Local Birds and Wildlife News

By REVEREND HUGH LINN

At this time of year, the Dee floods around Trevalyn, Holt and Farndon attract an unusual variety of wildfowl and waders. On 11th January, the flooded meadows by the B5102, between Rossett and Holt, contained a large flock of two resident goose species. At least 500 Greylags and a smaller number of Canada Geese were visible from the road, but they were more out of sight. There could well have been more than a thousand birds in all.

At sunset, a few days earlier at Saighton, I spotted a huge flock of Pinkfeet flying over in a southwesterly direction. Unfortunately, as I was in my car, I had to move on and lost count at around 1,500 birds! Pink-footed Geese will soon be on the move back to their breeding grounds. Most of our wintering Pinkfeet, nest in Iceland. White-fronted Geese have also been seen recently near Holt. Gulls also have been flocking to feed in waterlogged fields. The most numerous local species is the Black-headed Gull (misleadingly named as adult birds have dark brown heads in the breeding season). On 11th January in a soggy field not far from where the B5102's geese were alongside the River Dee there was another flock consisting of around 200 Common Gulls.

As long as the areas around the River Dee remain flooded, we can expect to find many more other species, particularly wildfowl and waders. Well worth a look. Some records during recent years are Whooper and Mute Swans, Bean Geese, Shelducks, Wigeon, Pintails, Scaup,

Holt Floods

Shovelers, Goosanders, Goldeneyes, Little Egrets, Oystercatchers and Lapwings.

Compared with the floods, one of our best birding sites, Gresford Flash, has recently been rather disappointing. On a couple of last month's visits only a few Coots and Moorhens were visible and I was unable to find even a Mallard! However the Flash really turned up trumps with a very rare gull on 2nd January – an immature Caspian Gull, a possible visitor from around the Black Sea.

Wrexham Birdwatchers Indoor Meeting Friday 3rd February, 7:30pm (Gresford Trust Hall), subject ‘Seabirds’. Field Trip to Conway coast, Saturday 18th February - meet Lakeside Car Park at 9:30am.