Wales Minileague - May 2016

Some highlights from a fantastic month in Wales: top left - Squacco Heron (Paul Roberts), top right - Blue-headed Wagtail (Henry Cook), bottom right - Gull-billed Tern (Barry Stewart) and bottom left - Wood Warbler (Henry Cook)

The first contestant to hit the 100% target in the Wales Comparative Minileague is Mike Cram whose Broughton and Llangennith patch was graced by a pair of flyover Great White Egrets! A well deserved six points there.

Alison C updates her score at Llanfair Talhaiarn where a male Stonechat in May takes her to second place with 95.7%. Can she continue to add to her comp score and vie for first place again this year? Her move up the table has caused a stir in the rankings, helping send several folk down a slot or two.

In third and fourth place, Henry Cook and Julian Hughes continue their battle for top spot at RSPB Conwy, now in the mid-90% bracket after both connecting with the reserves first record with Wood Warbler in May as well as a long staying Blue-headed Wagtail, Garganey and Spoobill.

The Teifi patch birders, Richard and Wendy, both added Pied Flycatcher to their year lists during May, a good species for the site (first record in 9 years of ringing there). Richard continues in first place on the Wales Points Minileague table with 174 points from 140 species. 

Barry Stewart is close behind in second with 171 points from 130 species at Burry Inlet where finding a Gull-billed Tern gave him a fine points boost along with additions of Spoonbill and Pochard. The tern was well twitched and did the honour of also showing up at Morfa Bacas and with the addition of a Bonaparte's Gull at nearby WWT Llanelli meant that it was a great month for Dan Rouse at both of her patches there.

Rare herons made the headlines again with two Cattle Egrets gaining finders points for Peter Howlett at Cardiff Bay and best of all, a fine Squacco Heron at Ogmore Estuary which made it on to Paul Roberts patch year list there!

Elsewhere, Alex Jones added Yellow-legged Gull at Rhyl, Lesser Whitethroat was a patch tick for Tony Swann at Brynna Woods, Chris Jones had a Redstart from his back garden at Llysfaen and a male Black-headed(ish) Wagtail at at the River Clwyd estuary (but with perhaps too grey a nape to be the real deal?).