

There was absolutely no one else around - no birders, no fishermen and no boaters. What I could see were a few ducks, some grebes including a rather smart Slavonian and in the distance a larger shape low in the water. 

Divers have a very distinctive shape and there was no doubt this was one. For the next thirty minutes or so that I was there it moved up and down the bank fishing, often only a few yards off allowing for some crippling views.

This is a 1st winter bird and should be in Canada. I've seen them over there many times but this is a first for the UK for me and gets me the "set" of divers you can see over here. Although it was the only diver reported on the reservoir I did a quick check to make sure it actually was the right sort!

Pacific divers are a smaller diver with a relatively small bill - so you can rule our great-northern and white-billed. The bill is straight without a noticeable up-tick, the forehead quite-sharp and a relatively large amount of black on the neck. This rules out red-throated. Finally, there is no white thigh-patch visible when swimming, which is characteristic of black-throated. So, I was happy this was indeed the correct bird. 

The light was awful for photography and the wind was blowing up waves and ruffling the birds feathers. It seemed happy enough though diving for fish and was clearly not concerned in the least bit about the nutter standing in the rain on the bank peering down at it! As another rain cloud moved in and a few locals drove down the track to the clubhouse I decided it was time to leave. 

A really good trip taking me to 395 on my UK list. Cant see any more lifers this year but 400 must be doable by Spring time next year.

A birthday treat

With it being my birthday, and one ending in a zero as well, we decided on a trip out. The weather forecast didn't look too good to be honest but we chanced it. We have taken to going up to Norfolk to see the seals at Horsey Gap around this time of year. They are in the middle of pupping season and the beach is set up with roped walkways so you can observe them. That is the theory of course and it doesn't stop the seals from trespassing onto the paths through the dunes so you can get some quite close encounters! We left very early and got to the coast just after dawn - to be greeted by a glorious, still, sunny morning.

The site is on the coast near the Norfolk/ Suffolk border and is a series of sand dunes just inland of what I presume is reclaimed marshland. The low sun gave everything a golden glow with the mist hanging just over the fields. In the distance, as we had our coffee and almond croissant, you could hear the sound of the seals chuntering to each other. Once we were suitably refreshed we took the short walk up the dunes to survey the beach below us. It was covered in seals - pups, juveniles, mothers and slightly aggressive males.

The beaches weren't packed tight and family groups were well spread out. The whole colony goes on for miles along this bit of coast and every gap between the groynes had its own little drama going on.

Sometimes you get a lot of conflict and aggression between them but today they seemed to be quite chilled out in the early sunshine with the pups especially just lounging around. 

You could see some of the larger males patrolling up and down just off the beach but at least for this morning they left the mums and their pups alone.

As we were the first into the car park we had the place to ourselves and that also meant we had the best views of the youngsters in the dunes. They only get fed for about three weeks after that they wait on the beach or in the dunes whilst they lose their fluffy white coat and become waterproof. 

You can see this here as this youngster has almost completed his moult but still has a very cute patch of fluff to lose on one side. The main path was covered in patches of this lost fur, looking like a sugar-frosting on the sand. The seals themselves seem quite relaxed as I presume they are used to people. As we were the first along the main path below the dunes we were even lucky enough to come across this mother still suckling her youngster. 

I presume that as more people arrive they shuffle off into the cover of the dunes. I should also say that these photos are all taken with a 400mm lens combined with a 1.4x converter on an R5 camera which allows for cropping and taking the photos from far enough away to not hassle the seals.

You also came across juveniles mooching about in the dunes themselves. This one was the very first one we came across, right next to the path. It had a nice position overlooking the beach and seemed to have pretty much completed the moult. 

They do seem to have a smile on their faces, although I know that is just being anthropomorphic and they would not take very kindly to you getting too close to them! I presume that also applies to other seals as they never seemed to form creches and all had their own little patch of dunes or tussock to rest on. 

Im not sure whether I'd like all that sand in my lovely new fur coat though,

and I half-wished I'd brought a tissue along to wipe this ones nose!!!

Although the seals are obviously the main attraction there are some birds. Gulls and a flock of sanderling were down on the beach and a gorgeous barn owl was quartering the marsh behind the dunes.

It seemed to be quite successful at hunting and dived on one vole (?) and promptly disappeared, presumably having a late breakfast. This rather smart robin joined us for a bit to watch the owl from a safe distance!

As we left for our fish and chip lunch in Southwold the car park was starting to fill up with more eager seal watchers. You could hear the seals still grumbling away to each other as we pulled out. Not a bad way to spend my birthday!