A male hen harrier graced Conwy RSPB twice last week while black
redstarts (tingoch ddu) were still putting in appearances at West Shore, Llandudno, and on the Little Orme, Penrhyn Bay.
BIRD NOTES With Julian Hughes | What's under the bonnet PICTURE: ARTHUR ROBERTS
REDSTARTS are longdistance migrants, travelling thousands of miles from sub-Saharan Africa to nest in Wales each spring.
Black
Redstarts (Tingoch Ddu) were still putting in appearances at West Shore, Llandudno, on the Little Orme, Penrhyn Bay, at the beach at Kinmel Bay and in Caernarfon town centre.
Redstarts are passing visitors to the reserve, but are now arriving in numbers in oak woods where they will breed, along with the less common Pied Flycatcher.
Wintering black
redstarts were on the Little Orme, Conwy, and at Burton Marsh, Wirral.
These ruined areas are history, now prime real estate, but small numbers of nesting Black
Redstarts hang on in our cities.
More black
redstarts this week, new birds at Beaumaris, Llandyrnog, Point Lynas and Porthmadog, where a black guillemot is near the yacht club.
For those feeling that the week's weather requires an ark, the birds are coming in two-bytwo: two Firecrests at RSPB Conwy, two Black
Redstarts above the Little Orme's Angel Bay and two Surf Scoters off the east end of Old Colwyn promenade.
More black
redstarts have been found, including Llanddwyn Island and the council building in Caernarfon, three behind the demolished Penmorfa Hotel on Llandudno's West Shore, and two on the Little Orme.
Five Black
Redstarts are on the Little Orme and Penrhyn Bay breakwater, with a Twite feeding in a Promenade storm drain and Purple Sandpipers roost on sea defences towards Rhoson-Sea.
Four Richard's pipits were the highlight, and at least four black
redstarts were there, plus three on Anglesey and another on Great Orme copper mine.
More Black
Redstarts were on the Little Orme and along the Tremadog by-pass.