Walking a bridleway just west of Castle Caereinion yesterday we came across a Reeves' pheasant ( I was able to get a reasonable photo but for some reason can't upload it from my memory card - has this new blog post format changed the means of uploading pics? - my computer skills are sadly lacking, but I'd appreciate any help). I guess the bird has been captive bred but it is wandering as if wild - and somehow managed to escape being shot when the guns were out recently, despite being pretty noticeable and striking. It's the first we've seen, and we had to look it up to identify it!
Late this afternoon we enjoyed good views of a barn owl quite close to home - we watched it for a good 5 minutes or more, initially settled in a tree and then hunting. Always a treat.
Notable Recent Sightings
| 17/04 | Great Skua | Machynlleth. One over, heading inland, is first in county since 1973. |
| 17/04 | Ring Ouzel | Lake Vyrnwy. Single plus Cuckoo & Whinchat. |
| 14/04 | Common Sandpiper | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Plus Water Rail, Great C. Grebe, Shelduck & Hirundines |
| 14/04 | Black Redstart | Middletown. Single this morning. |
| 11/04 | Black Redstart | Carno. Male briefly this afternoon. |
| 08/04 | Brambling | Llandyssil. 30+ visiting garden. |
| 06/04 | Common Sandpiper | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Plus Great C. Grebe, Red Kite, Tufted Duck, Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, Teal |
| 04/04 | Goldeneye | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female still plus 32 Teal, 20 Tufted Duck, 1 female Wigeon, 2 Shelduck, 2 Oystercatcher, 150+ Sand Martin, 3 Swallow, House Martin. |
| 15/03 | Pochard | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single showing today plus Goldeneye |
| 09/03 | Pochard | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Pair Pochard, Goldeneye, pair Mandarin & Chiffchaff |
| 07/03 | Tree Sparrow | Wern. 4 on garden feeders (present 6th-8th) |
| 06/03 | White-fronted Goose | Dolydd Hafren. 2 present from 5th |
| 03/03 | Pochard | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Two plus Goldeneye still |
| 02/03 | Chiffchaff | Powis Castle. Singing bird |
| 27/02 | Tree Sparrow | Llansantffraid. Single on garden feeders still |
| 23/02 | Pochard | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Still present |
| 22/02 | Blackcap | Guilsfield. Single male, also on 8th Feb |
| 22/02 | Shoveler | Llyn Coed y Dinas. 2 drakes & 2 Pochard, female Goldeneye, 2 Oystercatcher, 8 Lapwing, 120 BHG |
| 17/02 | Pochard | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Still, plus female Goldeneye |
| 16/02 | Tree Sparrow | Llansantffraid. Single on garden feeders |
| 15/02 | Pochard | Llyn Coed y Dinas. 2 distant plus 2 Oystercatcher |
| 08/02 | Hawfinch | Machynlleth. 5 in yews at cemetery this pm |
| 04/02 | Hawfinch | Machynlleth. 3 in yews at cemetery & 2 Barn Owl nr Sewage works at dusk |
| 25/01 | Brambling | Llanidloes. Large flock still at at Pen-yr-allt Wood 300+ today |
| 20/01 | Waxwing | Newtown. Single at the college |
| 20/01 | Goldeneye | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female present still |
| 18/01 | Waxwing | Newtown. Still 2 at at the college |
| 17/01 | Goldeneye | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female present |
| 17/01 | Waxwing | Newtown. Two at the college this afternoon |
| 15/01 | Brambling | Lake Vyrnwy. 60+ under beeches along road near Lakeside Hide |
| 13/01 | Brambling | Llanidloes. 500-600 at Pen-yr-allt Wood most of week - best around SN956857 |
| 13/01 | Goldeneye | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female present |
| 13/01 | Waxwing | Newtown. Single at the college still present |
| 09/01 | Waxwing | Newtown. Single at the college still present |
| 08/01 | Waxwing | Newtown. Single at the college still present |
| 07/01 | Brambling | Llanidloes. 400+ at Peny-yr-allt Wood in beech near the little car park but mobile |
| 06/01 | Waxwing | Newtown. Single at the college from 5th |
| 04/01 | Goldeneye | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female still plus a few Mandarin |
