on October 9th a Yellow-browed Warbler appeared in the garden, giving itself away with calls at first, "cheeewit", juicy, almost Coal Tit but stronger. It hunted insects in the low hedge at the base of radiata pines, and among the bramleys.
Yellow - browed Warbler 9 Oct 2013
On 23rd October, I heard another calling, from within a thicket of blackthorn and flowering ivy at the top of the track to Porth Meudwy. It kept itself hidden.
24th October. Diary extract, written in the garden:
A fine start, full of birds, little groups flying south-east towards the sun, towards the warm wind; Redwings, Chaffinch, Goldfinches, and among them must have been Brambling, "cheeeeeeeeez".
A Bullfinch "pew pew" calling from the hawthorns and fuchsia, popped up, eyes shining, (a female), and long body as densely pink-brown as floodwater, flew off, dived in again.
A thin-calling Reed Bunting on one of the fenceposts of the spud patch for several minutes, looking around. Facing South.
Its hard to be anywhere but outside in the garden, and looking all around. Listening.
Scrubbing Parsnips on the trampoline for soup, borlotti beans, good to be getting the winter veg. and autumn migration overhead. Alizarin, orange, ivory, palest green pearly beans.
Nine Missel Thrush flew up over the basalt crag behind the garden, landed on the superstructure of the weatherstation, looking around, then flap-flapping down to the fenceline, over one by one to the tussocky field with Carwyn's ewes. Rattling calls, speckledy, muscular birds, standing up tall.
Something else in the restless air must have distracted me, standing as I was in mid carrot-gather. When I looked again they had gone.
Later that day, mid afternoon drinking tea with Gwyd and Ann Thomas, unable to be indoors because it was cool but sunny, the promise of birds....
a Red Breasted Flycatcher appeared on the lower branches of the pines up the hedge, a plain version, female, cocking tail distinctively as I remember from seeing and drawing a male, on Bardsey , years ago. A tiny bird.
A small rattly call, small " snick" call too.
We called Eddie Urbanski and Andy Clark who were birding in the area and they came over to confirmed it as the nominate sp.
It remained in the garden but after Gwyd saw it briefly next morning, we didn't see it again.
Red-breasted Flycatcher. Ty'n Gamdda 24 Nov 2013
November notebook and paintings outside:
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Porth Meudwy. Ash Keys and Rose Hips. Robin ticking alarm. Wren chatter.
12 November 2013
Porth Meudwy. Missel Thrush flies from open fields to the wooded side-valley. 12 Nov. '13
Redshank and Ringed Plover feeding along the edge of tide rising over mud, Pwllheli harbour. 14 Nov '13
