Notable Recent Sightings

16/04 Purple Heron 1, Cors Dyfi
05/03 Firecrest 1, Lake Vyrnwy
05/03 Short-eared Owl 1, Lake Vyrnwy
14/01 Pink-footed Goose 1, Dolydd Hafren
03/01 Waxwing 20, Meifod; also 5 Welshpool by canal on 01/01. Last: 6 Bwlch-y-Garreg 17/03
23/12 Waxwing Newtown College, first arrivals 04/12, 47 on 23/12, 67 on 01/01, 30 on 04/02
09/12 Cattle Egret 1 roosting with 8 Great Egrets and some Little Egrets, Llyn Coed-y-Dinas
02/12 Waxwing 21 Guilsfield, 12 Montgomery, 1 Welshpool, and 1 on 01/12 Llanfyllin
16/11 Dotterel 3, just west of Dyfnant Forest on RSPB land
16/11 Great Grey Shrike 1, on edge of Dyfnant Forest on RSPB land, last reported 19/01
15/11 Waxwing 25 or 30, just west of Lake Vyrnwy along the Dinas Mawddwy road
08/11 Great Northern Diver A juvenile was found near Anchor, rescued and released
30/10 Black Redstart 1 in garden at Hendomen, near Montgomery
06/10 Hawfinch 5 in treetops at Powis Castle, by main car-park
04/10 Cattle Egret Dolydd Hafren, a flock of c.30
29/09 Red-flanked Bluetail Dyfnant Forest: a county first
23/09 Manx Shearwater 1st year bird grounded in Llanfyllin; released at coast
03/09 Cattle Egret 10 at Cors Dyfi, rising to 32 on 05/09
01/06 Turnstone 1 at Caersws with Little Ringed Plovers
03/05 Wood Sandpiper 1 at Dolydd Hafren
18/04 BLACK-WINGED KITE 1 video-ed at Glan Mule, near Kerry: a likely FIRST for UK
07/04 Black Redstart Female on Carno roof
07/04 Little Ringed Plover Llandinam Gravels
25/03 Osprey Female 5F 'Seren' arrived back at Llyn Clywedog
25/03 Pied Flycatcher An early migrant near Llanfechain
22/03 Hen Harrier Female in flight near Berriew
15/03 Sand Martin 5, Dolydd Hafren
15/03 Golden Plover c.50, Heldre Hill, Long Mountain, nr Welshpool
05/03 Whooper Swan 1, between Caerhowel (Montgomery) and The Gaer, with Mute Swans
05/03 Pink-footed Goose 1, Caersws, with Canada Goose flock
05/03 Jack Snipe 2, Caersws
05/03 Hawfinch 24, Powis Castle, feeding behind orchard
28/02 Pink-footed Goose c.25, flying north over Welshpool
26/02 Merlin 1 male, chasing Meadow Pipit, Long Mountain near Welshpool
26/02 Pintail 3, Llyn Coed-y-Dinas, 1 since 14 Feb
14/02 Hawfinch 1, Powis Castle car-park, very vocal
23/01 Jack Snipe 1, Moel-y-Garth near Guilsfield
17/01 Brambling 80, in beeches at Pen-y-Waen near Cefn Coch with Chaffinches
07/01 Hawfinch 2, bathing in puddle, Cwm Lane, Castle Caereinion
   
See Sightings Archive for older records

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Shades of Autumn

I walked the dog in our field this morning and flushed a dipper from mid-stream of the river Dulas. Oh what a beautiful morning! I think summer has returned or I guess you can call it an 'Indian summer' and even though it was early morning I felt a blast of warm air on my face. The leaves are falling like confetti from the trees and a drive to town or a walk on the road holds its own hazards but not from traffic but from falling acorns!

Just a reminder here about the forthcoming annual William Condry memorial lecture taking place at The 'Tabernacle/MoMA in Penrallt Street Machynlleth starting at 7pm on Thursday 6th October. The actual lecture will be delivered at 8pm and this year it will be given by Paul Evans, 'Guardian' country diarist, writer and presenter of the BBC Radio Four wildlife programme.
'Bill', by which he was affectionately known, is recognised as one of Wales' most acclaimed natural historians and of course amongst his many books he wrote the 'Natural History Of Wales' in the New Naturalist series.

Ospreys bred for the first time this year in centuries on the Dyfi Estuary appropriately on the 'William Condry Reserve' which is part of the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust reserve at 'Cors Dyfi' near Machynlleth. Bill I'm sure would have been extremely pleased with the outcome. In October 1979 I spent a memorable week on Ramsey Island with Bill and R.S.Thomas and we had a visit from an Osprey then on its way to it African wintering grounds. It was fishing for tench in one of the island pools. Ospreys were quite a rarity in Wales then and in fact as far as I'm aware it was the 1st record for the island. How could we have foreseen in those long off days that this charismatic raptor would once again gain a foothold in Wales! This story is beginning to mirror the success of the breeding programme of the Red Kite. I wonder how many pairs of Ospreys will be breeding in Wales in 100 years time!

For more information about the William Condry memorial lecture please visit the following link
www.thecondrylecture.co.uk
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