Page 20 - Out Birding Winter 2024

New Horizons
Since Mark and I moved up to north-east Wales (from Oxfordshire) last September we have been able to explore previously unfamiliar landscapes, from the coast to the hills and mountains. This area is a li􏰀le off many birders radar but has much to offer. For me, being able to visit the coast much more easily – the Dee Estuary and north Wales coast are about a 30-minute drive away - has re-kindled my wider interest in shorebirds.
The Welsh side of the Dee Estuary offers some great birding, especially at Point of Ayr and Flint Castle, though it generally lacks the extensive saltmarsh that stretches out from the English side - so it has quite a different character. The site I have got to know best is Connah’s Quay nature reserve, run by the Deeside Naturalists Society since 1974 under an agreement with the operators of the gas-fired power sta􏰁on that dominates the local skyline. The reserve is open only to members and their guests (for site security reasons), which means it is less visited than many other re- serves. There are a number of hides, two in par􏰁cular offer some great views of the estuary, pools, creeks and saltmarsh. One of the really nice aspects of birding here is that the site is very dynamic – with the constant ebb and flow of the 􏰁de, birds are constantly moving in search of the best feeding or roos􏰁ng opportuni􏰁es. Hardly a visit goes by without something new or of interest, and the opportuni􏰁es for pho- tography can be excellent too. One thing I soon realised about photographing birds along the north Wales coast is that the sun is very o􏰂en behind you! Which is a wel- come bonus as sunshine can be at a bit of a premium here too.
Dee Estuary currently ranks in fourth place in the league table of UK estuaries for non-breeding waterbirds with current a five-year average (up to winter 2022/23) of 158,041 birds. This huge wetland is a major stop-over on the migra􏰁on routes of many thousands of birds, as well as those that se􏰀le-in for the winter. Far more Redshanks, for example, pass through than stay for the winter. With so many birds stopping off, the Dee Estuary also offers the poten􏰁al to a􏰀ract rare waterbirds, especially waders, and Connah’s Quay offers a good opportunity to find something unusual. So, I was not too surprised to hear news of an extremely rare Hudsonian Godwit (from North America) being seen at the RSPB Burton Mere reserve, which sits opposite Connah’s Quay on the Cheshire side of the Dee. A major twitch followed but it was some 􏰁me before I was able to see the bird myself, as I suffering from an inflamed Achilles tendon and was unable to travel much. Eventually got transport organised and with the help of the RSPB’s mobility scooter, I managed to make my way to the hide on four wheels and was soon tucked into a packed hide for a somewhat distant view of the star bird - an adult male star􏰁ng to moult into winter plumage.
Over the following weeks the ‘Hudwit’, as it was now being referred to, chose to join the main flock of Black-tailed Godwits feeding out in the middle of the estuary and started to put in brief appearances at Connah’s Quay. My first sigh􏰁ng of it was quite
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