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 Â 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. Â 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.
RWT Pentwyn
Our first Breeding Bird Survey of spring on the south side of the wildlife trust reserve produced several recently arrived migrants, including Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and 3 Redstarts.
Also present was a Green Woodpecker.
Redstart @ Nantmel
Heard singing behind the old school.
Also heard Willow Warbler and Garden Warbler.
Grasshopper Warbler in Llandrindod
One heard this morning in brambles on the edge of the Forest Garden (Pomarium) near the Old School Field.
Cwm Elan
A little update now spring is trying darn hard to push through what has been an extremely wet period. Saw the first pair of curlew on our hill yesterday. I have been told they have been back a little while.
Today, well today brought the first sound of the cuckoo to the fridd behind the house. All day.
The reservoir has seen geese, gosh I think I counted 16 the one day, greylag and Canada. Snipe heard. Mallard. Mandarin, great black backed gulls were about for a few days.
Around the farm there are reed bunting, Siskin, pied wagtail, grey wagtail, coal tit, all disheveled birds expected to the garden. Red kite is sitting on eggs. Lots of flocks of meadow pipits, they seem to be sticking together at the moment. we have had two groups of resident house sparrows. One family group at the barn and one at the house.
On the mammal front I have recorded hare, water vole, water shrew, common shrew, field vole and roe deer all nearby oh and one fleeting glimpse of a pine marten.
Loading some video of various mammals.
Thank you for those that have been sending into me their mammal records radnorshiremammalgroup@live.com or through the BIS app. Fred has included some of yours Kev.
X
Tree Pipit @ Beacon Hill
One heard flying over today. Nearby, it was nice to see a couple of pairs Lapwings.
L’dod Lake
As discovered by Leafie(see below) a pair of Pochard on the lake; also numerous Willow Warbs,a Blackcap and Chiffchaffs-poor pics today! A wee bit disturbing was the sight of both GC Grebes dozing in the middle-one hopes it’s not because the very high water has swamped the nest.
.
Pochard @ Llandod
Pair on the lake today. A House Martin, Swallow and 7 Sand Martin were feeding high over the lake. Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff were herd singing in various locations around the lake.
Sand Marts-L’dod
Scores of Sand Martins feeding on L’dod Lake at 3pm today.
Kite…worming!
Always seems odd when a bird of this size chooses to dine on earthworms ( Buzzards too of course) , but they do provide a mainstay if nothing else is handy. The sequence was taken this week up the golf course.
Swallow @ Ireland Moor
1 seen heading west.
Rock Park
Very remiss of me , but Carol reported a possible fem. Black Redstart on the Heritage centre roof on Weds.
Willow Warbler @ Pant y Dwr
2 heard singing today
BTO local event.
As recently retired BTO rep for Radnor, I would like to bring this event to your notice.
Breeding Bird Survey Training – Llandrindod Wells Lake (21/04)
Are you a birdwatcher and are interested in helping us monitor bird populations in Wales?
Then join us at Llandrindod Wells Lake to learn about and practice the BTO’s Breeding Bird Survey (BBS)
By joining the Radnor BBS team, you’ll be making a really valuable contribution. BBS is an important survey. Its aim is to keep track of changes in the breeding populations of widespread bird species in the UK to inform their future conservation.
All it involved is two survey visits a year, each lasting no more than 1.5-2 hrs each to a specially selected site. During thought visits, you’ll note the common breeding birds present by sight and sound. Click on this link for more information, and we look forward to seeing you there!
Gethin Jenkins-Jones (he/him)
Development and Engagement Coordinator (BTO Cymru)
Cydlynydd Datblygiad ac Ymgysylltu (BTO Cymru)
Thoday Building, Deiniol Rd, Bangor, LL57 2UW mob:07756 286 455 tel: 01248 383285
Make your birdwatching count:
http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys
Follow us on: Twitter – Facebook – YouTube
Short-eared Owl @ Rhogo
One seen late this evening (as it was getting dark). It was hunting of the rough grassland towards Gilwern hill.
Radnor Bird Blog 