Bwlch-y-gareag

(Yesterday 24th) Gareth Morgan and i heard our first Cuckoo this year, the mix of diverse habitats make Bwlch-y-gareag a birders paradise, well it certainly produced the goods yesterday, on our three to four mile walk up to the hilltops there were plenty of highlights, starting at the lake, pairs of Tufted Duck, Coot and a pair of Goldeneye flying in later was an unexpected surprise, Reed Bunting were in the suroundings. Good to see a pair of Kestrel on the farm, while over in the fields a pair of the declining Lapwing looked content, on the hills a count of eight pairs of Wheatear, while Stonechat produced three pairs, a single Redstart was singing from the top of a tree and four Redpoll flew over, in the coniferous areas there were pairs of Mistle and Song Thrush and a lone Swallow flying high above, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Meadow Pipit were numerous. While sitting down on the hilltop we were watching a pair of Short-eared Owls in battle with a lone Red Kite and wondering who was mobbing who, but all three were looking absolutely stunning in the magnificent sunlight while a ringing call from a Curlew could be heard across the moors. A mile to the west and we encounter 40 Golden Plover, there distinctive liquid whistle and the summer plumage males make this bird stunning, on our way back the heavens open up and we get a real good soaking, but do we care, i think not, what a superb day.