Lovely pics of a Blackbird “pretending to be a Ring Ouzel “, to quote Toby! Looks like an offspring from the lake a year back, of the leucistic female . Well done Toby-on footy field L’dod.
Toby’s “Ouzel”!!!
Flycatchers -Rock Park
Carol spotted a Pied on Sunday and a Spotted today.
Swift in Newbridge
(via Fred) At 7pm on the 7th (last night) I watched the first swift of the season scream its way into the same roof cavity in our house in Newbridge that swifts have used for the last decade.
Cefnllys
Not today, but over the last 2 weeks the Sprawk has been scaring the locals regularly,
although greatly diminished numbers as they leave to breed elsewhere.
Rhogo-L’dod lake.
Delighted to spot the Little Grebes back on the lake this p.m. No sign of big brother tho. Up the Rhogo 2 lots of Wheatears at least ; down the far end feeble pics of Redstart at last…he really does not want his pic taken! Willow Warb and Grey Wag keeping him company
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Swift
First Swift of this year, seen this morning, at Bwlch y sarnau.
Yellowhammer
A male Yellowhammer seen today in our garden, near Llaithddu. First ever sighting of one here.
Spotted Flycatcher in Nantmel
One signing on the top of the trees in the garden.
Pied Flycatcher at Burfa Bog
(via Anthony) My yearly visit to this lovely reserve by a Malvern birder. The bog was very wet which was expected.
Pied Flycatchers, 4 male and 2 females seen, very active catching insects
Chiffchaff
Blackcap, 2 male
Wrens
Robins
Blackbird
Dunnock
Great Spotted Woodpecker, pair at their nest
Great Tit
Wood Pigeon
Buzzard and 2 Red Kite overhead
Edw valley.
From Aberedw upstream, a grand area for Dippers(Thanks to Leafie for the heads up!). We stopped at 5 bridges and each time dropped lucky, as nearly all feeding young still.And thanks to Lisa for making us welcome. Also several Grey Wags . Obviously the Edw is still relatively unpolluted. Pied Flies and Redstarts around plus all the usual.
Elan valley
A early morning walk with lots around. Stood for some time watching a Peregrine falcon chasing off a Raven, lots of noise. Then to watch a Kestrel hunting.
The Cuckoo is still calling behind the church, plus Willow warblers galore, Redstart, Pied wagtail, Goldfinches and House Sparrows.
Sat having a coffee in the visitor centre to see a Goosander coming in to land.
Cwm Elan
I’ve been having a ball the last few days. Feels like nature is feeling a bit unstoppable now it has a bit of potential.
Great crested grebe on Caban, sandpiper and cormorant on dolymynach. An osprey over Dolymynach a couple of days ago.
On Penygarreg we have had 6 greylag, a pair of mandarin , gbb gull, cormorant. Today i have enjoyed watching a male redstart, wheatear, stonechat, reed buntings, house martins, swallow, wood warbler and the top was a grasshopper warbler that nearly sent me blind looking for it.
First farm record of a roe deer running up the meadow today. The pond continues to bring all sorts of little mammals, including ; water vole, common shrew, water shrew and stoat.
Mandarin+ in Elan Valley
Quick spin round the dams this evening revealed 5 Mandarin on Gwynllyn, a GC Grebe on Craig Goch, several Stonechat, Mippits and Wheatear, 3 Greylag beside Penygarreg and 2 Goosander on Garreg Ddu.
Golf & Cefnllys.
Lucky Brenda over the road had a Mandarin in his summer best on Sunday testing her pond-many years since we had one residing on the lake-what beautiful birds they are! Up the golf course at the top junction a Kite trying for worms again-not often they waddle round on the ground. Plus a Willow Warb further up near the gate to the trig point singing away. Finally yesterday we glimpsed the male grebe taking a fish to the island , so hopefully the fem is sitting.
Cuckoo
We both heard our first Cuckoo of the year yesterday. My husband heard one near Llaithddu and I heard one calling behind Nant Gwyllt church, early morning.
