LCyD Sunday 28 April

No sign of the Cattle Egret in 4 hours yesterday morning, tho perhaps not surprising given how significantly the water level had risen overnight - Hannah must have dumped a load of rain on Pumlumon.  So much so that the Canada Goose nest on the small island in front of the hide had been submerged - opportunistic Coot sorting through the debris! Somewhat bizarrely the lone GC Grbe was frantically building its own next in front of the reedbed and even with the much higher water the Warblers were surprisingly difficult to spot and photograph

Cattle Egret LCyD

A couple more pics of this afternoon's brief staying but rather stunning Cattle Egret - perhaps worth checking first thing in the morning in case it returns to roost?

Cattle Egret

Afternoon visit to LYCD and found a lovely breeding plumaged Cattle Egret. Regrettably it did not stay around for very long.

Sedge Warbler at LCyD @ 1320 26 April

A couple of pics from 26 April - distant Blackcap and the best shot of a Sedge Warbler you'll ever see!!!

'Iolo: Saving the Land of the Wild'

Birds, insects and wildlife are all declining dramatically in Wales. A documentary on this calamitous state of affairs will be broadcast on BBC One Wales this Sunday 28th April at 5:35pm (it will be available on iPlayer on that).

Iolo Williams looks at the decline of wildlife in Wales and what can be done about it. He argues that if action is not taken quickly enough, there will not be much left in Wales.

A trailer can be found here - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0778t3r

Reed Warbler LCyD - Wed 24 April

Single Reed warbler calling sporadically from within the reedbed - only saw it twice though, skulking low down by the waterline so no pics. Also could hear a Med Gull calling but could I find it?

2 male Reed Bunting and lingering GC Grebe only other things of note - Grebe seems to be taking an increasing desperate interest in one of the (very scared looking) drake Mallard!!

Brayton Holt

Terribly sad news. Brayton passed away on Sunday 21st April.

Brayton's son, Rohan is making funeral arrangements and advises the following provisional details -

" Braytons funeral will be on Wednesday 1st May at 11:30 at the Green Lane Burial Field, Abermule near Montgomery.  I don’t know the place yet, but you might be familiar with it, but it is definitely just a field and there are no buildings or shelter. Dad asked people not to wear black, dress for the weather (which might be a bit damp and chilly if the long range forecast is right) and binoculars are optional. It’s going to be a non-religious ceremony; please don’t bring flowers, but we’ll make a collection and donations will be split between various birding/wildlife charities. We’re then going to meet afterwards for a bite to eat and a drink at the Nag’s Head pub which isn’t far from the site."

Interesting feeding behaviour, and Tree Pipit

This Black-Headed Gull was perfecting the art of feeding by up-ending in the same way as a Mallard. It was more successful than others that were surface feeding. I have seen them plunge-diving to feed, but not noticed them do this while swimming.

On Frochas Common, the Tree Pipits had returned, and after several years of trying, I managed a half-decent shot of one in song-flight.

Redstarts at Abermule

Redstarts starting nest building here at Abermule. Seem to be more of them around than there have been for the last few years.

Pwll Penarth Saturday

A few shots from yesterday - plenty of Blackcap and Willow Warbler around but Reed Warbler remained very distant and had to be taken thru the reeds so not the best

Reed Warbler - Pwll Penarth

Two reeling away in front of the first hide - I wonder what's using this hide as a roost?

Tawny Owl

3 calling,close to my house at Llandyssil tonight.

House Martin - Sarn

6 wheeling over the garden 20 mins ago - much earlier than last year (my first in the village last year was May 11)

Michael Leach talk at Bird Group on Wednesday 17th April

Just a reminder that on Wednesday 17th April , our speaker is Michael  Leach, who will be talking to us about "Owls of the World." Michael is a full-time author and photographer, with a passion for owls, and an excellent and popular speaker. Of the 250 owl species alive today, he has encountered more than half, and he will be telling us of his adventures with them around the globe over more than 20 years. Amongst those we 'meet', will be great horned, snowy, pygmy, great grey, spectacled and the biggest of them all - the deer-stalking eagle owl.

This is our last meeting of the season, and promises to be an excellent evening. It starts at 7.30, in Welshpool Methodist Hall as usual.

Everyone is welcome. Entry is only £2.50, and includes home-made refreshments.

Hope to see you there.

Llyn Coed Y Dinas PM

Beautiful Water Rail skulking in front of the hide this afternoon. Other highlights include Great Crested Grebe, Shelduck, and Common Sandpiper. Lovely to see the Sand Martins hunting over the water again, with few House Martins and Swallows too.

