St Asaph and Llandudno, North Wales.

My second rare thrush back in the UK.

Other birders.

Very good friends Sharon and John picked me up in Albrighton along with another friend of theirs Paul and we all headed off up into North Wales to St Asaph which is just to the south of the A55. 

Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus).

During the drive up I saw Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Jackdaw (Grajilla / Corvus monedula), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Rook (Graja /  Corvus frugilegus), Herring (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus) and Black-headed Gulls (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Great Tit (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus).

Male Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula).

We parked in the town and then walked up the road running near to the river and out on to some fields on the edge of the River where after a while a small group of birds built up waiting for the star bird a Black-throated Thrush (Zorzal Papinegro / Turdus atrogularis) which had been around for a couple of weeks or so. 

Waxwing (Ampelis europeo / Bombycilla garrulus).

Whilst we waited we saw Redwing (Zorzal Alirrojo / Turdus illacus), Song (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos) and Mistle Thrushes (Zorzal Charlo / Turdus viscivorus), Long-tailed (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus) and Blue Tits (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Greenfinch (Verderón Común / Carduelis chloris), Collared Dove (Tórtola Turca / Streptopelia decaocto), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris) and Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes).

Waxwing (Ampelis europeo / Bombycilla garrulus).

After a couple of hours with out any luck a guy casually strolls over and said he had just had the Thrush near the Chapel just up the road so I headed over, told John, Sharon and Paul on the way. 

Waxwings (Ampelis europeo / Bombycilla garrulus).

They went in along the river and I took the road, I walked past a small Alley way and saw them coming along it and just passed the Chapel I checked a short Cul-de-sac and found the Black-throated Thrush in an almost bare berry tree. 

Snow Bunting (Escribano Nival / Plectrophenax nivalis).

I thought do I take a quick photo or get the others???? I turned around and found the others without taking a shot and even though it was one about a minute later when got back to it the bird had gone.

Snow Bunting (Escribano Nival / Plectrophenax nivalis).

I spent a while searching for the bird but eventually went and tried to get some shots of some Redwings back by the car and some time later was joined by the others after they had all had good views of the bird.

Snow Buntings (Escribano Nival / Plectrophenax nivalis).

News had come on line about 50 or so Waxwings (Ampelis europeo / Bombycilla garrulus) on the B&Q carpark in Llandudno so we headed there and soon found that the birds were still on site and some times gave very close views in low berry trees but they were continually flushed by shoppers and the light was so bad getting photographs was hard going but they were stunning just to see.

Snow Bunting (Escribano Nival / Plectrophenax nivalis).

Our next stop was out on the far end of West beach, Llandudno where we had great views of 3 Snow Buntings (Escribano Nival / Plectrophenax nivalis) at close range on the edge of the Dunes. 

Snow Bunting (Escribano Nival / Plectrophenax nivalis).

In the same area we saw Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus), Eurasian Curlew (Zaoaito Real / Numenius arquata), Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus) x6, Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata) and several Rock Pipits (Bisbita Costero / Anthus petrosus).

Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus).

Our final stop of the day was on the prom in Rhos-on-sea where we scanned the rocks as it was low tide and the sea picking up Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba), Great Black-backed Gull (Gavión Atlántico / Larus marinus), Common Scoter (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra), Red-breasted Merganser (Serreta Mediana / Mergus serrator), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus), Guillemot (Arao Común / Uria aalge) and a couple of Red-throaded Divers (Colimbo Chico / Gavia stellata) before headed back to Albrighton after another superb days birding, thanks to Sharon and John for taking me again.

Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone).

Common Gull (Gaviota Cana /Larus canus).