| 04/01 | Hawfinch | Powis Castle. Present plus male Blackcap |
| 03/01 | Blackcap | Welshpool. Male at Buttington |
| 03/01 | Waxwing | Llanidloes. 32 at bottom Bryn du Road 1.45 - 3pm, no sign since. Earlier, 40 reported Buttington Cross Welshpool mid morning but no sign afterwards |
| 02/01 | Hawfinch | Powis Castle. 20+ in the park today |
| 01/01 | Lesser Sp. Woodpecker | Powis Castle. One in the park this morning |
| 30/12 | Hawfinch | Powis Castle. 14 in the gardens |
| 28/12 | Goldeneye | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Still plus 2 Peregrine, Wigeon, Shelduck | 20/12 | Pintail | Llyn Coed y Dinas. 2 drake & female Goldeneye still |
| 19/12 | Goldeneye | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female type still present |
| 13/12 | Goldeneye | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female type present and Pintail reported this morning only |
| 28/11 | Goldeneye | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female present |
| 25/11 | Great White Egret | River Dyfi. pm, about 1 mile west of Machynlleth |
| 22/11 | Blackcap | Guilsfield. Male & female in garden |
| 30/10 | Lapland Bunting | Lake Glaslyn. One reported top section of track leading to MWT Lake Glaslyn (SN837952). Present all day 30th, not seen since. |
| 27/10 | Shoveler | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single drake |
| 19/10 | Great White Egret | Aberhafesp. By River Severn 3pm |
| 17/10 | Yellow-browed Warbler | Newtown. Single in woods opposite leisure centre |
| 29/09 | Wigeon | Llyn Coed y Dinas. 10 present |
| 26/09 | Great White Egret | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Early morning - then flew down river 9am |
| 24/09 | Lesser BB Gull | Llyn Coed y Dinas. 300+ pm. |
| 22/09 | Sandwich Tern | Lake Vyrnwy. 5 early afternoon from Old Village CP |
| 16/09 | Manx Shearwater | Llanidloes. One crash landed in garden. Safely released Aberystwyth |
| 02/09 | Snow Goose | Montgomery. The feral bird again at Lymore Pools associating with 20+ Greylag |
| 02/09 | Hawfinch | Churchstoke. 2 flying north |
| 01/09 | House Martin | Sarn. 1000+ streaming south at 7.30pm |
| 27/08 | Hobby | Guilsfield. One over this morning |
| 26/08 | Osprey | Penstrowed. Heading towards Newtown along R.Severn 2pm |
| 10/08 | Common Scoter | Lake Vyrnwy. Two drakes off dam this morning |
| 28/07 | Hobby | Lymore. Single this morning |
| 21/07 | Hobby | Middletown. One over, also a Peregrine |
| 28/06 | Osprey | Lake Vyrnwy. Single passing through |
| 17/06 | Great Black-backed Gull | Lake Vyrnwy. Pair am, plus a few each of LBB and BH Gull & Goshawk |
| 03/06 | Snow Goose | Llyn Coed y Dinas. One escapee plus adult Mediterranean Gull |
| 02/06 | Mediterranean Gull | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single distant on island |
| 23/05 | Hobby | Cors Dyfi. Single today |
| 10/05 | Lesser Whitethroat | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Singing male present |
| 04/05 | Hobby | Lake Vyrnwy. Adult over today |
| 29/04 | Whimbrel | Llyn Coed y Dinas. One over plus Arctic Tern |
| 25/04 | Whimbrel | Dolydd Hafren. One in front of 2nd hide this morning |
| 24/04 | Garden Warbler | Guilsfield. Two today |
| 23/04 | Swift | Welshpool. One over drifting west |
| 19/04 | Cuckoo | Lake Vyrnwy. Also Grasshopper Warbler |
| 18/04 | Arctic Tern | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single through |
| 16/04 | Snow Goose | Montgomery. Single at Lymore Pools (presumed feral escape?) |
| 16/04 | Whooper Swan | Lake Vyrnwy. 3 on lake (am) & Short-eared Owl on moorland |
| 14/04 | Common Sandpiper | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single plus Blackcap |
| 11/04 | Hen Harrier | Cors Dyfi. Male present |
| 08/04 | Pied Flycatcher | Foel. A male has arrived, also one at Pwll Penarth |
| 05/04 | Wheatear | Lake Vyrnwy. One along Gadfa road |
| 05/04 | Tree Sparrow | Wern. 3 at garden feeders |
| 04/04 | Whooper Swan | Lake Vyrnwy. 5 from Lakeside Hide |
| 04/04 | Swallow | Llyn Coed y Dinas. 3 today |
