Chiffchaffs and Chaffinches - Llanelli Wetlands

I decided to have a day off today and get out and do some birding. Originally I was going to Newport Wetlands, but a quick look at the weather showed a band of rain slap, bang over Uskmouth from lunchtime. So I decided to head west.

It was the right choice, there was one skudding rain storm but other than that it was warm and sunny. I went to the Peter Scott Hide first with the eternal hope of the Kingfisher landing outside ... it didn't. The scrape was fairly quiet to be honest, other than a group of Shovelers fighting over an uninterested female. So I wandered around the Millennium walk. The trees were alive with the sound of Chiffchaffs making their onomatopoeic calling. Do you think I could get a photo of one. They were skirmishing in the branches, and generally being hyperactive! It took a good twenty minutes and one cricked neck, but I did get this half decent photo of one.

There seemed to a Chiffchaff singing from every tree ... or there was one very determined Chiffchaff that followed me all the way around. The only bird challenging them for early spring singing bragging rights were Robins. There were plenty of them giving it what for too. This little beauty I snapped on the way back for lunch.

After a rather nice cheese and ham toastie and half hearted Sparrowhawk attack on the bird feeders outside it was time to explore the other half of Llanelli WWT. I immediately found this chap singing for a mate in the tree outside. I am rather pleased with photo, I've not got one of a Chaffinch singing before. He rather accurately and prophetically foretold the rain that arrived half an hour later. I was tucked up in the British Steel Hide by then, and had three Little Egrets and two chatty birders for company. I got a load of shots of the egrets as they wandered outside the hide, I chose this one to edit as a rejected blip.

It was time to go home after a cracking day out, and with three new year ticks added in the shape of a Spoonbill, Greenshank and a Goldcrest.

I almost chose this photo of a Wren in the undergrowth for my blip. Quite like it in it's natural habitat.

I have a couple of hand held videos brought to you in association with Wobblevision!

Robin Singing

Little Egret Fishing