Cross Inn Forest and the coast

A beautiful mild, sunny and calm morning found me in Cross Inn Forest, where I eventually came across a couple of suspicious looking characters in the form of Tony Cross and Mark Cutts.  They were ringing lots of Redwings and Goldcrests and as I was chatting to them a couple of parties of Crossbills flew over. Otherwise I had a few Bullfinches, Reed Buntings, Long-tailed Tits and a Sparrowhawk.

To the coast for high tide, Llanon first, then Llansantffraed and ending up at Llanrhystud. 43 Turnstones, 33 Curlews, 16 Ringed Plover and two Dunlin, but most impressive was a flock of ca550 Golden Plover over the sea. 

Must still be lots of fish out there: at least 30 Gannets, 200 plus auks, including 10 Razorbills, and the flat calm sea made it easy to count the 33 Red-throated Divers scattered along the coast. Also about five or six Bottle-nosed Dolphins and a little raft of seven Wigeon.