| 03/04 | Black Redstart | Guilsfield. One in private garden from 2nd but no sign on 4th |
| 30/03 | Egyptian Goose | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single & Mediterranean Gull (this also 29th), Sand Martin |
| 27/03 | Mediterranean Gull | Llyn Coed y Dinas. 2 adults displaying |
| 22/03 | Osprey | Cors Dyfi. First returning bird of 2018 today |
| 21/03 | Snow Goose | Caersws. Presumed escape associating with Canada Geese by river early this morning. First seen yesterday evening, bird doesn't appear to have leg rings |
| 17/03 | Hawfinch | Guilsfield. 2 in private garden today & Brambling |
| 16/03 | Hawfinch | Powis Castle. 7 in the gardens |
| 16/03 | Mediterranean Gull | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Adult present mid pm |
| 13/03 | Chiffchaff | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Singing bird 10.30am |
| 07/03 | Hawfinch | Lake Vyrnwy. Single in Hirnant Valley late pm |
| 06/03 | Pochard | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Pair plus 4 Mandarin Duck (3M, 1F), 14 Goosander, Water Rail |
| 04/03 | Pochard | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Pair plus Shelduck, Water Rail |
| 02/03 | Jack Snipe | Montgomery. One in private garden |
| 22/02 | Hen Harrier | Cors Dyfi. A male today |
| 17/02 | Hawfinch | Powis Castle. 2 plus Green Woodpecker |
| 11/02 | Lesser Sp. Woodpecker | Powis Castle. Plus 4 Hawfinch |
| 04/02 | Pink-Footed Goose | Lake Vyrnwy. 30+ heading north at 11am. Also Goshawk, Willow Tit |
| 31/01 | Pochard | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Female & Shoveler(m), 13 Snipe, pr Oystercatcher, Shelduck |
| 31/01 | Merlin | Welshpool. Male, top of Red Bank/Laundry Lane & 4 Redwing |
| 26/01 | Great White Egret | Llangurig. Bird mid afternoon in field west of town |
| 21/01 | Blackcap | Llanymynech. Female at garden feeders |
| 19/01 | Whooper Swan | Aberhafesp. 14 (4 juv) just below village on left of the second rise going through from the Newtown direction. |
| 18/01 | Pochard | Llyn Coed y Dinas. Single fem. still & 5 Goosander (3m, 2f), 14 Snipe, Shelduck |
| 18/01 | Whooper Swan | Aberhafesp. c12 presumed Whoopers at west end of Aberhafesp pm |
| 16/01 | Pochard | Llyn Coed y Dinas. A single female |
| 14/01 | Pochard | Llyn Coed y Dinas. A singleton |
| 13/01 | Barnacle Geese | Llyn Coed y Dinas. 6 long staying birds still & 8 Goosander, Water Rail |
| 10/01 | Hawfinch | Powis Castle. 2+ plus Sparrowhawk, Goosander, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, 50 Fieldfare & 30 Blackbird |
| 07/01 | Whooper Swan | Caersws. 2 adult north along river Severn, seemed to drop near Aberhafesp |
| 07/01 | Pink-Footed Goose | Lake Vyrnwy. 140+ (91, 24, c25) & 17 Whooper Swan over heading west am |
| 06/01 | Pink-Footed Goose | Lake Vyrnwy. 39 over heading N to NW, afternoon |
| 06/01 | Whooper Swan | Aberhafesp. 6 present |
See Sightings Archive for older records |
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Hi Sue,
ReplyDeleteCould i please ask you to also report your Barn Owl sighting to wwwmbog.co.uk date , time, grid ref etc.
Regarding the Reeves, we recently had a call from a commercial shoot near Tregynon telling us that a tree with one of our boxes on had blown over (obviously not all bad guys) he had dozens of Reeves, he said they rarely get shot as if a gun "accidently" shot a Reeves, that gun would have to pay a bounty of £50. This may explain your wonderer.
Sue - if you send your pic to me at maltwiz@aol.com would be happy to upload it for you
ReplyDeleteThanks Mark. Will do. Not a photo in your league but fine for id purposes.
DeleteChris - I have reported the barn owl sighting as you requested. Will keep an eye on developments! Thanks for your info re Reeves' pheasant
ReplyDeletei see a Reeves most days when i travel to Castle Caereinion Primary school just after where the railway track crosses the road before the T junction. He is a beautiful bird and is usually seen with a female! We also have many Tawny owls outside our house, i think we have an owl box in one of our barns.
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