Morfa Berwig surprise

I visited Morfa Berwig LNR, this afternoon, wow we must have had a fair drop of rain last night so much water about today.

I noticed Redwings were flying in from the east in small flocks, with about 35 seen plus a couple of Mistle Thrushes but no Fieldfares.

Quite often luck plays a big role in finding wildlife, today was no exception, above the noise of a passing HGV I heard a bird calling, the call was the sort that made me think "I know that" but "what is it", looking up I saw three brutish looking birds fly towards, then over and past me heading SE, immediately they could only be one species, the broad white bar on the underwing, heavy front end and short squarish tail, and that call! all said HAWFINCH.

Hawfinch

(photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Although there is a decent breeding population in the UK there has been an influx of Hawfinch into the country from the continent, tied in I think with the stormy weather experience in October, which also affected Europe.

I've seen them "properly", that's to say feeding on the ground in the Forest of Dean they are brutes, and according to those working on the several ringing projects they hurt a lot when they bite with that cherry stone cracking bill.

I have never had the opportunity to photograph the species myself so I've used two shots from Wikipedia under their "free to share and use" license 

Hawfinch, the bill has an applied force of c50kgs

(photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Big moon big tide

The first properly chilly day of the autumn with a NNW breeze at 18mph, clearing skies and huge vistas of Carmarthen Bay.

With the "hunters" moon of the last few days, the tides have been impressive, thankfully without an accompanying storm, the dune face has taken a bit of a battering this autumn.

The strandline was covered with weed, including some Kelp, the associated plastic and  Portuguese Man o'War, although mostly just the "sail" and no tentacles.

There was a recently dead Guillemot washed up, it was an adult which had clearly struggled to feed as the breast bone or keel, was prominent which indicates muscle wastage, there were no rings on the legs, its good to check no matter how decomposed the corpse may be check every dead bird for rings, which are usually easily removable especially when there is good decomposition. Sadly many ringing recoveries come from dead birds but the information gained is invaluable to the study of the movement, health

and longevity of many species.

Along the track to the shelter a roving flock of birds held a Chiffchaff, Long tailed Tits, Blue and Great Tits Robin and Reed Bunting.