Dolydd Hafren has been re-opened after a few days closed for maintenance. Thanks to MWT for the news. The track is bumpy and muddy but passable with care even by non-4x4.
Monday, October 06, 2025
Friday, October 03, 2025
Cambrian Mountains Society Seminar
2025
Seminar Cymdeithas Mynyddoedd Cambria
Cambrian Mountains Society Seminar
Speakers/ Siaradwyr
Words and Pictures: The Guardian Country Diary John Gilbey, journalist
Geiriau a Lluniau: Dyddiadur Gwlad y Guardian
Impact of forestry on rural communities Will Lock,
Effaith coedwigaeth ar gymunedau gwledig University of Sussex
Dragonflies and damselflies Red Liford, naturalist Gweision y neidr a pry merchedion
Free Entrance/
Mynediad am dim
Clatter Community Centre Canolfan Gymunedol Clatter
11 October 2025 11 Hydref 2025
2-4pm, followed by tea 2-4pm ac wedyn te
An Archive from the Montgomeryshire Field Society
MFS Annual Reports 1947-1973: extracts of bird sightings
An archive of these reports from the National Museum of Wales was recently handed to me. I have extracted the following records and now passed the archive onto MFS, who hope to digitize it in due course. The full archive contains not only bird notes, but records of other fauna and flora in the county. In the earlier years, J.H.Owen was the principal ornithologist, and William Condry contributed records from the west of the county. From 1967 Roger Lovegrove compiled the bird reports. Many records were submitted by Ken Stott.
1948: Corncrakes calling at Meifod, Welshpool, Deytheur, and Llandrinio. Young were seen at Tynllwyn, Welshpool.
Chough: 1 pair bred successfully.
Red-backed Shrike: nested successfully at Llanymynech.
Nightjar : nested successfully at Llanymynech.
1951: Woodlark nested Llanymynech Hill, juvs. in nest in July.
Spotted Flycatcher: 127 nests were found and monitored by J. H. Owen.
1952: Leach’s Petrel was found dead at Aberbechan.
1955: Little Auk was found dead near Catle Caereinion.
Golden Oriole: one singing, location not mentioned. This species appears in other years too.
1956: Corncrakes ‘decreasing drastically.’
Woodlark: still nesting at Llanymynech.
1957: Hoopoe: 1 at Plas-y-Court, Middletown, 4 Apr; 2 at Llandysilio (Four Crosses), 25 Nov.
1958: Woodlark on Long Mountain, probably nested Leighton Woods.
1961: Crane in a field in Llangadfan, with a full description that rules out Heron: ‘black bushy tail-like feathers and head markings clearly seen.’
1963: Turtle Dove: 6 pairs recorded in the county
1964: Yellowhammer: 100 at Groes near Guilsfield in March. ‘Good numbers in hedgerows everywhere.’
1965: Golden Plover: 20+ pairs nesting on moors near Llanbrynmair.
1966: Woodcock: several pairs bred Gregynog
Redshank nested Hem near Forden.
1967: Black-headed Gull colonies held 700 pairs (Llyn Hir), 650 pairs (Llyn Tarw), Llyn Lort 100 pairs, Llyn Mawr 80 pairs.
Siskin: not known to nest in the county. Just occasional records.
1968: White-fronted Goose: 1,080 Leighton in Feb.
Black Grouse: ‘quite numerous’ in Hafren and Dyfnant Forests.
Golden Plover: 40 pairs on one moor in west of county. Numbers vary greatly year to year: some years very few found.
Reed Warbler: first known breeding in county. 4 singing males at Lymore, Montgomery.
Fieldfare: much more numerous as winter visitor than Redwing.
1969: Grey Heron: only known heronry in county is at Bryngwyn (Bwlch-y-Cibau), 11 pairs. (22 pairs in 1971).
Corncrake: probably nested successfully at Aberbechan and Pontdolgoch.
Woodcock: bred Gregynog; roding (territorial display flight) at Aberhafesp and Moel-y-Garth
Chough: bred at ‘usual site’: (I assume this is the quarry at Centre of Alternative Technology, where I saw them nesting in the early 1980s).
Sand Martin: 1,300 pairs estimated along the length of the Severn in the county.
Great Crested Grebe: bred at the following lakes: Gwyddior, Ebyr, Llyn Du, Gwgia, Vachwen Pool, Maesmawr, Lymore, Llyn Mawr and Van Pool.
1970: Great Crested Grebe: as above, plus Clywedog, Bryngwyn and Glansevern.
Red-breasted Merganser: nested successfully near Llanwrin on the Dyfi.
Grey Partridge: many records throughout the eastern part of the county.
Turtle Dove: still several pairs.
1972: Arctic Skua found dead near Llanrhaeadr.
1973: Great Skua found dead near Bettws: first county record.
Whitethroat: first signs of recovery in numbers after disastrous UK-wide 1967 crash in numbers after drought in the Sahel.
Wood Warbler: ‘reasonably common’ throughout the county’s woodlands.
Ring Ouzel: 4 known breeding sites: Lake Vyrnwy, Carno, Dernol Valley, and Pennant Melangell.
In case you feel saddened by the loss or decline of many of the above species, the trawl through these records also reveals that some species such as Stock Dove, Reed Warbler, Stonechat, Redstart, Goldfinch and Siskin are now more numerous than in the post-war period. Now we know about 11 heronries in the county, compared with just one in 1969.
Thursday, October 02, 2025
Glossy Ibis photographed at Cors Dyfi
A Glossy Ibis was photographed by the Osprey Camera at Cors Dyfi on 1st October - one of an influx into the UK in recent weeks: a rarity in the county but not a first - as one was at Lymore, Montgomery a few years back. Thanks to Dulcie Faulkner at DOP for the information; she writes, "Not a great photo as the Osprey nest camera was on full stretch."
Friday, September 19, 2025
Dolydd Hafren closed for maintenance
Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust
NATURE RESERVE NOTICE 
Our #DolyddHafren Nature Reserve will be closed to the public for the next couple of weeks (until approx Mon 6th Oct).
A contractor will be carrying out some essential maintenance, and we need to keep the reserve closed during this time for visitor safety.
Apologies for the short notice and thank you in advance for your patience while we make improvements to #DolyddHafren for wildlife & people 
In the meantime, why not plan a visit to one of our other nature reserves 
www.montwt.co.uk/nature-reserves
www.montwt.co.uk/nature-reserves
Lowri Geddes