April migrant news and a male Hen Harrier

Many thanks to John Anderton for this fine Hen Harrier portrait just north of Lake Vyrnwy on 5 Apr.

First reports of April migrants:

1 Apr     Ring Ouzel        Eunant, Lake Vyrnwy

5 Apr     Redstart             Dyfnant Forest

5 Apr     Pied Flycatcher  Melin-y-Grug, nr Llanerfyl

Many thanks to Steven Caunt, David Warlow and Nick Burton for these records.  
 

Updated migrant news

 Spring migrants reported in the county so far:

16 March    Osprey                Over Carno (and 'Idris' arrived at Cors Dyfi on 21 March)

17 March    Sand Martin        Dolydd Hafren

19 March    Willow Warbler  Newchapel, near Llanidloes

21 March    Wheatear            Dylife

23 March    Little Ringed Plover    Caersws

23 March    Swallow                Guilsfield 

29 March    House Martin       Mochdre   

Thanks to David Smith, Chris Hurrell, Kevin Gallagher, Tony Ware, Alan Corbett, Paul Leafe, Len Lewis and Chris Griffiths for these records. Keep 'em coming! 

Also, thanks to Paul Roughley for help restoring the hyperlink on the Bird Group tab above

Mandarins in Middletown

Since 9 March, our remote cameras have been picking up this pair of Mandarins, both on the stream and one of our ponds. The female can be seen, well camouflaged on the tree roots above the male. We have 4 nestboxes for them to choose from.... Last year there were 2 broods on the stream (with 2 and 9 ducklings) but we don't know where they nested. The timing should read 0813 a.m. not p.m.

In this photo, Montgomeryshire is on the right bank, Shropshire on the left. 

Brambling at last!

 A female visited my feeder today, and spent a long time fuelling up on sunflower. The only one all winter!

Also, still seeing Redwing daily, often associating with the remaining small flocks of Starling. Peacock, Red Admiral and Brimstone in the sun too. The frogs increased their volume as the temperature rose!

Bird Group Summer Outings and a Meurig Album

 

Here is the programme for the Bird Group summer outings in 2025:

Thursday 10 April, RSPB Burton Mere

Wednesday, 18 June, RSPB Ynys Hir

Monday 15 September, RSPB Conwy

All the above events will be by car share, meeting at Llyn Coed-y-Dinas at 0830. Passengers pay driver £10 on the day. Members please bring RSPB membership cards; non-members £5-£7 depending on which reserve. To book a place, email Simon Boyes at montbird@gmail.com or text or whatsapp message him at 07708-328987. Numbers will be limited to 12.

In addition, (unless the forecast is very bad) Simon will lead a Nearly Dawn Chorus walk on Breidden Hill (to Rodney's Pillar) at 0600 on Sunday 4 May with an emphasis on learning bird-song. Meeting place in small car park on minor road by Middletown Hill at SJ297130.  

 

This programme SHOULD be accessible by clicking the tab 'Bird Group' on the toolbar above - but at present (for reasons I don't understand) the link isn't working. If anyone understands html, any ideas welcome! 

Many thanks to Meurig Garbutt for these photos taken yesterday at Llyn Coed-y-Dinas: male Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, and Water Rail (with a small perch). 

 

Barn Owl near Meifod

Many thanks to John Anderton for this magnificent Barn Owl portrait, taken early yesterday morning near Meifod. We have a high density of Barn Owls in the county, thanks to the tireless work of the two Barn Owl groups, the Montgomeryshire Barn Owl Group and the Species Habitat Protection Group. Between them they monitored over 130 nests in 2024: in which 506 chicks reached the ringing stage.  

Latest LCyD photos and BTO news

 

Many thanks to Steve Edwards for this Water Rail at Llyn Coed-y-Dinas on 26 Feb, and to Paul Davies for the male Reed Bunting below, at the same location today. 

And here is a message from Gethin Jenkins-Jones:

BTO are running at Breeding Bird Survey training event at Powis Castle this April 5th. If you'd like to give just a few hours this spring to take part in this incredibly valuable survey, click on the link below: https://www.bto.org/community/events/202504-breeding-bird-survey-introduction-practice-session-powis-castle

 

Dolydd Hafren and Llyn Coed-y-Dinas notices

 A message from Tammy Stretton, Conservation Officer at MWT:

*  Dolydd Hafren will be re-opening this Saturday, 22 Feb. The track is passable with care, even without 4WD, but very muddy after the contractor's heavy machinery and tractors making frequent journeys with biomass from the chipped trees. 

* Llyn Coed-y-Dinas: the short boardwalk by the teaching shelter is currently unsafe, and is closed until Reserve Manager Rob can fix it. The hide remains open as usual. 

Thanks to Paul Davies for this Great Egret (plus Oystercatcher) at L CyD on 16 Feb. The egret plumes suggest an adult coming into breeding condition; next stage would be the yellow bill turning black. There have still been no confirmed breeding of Great Egret in Wales - ever! 

Water Rail and Whooper Swans

 

Water Rail at Llyn Coed-y-Dinas on 6 Feb: at one point it was chased out of the reeds by a mink. The rail was showing well from the hide on 7th Feb also. Many thanks to Martin Neil for the photo and the (less welcome) mink news. 

Some of the 44 Whooper Swans that appeared on the north end of Lake Vyrnwy on 7 Feb. I am not sure if this is the same flock that has been grazing at Haim Farm, Llandrinio in SJ3216 during the last week. Thanks to Andy Morris and Tony Coatsworth for news of the swans at Haim Farm, and to RSPB wardens Gethin Elias and Sam Sharpe for the Vyrnwy news and photo.
 

Leucistic Greenfinch

 

Thank you to Aneurin Lloyd for this photo of a leucistic Greenfinch at the Derwen Garden Centre, Guilsfield, on 27 Jan. Leucism is a genetic condition that causes birds to have white feathers or patches of white in their plumage. It's caused by a lack of melanin, the pigment that gives feathers their colour. Birds like this can live normal lives, attracting mates as usual (and passing the gene on), but they are more visible to predators which often make them an easy target.