This is getting hectic! Up Elan first ,hoping yet again to hear a Wood Warb-no chance! If there are any as reported , they escaped me and another seeker ,Mr riddle! Whatever is going on? Trevor reports a lack of same in typical haunts in Somerset and I tried again today round L’dod Lake…nothing. 2 Whinchats nr Hirnant , Redstarts in Cnwch etc. 3 Wheatears and 2 Stonechats towards Pont ar Elan and beyond-too many bikes/cars etc. Rhogo has 3 pairs of Wheatears ,Redstarts and Stonechats plus the Willow Warb atop his fav Hawthorn by the distant grid. Finally , Buzz and Kite fighting over a rabbit carcass by the old quarry car park.
Toby (Veal) had a busy day at L’dod Lake on 23rd :Sand Marts & Swallows feeding over surface as per on hatching midges etc, but up above, 50+ SWIFTS circling on high! Must be good news , as they seem to be dwindling overall. He sees some above the Rugby field regularly.
Behind as per , but the Dabchick ok gobbling up yet another Smooth Newt and definitely 3 pairs of Wheatears in the couple hundred yards from the pond to the car park (quarry). Redstarts from there to far cattle grid, tho’ hard to nail pictorially! Grey Wags seem to have been successful tho no sign of young yet.
Moorhens have 4 young ; Swans have 5 cygnets ; Geese have 9 Goslings and latest of the 3 ducks has 12 ducklings! Mind , unlike the Canadas which have 4 adults closely guarding , the fem Mallard is pretty hopeless as for example today she had them strewn over 15 yards in the middle of the lake! If ever the big gulls come back , they will have a feast! the Mallard which had 3 is down to one! Heron yesterday on the island. Lake in a bad way with weed covering much of the Southern half which desperately needs clearing
A busy day today and yesterday in this blissful sunshine. 3 pairs of Wheatears ; Linnets; Willow Warbs ; Song Thrush ; TWO Cuckoos ; Skylarks ; 2 Kestrels; a Sprawk and wow! Sue spotted a Weasel just by the pond on the stone wall and finally Redstarts, both by the pond and the far grid en route to the woodyard. Pics of Cuckoos are SO hard-thus half pics at great distance!!!
Apart from the magnificent bluebells display there, it’s also great place for birdsong in May. Amongst the common usuals (did I just say that??? – tsch!) we also heard 3 to 4 Redstarts, a distant Cuckoo and oberved the song and ‘parachute’ display of the delightful Tree Pipit!
Hopefully headed up the valley with Wood Warbs in mind…sadly not! Where are they? A villager reported one 2 weeks back and indeed last year I took pics on May3rd. but no sign still. Odd. At least we managed views of 2 Whinchat males even tho rather distant : still too much traffic. Otherwise Pied Flies, Redstarts,Blackcaps ,Wheatears ,Stonechats and Reed Bunts,with plenty of House Marts at the centre. I include one of the many neglected Meadow pipits-anyone wishing to practise pics should start on these guys as they will remain perched even when cars drive past tho’ not keen on bikers of course.
Male Blackcap still around ; Song Thrush collecting slugs (bless) and spending ages wiping them free of slime ; a rare visit from a Stock Dove last week-I include the resident Collared Dove to show the difference and the first young Robin going independent.Swallows around , but Sparrows have nabbed the House Marts nest again. Toby spotted Swifts above the Rugby club
Managed to get up the valley which was lovely in the sun (now a distant memory! ) and a few pics of the elusive Garden Warbler-one of our common birds which most folk never see, as it’s very dull and skulks ( the classic ‘little brown job ), but it has a lovely song. Also the Pied flies as per ( fem in pic) and Swallow. Heard Cuckoo a lot and saw 2 Whinchats tho the scores of bikers prohibited any pics. Distant Curlew and brief Peregrine .
Lovely pics of a Blackbird “pretending to be a Ring Ouzel “, to quote Toby! Looks like an offspring from the lake a year back, of the leucistic female . Well done Toby-on footy field L’dod.
(via Fred) At 7pm on the 7th (last night) I watched the first swift of the season scream its way into the same roof cavity in our house in Newbridge that swifts have used for the last decade.
Delighted to spot the Little Grebes back on the lake this p.m. No sign of big brother tho. Up the Rhogo 2 lots of Wheatears at least ; down the far end feeble pics of Redstart at last…he really does not want his pic taken! Willow Warb and Grey Wag keeping him company
(via Anthony) My yearly visit to this lovely reserve by a Malvern birder. The bog was very wet which was expected. Pied Flycatchers, 4 male and 2 females seen, very active catching insects Chiffchaff Blackcap, 2 male Wrens Robins Blackbird Dunnock Great Spotted Woodpecker, pair at their nest Great Tit Wood Pigeon Buzzard and 2 Red Kite overhead
From Aberedw upstream, a grand area for Dippers(Thanks to Leafie for the heads up!). We stopped at 5 bridges and each time dropped lucky, as nearly all feeding young still.And thanks to Lisa for making us welcome. Also several Grey Wags . Obviously the Edw is still relatively unpolluted. Pied Flies and Redstarts around plus all the usual.
A early morning walk with lots around. Stood for some time watching a Peregrine falcon chasing off a Raven, lots of noise. Then to watch a Kestrel hunting.
The Cuckoo is still calling behind the church, plus Willow warblers galore, Redstart, Pied wagtail, Goldfinches and House Sparrows.
Sat having a coffee in the visitor centre to see a Goosander coming in to land.
I’ve been having a ball the last few days. Feels like nature is feeling a bit unstoppable now it has a bit of potential.
Great crested grebe on Caban, sandpiper and cormorant on dolymynach. An osprey over Dolymynach a couple of days ago.
On Penygarreg we have had 6 greylag, a pair of mandarin , gbb gull, cormorant. Today i have enjoyed watching a male redstart, wheatear, stonechat, reed buntings, house martins, swallow, wood warbler and the top was a grasshopper warbler that nearly sent me blind looking for it.
Grasshopper warber competing with the cuckooReed bunting Grasshopper warbler
First farm record of a roe deer running up the meadow today. The pond continues to bring all sorts of little mammals, including ; water vole, common shrew, water shrew and stoat.
Quick spin round the dams this evening revealed 5 Mandarin on Gwynllyn, a GC Grebe on Craig Goch, several Stonechat, Mippits and Wheatear, 3 Greylag beside Penygarreg and 2 Goosander on Garreg Ddu.
Lucky Brenda over the road had a Mandarin in his summer best on Sunday testing her pond-many years since we had one residing on the lake-what beautiful birds they are! Up the golf course at the top junction a Kite trying for worms again-not often they waddle round on the ground. Plus a Willow Warb further up near the gate to the trig point singing away. Finally yesterday we glimpsed the male grebe taking a fish to the island , so hopefully the fem is sitting.
We both heard our first Cuckoo of the year yesterday. My husband heard one near Llaithddu and I heard one calling behind Nant Gwyllt church, early morning.
Uncountable numbers of Sand Martins feeding over the lake in L’dod this pm plus a distant glimpse of the Rhogo Ravens who have taken over the Kites’ nest. Sorry re pics , but trying to nail Sand Marts is VERY hard and Ravens at 100 metres plus not much better!
3 SWALLOWS on telephone wires ; eleven Linnets ; fem. Wheatear; Kestrel in usual place near the quarry carpark ; Grey Wag ( think he misheard when I said ‘Show us your yellow bits!) and Meadow Pipits. Back on L’dod lake , the ducks are confusing ( Mallards) as one has 3 babies left and another has 5 .
Radnor Bird Blog 