Sand Marts & Ravens
Uncountable numbers of Sand Martins feeding over the lake in L’dod this pm plus a distant glimpse of the Rhogo Ravens who have taken over the Kites’ nest. Sorry re pics , but trying to nail Sand Marts is VERY hard and Ravens at 100 metres plus not much better!
Wheatears, at last!
Today I finally saw my first Wheatears of the year. A male & female at Bwlch y sarnau.
At Llaithddu I also saw Willow warbler, Redstart, Reed Bunting and a Swallow.
Tree Pipits @Gilfach
At least 2 heard singing. One by the Visitor Centre and one in the fields below the Oak Wood.
Also a few Pied Flycatchers and Redstarts singing in the Oak Wood.
Rhogo Sunday.
3 SWALLOWS on telephone wires ; eleven Linnets ; fem. Wheatear; Kestrel in usual place near the quarry carpark ; Grey Wag ( think he misheard when I said ‘Show us your yellow bits!) and Meadow Pipits. Back on L’dod lake , the ducks are confusing ( Mallards) as one has 3 babies left and another has 5 .
Mandarin in Llanstephan
One seen on the Wye yesterday near the suspension bridge.
Reed Warb.
Thanks to Carol for the headsup. I popped down this morn and a Reed Warb @ Lakeside too. Great to see these guys back-I can never really cope with the idea of these wee birds coming all the way from Africa with no help save the wind! Also the Grey Wags on the far grid up Rhogo, first spotted by HRH Leafie and a Willow Warb defying the odds in an unusual habitat: the gorse up the hill towards Franksbridge-accompanied by 2 Wheatears-possibly Greenland version, tho these are very hard to distinguish.
Cwm Elan
Thank you for your lovely comments on my last post, it’s a joy to see things coming to life here in the hills. The cuckoo has been constant for the last few days, yesterday I saw my first male redstart and a housemartin swung by. Swallow was in the yard this morning and a few wheatear about. Grey wagtail in the brook behind the house. A couple of snipe last night when out looking for aurora, one drumming and one squeaking on the rhos below. The mammals have been busy too. Following photos of a few of the usual birds, a stoat with a field vole I panicked was one of my water voles. Water vole at the pond and finally a bit of aurora whilst listening to the curlew warbling over Craig Goch reservoir. And……….. it’s sunny and I’m planing to stay out haha x hope you have a lovely weekend and I’m enjoying seeing what birds you are getting x
Reed Warb-L’dod.
Carol ( Hawkeye) Taylor saw a Reed Warb back today near the lagoon and also 5 ducklings, so hopefully they were hiding from Toby who only saw 3! No pics ,so excuse to pop on the rest of yesterdays up the Elan, as described in last blog.
Rhayader Wyeside
The riverside walk on Wednesday produced Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap and a fine male Bullfinch.
Today, closer to home, a male Pied Flycatcher seen checking out nest boxes (& another heard) & a pair of Mandarin ducks on the river.
Hirundines in Llangunllo
(via David) Early evening 18 April, 4 swallows/martins seen very high up over Llangunillo and heading west. This is 10 days before the first sighting here last year, and 5 weeks before the first sighting in 2022.
Elan-Pied Flycatchers etc
A most enjoyable day up the valley with plenty of sunshine until afternoon-pity about the icy wind. Still in the shelter of Cnwch wood at least 3 male Pied Flies and a fem-all looking interested in various boxes-congrats on the rangers for putting more up as it makes a HUGE difference to the amount of birds breeding successfully. Grey Wags on the river and male Redstart up Claerwen plus a Buzzard with the sheep.Finally , Wheatears before Hirnant and Curlews past there, along with a Swallow and Stonechats of course.
Swallow
First Swallow of the year, seen this morning at Davids Well.
Also Curlew seen at Pant y dwr yesterday.
Cuckoo up Rhogo.
One calling early p.m. round the bend from the pond where Little Grebe still. Also Wheatear, Stonechats, Linnets, Pied Wags and a Reed Bunting.
Canada geese
Nothing unusual maybe , but it is for up at Davids Well it is, to see four of them on a field.
Peregrine in Llandrindod
One seen flying over the Lake this evening.
Radnor Bird Blog 