Warm Weekend in Wales

Spent the weekend camping in the shadow of Snowdon with a couple of my best mates, (Mark) Tucker & Bob (Sheard). It was essentially a non-birdy weekend but I took the bins just in case. Journeyed down in the hazy sun with limited visibility but had several Buzzards over the roads and the first Raven and my first of the year soaring over the A55 in Conwy. It was still light when we pitched up and the tent was soon up with the amber nectar flowing. A velly drunken evening ensued with portable barbecue and drunk darts.
Unfortunatly I had to share a blowup bed with Tucker for the weekend and whilst im a rotund gent this bloke is a man mountain. EEK. I survived until morning and we had our fry up before departing for an ascent of Snowden via Pyg pass. We went up at my pace as I lacked the fitness to spring up. Bird highlights on the journey to the starting point were a handful of Wheatears and some singing Phylloscs. On the climb we had Ravens landing between us and circling over Tucker. A good feed there? Many Herring Gulls hung over the colls and as we climbed the sun illuminated some breathtaking scenery with glistening lakes and sheer drops. The summit was great both relief and achievement. A thrush shaped passerine sliped over the scree but I only get a glimpse of black. Doh.
A long slog down the Llanberis route was terminated in a cold bottle of Cider with Siskins calling in the trees around us. On the way down a group of 13 Ravens soar around us. The evening involved pain and beer. Sleep was more uncomfortable.
Waking up to another sunny day we quickly headed off after a brekkie of fried things. A nod to my birdwatching led us onto Anglesey and more specifically a brightly lit South Stack. Many sea birds buzzed about and a corvid was a Raven and then as I asked at the visitor centre a Red-billed Chough buzzed past. We then rested on the grass atop the cliffs the lads soaking up the sun and me admiring Choughs buzzing backward and forward. I scoped a few Puffins for Bob and got a few views of Porpoise which was great stuff. No manxies but a few Wheatears and hirundines were good. A smart male Stonechat entertained the lads and then a Chough zipped over my head only to be joined soaring by 6 others. Lifers. Brilliant. Time ticked on and the big game approached -not the FA cup semi but Spurs(my team) vs Newcastle (Bobs). Bragging rights to me with a turgid 1-0 win. Possibly gonna be the last match between the 2 in a while. We spent the time in a 'nice' pub in Conwy ut we enjoyed it nonetheless. A quick blast and we were home. I will be sticking some photos of the weekend up tomorrow. No Chough pics but some rugged scenery and pretty visages. And those are the pics with Bob in.