The two owlets from our owl box, are doing really well, though not enjoying the rain today, sat in our trees. Mum is always sat nearby keeping a watch
(via Colin) Great White Egret by the Mithil Brook near Penybont at noon today (17/5). Also over the past week: Grasshopper Warbler singing (‘reeling’) on Gilwern Common; Spotted Flycatchers at several sites yesterday (16/5); the first fledgling Stonechats from 10/5 onwards. Incidental records of nests with eggs of Linnet, Pied Flycatcher and Wheatear, and nests with young of Carrion Crow, Grey Wagtail, Long-tailed Tit and Marsh Tit. The Crow nest is 1.9 metres up in an isolated hawthorn (same site was used successfully last year), the MT nest is in a hole in an alder not far from Llandrindod. Behaviour: Blue Tit gathering feather down from the exterior of a Goshawk nest (observed under licence). Nice showing of Early Purple Orchids in an Ithon valley wood.
After double checking, today we’ve had our first Garden Warbler singing in our garden.
Swallows too have returned, in the last couple of weeks, and are building a new nest in our garage.
A pair of Pied Flycatchers are seen near the garden and a Greenfinch was heard from Llandrindod tennis courts. This year we put up extra nestboxes in the woods behind us, and are taking part in the ‘No Mow May’ campaign, to protect invertebrates. Every little helps.
Seen today at Castle Vale.
One calling over house this evening.
I was quite surprised to see a Dunlin happily feeding on the roadside at Gorddwr Banc today.
Went looking for dippers, at a place I had seen them before near Llaithduu. Didn’t see any dippers but did see Sand Martins instead.
(via Helen) They’ve arrived! … two SWIFTS in Cwmdauddwr this morning (Mon 9 May).
(via Fred) Mon 9th 2pm 5 to 10 swifts over Newbridge-on-Wye
Get ready!
The Swifts will soon be here, and a few sightings have begun to trickle in from Powys.
The Green Connections team are gearing up to start recording their return and if you would like to come along to a guided walk, do have a look on our website and sign up via Eventbrite for one of them. 🌻https://www.rwtwales.org/events
We will visit:
Llandrindod Wells, Presteigne, Llangunllo, Rhayader and Knighton
Alternatively, you can book with janice@rwtwales.org
Excitingly, we also have a new talk from Edward Mayer of Swift Conservation via zoom, May 18th. Bookable please with Eventbrite – and a link will be sent out closer to the time 😊 See the Events page 👏Coming soon!
More details are here –
https://www.rwtwales.org/events/2022-05-18-swifts-birds-you-can-help
One singing at Burfa Bog Nature Reserve near Walton.
Also a few Garden Warblers, Pied Flycatchers and Redstarts.
(via Will) A female cuckoo has turned up at Llandeilo Graban at last. It’s the one with chestnut colouring on the back of its neck – all the other photos are of a male bird.
The Wheater was spotted up on top of Cefnllys Castle. There were two but could only catch one on camera. The usual Buzzards and Red Kites were in the air and the Cuckoos are calling every morning. Back at Shaky Bridge the Dipper was very active right by the bridge and stayed around for quite a few minutes with a small fish in it’s beak until flying off upstream. The Redstart was on the hillside on the walk back up the side of Castle Bank. Then heard the Cuckoo calling loudly and there it was flying above my head being mobbed by three small birds. The photo isn’t great but at least I managed to catch the action as it flew over the hill! At the same time another Cuckoo was calling from the other side of the valley across the Ithon.
Nice couple of hours up the stunning Nant y Ffald valley.
Dipper, Stonechat, Meadow Pipits, Red-Kites, Ravens, Buzzard, Swallows, good number of Wheatears and fabulous pair of Whinchats.
Curlew and cuckoo heard from Rhosgoch bog this morning. Redstart seen, as well as a pair of Canada geese walking between the pools.
First time this year i’ve heard the Cuckoo, this morning.
(via Will) The male cuckoos arrived a couple of weeks ago but I’ve yet to see a female cuckoo – maybe the next time there’s a southerly wind?
Radnor Bird Blog 