Pwll Penarth

Plenty of Blackcap males singing. No females seen. Several Chiffchaff seen and 2 Willow Warbler heard. Nice surprise to find a female Pied Flycatcher living up to its name. Chiffchaff photo I hope just shows the short Primary projection.

Black Redstart in Middletown

Mark Sulway just texted me a report of a Black Redstart in his garden in Middletown this morning. (I am not able to go looking for it as I'm in Valparaiso, Chile with Peruvian Boobies and Red-legged Cormorants!)  

An early( ?) goosander brood

We usually see a female goosander circling around us each spring on the Wern, as if looking for a suitable nest site, or waiting for us to be out of the way before she settles on a nest. This year though, although we've seen a pair on the canal occasionally, there has been no evidence of potential breeding. But today, the wonderful and surprising sight of a female goosander with 6 small young on the canal, was all the proof  needed to know that goosanders have indeed bred successfully here, and it was all the more special for me as it was the first time I've ever seen a young goosander family. I only hope they avoid danger - we know there are some pretty large pike around, not to mention mink.

Fieldfare

Went for a walk in the fields around Montgomery Town Hill yesterday evening and saw a small flock of around 50 Fieldfare. They've been there for the past couple of weeks but will soon head North.

Pied Flycatchers

First Pied Flycatchers, two male and one female, today near Welshpool

Today is the first time I have  had Pied Flycatcher, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Brambling singing simultaneously. Brambling have been singing for about three weeks now but down to one male this morning.  Would be nice to add it as a breeding species!

Llandyssil Bramblings

Still up to 30 Bramblings visiting my garden on a daily basis. Also 2 pair of siskin and the first Redpoll this year dropped in this morning.

Garden Time

Well as per normal as soon as the snow disappeared from the Ridgeway so did the Brambling! Last sighting on Friday morning, but 8 or 9 Redpoll still hanging around

First Egg at Lycd.

Canada Goose layed first egg this morning on Island in front of hide, covered it up and went for a swim. Also several very vocal Chiffchaff and one Willow Warbler seen. 2 Black cap heard and glimpsed. For those who find Warblers difficult the last photo is the Willow Warbler.

Llyn Coed Y Dinas PM

Popped down to the reserve for an hour this afternoon and there was plenty to see. Great Crested Grebe still hanging around the back of the lake, getting dive bombed by Black Headed Gulls. A Red Kite landed in the dead tree with some kind of bird, not sure what though, but was soon chased off by a Magpie. The afternoon was topped off with with this stunning Fox patrolling the shoreline. Other birds seen include Tufted Duck, Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, Teal, and Common Sandpiper.

Willow Warbler

At least one Willow Warbler currently calling at LCyD - distant tho so as yet no sighting

L. CyD this afternoon.

The silence as I arrived was notable. Not a Black-Headed Gull in sight, after 300 a couple of days ago. They seem to do this most years - give them a few days and they will be back. 32 Teal were feeding avidly, presumably on hatching nymphs, and 20 Tufted, a female Wigeon, and the female Goldeneye were active. A pair of Shelduck and the same of Oystercatcher were on the island. Then the sleet started, and from nowhere there were suddenly 150+ Sand Martins low over the water, with at least 3 Swallow and a single House Martin. Hopefully they managed to refuel on a few hatched nymphs and can deal with this cold snap.

Brambling Surprise

Arrived home just back of half 3 today after a couple of nights in Cornwall - after unpacking and all that stuff, and an astonishingly heavy 10 minute hailstorm, looked out of the front window at the feeders and surprised to see a couple of Brambling, never had them here this late before.  Grabbed a quick iso3200 record shot through the gloom from the front door of one of the rather bedraggled birds. Typical tho, now have filled the feeders and the sun is out .... they've disappeared!

Update - the food bribery worked and the birds returned - again taken from the front door at 1730

Sand Martins at Pwll Penarth

A dozen or so sand martins were  active over the pools at Pwll Penarth today - the first I've seen this year. Felt rather sorry for them as it was pretty chilly and there were several sleety showers during the morning, - but the sun came out this afternoon, so hope the insects did too.

Summer and Winter at LCyD

Summer represented by (I think) 3 calling Chiffchaff and a Blackcap making its normal din from deep in the undergrowth and not having the common courtesy to show itself - the game commences

Winter represented by the long-staying female Goldeneye - yes still on the lake on 1 April, have we ever had a later record than this?

Single GC Grebe still hoping for a mate, looking resplendent but slightly forlorn