A lot of birds stripping the feeders today for some reason-even the GS Woodpecker was back and the Treecreeper;loads of tits inc Marsh & Coal ;the usual finches and 3 Dunnocks. Gc grebes on lake and a fem. Sprawk circled briefly .Carol reported Goldcrest & Treecreeper near lakeside early this week.

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Powys has at least curbed its blinkered frenzy for” tidying” certain areas this year and left most of the lakeside growth, just strimming the margins, so the wildlife has some cover-but why not trim the hedges instead , so that we can SEE-letting them get so straggly months after the birds are done serves no purpose. Anyway , Kingfishers back, along with 2 Cormorants and Grebes going well. Up here , betwixt showers for the14th consecutive day, the House Sparrows are everywhere, but we are seeing a Chiffchaff too.Plus a ragged Wren still moulting out, and 2 Nuthatches.

 Sadly lost a Bullfinch , a Chaffinch and a Greenfinch with the “Greenfinch “disease, which seems more prevalent again.Marsh & Coal tits still with us.Bet Bazz has got all the Siskins and Redpolls!

 

A bit further afield today as rain& wind a tad lighter, but not much left! A cloud of Swallows& House Marts above the dam(50-60) soon swirled away south, leaving 2 Grey Wagtails at the base of the dam and 2 men dangling from the top! A family of Stonechats nearby(5) and then up near Craig Goch a Bank Vole scampered across the road and some Fly Agaric, blown over.Not a full card!!!

Anyone dare say, “We need it for the garden”and I’ll… Sprawk here, bedraggled but perky and butterflies desperately trying to feed : Red Admiral,Peacock and pictured below , Painted Lady and Small Tortoiseshell-the latter once so common in our gardens , now very scarce.Quite a lot of tits and finches, plus endless Sparrows.Grebes even  cowering beneath the bushes up the lake. I spose we have to be thankful it’s not Cuba!

 

All’s quiet in the rain.Humbugs going well.

WHERE”S mi dinner?

HERE we go.

Large flock (100+) feeding on knappweed on the Old School Field this morning. Seen also yesterday by John & Annette Leafe.

(via John & Annette Leafe) one seen on the Wye yesterday.

Home again , so a check on the Grebes and wow! How quickly they grow. Despite the foul weather, I managed a few rainy shots pm. after meeting Paul Hazell, who travelled up to see them from Llanwrtyd Wells. Young being fed by both parents now and exploring the whole lake, not to mention practice dives . Perch as per being fed.Click on pic for larger image.

Back on the job after a quick trip to Leeds-couldn’t resist showing the grandchilders 2 Kingfishers on the Leeds/Bradford canal!!!They were impressed albeit 6-4 yrs old.

SO…straight up lake to check the humbugs and blimey, humbugs no more! Don’t think they will be getting on ma’s back again.Lake back to peace and quiet-hols over.Up here , fascinating: Marsh tits all day ; young Bullies looking smart ; a Chaffie with ONE leg; Willow Warb and very smart Coal Tit.

Seems fine despite not having a walking stick.

Monthly summary for August.

Garreg Ddu.

 

2 juv Green Woodpeckers were in woodland at Elan Village 3rd, 2 Cormorants were on Caban Coch reservoir 9th and Tony banks and friends from Kent were watching a Water Vole from the bridge in front of Caban Coch dam on the 12th, before recording 22 species of birds in Carngafalt. Pont ar Elan 15th there was a Greenshank in the shallows, also 30 + Goldfinches, 10 + Redpolls were passing through. On the 12th at Troedrhiwdraen were 80 + Linnets, 10 + Goldfinches, 10 + Chaffinches, and a Ringtail/juv type Hen Harrier flew over the Aber mountain road. 300 + Starlings and 30 Canada Geese were at Hirnant on the 16th, at Craig Goch on the 17th were 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and 3 Kestrels were at Pont ar Elan. A tit flock of 30 + at Ciloerwynt on the 22nd were 90 % Long-tailed, 30 + Mippits were at Pont ar Elan 23rd, and a single Swift flew over the v c on the 24th. A Marsh Harrier was at Pont ar Elan 27th, 10 Mistle Thrushes were passing through Claerwen on the 28th, 50 + Swallows were over D y n and 2 White Wagtails were with 12 Pieds in front of Claerwen dam on the 29th, and a Hen Harrier flew through Craig Goch on the 30th.